DSWD’s Standards Bureau Orients SWDAs on the New RLA Guidelines

The Standards Bureau (SB) through its chief of the standards enforcement and advocacy division (SEAD), Ms. Charito P. Esteban, recently held an orientation on the newly approved guidelines for unregistered, unlicensed and unaccredited Social Welfare and Development Agencies (SWDAs) in region 7.

A total of 80 representatives from various unregistered, unlicensed and unaccredited SWDAs from Cebu, Negros Oriental and Bohol participated in the activity which was divided into two sessions – morning and afternoon.

During the orientation, Ms. Esteban talked about the SB’s function and organizational structure, while Project Development Officer (PDO) III Ms. Kristine DC Calalang of the Standards Development Division (SDD) discussed the salient features of the Memorandum Circular No. 17, Series of 2018 or the Revised Guidelines Governing the Registration, Licensing of Social Welfare and Development Agencies (SWDA) and Accreditation of SWD Program and Services.

The DSWD is mandated to set standards and provide consultative services to organizations engaged in social welfare and development activities. With this, the DSWD facilitates registration, licensing and accreditation of private and public organizations.

The registration is the process of assessing the applicant organization to determine whether its intended purpose is within the extent of social welfare and development (SWD), where the determination of the same shall result in the inclusion of the agency in the Department’s registry of Social Welfare and Development Agencies (SWDAs). A Certificate of Registration shall be issued to the organization after having complied with all the prescribed requirements.

On the one hand, licensing refers to the process of assessing the qualifications and authorizing a registered SWDA to operate as a Social Welfare Agency (SWA) or an Auxiliary SWDA. A License to Operate shall be issued after having complied with the set criteria and all prescribed requirements, while accreditation refers to the process of assessing licensed SWAs if their SWD programs and services are compliant to the Department’s set standards.

After compliance of the prescribed requirements, a Certificate of Accreditation shall be issued as proof of official recognition of the quality delivery of SWD programs and services.

The orientation topics also included the Memorandum Circular No. 17, Series of 2018 or the Revised Omnibus Rules and Regulation on Public Solicitation. The DSWD is mandated to issue solicitation permit to any person, corporation, organization, or association desiring to solicit or receive contributions to regulate the practice of public solicitation for charitable and public welfare purposes.

The activity ended with an open forum, which addressed the participant’s clarification and concerns on RLA and public solicitation.