Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian have told members of the Aeta community of Barangay Maruglu in Capas town in Tarlac that the national government is committed to reaching far-flung areas to serve its constituents.

“Gusto namin malaman ninyo na kami sa DSWD ay naatasan ng Pangulo na umabot sa ating mga kababayan para maunawaan namin ang inyong mga pangangailangan [at] para malaman ninyo na ang pamahalaang nasyunal ay hindi kayo nalilimutan,

(We would like you to know that we, from the DSWD, have been assigned by the President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to reach out to our fellow countrymen to understand your needs and to assure you that the national government has not forgotten about you.),” Gatchalian said during the pilot program implementation of the Social Protection for Indigenous Peoples.

As part of the new initiative, Gatchalian emphasized that the DSWD will reach out to more communities to determine the appropriate interventions based on the unique needs of different indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) and other indigenous peoples (IPs).

“Alam namin minsan ang feeling ninyo ang layo layo ng pamahalaang nasyunal sa inyo kaya sa araw na ito, baliktad, kami na po ang umabot sa inyo para malaman at maintindihan namin kung ano ang nga pwede pang itulong ng DSWD sa inyong komunidad, (We understand that sometimes you feel the distance from the national government, so today, it’s the other way around. We are reaching out to you to understand and comprehend how the DSWD can further assist your community.),” the DSWD chief pointed out.

Sharing the mandate of the DSWD, Gatchalian stressed that the agency aims to uplift the living conditions of the poor and vulnerable sectors, including the members of the Aeta community.

The pilot program implementation of the Social Protection for Indigenous Peoples was launched from February 28 to 29, assisting some 633 Aeta families from nine sitios in Barangay Maruglu.

During the pilot rollout, social workers conducted validation and interview with the beneficiaries to gain a better understanding of their socioeconomic situation, particularly their access to basic services and social protection.

As an off-shoot to the Pag-Abot Program, digitized profiling tools were used to streamline data processes through the mobile connectivity set up by the DSWD Information and Communications Technology Management Service (ICTMS), in partnership with the American company Cisco Systems Inc.

Each beneficiary, who are mostly engaged in agricultural work in their respective communities, was given two family food packs (FFPs), which is part of the agency’s response to the effects of El Niño.

Gatchalian also attended the participatory dialogue with chieftains and community leaders conducted by the staff of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDDS) to gain an in-depth understanding of socioeconomic issues of the Aeta community.

The social protection program for indigenous peoples is a joint project of the Office of the Undersecretary of Legislative Affairs; Office of the Chief Information Officer; Social Technology Bureau; and KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Management Office which aims to empower the Aeta community in the pilot area.

Gatchalian was joined by Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs Fatima Aliah Dimaporo, Asst. Secretary and Chief Information Office Julius Gorospe, Director Christian Joseph Regunay of the Information and Communications Technology Management Service (ICTMS), and Field Office-3 (Central Luzon) Regional Director Venus Rebuldela.

Among the officials of local government units (LGUs) and Armed Forces who attended the DSWD event were Tarlac Provincial Governor Susan Yap, Tarlac 3rd District Representative Noel “Bong” Rivera, Philippine Army 72nd Brigade Commander BGen. Gulliver Siñeres, Capas Mayor Roseller “Boots” Rodriguez, and Vice Mayor Alex Espinosa.