By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it is keenly monitoring the health condition of its 11 personnel who tested positive for COVID-19.
The DSWD said necessary assistance, which may include psychosocial interventions and financial support, will be extended to their affected Social Amelioration Program (SAP) frontliners.
"DSWD is currently monitoring their condition and will provide necessary assistance depending on their needs as well as in the form of psychosocial interventions and financial support, if necessary," it said in a statement.
Of the agency's 11 COVID-19 positive personnel, four are from Field Office (FO)-National Capital Region (NCR), four from FO CALABARZON, and three from FO VII (Central Visayas).
The DSWD said family food packs have been given to 964 other personnel who are on self-quarantine. They are from the different FOs and at the Central Office, it said.
Currently, the DSWD has close to 30,000 personnel nationwide.
The Department said the DSWD frontliners "remain committed to their jobs of delivering unhampered service, including the distribution of the second tranche of the SAP, despite the threat of COVID-19."
With this, the DSWD considers the health and safety of its personnel as among its major considerations in its preparations for a smoother and more efficient implementation of the SAP second tranche.
The DSWD is set to distribute SAP cash aid to "waitlisted" beneficiaries nationwide this week.
"Aside from the SAP, DSWD frontliners also implement regular programs such as the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Supplementary Feeding for Children, and other rehabilitative and protective services for the vulnerable sectors, as well as disaster relief operations," the agency noted.