DSWD vows to help in creating safe spaces for refugees
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday vowed to continue creating safe and inclusive spaces for the displaced populations as the country commemorates National Refugee Day.
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vowed on Monday to continue creating safe and inclusive spaces for displaced populations as the country commemorates National Refugee Day.
Institutionalized under Proclamation No. 265, series of 2023, National Refugee Day is commemorated in the country every June 20. This is in solidarity with the international celebration of World Refugee Day.
In line with this year’s theme, “Strengthening Spaces of Resilience and Hope,” DSWD Undersecretary for Operations Group (OPG) Monina Josefina Romualdez underlined the department’s role in promoting the integration of refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless individuals into the community.
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“Our role at the DSWD, in collaboration with our partners, is to uphold hope by ensuring that individuals and families in need are not just given refuge, but are provided with the necessary spaces – safe environments, supportive communities, and essential services where their inherent strengths can flourish,” Romualdez said in a statement.
The OPG Undersecretary further emphasized that support for displaced individuals requires a multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure access to education, livelihood opportunities, and social inclusion in their communities.
She added that implementing programs and interventions that “uphold the rights and dignity of refugees is the work of the entire society.”
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In line with this commitment, the DSWD expressed its support for inter-agency initiatives to help refugees recover from previous experiences of abuse, neglect, and trauma, emphasizing their mandate to preserve the interests of vulnerable sectors.
“With other government agencies, civil society organizations, local communities, and every Filipino, let us build a more inclusive and compassionate society where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can find a place to belong and thrive,” Romualdez said.
In 2022, Executive Order (EO) 163 titled “Institutionalizing Access to Protection Services for Refugees, Stateless Persons, and Asylum Seekers” aims to protect rights to security and liberty of asylum seekers, refugees, or stateless persons.
The EO established the Inter-Agency Committee on the Protection of Refugees, Stateless Persons, and Asylum Seekers, chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Justice and vice-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). (with Nelson Caparas, OJT)/coa
