In his SoNA, President Marcos briefly touched on plans and programs

pertaining to social welfare, which expectedly is to be spearheaded by the

Department on Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
He started off by directing the DSWD to swiftly provide assistance during
calamities and crises:
Utos ko sa DSWD ang mabilis na pagtugon sa pangangailangan
ng mga biktima ng kalamidad at mga iba’t ibang krisis.
To achieve this, the President made specific reference to pre-disaster
preparations, such as having readily available food packs and non-food
essentials in the field offices of DSWD for distribution to LGUs and the
establishment of additional operation centers, warehouses, and storage
facilities for relief goods.
The focus on pre-disaster preparations was further emphasized by the
President’s commitment to ensure the effective coordination between
DSWD and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development
in implementing the government’s Emergency Shelter Assistance program.
Unfortunately, there is nothing new with these generic call-to-action
statements. These are systems that are already in place and being
implemented.
The President’s pronouncements on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) was the saving grace on the social welfare portion of his
SoNA. He laid out concrete and measurable plans, particularly cleansing
the master list of beneficiaries. According to the President:
Upang matiyak na mapupunta sa kwalipikadong mga pamilya
ang tulong ng pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng 4Ps o Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program, titiyakin natin na malilinis ang
listahan ng benipisyaryo.
This is a low-hanging fruit that, while seemingly simple, could solve a lot of
issues in the government’s financial assistance program. Many poor
families have long cried about their non-inclusion in the list of beneficiaries
for 4Ps while there are those who receive dole-outs despite being ineligible
or disqualified. The list of 4Ps beneficiaries has also been a source of graft
and corruption at the barangay level.
The initiative is achievable and need not take half the President’s term to
complete. In fact, it will not come as a surprise if the updated list of 4Ps
beneficiaries is ready within the year.