DSWD’s Oplan Pag-Abot keeps 1,461 people safe from street hazards

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Oplan Pag-Abot, has kept some 1,461 individuals, who used to live on the streets of Metro Manila, safe from various street hazards.

As of Dec. 18, the Oplan Pag-Abot which was launched in July, reached out to 871 family members and 590 unattached individuals, including children and senior citizens, from different areas in the National Capital Region (NCR), according to DSWD Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Irene Dumlao.

Dumlao said 189 of these individuals were given aid through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, while 446 were assisted through the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa Program (BP2).

Of the 1,461 reached-out individuals, 878 were referred to their respective local government units (LGUs) for appropriate interventions while the remaining 583 are currently being provided with temporary residential care in DSWD-run Centers and Residential Care Facilities.

“The social workers continue to roam around Metro Manila to ensure that the families and individuals on the streets will be convinced to come with us,” Dumlao, also the data privacy officer and co-spokesperson of the agency, said.

Dumlao said over 1,500 individuals were profiled through the environment scanning activities conducted by the social workers before the actual reach-out operations.

“Profiling is important to identify the areas that these families are seen more frequently,” she said.

For this holiday season, the DSWD strengthened the implementation of the project through the Oplan Pag-Abot sa Pasko to reach out to more families and individuals who flock to the streets to beg during this period.

Oplan Pag-Abot is among the flagship programs of the DSWD, under the leadership of Secretary Rex Gatchalian, to help, support and protect individuals and families living in the streets by providing them with appropriate interventions. (PNA)