The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of the Philippines, in collaboration with the Australian government, has initiated the Social Protection, Inclusion, and Gender Equality (SPRING) program. The launch took place during the 2024 DSWD Partnership Forum in Makati City, where DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu formalized the agreement.
The SPRING program, backed by a five-year, PHP1.5 billion investment from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, aims to enhance the Philippines’ social protection and gender mainstreaming frameworks. It also seeks to advance the rights and equity of individuals with disabilities and indigenous communities.
Secretary Gatchalian emphasized the significance of the SPRING program in accelerating the development efforts of the DSWD. He highlighted that while social welfare offers immediate gratification, the developmental aspect requires a long-term commitment to lift people out of poverty. The program is designed to equip DSWD personnel with the technical skills needed to improve the lives of the underprivileged.
Ambassador Yu expressed Australia’s pride in continuing its long-standing partnership with the DSWD and its enthusiasm for the integration of the SPRING program by the DSWD and other agencies committed to promoting gender equality and social inclusion.
During the same event, Secretary Gatchalian and Tony Lambino, president of the Ayala Foundation, unveiled ‘THRIVE,’ a photo storybook. This book features the inspiring journeys of 17 families who have benefited from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), showcasing how they have overcome various challenges and utilized the opportunities provided by the program.
Lambino praised the DSWD and its dedicated staff, referring to them as ‘large-hearted social workers,’ and thanked them for the opportunity to share these compelling stories from the perspectives of the families and the social workers involved.