QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) aimed at enhancing social protection services in the country. The signing took place on November 15 at the DSWD Central Office.
Under the agreement, DSWD and UNDP will strengthen their collaboration in areas such as digitalization, monitoring, and evaluation of social programs. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian emphasized the significance of this partnership in bolstering initiatives for impoverished and vulnerable communities.
“We in the DSWD are grateful for partnership opportunities with organizations such as UNDP because it enables us to work hand-in-hand with experts to strengthen our digital infrastructure, improve data governance, and build robust, evidence-based systems to guide our decision-making processes,” Gatchalian said. He noted that the ultimate goal is to implement innovative ways to expand social protection.
The two agencies plan to engage with various stakeholders to enhance the digitalization of their programs. Additionally, they will collaborate on technical aspects of data governance to improve DSWD’s monitoring and evaluation capacities.
UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran expressed confidence in the potential of this collaboration.
“By leveraging digital tools and robust evaluation practices, we can ensure that our programs are not only effective but also adaptable to the ever-changing needs of our society,” Ramachandran said.
He added that this partnership aims to support DSWD’s efforts in improving social protection and poverty-reduction initiatives for the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged.
This agreement marks a significant step toward modernizing how social services are delivered in the Philippines, with an emphasis on responsiveness and efficiency in addressing the needs of its citizens. (GLG/PIA-NCR)
