President Marcos Jr. Formalizes DSWD’s Pag-Abot Program to Aid Vulnerable Street Dwellers
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has officially institutionalized the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pag-Abot Program. Signed under Executive Order (EO) 52 on Thursday, this initiative aims to enhance the delivery of services to disadvantaged individuals and families living in street situations.
According to the Philippines News Agency, the Pag-Abot Program will encompass nine component assistance packages. These include financial assistance, transportation or relocation aid, transitory shelter support, livelihood and employment assistance, psychosocial support, community and LGU capacity building, and other forms of community assistance. The order states the program’s alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 1, which focuses on poverty eradication and providing social protection systems for all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
The program is designed as a unified platform to deliver services to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, incorporating social safety nets and protection against poverty-related risks. An Inter-Agency Committee, chaired by the DSWD Secretary and vice-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), is established to ensure the alignment and complementation of activities across various government agencies.
The committee’s members include secretaries from departments such as agriculture, labor, health, budget, and education, along with officials from several other government bodies. It is tasked with determining complementary services from national agencies, providing implementation direction, ensuring compliance, developing a strategic communication plan, and engaging with local government units (LGUs).
Additionally, EO 52 mandates the committee to consult with the private sector, advocacy groups, and NGOs. The committee is required to hold quarterly meetings and develop an integrated monitoring framework with a digital system to track the program’s beneficiaries. It also needs to create a comprehensive sustainability plan.
The committee, through the DSWD, must submit bi-annual reports on the program’s implementation to the Office of the President and formulate necessary rules and regulations within 30 working days from the order’s effectivity. Initial funding for EO 52 will come from existing appropriations of the DSWD and member agencies, adhering to budgeting, accounting, and auditing rules.
The Pag-Abot Program, a pilot project of the DSWD, offers various interventions to improve the social and economic status of vulnerable groups and uphold their rights. Under the AmBisyon Natin 2040, as part of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the Marcos administration aims to implement policies and programs focusing on economic and social transformation and equitable regional development.