Latest news with #DepartmentofSocialWelfareandDevelopment
GMA Network
a day ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
Baguio, La Trinidad recovering from impact of Habagat, cyclones
BAGUIO CITY – Following heavy rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat and back-to-back cyclones in July, Baguio City and La Trinidad in Benguet are still recovering from the damage left behind by the weather systems. In an interview during the unveiling of the Artificial Groundwater Recharge Facility in La Trinidad, municipal mayor Roderick Awingan said that strawberry and vegetable farmers lost their crops and would have to wait up to 45 days before producing another harvest. 'Kita naman natin, talagang walang bunga. Sira lahat ng bunga ng strawberries natin… Lahat ng highland vegetables, nadamage sila, kaya may pinagbago ang presyo natin sa merkado. Halos mataas na lahat. Maguumpisa palang [ang recovery] barely one week siguro, magtatanim pa sila. That would take them about 30 to 45 days,' he shared. (As we can see, there really are no fruits. All of our strawberry buds were destroyed… All of the highland vegetables were damaged, which is why market prices have changed. [Recovery] is just starting, barely one week, they're still replanting. That would take them about 30 to 45 days.) Awingan said that they have recorded almost P17 million in agricultural damages around the municipality, adding that this might reach an estimated P30 million once they have finished the full report. 'Di naman namatay [ang crops], nasira lang mga buds for possible fruits. Madedelay [lang ang harvest by] a couple of weeks. Sa ngayon, konti ang supply,' he said. ([The crops] didn't exactly die, it's just that the buds for possible fruits were destroyed. [The harvest will get delayed by] a couple of weeks. As of now, there's less supply.) After declaring a state of calamity, Awingan said that they were able to access the municipality's Quick Response Fund (QRF) for assistance for farmers, as well as enlist the help of agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) for relief packs and farm inputs. Despite this, he shared that La Trinidad is still at the mercy of the weather. 'We have a problem with the volume of rainwater. That, we cannot control. We also have a problem with the existing drainage system… We will be conducting a pre-disaster assessment. Our offices will be conducting the necessary adjustments. All we can do is pray,' he said. Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that after conducting an assessment and needs in the city, the impact of the cyclones did not yet call for a declaration of a state of calamity. 'We never declared [a state of calamity] because we did not qualify based on established parameters. Besides, we are very resilient here; we were able to immediately mobilize, adjust according to concerns. But we sustained heavy damage, too," he said, citing the landslides that blocked some roads. Magalong said that the damage affected the city's tourism numbers. 'It's affecting our tourism industry and at the same time the convenience of our travellers,' he said. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
3 days ago
- General
- Filipino Times
DSWD welcomes South Korea's rice donation to boost disaster response and peace efforts
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomed the donation of over 2,000 metric tons of rice from the Republic of Korea, which will strengthen the agency's disaster preparedness programs and support peace and development initiatives in Mindanao. At the turnover ceremony held at the DSWD National Resources Operations Center in Pasay City, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian expressed gratitude for the donation, highlighting its importance in reinforcing emergency relief operations ahead of the typhoon season and other climate-related disasters. Of the total rice donated, 1,632 metric tons will be used by the DSWD to stockpile emergency supplies for vulnerable communities nationwide. The remaining 384 metric tons will be delivered to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to aid ongoing peacebuilding and socio-economic programs. South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa noted that the rice carries cultural and symbolic weight, especially in the Philippines where the staple food is closely tied to identity, survival, and social stability. 'We are not just speaking of bags of rice—we are talking about resilience, food security, and esprit de corps at a time when we are all learning to live in a new normal. A time when the world is grappling with how to make our cities and communities more resilient to natural disasters and other climate crises,' he said. The DSWD's flagship programs, including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and Walang Gutom, were also acknowledged by South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa as key initiatives that promote social stability and resilience. The donation is part of South Korea's broader humanitarian partnership with the Philippines, building on past rice donations through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) and direct bilateral assistance facilitated with the World Food Programme (WFP).
GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
DILG warns vs. misleading post on alleged P8,000 ayuda
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday tagged as "false" and "misleading" a social media post on alleged assistance of P5,000 to P8,000 for those who comply with supposed requirements. In a statement, the DILG called out a post falsely claiming that residents may receive the financial aid by filling out a barangay form and contacting unverified mobile numbers. "This information is false and misleading. No such directive has been issued by the DILG. The mobile numbers listed in the post are not official and are not connected to any legitimate government program," the department said. The DILG stressed that the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) is implemented solely by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through official and validated channels. According to the DILG, its department is only assisting in local monitoring. "No such program is currently active," the DILG noted. The DILG advised the public to be vigilant and not to provide personal information or sign documents based on social media posts that are unverified. "Those who deliberately spread fake information or misuse the name of the DILG for fraudulent purposes will be subject to legal action under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and other applicable laws," the DILG said. For legitimate concerns, the DILG encourages the public to contact its Public Assistance Center at (02) 8876-3454 local 6700. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DSWD rejects calls to scrap 4Ps: It's proven in fight vs. poverty
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has brushed aside calls to abolish the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in favor of lump sum cash grants for beneficiaries to start their own business. "Walang reason na talagang ii-scrap o buwagin ang programa kasi napatunayan that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program can contribute para bumaba ang ating poverty incidence," Gemma Gabuya, DSWD 4Ps program director, said in a report Wednesday by Dano Tingcungco on Unang Balita. (There's no reason to scrap the program because it has been proven that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program can contribute to reducing poverty incidence.) The 4Ps is the government's national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfers to poor households for a maximum period of seven years to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0 to 18. Earlier, Senator Erwin Tulfo suggested that the 4Ps conditional cash transfer program should be replaced with a lump sum livelihood fund, saying some 4Ps beneficiaries prefer livelihood capital instead of monthly cash transfers. "'Yung pang-isang taon nilang matatanggap, ibigay mo na nang lump sum, at bahala ka na d'yan. Pero bago mo bigyan sila ng budget, kailangan alam nila, sabihin nila kung ano'ng gagawin sa pera na 'yon, at may training po sila," Tulfo said. (Give them the equivalent of one year's worth of assistance as a lump sum. It will be up to them what to do with the money. Before giving away the money, however, beneficiaries must declare how they plan to use it, and undergo appropriate training.) The DSWD projects that the 4Ps program would help some 3 million Filipinos get out of poverty. The program is more than about cash dole outs, the DSWD said, as part of the conditions to receive the benefits is that the household's children go to school and that they take regular visits to health centers. Education, health, and things taught through the Family Development Sessions (FDS) are the keys to break the cycle of poverty, according to the DSWD. "Mahirap ang one-time, kasi 'di mo ma-assure na tuloy-tuloy ang pag-aaral ng bata. Pero at least ngayon [sa 4Ps], susundan mo eh, susundan mo at talagang made-develop mo 'yung... behavior. Ito naman yung purpose ng 4Ps eh, yung behavior change. Na talaga yung mga magulang, kahit na mahirap, mabigyan lang ng pagkakataon na makapag-aral ang mga bata, talagang magsusumikap," she added. (A one-time grant makes it hard to ensure a child's continued schooling. But with 4Ps, the progress is monitored, and behavior is developed. That's the focus of 4Ps—behavior change. Some families are inspired to work harder just to keep their children in school.) For Tulfo, providing startup capital for small businesses could offer a more sustainable path out of poverty as compared to monthly handouts which may foster dependency. Kate Hillary Condez, whose family is a 4Ps beneficiary, shared that the program has been instrumental in helping her overcome hardships due to poverty. Her mother enrolled in the 4Ps program in 2019 because she was jobless and wanted to send her children to school. "Sa education po namin, binibili ni mama ng gamit namin sa school 'pag may natatanggap po siya. Sa health naman po namin, 'yung gamot, nakakabili siya ng ibang kailangan namin sa bahay like yung mga bigas po," said Kate. (For our education, my mother would use money from 4Ps to buy our school supplies. For health, she was able to buy medicine and other household needs like rice.) Kate said the family also benefited from sessions that taught them how to better manage the cash grants and become responsible citizens. "Nagtuturo po yung mga municipal ng ibang paraan kung paano magagamit cash grant. And tinuturuan din nila beneficiary na maging aktibong mamamayan—hindi lang po in terms of education, in terms din ng pagiging huwarang pamilya," she added. (They teach different ways to use the cash grant. Beneficiaries are also taught to be active citizens—not just in terms of education, but also in becoming model families.) She has since graduated with a degree in Office Administration and now plans to help her family, knowing that the 4Ps support is limited to a maximum of seven years. For the DSWD, the goal is to empower families like Kate's and guide them out of poverty—not just through money, but through sustained behavioral and developmental change. During his fourth State of the Nation Address last July 28, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. directed the inclusion of homeless individuals in 4Ps and other DSWD programs. On Monday, House Deputy Minority Leader and ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima defended the 4Ps program, saying its beneficiaries are no freeloaders. De Lima, one of the authors of Republic Act 11310 or the law that institutionalized 4Ps, issued the statement in response to Tulfo's statement that the 4Ps should be scrapped and replaced by livelihood assistance instead. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
The Star
7 days ago
- Climate
- The Star
Philippine death toll from south-west monsoon, cyclones climbs to 38
FILE PHOTO: Men push a cart with passengers along a flooded road following tropical storm Wipha-fuelled monsoon rains in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. - AP MANILA: The death toll from the south-west monsoon, or habagat, and recent tropical cyclones has risen to 38, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). However, only three of the reported deaths have been validated, the NDRRMC said in its 6 a.m. situational report on Sunday (Aug 3). The number of injured individuals has risen to 33, with 24 cases validated, while the rest remain under verification. Meanwhile, eight people are still reported missing. The total number of affected individuals has increased to 8,592,630, or 2,365,343 families. Of this number, 24,771 families—or 91,906 individuals—are currently being assisted in 839 evacuation centres nationwide. Another 32,320 families, or 123,624 individuals, are being served outside evacuation centres. According to the situational report, a total of 73,015 houses have been damaged across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. To support those affected, the government has so far distributed over P1 billion (US$17.3 million) worth of assistance through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Office of Civil Defence, various local government units, and non-governmental organisations. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
