The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expresses its gratitude to the lawmakers for enacting the milestone legislation “Magna Carta of the Poor,” which strengthens all interventions for the Filipino poor, vulnerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged sectors in society.

Republic Act No. 11291 or “An Act Providing for a Magna Carta of the Poor” was signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on April 12, 2019.  It seeks to ensure that the poor are granted ready access to government services and that the private sector are enjoined to invest in poverty alleviation programs.

 Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista welcomes the enactment of the Magna Carta of the Poor, saying that the measure paves the way of further strengthening the Department’s ongoing interventions for the poor Filipino whom it serves.  He noted that the law also provides additional legal basis for the Department’s mandate.

With the enactment of the law, the DSWD will further enhance its current programs and services and continue to develop other interventions/social welfare and development technologies to better serve the Filipino poor.

In an interview, DSWD Director Irene Dumlao said, “under the law, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) is mandated to oversee the implementation of the law, of course, in coordination with other government agencies, DSWD included.”

She added that the law also specified certain provisions directly mentioning the DSWD, along with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other implementing agencies.  Under Section 4 of the Magna Carta, the aforementioned agencies shall be responsible for the following: undertake necessary actions to mitigate and alleviate hunger especially in times of calamities/disasters; fully implement and maintain supplementary feeding programs in day care centers and schools; ensure the availability, accessibility, and sustainability of food supplies in a quantity and quality sufficient to meet the dietary needs of poor individuals and families; and proactively engage the poor in activities intended to promote their food self-sufficiency and strengthen their access to resources.

In addition, the law also calls for the improved collaboration of all mandated agencies to achieve a unified goal of decreasing poverty.

The law also mandates the DSWD, in coordination with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and NAPC, to identify and target its beneficiaries. In relation to this provision, Director Dumlao said it will be easier to identify who and where the poor are since the DSWD already has the Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

“Makakaasa at makakasiguro na mas maganda ang magiging implementasyon ng batas at makakaasa at mas mapapabuti ang mga serbisyo na naibabahagi na po ng ating pamahalaan,” Director Dumlao said. -30-