By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
With President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s signing of the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on January 5 promising to introduce sweeping financial reforms across all government agencies, the DSWD pledged to lead efforts in ensuring that its aid distribution programs are free from political interventions.
At the Palace press briefing on Monday, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sec. Rex Gatchalian reassured the citizenry that the agency will strictly bar politicians from participating in financial payouts, particularly the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
This, in response to media queries concerning the steps that the agency will undertake to comply with Section 19 of Republic Act No. 12314, which explicitly forbids local and national government officials from having a hand in financial assistance programs.
Secretary Gatchalian told reporters, “We were tasked to create a Joint Memorandum Circular among DSWD, DOLE, at tsaka DEPDev [for AKAP]. And may explicit provision doon na kapag sa payouts, dapat wala talagang mga politiko. So what we intend to do, first things first, is to get that provision and explicitly move it to the memo circular for AICS.”
He likewise stressed the integrity of the agency’s social workers, whom he cites as professionals with dignity and conviction and will not bow down to political figures or cronies.
The Social Welfare chief emphasized, noting that social workers are ready to assist anyone who seeks assistance, displacing the need for referrals, “Lagi ko itong inuulit-ulit sabihin-test us, subukan ninyo kami. Kahit na walang referral, right here, right now, pumunta kayo sa kahit na anong DSWD office. Kahit wala kang referral, tutulungan at tutulungan ka ng mga social workers namin.”
Gatchalian concluded his statement by clarifying that, at the end of the day, the social workers will have the final say whether or not a beneficiary qualifies for any of the government’s cash aid initiatives, such as DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT).
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