QUEZON CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public of its readiness to extend assistance to refugees, stateless persons, and asylum seekers in line with the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 163 entitled “Institutionalizing Access to Protection Services for Refugees, Stateless Persons, and Asylum Seekers” by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

EO 163, initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and was endorsed by the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC), chaired by DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista, guarantees the protection of the rights to security, liberty, and mobility of refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons – collectively known as persons of concern (POC).

The EO institutionalizes the Inter-Agency Committee on the Protection of Refugees, Stateless Persons and Asylum Seekers chaired by the Secretary of the DOJ and vice-chaired by the Secretary of the DSWD.

The Committee is tasked to guarantee the provision and access to government programs and services to POCs, especially during times of emergencies. These include health services, social protection programs, access to education, legal assistance, and gainful employment, among others. The EO will warrant the convergence of government and other concerned agencies, including LGUs, to address the needs and protection of POCs.

The EO is considered to be a milestone document, being the country’s first policy on refugees which highlights the provision of services to target beneficiaries and not just the granting of entry to the Philippines.

Meanwhile, with the Philippine government conveying its acceptance to help refugees from Ukraine, the DSWD assured that it will consistently coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other concerned agencies regarding the preparations to assist incoming refugees, if any. (DSWD)