Manila — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Monday, 5 August, that it has completed training its staff on managing the reengineered system for registration, licensing, and accreditation (RLA) of social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs). This training is in preparation for the upcoming launch of their Harmonized Electronic License and Permit System (HELPS).

DSWD Standards Bureau Director Atty. Megan Therese Manahan reported that the training sessions held in June and July at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City were designed to ensure that SB personnel are well-equipped to handle applications from SWDAs.

“The four-day training is part of the agency’s continuous efforts to enhance the system, which includes adding new features such as real-time monitoring, automated notifications, and user-friendly interfaces,” Manahan said.

The training covered backroom management and provided a walkthrough of the client side of the system to ensure a seamless, stress-free, and efficient online application process for end-users.

Director Manahan emphasized that HELPS will streamline the application process for RLA, public solicitation, and duty-exempt importation for foreign-donated goods.

“HELPS streamlines the process of application for RLA and other regulatory services. It simplifies the procedure and lessens the requirements, reducing the previous 49 steps to 12 steps,” Director Manahan pointed out.

The training was attended by 65 technical staff members from various SB divisions, including the Standards and Development Division (SDD), Standards Compliance Monitoring Division (SCMD), Standards Enforcement and Advocacy Division (SEAD), and personnel from the Financial Management Service (FMS).

The operationalization of HELPS aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s socioeconomic agenda to digitalize government processes and operations.

HELPS is DSWD’s online integrated permit system designed to increase the number of licensed public and private SWDAs, which are crucial partners in providing social welfare services to poor and vulnerable sectors.