MANILA, Philippines – A day after he was sworn-in as the new head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Secretary Rex Gatchalian said one of his top priorities is the faster delivery of benefits and assistance.

“I spoke with the President about it yesterday. We in Valenzuela are known for the ease of doing business,” Gatchalian said in Filipino in an interview with DZBB on Wednesday morning, February 1.

Before becoming DSWD chief, Gatchalian was mayor of Valenzuela City for three straight terms and was elected congressman of the city’s first district in the 2022 election.

He said in his new post he would focus on streamlining requirements for those eligible for benefits from social welfare programs and “cleaning up” the list of beneficiaries.

“For the record, we are thankful of [former] secretary (Edwin) Tulfo for starting the streamlining of requirements,” Gatchalian added.

For Gatchalian, technology was the key. “We want to use new technology to dispense social welfare and assistance.”

Aside from streamlining social services, the new DSWD chief said he wanted to also clean up the list of beneficiaries of the different welfare programs.

“There is a lot of data, the question is who are we targeting? There is a saying, if you put junk in, then junk comes out. What happens is a system loss,” Gatchalian said.

He said he would look at lists and make sure that the individuals on them are actually qualified for the social benefits.

“There are lists from the PSA, NEDA, the DSWD, we need to look at that,” he said. Gatchalian said that he would also align with the local government units in making sure the families on the list are actually qualified.

“That was the problem with the SAP (Social Ameloriation Program),” Gatchalian said, referring to a special financial aid program during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. He pointed out that the lists of beneficiaries came from the national government, “from the top down”, and not from the LGUs.

Gatchalian comes in as the department’s leader over a month after veteran broadcaster Erwin Tulfo made a quiet exit from the DSWD after he was bypassed twice by the Commission on Appointments over citizenship and libel issues.

During Tulfo’s time as DSWD secretary, he told Rappler in a previous interview that he prioritized dropping unnecessary requirements from applying for financial aid from the department, as well as providing livelihood projects to sustain indigent families and dissuade them from coming to the city to beg for alms during the holiday season.

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Undersecretary Edu Punay, a former newspaper reporter, had been appointed as officer-in-charge on December 27.

Tulfo, who was praised for his time as DSWD chief by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, agreed with Gatchalian’s selection as the department’s secretary. (WATCH: Rappler Talk: Erwin Tulfo after his Marcos Cabinet stint)

“Secretary Rex Gatchalian is a good friend… the President made the right choice appointing cong Gatchalian as the new DSWD secretary. I believe social services will always come on time. I’ve known him for quite some time now,” Tulfo said in a a mix of Filipino and English in an interview on the ABS-CBN News Channel.

On Gatchalian’s appointment, the DSWD said on Tuesday night that they welcome the former congressman’s appointment.

“DSWD welcome the appointment of Secretary Rex T. Gatchalian. The DSWD workforce commits to work with the newly appointed secretary in ensuring that the mandate of the department is carried out effectively, efficiently and economically,” the social welfare department said.

“The DSWD community supports the President in appointing Secretary Gatchalian to lead the department in its pursuit of compassionate public service with respect for human dignity, integrity and service excellence,” they added. – Rappler.com