Do you ever come across someone living on the streets in Metro Manila?
Here's how you can make a difference: reach out to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and let them know.
DSWD urged the public to immediately report homeless persons or individuals living on the streets of Metro Manila to ensure that necessary assistance can be provided through the agency's "Pag-Abot” or Reach Out Program.
DSWD’s Pag-Abot team can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at 8-931-9141.
“Kung kayo ay may makitang indibidwal, bata, o pamilyang naninirahan sa lansangan, ipagbigay alam ang kanilang eksaktong lokasyon upang agad naming matugunan (If you see an individual, child, or family living on the street, let us know their exact location so that we can assist them immediately),” it said in a social media post.
From April 24, 2023, to April 30, 2024, Pag-Abot “profiled” 5,365 individuals and families through “environment scanning” activities conducted by social workers before the actual reach-out operations.
DSWD said profiling is necessary to identify the areas where individuals and families in street situations are seen more frequently.
Meanwhile, 2,402 individuals and families were reached during this period.
Of those assisted, DSWD was able to serve 3,516 clients through its various programs—Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation or AICS (321), reintegrated to provinces (793), referred to centers and residential care facilities (847); and referred to local government units (1,555).
The program, officially launched in July 2023, is currently being implemented in Metro Manila to reach out to homeless people and provide them with opportunities to improve their social and economic circumstances and realize their basic rights.
Malacañang’s EO 52, issued on Jan. 18, 2024, institutionalized and expanded the DSWD’s Oplan Pag-Abot by establishing an inter-agency committee to oversee the reach-out operations.