The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
If Friday’s meetup between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) is to be used as a yardstick, then one can intelligently guess that a smooth transition of duties and functions from the former to the latter is inevitable.
That meeting held at the DSWD national headquarters in Batasan Hills, Quezon City was timely and crucial as it was a fitting occasion for the NCSC to pay a courtesy visit and finally meet newly-appointed DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, since he assumed office late January of this year.
Sec. Gatchalian, who was mayor of Valenzuela City before being elected to the House in 2022, took over broadcaster Erwin Tulfo at the helm of the agency.
By the looks and conduct of the meeting, there seems to be new-found harmony, chemistry and cooperation between the two government agencies, whose common objective is to serve, protect the country’s 12 million senior citizens productive partners of nation building.
NCSC Chairman Franklin Quijano thanked Sec. Gatchalian for the opportunity to meet him and the DSWD as a whole to discuss important matters related to senior citizens benefits, plans and programs.
Gatchalian in turn, vowed to support the NCSC’s plans and programs for the elderly including the transfer of functions and duties related to senior citizens from the DSWD to the NCSC.
Present during the momentous event were NCSC Commissioners Enriqueta Rodeles, Ida Yap-Patron, Edwin Espejo, Rainier Cruz and Reymar Mansilungan.
Among the topics that were tackled during the meeting were the DSWD and NCSC transition plans and programs, DSWD Change Management Team updates and the DSWD Legal Service Review on Section 15 Rule VII of the Draft Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 11916.
Also in attendance for the powerhouse DSWD side were Usec. Sally Navarro, Dir. Maricel Deloria, FMS Dir. Wayne Belizar, HRMDS OIC Jennifer Rizo and Asec. Irene Dumlao.
The next series of meetings between the NCSC and DSWD should be highly anticipated and interesting as issues such as the social pension, centenarian program and the overall approach towards the benefits of the elderly will now be planned and guided accordingly by the two agencies.