MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Social Technology Bureau (STB), launched this month an exposition showcasing its developed social technologies that address issues on child labor, children in conflict with the law, mental health and psychosocial support, sectors in street situations and reintegration of recovering persons and children who used drugs (RPWUDS)
Entitled “2022 Social Technology (ST) Expo”, the activity carried the theme “STB Goes Digital: Improving Lives of the Filipinos through Social Technologies,” which emphasized the DSWD’s commitment to innovate and make programs and services relevant to the current needs of the department’s target sectors.
The STB is DSWD’s program development arm and is responsible for the research to study current social welfare and development issues and trends and identify possible interventions by developing appropriate and responsive programs and policies.
The programs that were showcased in the expo were the pilot-tested programs such as the Wireless Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Individuals and Families Affected by Covid-19 and other Crisis Situations (WiSUPPORT Program), Yakap Bayan Program (YBP), Buklod Paglaom para sa Children in Conflict with the Law, Strategic Helpdesk for Education, Information and other Developmental Interventions Against Child Labor (SHIELD Against Child Labor Program) and Comprehensive Program for Children, Families and Indigenous Peoples in Street Situations (COMPRE Program).
Responsive social technologies
In his message delivered by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Arnold Enriquez, San Juan, Batangas Mayor Ildebrando Salud thanked the DSWD for the YBP model building in the town.
He said through the YBP, the town provided the necessary interventions to ensure the reintegration of the RPWUDs.
Salud said YBP has transformed the lives of 43 RPWUDs .
He also added that in their town, they embrace RPWUDs with the goal of transforming them into volunteers, then advocates and eventually leaders in the community.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga City Social Welfare and Development Officer, Ma. Soccoro Roxas also thanked the DSWD for the COMPRE Program.
Based on the LGU’s experience, she said the program is responsive to the needs of the individuals and families living on the streets, especially the Sama Bajau.
Through the program, the Sama Bajau are provided with appropriate skills training to help them in their livelihood while their children are guided in their studies.
Roxas highlighted the significance of using the whole of nation approach as the best way to help the indigenous peoples (IPs), saying it takes a village to rear a child, but it will take the entire government to help the IPs for them to be away from street situations.
Thanking partners
As part of the expo, the DSWD also recognized the partner-agencies and organizations which contributed to the success of the whole process of developing social technologies from conceptualization and design to adoption and replication.
In her message, Standards and Capacity Building Group Undersecretary Denisse Bragas said: “We are honored and pleased to share that all throughout this social technology process, you, our partners, have continuously provided technical assistance and resource augmentation, manifested strong support and adopted/replicated social technologies in your respective localities. Hence, it is right and just for you to be recognized for your untiring commitment and contribution along social technology development.”
In accepting the recognition, Michelle Lang-Alli, USAID Director for Health Programs, thanked the DSWD.
“I think this is an incredible innovation,” Lang-Alli said, referring to the DSWD programs and services that are available online.
Also highlighting the event was the introduction of the website which showcases all the social technologies developed by the DSWD-STB that can be accessed 24/7 by all intermediaries.
Another project that can be looked forward to by stakeholders in 2023 is the Learning Management System of the STB to be housed at DSWD's centralized Electronic Learning Management Hub.
Bragas expressed hope that the social technologies developed and digital innovations done by the DSWD, in coordination with partners, will become “agents to further bind our holistic efforts and strengthen partnerships, in line with our conviction of “improving lives of the Filipinos.” (PNA)
