The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) today announced its efforts to assist the families of soldiers killed in action/wounded in action. Undersecretary for Institutional Development Group Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa said that the Department acted on President Rodrigo Duterte’s instructions with haste.

“DSWD Field Offices in the regions where the families and dependents of the soldiers live have already conducted initial visits and have come up with assessments and recommendations based on their discussions with the family members.  Social workers have also provided counselling to the dependents and relatives,” she said.

Usec. Ancheta-Templa said that the Protective Services Fund Management Office of DSWD has also given a summary report on the said interventions to Malacanang through the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

It is stated in the DSWD report that among the 33 families visited by the Field Offices in the past week, 14 of them considered the slain or wounded soldier to be the head of the family. Only one wife identified herself as having a stable job, while two of the soldiers were responsible for sending their younger siblings to school.

Most of the soldiers’ dependent/s are also in need of assistance (educational, transportation, medical, and food subsidy). These forms of financial assistance are now being provided by the DSWD’s Crisis Intensive Unit or CIU. In the meantime, the DSWD Field Offices are preparing to enroll some of the parents of the soldiers in the Department’s indigent senior citizen pension
fund.

“Just like most Filipinos, most of the soldiers’ dependents are in need of additional sources of income to augment their small household budgets,” Usec. Ancheta-Templa said.

Cases of Wounded Soldiers

Sgt. Bernardo Ogania has been given an educational assistance for his daughter, Brendel, who is a 4 th year college student. Aside from free hospitalization, his family has received P10,000 as cash assistance and a netbook from the President.   Last August 26, 2016 the DSWD released P5,000 for Brendel.

The wife of 2Lt.  Jerome Jacuba from Region VI will be provided transportation assistance to visit her husband in the hospital.  Rachel is a high school teacher.

Upon completion of requirements, Cpl. Philip Engada will be provided medical assistance amounting to P5,000 by DSWD Field Office VI and P2,000 by the LGU thru the MSWDO.

A referral letter addressed to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was also provided by Field Office X for a possible scholarship grant for Sgt. Christopher Balmocena’s brother. Sgt. Balmocena, 31, also has a 56-year old mother who is asking to be enrolled in the DSWD’s livelihood program.

The social workers site-visitations, assessment, and validation thru the DSWD Field Offices on the soldier’s situation are on-going, for the purpose of looking into the inclusion of the soldier’s families to DSWD’s different social protection programs.

USec. Templa said that the DSWD is also having some difficulty locating the families of the soldiers, as some have transferred houses and the soldiers were unable to update their addresses.

“We continue our efforts to find the families and extend assistance to them,” she said.

Support the Peace Talks

As most of the 33 soldiers visited by DSWD’s social workers are not high ranking officials, most lack income for their daily subsistence, education for their children and/or siblings, and medical care for the whole family. Some may have salaries higher than the minimum wage, but all of them end up with only a few thousand pesos every payday because they have debts.

“It has to be said that conflicts that arise from decades-old neglect of the people’s welfare and interest serve to aggravate the situation faced by soldiers and their families,” Usec. Templa pointed out. “This is why it’s important that Pres.  Duterte’s Administration is seriously undertaking peace efforts both with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the

Moro groups so that the number of lives lost, children orphaned, and wives widowed will decrease,” she said.

“A just and lasting peace benefits not just the civilian populace. It will also be very beneficial to the soldiers and especially to their families due not only because the war will cease, but more importantly, the roots of the armed conflict will be addressed. We can then begin to work earnestly on attaining social justice as a means to establish  lasting peace in the country.” #