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‘Angels in Red Vests’: DSWD creates 5,000 new regular positions for social workers under Marcos admin
The Marcos administration has begun regularizing social workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with 5,000 new regular positions created this year, giving frontline welfare workers job security for the first time after years of contractual arrangements, Social Welfare…
Marcos admin revives DSWD Academy, aims to make it Southeast Asia’s center for social welfare
The Marcos administration has revived and renovated the DSWD Academy in Taguig, originally a project by former First Lady Imelda Marcos in the 1970s, as a center of excellence for social welfare and community development in Southeast Asia, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday.…
DSWD’s crisis assistance budget triples to ₱63 billion under Marcos admin
The budget for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program has tripled under the Marcos administration, growing from ₱18 to ₱20 billion to ₱63 billion now, Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez said Saturday. Romualdez made the disclosure in an…
More 4Ps beneficiaries exit as 1.6 million families graduate under Marcos admin
For the first time in the 18-year history of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), mass graduation has taken place under the Marcos administration, with 1.6 million families having exited the program because their lives improved, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday.…
Marcos administration builds PH’s largest-ever disaster food stockpile
The Marcos administration has built the largest disaster food pack stockpile in Philippine history, with 4.9 million family food packs now pre-positioned in 1,010 warehouses nationwide, up from only about 200,000 when the administration began, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday.…
Modular tents, maternity kits, ready-to-eat meals: DSWD overhauls quality of disaster response
The Marcos administration has overhauled the quality of disaster response, going beyond food distribution to ensure that evacuees retain their dignity and receive care tailored to their specific needs, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday. Gatchalian made the statement in an…
‘Walang Gutom’ program: Marcos administration ambitiously targets zero food poverty
The Marcos administration has set a clear and ambitious target: by the end of the President’s term in 2028, no Filipino family should go hungry, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday. Gatchalian made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on July 25…
Marcos’ flagship anti-hunger program exclusively supports small Filipino agriculture cooperatives, not large grocery chains
The “Walang Gutom” Food Stamp Program exclusively accredits small agriculture cooperatives as redemption points for its food credits, a deliberate policy to ensure government aid flows directly to both food-poor families and small Filipino farmers. Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian made the…
No administration ever did this before: Marcos launches PH’s first-ever anti-hunger program
For the first time in Philippine history, the national government has launched a comprehensive program designed specifically to eliminate hunger, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday, July 25. Because hunger is the most severe form of poverty, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s…
NFA now buys freshly harvested wet palay, freeing farmers from traders’ grip
The National Food Authority (NFA) can now buy freshly harvested or wet palay for the first time, freeing farmers from having to sell cheaply to traders when they need to move their grain quickly after harvest, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said Saturday. Lacson made the disclosure in an interview…
DA builds mega food hubs across PH where only farmers can sell, no traders allowed
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is building five to six mega food hubs across the Philippines—each spanning 30 to 40 hectares—where only farmers, not traders, can sell directly to consumers, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday. Tiu Laurel made the disclosure in an…
DA chief eyes heirloom rice comeback in international markets
Philippine heirloom rice—prized varieties grown in the highland communities of Banaue and Ilocos—is set to return to international markets next year, with Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel saying the premium grain can command as much as 20 euros per kilo abroad. Tiu Laurel made the…
Marcos gave DA chief three orders on Day 1—here’s how they fared years later
When Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel took office under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in November 2023, he received three clear directives—clean up the department, implement ₱20-per-kilo rice, and help farmers earn. Years later, Tiu Laurel says there have been wins—but also…
UN agency upgrades PH food system from ‘laggard’ to ‘performer’ in 2025 assessment
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has upgraded the Philippines’ food system rating from “laggard” to “performer” in its 2025 assessment, citing improved logistics and reduced post-harvest losses, a senior DA official said Saturday. DA…
Marcos approves ₱300M budget for ube industry as DA eyes world No. 1 status
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved ₱300 million in additional funding for the Philippine ube industry for 2027, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) sets its sights on making the Philippines the world’s top ube producer, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday.…