The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) launched a new program that will provide animal-assisted therapy to children and women in the agency’s residential care facilities.

In the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed on Sunday (October 6) at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and PAWS Executive Director Anna Cabrera formalized the implementation of ‘Angel Pets’.

“A lot of people were wondering because you saw a lot of people wearing red vests, running around na may DSWD. It doesnt seem the type of event that you will see DSWD. You see us in calamities, doing relief work… There are more commonalities to PAWS and DSWD than people think,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his speech as he introduced the Angel Pets program.

The Angel Pets, in collaboration with PAWS’ Dr. Dog Program, aims to improve the emotional and psychological welfare of the agency’s clients, particularly the young girls at the Marillac Hills – National Training School for Girls (NTSG) in Muntinlupa City, and women at the Sanctuary Center in Mandaluyong City, the two pilot CRCFs for the program implementation.

“First, like PAWS, DSWD wants to create a better place for all of us, whether you are a two-legged individual or a four-legged fellow. Two, we always believe that, like PAWS, DSWD fights for those who cannot speak for themselves” the DSWD chief explained.

The Marillac Hills – NTSG is a center that provides residential care and rehabilitation to minor girls ages 7-17 years old, who are survivors of sexual abuse, human trafficking, and children in conflict with the law.

The Sanctuary Center is a 24-hour residential care facility which serves as a place of refuge and home for abandoned, neglected, and unattached adult women with improved psycho-social disability, ages 18 and above.

“Like our  four-legged friends, our clients have undergone exploitation, abuse, they have been hurt, and they are going through trauma,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.

According to the DSWD chief, the Angel Pets is a cutting edge program that will enlist Dr. Dogs to do the therapy for the agency’s clients.

“There are so many anecdotal stories of how pets can calm us down and how therapeutic it is to have pets. Pero nobody has actually documented it in a long-term research in the Philippines… Hopefully this research can help us better understand how pets can actually heal, not only those undergoing severe trauma, but also help us in managing work-life balance,” the DSWD chief stressed.

Angel Pets is an intervention strategy centered on the animal-assisted therapy program. It is designed to aid rehabilitation and reintegration in vulnerable groups by incorporating positive and enjoyable animal interactions into therapeutic and supportive processes in selected DSWD centers and residential care facilities.

“We also believe that there are lot of good doers inside PAWS and there are lot of good doers inside DSWD. Magkaiba lang siguro yung kliyente natin but basically, like I said, we are trying to make a better place for everybody,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The Angel Pets program includes a set of animal-assisted interventions focused on improving the individual’s psychological well-being through interaction with volunteer Dr. Dogs.

The DSWD has a total of 76 CRCFs nationwide which are owned and managed by the agency and catering to all sectors-from children to older persons.

“These are care facilities that house abused, neglected women, children, senior citizens, and people with disability,” said Secretary Gatchalian. #

Tagalog Version

DSWD, PAWS nag-MOA para sa ‘Angel Pets’ therapy sa mga kababaihan sa care centers ng ahensya

Nilunsad ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) ang animal-assisted therapy program para sa mga bata at kababaihan na nasa pangangalaga ng residential care facilities ng ahensya.

Pormal na nilagdaan nina DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian at PAWS Executive Director Anna Cabrera ang isang memorandum of agreement (MOA) para sa implementasyon ng ‘Angels Pets’ nitong Linggo (October 6) sa SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, Pasay City.

“A lot of people were wondering because you saw a lot of people wearing red vests, running around na may DSWD. It doesnt seem the type of event that you will see DSWD. You see us in calamities, doing relief work… There are more commonalities to PAWS and DSWD than people think,” sabi ni Secretary Gatchalian sa kanyang mensahe.

Ang Angel Pets, at naglalayon na mapaayos ang emotional at psychological welfare ng mga DSWD clients, lalo na ang mga kabataan na nasa pangangalaga ngMarillac Hills – National Training School for Girls (NTSG) sa Muntinlupa City, at ng mga kababaihan sa Sanctuary Center sa Mandaluyong City.

“First, like PAWS, DSWD wants to create a better place for all of us, whether you are a two-legged individual or a four-legged fellow. Two, we always believe that, like PAWS, DSWD fights for those who cannot speak for themselves,” sabi pa ng DSWD chief.

Ang Marillac Hills – NTSG ay isang residential care and rehabilitation para sa mga batang babae na may edad 7-17 years old at survivor o biktima ng sexual abuse, human trafficking, at children in conflict with the law.

Ang Sanctuary Center ay 24-hour residential care facility na nagsisilbi naman bilang kanlungan para sa mga abandoned, neglected, at unattached adult women.

“Like our four-legged friends, our clients have undergone exploitation, abuse, they have been hurt, and they are going through trauma,” paliwanag pa ni Secretary Gatchalian.

Sabi pa ng DSWD chief, ang Angel Pets ay magsisilbi bilang cutting edge program para tulungan sa therapy ang mga kliyente.

“There are so many anecdotal stories of how pets can calm us down and how therapeutic it is to have pets. Pero nobody has actually documented it in a long-term research in the Philippines… Hopefully this research can help us better understand how pets can actually heal, not only those undergoing severe trauma, but also help us in managing work-life balance,” dagdag pa ng DSWD chief.

Ang Angel Pets ay isang intervention strategy na tumututok sa animal-assisted therapy program. Ito ay nakadesenyo upang tulungan na maibalik sa normal na buhay ang mga nasa vulnerable groups.

“We also believe that there are lot of good doers inside PAWS and there are lot of good doers inside DSWD. Magkaiba lang siguro yung kliyente natin but basically, like I said, we are trying to make a better place for everybody,” sabi pa ni Secretary Gatchalian.

Kabilang sa Angel Pets program ang set of animal-assisted interventions na nakapokus sa pagpapalakas ng psychological welfare ng isang indibidwal sa pamamagitan ng interaction sa mga volunteer Dr. Dogs.

Ang DSWD ay mayroong 76 CRCFs nationwide.

“These are care facilities that house abused, neglected women, children, senior citizens, and people with disability,” sabi pa ni Secretary Gatchalian. #