Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is strengthening the implementation of its Pag-abot Program nationwide to provide sustainable interventions for vulnerable families and individuals in street situations (FISS), an agency official said Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao stated that the program continues to expand its reach through coordinated interventions across the country, including livelihood assistance, case management, and reintegration support. In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the DSWD Field Office-CAR recently reached out to families and individuals in street situations in Baguio City, providing them with livelihood packages.
Dumlao emphasized the importance of sustainable interventions, particularly in the provinces, to help individuals and families start anew. She noted that similar outreach activities are being conducted in the provinces of Kalinga, Abra, and Mountain Province. In Region 12, the DSWD Field Office-SOCCSKSARGEN collaborated with the local government unit of Surallah, South Cotabato, to profile individuals in street situations, facilitating case management and reintegration assistance for those willing to return to their home provinces.
The DSWD Field Office-Davao Region extended a livelihood grant in the form of a tricycle to the Lacat family in Malita, Davao Occidental, following their safe return from Manila. The latest report indicates that the Pag-abot Program has profiled 29,689 individuals, reached out to 22,597, and successfully reintegrated 20,899 beneficiaries into their respective communities.
To accommodate the increasing number of beneficiaries, the DSWD currently operates dedicated Pag-abot processing centers in Pasay City and Liloan, Cebu, with a third center expected to open in San Fernando, Pampanga, later this year. Dumlao highlighted the importance of these centers in providing immediate safe shelter, medical screening, and basic needs such as food and clothing to individuals away from the dangers of the streets.
Social workers at the processing centers provide comprehensive interventions, including financial assistance, temporary shelter, transportation, livelihood support, psychosocial services, and family tracing. The Pag-abot Inter-Agency Committee continues to lead nationwide efforts through community advocacy and coordinated delivery of services.
Dumlao also stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships with local government units and improving service delivery by securing commitments from partners and expanding the skills of implementers. Institutionalized through Executive Order No. 52 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Pag-abot Program provides a unified system of services and social protection for vulnerable families and individuals in street situations.
The DSWD encourages the public to report vulnerable individuals or families in street situations through the official DSWD Pag-abot Program Facebook page or by calling its hotline at 8-931-9141.
