The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has opened a new Field Office and Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) satellite office in Dumaguete City, bringing its services closer to the people of the Negros Island Region (NIR).
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the inauguration of the new office in Barangay Talay on Thursday. He was joined by other DSWD officials, congressional representatives, and local government leaders.
“Today is a testament to that vision of bringing services closer to our people,” Gatchalian said during the ceremony. He noted that the new office fulfills a long-standing goal of making public services more accessible to local communities.
While the new office is currently a rented space, Gatchalian expressed a vision for the future. “The long-term vision is to hopefully find a permanent home that the government will own and build a bigger office…so that we can cater to more clients,” he said.
The Secretary also emphasized that the DSWD’s staff, whom he called the “Angels in Red Vests,” are the key to the new office’s success.
“The office is only 25 percent of the equation. The 75 percent, that’s you,” he told the staff, highlighting that passion and care are essential for delivering meaningful service. He urged the NIR personnel to remain committed to providing every service with “extra love and extra care.”
With the new office, residents of the NIR can now directly access DSWD programs such as financial assistance, disaster response, social pensions, and livelihood aid.*PNA