Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is fully supportive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive on the need to shift away from politics and focus on governance that directly benefits the public. In the first episode of BBM Podcast last Monday, Marcos highlighted the recent May 2025 election results as an indication that Filipinos are ‘tired of politics’ and desire more actions from their leaders, acknowledging public disappointment over slow government services in addressing immediate, day-to-day needs.
According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured the President that all DSWD officials, personnel, and social workers are dedicated and ready to respond to the needs of families and individuals in times of personal crisis and natural disasters. Gatchalian stated, “The whole DSWD supports the call of President Marcos for swift and efficient delivery of government services in order to effectively address the immediate and day-to-day needs of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized groups.”
The DSWD has set a record with a total of 3,000,658 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned across its warehouses nationwide. This stockpile represents the highest in the department’s history and signifies the agency’s commitment to year-round disaster and calamity preparedness. According to the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), 2,207,124 FFPs have already been delivered and prepositioned at various locations across the country.
Under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, the DSWD’s Central Office and Field Offices continue to provide cash and guarantee letters to families and individuals needing medical, burial, transportation, and food assistance. The Walang Gutom Program (WGP) aims to provide 750,000 food-poor families with a PHP3,000 monthly food subsidy in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards by 2027. Additionally, the Walang Gutom Kitchen in Pasay City continues to provide free, hot meals during breakfast and lunch to those in need.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) remains the government’s flagship program for breaking intergenerational poverty, serving over 4 million households with cash grants for the education and health of children aged 0-18. For the past two decades, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) has supported poor communities in building essential infrastructure such as school buildings, water systems, and roads.
The Panahon ng Pagkilos modality of KALAHI-CIDSS, recently approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board, will commence from 2026 to 2030, benefiting 500 municipalities in 49 provinces nationwide. Each municipality is allocated PHP50 million for a three-year implementation.
