The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended Transitory Shelter Assistance (TSA) to 105 beneficiaries across different regions through the Pag-abot Program to help families and individuals in street situations (FISS) secure their own homes and rebuild their lives off the streets

“Providing a safe roof for our beneficiaries is just the very first step, because we also want to ensure they have a sustainable source of income to support their daily needs,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release on Wednesday.

The TSA is an intervention designed to provide temporary but safe housing for families and individuals who have been living on the streets or displaced by various circumstances, allowing them to secure safe and decent rental housing while they work toward permanent stability.

Beyond housing aid, the beneficiaries were granted vital interventions to ensure long-term stability.

This included psychosocial support and community assistance, alongside livelihood resources, such as starting capital and materials for establishing their own food carts and sari-sari stores.

“Kasi alam naman po natin, kahit pa bigyan natin sila ng matitirahan kung wala naman silang mapagkukunan sa kanilang pang-araw-araw, may chance na baka bumalik sila sa lansangan. Kaya bukod sa shelter assistance, nagbigay din tayo ng livelihood assistance (Because we know, even if we provide them shelter but they have no source for their daily needs, chances are they would return to the streets. So aside from shelter assistance, we also provide them with livelihood assistance),” Dumlao said.

The DSWD also continues to closely monitor the progress of these individuals to guarantee that the provided interventions truly translate into long-term economic stability.

“We in the DSWD are deeply committed to pulling these families out of poverty and giving them a genuine chance to rebuild their lives in a secure environment. Sana po ay maging daan na ito para makabangon sila (May it be the way for them to recover),” she added.

This recent initiative is aligned with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that no Filipino is left behind in the administration’s push for inclusive economic growth and social protection.

Through these continuous efforts, the national government hopes to reach even more disadvantaged sectors and deliver the holistic support necessary for their full reintegration into society. (PNA)