The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will soon accept applications for registration, licensing, and accreditation (RLA) of social welfare development agencies (SWDAs) through an online platform, an agency official said.
DSWD Standards Bureau assistant director Cynthia Ilano told reporters that the initiative is anchored on one of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda which calls for the digitalization of government processes and operations.
Through the Harmonized Electronic License and Permit System (HELPS), Ilano said SWDAs can submit their requirements and monitor the status of their applications in real time.
“In the HELPS, ang gagawin nalang po natin ay lahat ng (all we are going to do is all) applications, magiging (will be) online. Currently, traditional ang ginagawa natin (is what we are doing). Meaning, ang mga (the) SWDAs need to come here (DSWD Central Office) or sa ating (in our) Field Offices to submit the requirements and we will process traditionally.. manualy. This is also in support of the agenda of President Marcos,” Ilano said.
This innovation is also attuned to one of the seven priority programs and initiatives of the DSWD, the Paspas Serbisyo Program, which is one of the innovations under the administration of Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
The Paspas Serbisyo program aims to streamline, reengineer, automate, digitalize, and centralize the current regulatory programs of the DSWD.
The DSWD official also discussed the agency’s streamlined process of application, citing simplified procedure and lesser requirements. The processing days will be reduced to seven working days, modifying the previously 49 steps to 12 steps.
Ilano said these streamlined processes are included in the new guidelines issued by the DSWD chief that will take effect after publication in the official gazette.
“Now, all transactions will be done online. Previously, the application for registration and licensing were separate, but now you can process both in one application,” Ilano pointed out.
HELPS is scheduled to be launched by the end of June while its full implementation is expected in July.
Through this reengineered system which is seen to increase the number licensed SWDAs, the DSWD aims to serve more poor and vulnerable ectors with improved quality service.
