AS THE holiday season approaches, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Davao Region has intensified its Pag-Abot Program, a flagship initiative designed to assist families and individuals living in street situations across the region.
According to Nerjaya Mohammad, social worker officer of DSWD-Davao, the program has already reached 124 beneficiaries as of November. Of this number, 62 came from Davao del Sur and Davao City, 28 from Davao del Norte, 13 from Davao Oriental, and 21 from Davao de Oro.
Most of the beneficiaries are homeless families who lost their homes due to fire or flooding. Others include Indigenous Peoples (IPs) who frequent downtown areas and resort to begging, particularly during the Christmas season.
“Kaning mga kaigsuonan nato nga mga IPs mas gipili nila ang manglimos, espeically karon kay Christmas season na,” Mohammad said.
(Our brothers and sisters [IPs] prefer to beg for alms, especially now that it’s the Christmas season.)
She added that some beneficiaries actually have houses but choose to sleep on the streets in areas such as Magallanes, Buhangin, Ulas, and Agdao, citing difficult living conditions as their reason.
To address these challenges, DSWD-Davao continues its coordination meetings with local government units (LGUs) and carried out environmental scanning and ocular visits to validate the presence of families in street situations.
These efforts are followed by dialogues and planning sessions that involve the Philippine National Police (PNP), LGUs, and City Social Welfare and Development Offices (CSWDOs) to ensure a coordinated regional operation. During orientations, beneficiaries are briefed on the services offered under the Pag-Abot Program.
One of the program’s key components is case management and service delivery, ensuring that beneficiaries receive appropriate interventions while preparing for reintegration into their communities. Financial assistance can reach up to P10,000 per beneficiary, covering basic needs during transit or while awaiting reintegration.
Mohammad emphasized that participation is encouraged but never forced.
“I-convince lang gyud nato sila pero di nato sila pugson,” she said.
(We just convince them, but we do not compel them.)
She also urged Dabawenyos not to give alms to street beggars, stressing that doing so only perpetuates the cycle of mendicancy. Instead, she encouraged the public to support structured interventions through programs like Pag-Abot.
Officially operated in April in the region, the Pag-Abot Program continues to provide holistic support to vulnerable families, combining immediate relief with long-term reintegration strategies. PIA DAVAO