DSWD vows to enhance peace, development programs to break cycle of poverty, violence

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has committed to further enhance its services for the effective delivery of the deradicalization and reintegration programs for former rebels and their families, as part of the “Buong Bansa Mapayapa” (BBM) initiative.

DSWD Undersecretary Alan Tanjusay on March 7 said the establishment of the Peace and Development Program Management Unit at the DSWD Central Office and Regional Program Management Offices in key regions like Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Soccsksargen was solidified through the BBM peace and development program, which was signed by Secretary Rex Gatchalian in December last year.

“The main goal of the DSWD’s peace and development program is to break the cycle of poverty and violence. That is the ultimate mission of the DSWD when it comes to the country’s peace and development agenda,” Tanjusay said in Filipino in a media forum.

He said the program will be including the provision of psychosocial interventions to former rebels by creating psychosocial case management modules that will be implemented in priority areas.

“We hired international consultants to develop case management modules tailored to the cultures and beliefs of these former rebels. For example, we have counseling and family development sessions for both Muslim and non-Muslim rebels. We expect to complete these psychosocial case management modules before the end of the year,” he added.

Other programs

Tanjusay also shared some updates on the implementation of the “Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan” (PAMANA) program, which is overseen by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

The PAMANA is the flagship peace and development program of the government to promote peace, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development in areas affected by conflict.

Tanjusay said the PAMANA Program is being implemented by DSWD in two tracks: the Peace and Development Track and the Local Government Unit (LGU)-Led Track.

In 2023, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services successfully finished 83 percent of its target projects under the Peace and Development Track, he said.

Under the LGU-Led Track, the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the DSWD accomplished 66 percent of its target in 2023, he added.

In February, the DSWD, with the help of its Program Management Bureau and the local government of Ibajay, Aklan, organized a special event to mark the beginning of the construction of a Child Development Center in Barangay Cabugao.

This center, estimated at P1.7 million, will play a crucial role in nurturing and supporting the growth of children in the community, DSWD said.

Meanwhile, the Disaster Response Management Bureau has successfully finished 99 MSAP units, while an additional 401 units are currently being constructed in different community sites across the Zamboanga Peninsula.