In its continued effort to bring its programs and services closer to poor Filipinos, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched this month its radio program for 2017, entitled “DSWD May Malasakit” aired over DZRH 666AM radio.

The program, which runs every Thursday from 2:00pm to 3:00pm, will discuss the different programs and services of the DSWD to assist poor families. It will also tackle its role in assisting local government units and non-government organizations in implementing social welfare and development programs.

For its soft launch on February 9, the program tackled the new vision, mission, and core values of the Department, which are encapsulated in its rallying call, “Maagap at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo” or prompt and compassionate service for the poor and the rest of the Filipino people.

It also discussed the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD and the Kalahi-CIDSS or the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services.

For today’s pilot episode, the resource person was DSWD-Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) Director Felino O. Castro.

Dir. Castro shared the current disaster response efforts of the DSWD to assist the survivors of the 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Surigao City and other neighboring towns in Surigao del Norte on February 10. He also gave updates on the number of the affected families and their current condition.

The Director also discussed the different roles of the DSWD and the Local Government Units (LGUs) during the occurrence of disasters. He said that based on Republic Act (RA) 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the LGUs are the first responders in the occurrence of natural and man-made calamities. The DSWD assists the LGUs by augmenting the basic needs of disaster-affected families, including family food packs (FFPs) and Food and Non-Food Items (FNFIs)

Dir. Castro added that according to RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the LGUs are responsible to undertake rescue operations, provide immediate relief assistance, and set-up and manage evacuation centers when a disaster strikes.

The program also encouraged the public to report grievances about the DSWD’s disaster response services through the DSWD-DReAMB’s e-Reklamo platform.

Moreover, the episode provided updates on the activities of the DSWD that are lined up for the Adoption Consciousness Month this February, including the Adoption Consciousness Forum to be on February 17 and the Adoption Help Desks, which will be stationed in select participating malls from February 18-19.

DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo is pleased with the launch of the radio program.

“Ang programang ito ay iniaalay namin sa inyo mga kababayan para maipaabot sa inyo ang mga programa at serbisyo ng Departamento at para maipaabot ninyo sa amin ang inyong mga mungkahi at reklamo. Hangad ng Departmento sa ilalim ni President Duterte na makapagbigay ng maagap at mapagkalingang serbisyo, serbisyong walang puwang sa katiwalian, at serbisyo na may patas na pagtrato sa komunidad (We dedicate this program to you, our fellow citizens to provide you with information regarding our programs and services and to enable you to extend your suggestions and grievances to us. The DSWD, under the administration of President Duterte, aspires to provide you with prompt, compassionate, and corruption-free service; and service that has fair and just treatment to the community),” Sec. Taguiwalo said.

“Ang serbiyo ng DSWD ay mula sa masa at para sa masa. Hinahangad ko na palagian ang ating pakikipagtalakayan at pakikipag-ugnayan (The DSWD’s services are from the masses and for the masses. We hope to always connect and communicate with you),” she added. ###