Various initiatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be brought closer to Filipinos across the country as part of government services that will be featured in the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat” caravan.
The Serbisyo caravan will coincide with the 68th birthday of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Saturday.
At the center of the DSWD’s participation is the simultaneous nationwide redemption for the 300,000 households under the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), the flagship program of the Marcos administration to fight involuntary hunger.
“This could not be more fitting as our President has truly placed the fight against hunger and poverty at the forefront of his administration’s priority. Kung matatandaan ninyo, inihayag mismo ng ating Presidente na ang birthday wish niya ay sana wala nang magugutom na Pilipino. Itong Walang Gutom Program na nabuo sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni PBBM (To recall, the President himself stated that his birthday wish is that no Filipino should go hungry. The Walang Gutom Program established under the Marcos administration) is one of our concrete ways of realizing this vision,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement on Friday.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK) will also be operational during the caravan.
The DSWD’s soup kitchen will serve meals to people experiencing involuntary hunger and families and individuals in street situations (FISS).
All of the 16 mobile kitchens of the DSWD will be dispatched on the day of the caravan to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) to serve hot meals to more than 8,000 individuals nationwide.
The DSWD also allocated 10,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) per region to support families and individuals recently hit by disasters, and those still staying in evacuation centers nationwide.
“Beyond food assistance, the DSWD will be conducting Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) payouts and the turnover of completed Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) subprojects, such as pathways, access roads, daycare centers, barangay health stations, and drainage canals,” Dumlao said.
The DSWD will also take a crucial part in the return of the iconic “Love Bus” in Metro Manila, scheduled for launch at the Valenzuela Gateway Complex in Valenzuela City.
The new Love Bus units will be pulled from the Persons with Disabilities – Electric Transportation Service (PWD-ETS) project under the SLP, the flagship livelihood program of the Department.
A total of 20 SLP associations in collaboration with their chosen transport service provider, the Global Electric Transport (GET) Philippines, will be leading the operation of the 20 units of Love Bus that will ply different routes in Metro Manila.
Each bus unit is equipped with ramps for wheelchairs and other accessibility features, addressing the transportation obstacles faced by those with mobility issues.
“This move reflects the wide vision of President Marcos, who always looks for ways to amplify the impact of government programs, particularly among the vulnerable sectors,” Dumlao said.
Through its participation in the Handog ng Pangulo caravan, the DSWD reaffirms its role in bringing compassionate help closer to Filipinos nationwide while advancing the administration’s vision of inclusive development. (PNA)
