DSWD Usec. Edu Punay. Screengrab from RTVM video
The newly installed officer in charge (OIC) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public on Wednesday, particularly social welfare beneficiaries, that services would remain unhampered although President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has not named a replacement for former Secretary Erwin Tulfo.
“[Secretary Tulfo] already laid down what we need to prioritize. What we can do is to just continue that while we wait for the next secretary,” said former journalist Edu Punay, who was named OIC on Tuesday.
“For now, our offices are operating normally,” Punay said during an interview with dzBB radio. “This is part of a political reality that is beyond our control.”The Palace announced Punay’s appointment after Tulfo was bypassed twice by the congressional Commission on Appointments (CA).
The CA bypassed Tulfo’s appointment because of legalities arising from his citizenship and his previous conviction for a crime of moral turpitude (libel), according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Smooth operations
Punay said the DSWD will continue the programs they already prioritized to ensure that their operations go smoothly. Among the DSWD’s concerns at the moment is the provision of relief assistance to the affected residents of heavy flooding in several parts of Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao, a program which Punay said was ongoing.Punay said the distribution of cash assistance amounting to P5,000 to each household affected by floods in several regions in Visayas and Mindanao.
Another assistance they will provide was the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, which would hand out cash assistance to families with injured and deceased members due to a calamity. INQ
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