PCUP seeks transfer of supervision from DSWD to Office of President
PCUP Chairperson Meynard Sabili. Photo from the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor’s Facebook Page.
MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) reiterated its call on Thursday for the transfer of supervision of the agency from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the Office of the President (OP).
Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, PCUP Chairperson Meynard Sabili said he already requested the transfer through a letter addressed to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
“When I assumed office on August 28, barely a few days after my assumption, I wrote a letter to the President through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin requesting that our original mandate, along with the supervision over us, be transferred back to the Office of the President,” he said partly in Filipino.
“And the Office of the President also forwarded a communication letter to the DSWD regarding the comment with regards to our request. And the Office of the Secretary interposed no objection as far as our intention to revert back to the Office of the President,” he added.
Sabili did not elaborate on the reason for the request to transfer. However, he commended current DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian for overseeing the PCUP.
Article continues after this advertisement“It’s not because I don’t trust the agency. The secretary is kind and very capable, that’s why they have already done so much to ensure the Urban Poor Office is recognized. I hope we can be transferred to the Office of the President,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisementThe PCUP, along with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), was transferred from the OP to the DSWD in 2020.
The transfer was to “harmonize their policies and coordinate their programs and activities with their supervising departments.”
The PCUP serves as a direct link between the urban poor and the government in policy formulation and program implementation to address their needs.
It is responsible for monitoring the implementation of government policies and programs aimed at the urban poor.
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