A total of 246,786 individuals have been provided with short-term employment and income during the first semester of 2024 courtesy of the cash-for-work and training (CFW/T) scheme under the various programs and services of the Department of Social Welfare and Development ( DSWD).

“The DSWD, through the CFW initiatives of the agency’s different programs and services, provides immediate employment opportunities for vulnerable and poor individuals. This initiative is designed to support families and persons affected by economic challenges and disasters among others, while promoting community development through productive work,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Friday (October 18).

The almost 300,000 individuals who benefitted from the DSWD’s CFWs can be viewed as the agency’s contribution to the decrease in the number of unemployed and underemployed last August.

The CFW is a short-term intervention to provide temporary employment to individuals by participating in or undertaking productive work in their communities. In exchange for the work rendered, recipients are provided with cash to meet their basic necessities.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported in October 7 that the unemployment rate fell to 4 percent in August from 4.7 percent in July and was also lower than the 4.4 percent clip registered in August last year. This meant that 2.07 million Filipino workers were unemployed, down from 2.38 million in July.

The PSA said underemployment rate also fell to 11.2 percent in August from 12.1 percent in July and 11.7 percent in August last year. This meant that 5.48 million were considered underemployed in August, down from 5.78 million in July and 5.63 million in August last year.

The CFW is being undertaken in the agency’s programs such as the Tara Basa! Tutoring Program, the KapitBisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished), and Early Recovery Services.

CFW for college tutors, youth dev’t workers, parents

For this year’s implementation of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program, a total of 10,733 college students and 61,878 parents received cash assistance from the agency through the CFW modality of the program.

Under the tutoring program, college students were deployed as tutors who conduct reading sessions to struggling or non-reader elementary students, and as youth development workers (YDWs) who were trained to facilitate the Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions.

In exchange for rendering 20 tutoring and learning sessions, these tutors and YDWs received cash-for-work (CFW) based on the prevailing regional daily minimum wage rate in their areas.

Parents and guardians of struggling and non-reader elementary students also received CFW for attending the 20 Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions.

CFW for students, vulnerable sectors

The KALAHI-CIDSS CFW modality is seen as an opportunity to help the vulnerable sectors improve their quality of life, an avenue to engage in community services, rehabilitate damaged infrastructure, and implement community projects relative to disaster preparedness, rehabilitation, and risk reduction.

The beneficiaries of the KALAHI-CIDSS CFW are students and newly graduates, persons with disabilities, and disaster-affected individuals, among others.

“From September 2023 to October 2024, the DSWD has offered cash support to 26,332 college students and graduates in exchange for community work and other services they rendered,” DSWD the spokesperson said.

The KALAHI-CIDSS’ CFW aims to kick-start the career paths of college graduates, who are still looking for employment, and students as they gain practical work experience. Under the program, student-beneficiaries work for 90 days to facilitate their transition into the workforce.

Asst. Secretary Dumlao said 39,194 persons with disabilities also benefited from the CFW program of the KALAHI-CIDSS.

“The CFW Program for persons with disabilities is a cash support in exchange for the agreed community works/services/tasks rendered for a minimum of six days to a maximum of 10 days,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.

The DSWD spokesperson said 6,790 members of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. also received cash aid in exchange for engaging in services such as de-clogging of canals, participation in clean-up drives, tree planting activities, and road clearing in their community.

From November 2023 to August this year, the DSWD provided temporary employment to 21,117 individuals who were affected by Typhoon Egay that hit the country in July 2023.

CFW for disaster mitigation, early recovery

Asst. Secretary Dumlao said 41,633 individuals benefited from the CFW under the Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) which focuses on mitigating the impact of food insecurity and water scarcity caused by El Niño while preparing for the potential effects of the rainy season.

Under the Project LAWA and BINHI, partner-beneficiaries are provided with additional income support by participating in building water access infrastructures and implementing sustainable farming practices.

In addition to the continuous provision of social protection programs and social safety nets for disaster-affected families, the Department has been implementing Early Recovery Services.

For the first semester of 2024, more than 39,000 disaster-affected families have benefited from the CFW under the agency’s Early Recovery Services.

“These beneficiaries were engaged in the establishment of camp management facilities – water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child-friendly spaces (CFS), women-friendly spaces (WFS), and temporary learning spaces (TLS) in camps/evacuation centers or transitional shelters,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao pointed out.

The DSWD spokesperson reiterated the CFW is the agency’s way to address the lack of an income source of the vulnerable sectors to enable them to meet their daily basic needs. #

Tagalog Version

246K estudyante, magulang nabigyan ng cash-for-work ng DSWD

May kabuuang bilang na 246,786 indibidwal ang nabigyan ng panandaliang trabaho sa unang semester ng 2024 sa pamamagitan ng cash-for-work and training (CFW/T) scheme sa ilalim ng iba’t-ibang programa at serbisyo na ibinibigay ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“The DSWD, through the CFW initiatives of the agency’s different programs and services, provides immediate employment opportunities for vulnerable and poor individuals. This initiative is designed to support families and persons affected by economic challenges and disasters among others, while promoting community development through productive work,” sabi ni DSWD Spokesperson Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao.

Ang halos 300,000 individuals na nagbenepisyo sa CFW scheme ng ahensya ay maituturing na malaking kontribusyon at kabawasan sa bilang ng mga walang trabaho nitong buwan ng Agosto.

Ang CFW ay isang short-term intervention na nagbibigay ng pansamantalang trabaho sa mga indibidwal na lumalahok sa programa na may kinalaman sa komunidad. May kapalit na sweldo ang bawat trabahong kanilang ibinabahagi.

Batay sa report ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) nitong October , bumagsak ng 4 percent ang unemployment rate nitong buwan ng Agosto kumpara sa 4.7 percent sa buwan ng Hulyo.

Nakapagtala din ng underemployment rate na 11.2 percent sa buwan ng Agosto mula naman sa 12.1 percent nitong Hulyo at 11.7 percent ng August ng nakaraang taon. Sa nasabing tala, lumalabas na may 5.48 million ang maikukunsiderang underemployed sa buwan ng Agosto kumpara sa 5.78 million ng July at 5.63 million ng August last year.

Ang CFW ay ginagawa sa ilalim ng Tara Basa! Tutoring Program, the KapitBisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished), at Early Recovery Services.

Para sa taong kasalukuyan, ang implementasyon ng Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program, nakinabang ang halos 10,733 college students at 61,878 parents sa nasabing programa, nakatanggap din ang mnga ito ng cash assistance mula sa CFW modality ng programa.

Sa ilalim ng tutoring program, ang mga college students ay nagsisilbing tutor para sa mga batang hindi nakababasa habang ang mga youth development workers (YDWs) naman ay nagsisilbing trainor para sa Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions.

Bilang kapalit ng 20 tutoring and learning sessions, ang mga tutors at YDWsna nakakatanggap ng cash-for-work (CFW) batay na rin sa regional daily minimum wage ratena ibinibigay sa kanilang lugar.

Nakakatanggap din ng kaukulang CFW ang mga parents at guardians ng mga batang hindi marunong magbasa.

Samantala, tinitignan din ang KALAHI-CIDSS CFW modality na isang magandang oportunidad para sa mga benepisyaryo nito na nabibilang sa bulnerableng sektor upang mas mapaunlad pa ang kanilang kabuhayan sa pamamagitan ng community services, rehabilitate damaged infrastructure,pagi- implement ng community projects na may kinalaman sa disaster preparedness, rehabilitation, at risk reduction.

Kabilang sa mga benepisyaryo ng KALAHI-CIDSS CFW ay pawang mga estudyante, bagong gradweyt at mga persons with disabilities, at disaster-affected individuals

“From September 2023 to October 2024, the DSWD has offered cash support to 26,332 college students and graduates in exchange for community work and other services they rendered,” sabi ni Asst Secretary Irene Dumlao.

Sabi ni Asst. Secretary Dumlao, mayroong 39,194 persons with disabilities ang nakinabang sa CFW program ng KALAHI-CIDSS.

“The CFW Program for persons with disabilities is a cash support in exchange for the agreed community works/services/tasks rendered for a minimum of six days to a maximum of 10 days,”dagdag pa niya.

Ayon pa sa opisyal, mayroong 6,790 members ng Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. ang nakatanggap din ng cash aid kapalit ng serbisyo nito sa paggawa ng de-clogging ng canals, participation sa clean-up drives, tree planting activities, at road clearing sa kanilang komunidad.

Iniulat din na mula November 2023 hanggang August ngayong taon, nakapagbigay ang DSWD ng temporary employment sa 21,117 katao na naapektuhan ng bagyong Egay na nanalasa sa bansa noong July 2023.

Dagdag pa ni Asst. Secretary Dumlao halos 41,633 individuals ang nakinabang sa CFW sa ilalim naman ng Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) na nakapokus naman sa pagpapagaang ng food insecurity at water scarcity dulot ng El Niño phenomenon.

Sa ilalim naman ng Project LAWA at BINHI, ang mga partner-beneficiaries nito ay nabibigyan ng karagdagang

“These beneficiaries were engaged in the establishment of camp management facilities – water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child-friendly spaces (CFS), women-friendly spaces (WFS), and temporary learning spaces (TLS) in camps/evacuation centers or transitional shelters,” sabi pa ni Asst. Secretary Dumlao.#