DSWD Seeks Restoration of P800 Million for Upkeep of Aging Care Facilities

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Tuesday that it is seeking the restoration of its capital outlay under its proposed P200 billion budget for 2027 to maintain its care facilities nationwide. Among the department and its attached and serviced agencies, it is only the DSWD Office of the Secretary that was allocated with a capital outlay of P294.1 million for next year. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that the cuts on capital outlay may affect the maintenance of its care facilities, with some of them already more than 50 years old. "We are very worried lalo na sa mga care facilities natin. Matatanda na ho ang ating mga facilities. While they are maintained to the best of their ability by our people on the ground, admittedly maraming issues ang umuusbong kapag luma na ang isang bahay," he said during the House budget deliberation. (We are very worried, especially regarding our care facilities. Our facilities are already old. While they are maintained to the best of their ability by our people on the ground, admittedly, many issues emerge when a structure gets old.) "So marami diyan 50 years old pataas, mas matanda pa sa akin. So sana ho maibalik ‘yung aming dinudulog na part of the listing we submitted to the committee, kahit yung capital expenditure for the upkeep, upgrade, and maintenance of our care facilities," he added. (So many of those are 50 years old and above, older than I am. So we hope that what we are requesting—part of the list we submitted to the committee—will be restored, even just the capital expenditure for the upkeep, upgrade, and maintenance of our care facilities.) Hence, the DSWD is hoping for P800 million for the upkeep of the said facilities which houses members of the vulnerable groups. "We are actually asking for P800 million. Ayan din po ‘yung nawala. Maibalik man lang 'yun," said Gatchalian. (We are actually asking for P800 million. That is also what was removed. If only that could be restored.) The DSWD currently operates and manages 77 care facilities across the country. For his part, Akbayan Party-list Perci Cendaña agreed the budget must be adjusted for the management of the care facilities. "Itong budget cut when it comes to care facilities ay actually budget cut sa pagkalinga sa ating mga kababayan. So this is a very necessary amendment to the NEP...Kung wala pong budget para diyan, ibig sabihin hindi nagke-care ang gobyerno," he said. (This budget cut when it comes to care facilities is actually a budget cut on caring for our fellow citizens. So this is a very necessary amendment to the National Expenditure Program... If there is no budget for that, it means the government does not care.) The DSWD and three attached agencies had lower proposed budgets for 2027. One of the agencies with a budget cut is the National Council on Disability Affairs, whose funding was reduced from P187 million in 2026 to a proposed P91 million next year. —RF, GMA News