MANILA – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has reported a significant improvement in the agency’s financial management during this year’s House Committee on Appropriations deliberations.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DSWD’s obligation rate in July rose to almost 51 percent, up from 39 percent last year, with a disbursement rate soaring to nearly 90 percent from the previous 67 percent. “We did a comprehensive housekeeping by conducting a thorough review of our processes and implemented significant improvements. We are pleased to report that the DSWD has made substantial progress in financial management,” he detailed.
The agency’s fiscal advancements were acknowledged during the Economic Manager’s Meeting in April, where the DSWD was recognized as one of the agencies with notably improved budget utilization. Gatchalian highlighted that the agency’s obligation jumped from PHP75.3 billion last year to PHP123.2 billion this year, with disbursements similarly increasing from PHP50.4 billion to PHP123 billion. “This remarkable turnaround is a testament of our focused efforts on efficient budget utilization by optimizing our processes and maximizing the impact of every peso. We have been able to deliver essential services to more Filipinos,” he added.
The DSWD and its attached and supervised agencies have proposed a budget of PHP229.7 billion for the fiscal year 2025, aiming to continue their trajectory of improved service delivery and financial management.