House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to further expand its ‘Pag-Abot’ program that provides both short-term and long-term assistance to street dwellers and disadvantaged families, enabling them to pursue sustainable livelihoods and live with dignity.
“The Pag-Abot Program is a critical social safety net that fills gaps in our poverty alleviation measures. It is also proof of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s strong commitment to eradicate poverty in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
Romualdez cited Executive Order No. 52 of 2024 signed by President Marcos on Jan. 18, 2024, which formalized the Pag-Abot Program as a key government initiative to reach out to and support vulnerable, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach populations in the Philippines.
The call came after the DSWD distributed farming implements to 521 Aeta families in Barangay Maruglo, Capas, Tarlac as part of its continuing efforts to help indigenous peoples become economically self-reliant and avoid resorting to begging in urban areas, particularly during the Christmas season.
The DSWD’s recent package of support for the Aeta families included 50 carabaos, 10 hand tractors with trailers, nine mini-tiller cultivators, 10 grass-cutters, 10 water pumps, 33 knapsack sprayers, six power sprayers, four mini palay threshers and three rice mills.
These were on top of the 91 carabaos earlier provided by the agency following the rescue and reintegration of Aeta families who had gone to Metro Manila in December 2023.
“These farm implements for our Aeta brothers and sisters in Tarlac are not just tools to till the land. They are also symbols of hope — hope that with hard work and determination, supported by responsive government programs, a brighter future is within reach for their families and communities,” Romualdez said.
He lauded the leadership of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian for ensuring that the Aeta community itself identified interventions most beneficial to them, in line with the community-driven approach under the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services.
“Even if they are part of the society’s marginalized sector, the government through the DSWD makes them feel that they have not been ignored and forgotten. Instead, they are being helped to overcome poverty and live with dignity and hope,” Romualdez said.
The House of Representatives is fully committed to supporting the Pag-Abot Program and other DSWD interventions as part of the Marcos administration’s agenda for a New Philippines, he emphasized.
For 2026, the DSWD has proposed a total budget of P223.2-billion, covering its flagship programs, including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, Supplementary Feeding Program and Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Of this, P807-million has been allocated to the Pag-Abot Program, including P586-million for grants and P66.6 million for outreach operations.
“As members of the House of the People, we will ensure that sufficient resources are provided for these programs so that no Filipino family is left behind. Every peso spent is for the welfare of our poor countrymen for the future of the country,” the Speaker said.
