MANILA, Philippines — The government launched on January 25, 2012, the Knowledge Exchange Center (KEC) to store data on “social protection,” and educate the public about its three core poverty-reduction programs – Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), and Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K).

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) defines social protection as policies and programs designed to reduce poverty by addressing such problems as unemployment, exclusion, sickness, disability, and old age. The KEC is setting in place a management system that will strengthen and promote the exchange of knowledge with stakeholders, partners, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) toward increased productivity and efficiency.

Established in 1963, the UNRISD is an autonomous UN agency engaged in multidisciplinary research on the social dimensions of contemporary problems affecting development. Through its research, UNRISD stimulates dialogue and contributes to policy debates on key issues of social development within and outside of the UN system. It probes the relations between social and economic change during varying phases of growth.

The launching of the KEC is part of the DSWD’s celebration of its 61st Anniversary. The strengthening of knowledge exchange in the DSWD is an important step towards increased efficiency and capacity to support the expansion of its poverty reduction projects. Assisted by a grant from the World Bank, the KEC is an interactive repository of important knowledge in social protection. Its facilities in the DSWD main office in Quezon City, which is open to the public, include a conference room with multi-media equipment, home TV theater, computers and scanner for accessing information and knowledge, web portal and a physical library with an online public access catalog.

The setting up of Knowledge Exchange Centers has proved to be successful in many countries. In the Philippines, it is expected to help Filipinos access information, share knowledge, and exchange ideas. The KEC will collaborate with organizations and individuals to bring experts together to exchange information on varied policies and programs for development. It will help individuals and organizations to be more effective. CONGRATULATIONS!