On April 23, 2018, DSWD OIC-Secretary Emmanuel Leyco submitted the 2019 DSWD budget proposal to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) with provisions for the creation of 12,000 plantilla positions.

In the said DSWD institutional budget proposal to the DBM, Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)  and Job Order (JO) workers’ salaries shall be charged under Personnel Services instead of the usual Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

OIC Leyco said, “ Mabigat ang tungkulin ng mga kawani ng DSWD. Sila ang inaasahan nating maghatid ng serbisyo sa mga nasalanta ng kalamidad, sa mga biktima ng pang-aabuso. Sila rin ang tagapagpatupad  ng mga programang pangkaunlaran ng Kagawaran para sa mahihirap nating mga komunidad saan man sila naroroon (The work of our DSWD employees is immense. They are the ones we count on to deliver the services to the Filipino people in times of disaster. They facilitate the release of assistance to victims of abuse and to the vulnerable. They implement our development programs and bring them closer to the poor communities, regardless of where they can be found). ”

“If we have public school teachers and public health workers, we also have public social workers and allied development workers. The mandate assigned to our public workers merits security of tenure and benefits as government employees,” he added.

Yesterday morning, OIC Leyco attended the first day of a week-long Planning Workshop for Infrastructure Management Cum Special Training on Finance and Procurement.  The Department’s Assistant Regional Directors, Field Office Engineers, Field Office Building Administrators, Field Office Procurement and Finance Specialists attended the said workshop for Administration.

In his speech, the OIC emphasized the Department’s continuing commitment to improve the state of its centers and institutions. He also explained the current thrust of the DSWD to push forward its Social Development Agenda.

In explaining the DSWD’s Social Development Agenda, the OIC highlighted the following motivations and action plans of the Department:

1) Reiterate and strengthen DSWD’s mandate on poverty alleviation

2) Zero in on the most vulnerable and marginalized sectors: farmers, fisherfolk, and urban poor

3) Address persistent high poverty incidence in the provinces

4) A Department that is committed to servin the Filipino people, a workforce that has a commitment to the Department, and a Department that has a commitment to its workers

In conclusion, the OIC quipped “Kailangan magpatuloy ang DSWD —  kasama ang mga kawani nito  (The DSWD needs to continue (its numerous tasks) — together with its workers).”  ###