Social Welfare Policies, Programs, and Services
How Philippine social welfare is organized
Policy items reward knowing who does what. The DSWD is the lead national agency; RA 7160 (Local Government Code) devolved basic social welfare services to LGUs and barangays, so implementation is often local while standard-setting and funding are national. The 1987 Constitution frames social justice and family welfare as state responsibilities, so welfare is a right rather than charity. Know the residual/selective versus universal distinction and community-based versus institutional care.
Statutes to recognize by client group
RA 4373 regulates social work practice. PD 603 is the Child and Youth Welfare Code; RA 7610 protects children from abuse and exploitation; RA 9344 (as amended) is the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act; RA 9262 addresses violence against women and their children and provides Barangay, Temporary, and Permanent Protection Orders. Adoption: RA 8552 (domestic) and RA 8043 (inter-country). Older persons: RA 9994 (senior citizen discounts and social pension for indigent seniors). Disability: RA 7277 as amended by RA 9442. Poverty programming: RA 8425, and RA 11310, which institutionalized the 4Ps conditional cash transfer, alongside KALAHI-CIDSS, the Sustainable Livelihood Program, and the social pension.
Traps and rule of thumb
Items test statutory ages, who issues a protection order, and which law governs which client, so memorize by client group rather than by number alone. Do not call 4Ps universal - it is targeted and conditional. Rule of thumb: identify the client group, then the statute, then the agency, then the level (national versus LGU). Example: a 70-year-old indigent asks about benefits - RA 9994 provides discounts and possible social pension, but DSWD/LGU screening determines eligibility.