As the New Year begins, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (Department of Social Welfare and Development) has pledged to further expand sector-focused initiatives for individuals across various sectors.

In his New Year’s video message, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the country faced significant challenges in 2025, citing calamities that required extensive disaster response efforts from the agency throughout the year.

“The past year of 2025 has not been easy for our country. We have experienced many incidents, storms, and earthquakes,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.

“We are still successful because we worked together to bring our countrymen back on their feet,” he added.

The DSWD chief assured the public that the agency will continue strengthening its programs in 2026, citing the rollout of initiatives focused on children and their safety.

Among these is ProtectTEEN, which provides psychological support, intervention, and financial assistance to teenage mothers. Project Aruga, meanwhile, supports families with children with disabilities. Another initiative, Project SAFE, aims to protect the youth from online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

“Here at the DSWD, our job is to provide financial assistance, and our job is to bring hope back to every Filipino family,” Gatchalian said.

During the recent Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations, the DSWD ranked sixth among agencies receiving a larger allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget. Lawmakers approved the agency’s budget at P26.9 billion, representing a 20.9 percent increase from the P232.2 billion allocation under the National Expenditure Program.

Of the total budget, P63.9 billion was allocated for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. During the ratification of the national budget, some lawmakers who voted against the measure cited the AICS program as a potential source of “soft pork” and patronage politics.

Following ratification by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the 2026 national budget is now awaiting approval by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..