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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider No pause for duty: DSWD stays on call through Holy Week rush

No pause for duty: DSWD stays on call through Holy Week rush

Published Apr 1, 2026 11:51 am  |  Updated Apr 1, 2026 01:38 pm
DSWD PHOTO
DSWD PHOTO
While many Filipinos take time off to return to their provinces or observe Holy Week traditions, operations at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continue under a reduced workforce to ensure that essential services remain available.
To ensure continuity of key services, the agency has deployed skeletal teams from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, April 2 to 3, to maintain critical operations, including disaster response and the processing of travel clearances for minors.
DSWD has assured the public that the processing of Minors Traveling Abroad (MTA) permits will remain operational to assist travelers during the Holy Week break.
“Due to the high demand of traffic caused by travellers going home to their provinces, the DSWD enforced a skeletal work environment in the Central Office. This includes the Centralized Processing Office of MTA and other operational services in DSWD,” DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said on Wednesday, April 1.
Travel assistance services remain active, with MTA helpdesks continuing to operate in key transport hubs.
The helpdesks at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1 and 3 remain open 24/7, while similar assistance points in Cebu City, Davao City, and Clark, Pampanga continue to serve traveling minors and their guardians.
Alongside these continuing services, some social protection programs will temporarily pause during the holiday period.
“For our AICS program under the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP), operations are only until Wednesday (April 1) and will resume regular work after the Holy Week, on Monday, (April 6),” Dumlao said.
In preparation for the suspension, the Commonwealth Satellite Office (CSO) has been fast-tracking scheduled payouts and walk-in transactions for AICS clients to ensure all releases are completed before the break.
Meanwhile, the department said the Cash Relief Assistance payout for public transport drivers will also resume after Holy Week, alongside the full return of regular operations on Monday, April 6.
Beyond program-specific adjustments, the DSWD has maintained emergency readiness operations throughout the holiday period.
Its central office and field offices have deployed skeletal teams to oversee disaster response, service delivery, and other contingency measures.
These teams remain on standby throughout the long weekend to address any urgent situations that may arise.
Even with reduced staffing, the DSWD said communication lines remain open for urgent concerns during the holiday period.
“The DSWD remains fully attentive to the needs of our beneficiaries, and our communication channels remain open to address urgent inquiries from them throughout the holiday. We recognize that disasters and necessity do not take a leave of absence, and our team is prepared to provide the necessary guidance and assistance to the public,” Dumlao said.

Related Tags

DSWD HOLY WEEK SEMANA SANTA AICS MINORS TRAVEL CLEARANCE
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