Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary for Innovation Edu Punay on Thursday said the agency is now gearing towards the 'development' aspect of the mandate of their office.

This he said is to "dispel" the notion that DSWD is just an "ayuda" agency.

"We want to move away from that image. (As we will) capacitating the beneficiaries with an enabling environment. Upang kaya na nilang tumayo sa sarili nilang mga pas (To enable them to live without nay help)," Punay said at the regular press briefing at the DSWD main office.

Punay said this is to project that DSWD is also a "developmental agency" as envisioned by Secretary Rex Gatchalian through the guidance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"Di tamad ang mga Filipino na mahirap. Ang kulang nila ay opportunity. Give them skills, systematic design programs (that will help them)." he explained.

The 'Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program', he cited as an example, created through the President's Executive Order No. 44 as the government's major program for the poorest of the poor, is spearheaded by the DSWD, that has undertaken the necessary steps for its successful implementation.

It has targeted 1 million families who have 'food insecurities' and living below the food and poverty line of P830 daily needs, of a 5-member family.

The Oplan Pag-abot aimed at eliminating street dwellers on a "rights-based approach" has already taken care of a total of 751 families from the 1,245 families they gathered around Metro Manila.

Both beneficiaries of FSP and Oplan Pag-abot were required to be "actively enrolled" according to Punay, for them to be given skills through the help of TESDA and DOLE. Those enrolled at FSP are also given 'mandatory good nutrition education' with the help of DoH and other advocacy agencies to address their nutrition gaps.

Punay also reported that the Tara Basa program on the other hand now in its sixth month of implementation has helped 50,000 grade 2 pupils cope with their reading abilities with the help of 6,000 college students who were also hired by the department to engage in tutoring with corresponding fees, earning also from the program. The children's parents were also given cash for the work program once they agreed to enroll their children in the program.

He added that DSWD has already disbursed around P59 million for this program.