Social Welfare services in Mandaluyong are provided by 14 different agencies; 6 from the government sector, and 8 are non-government organizations. (see Table 5.23).

Among the government agencies, two have citywide areas of coverage:

• The Local Division of Social Welfare and Development which provides comprehensive social services, and is staffed with 50 Social Workers and with office located at the City Hall Compound.
• The Integrated Day Center which serves special children and normal children in the 0-3 years age bracket.

The other four (4) agencies have nationwide coverage serving women detainees/prisoners and the mentally ill and recovered psychotics. These agencies are located within the Welfareville Compound, a 116 hectare property of the Department of Social Welfare and Development strategically located at the center of the city.

The non-government organizations are mostly associated with the religious sector, serving the needs of street children and the needy youth, as well as outreach activities and ministries to the needy parishioners.

Locations of these service organizations are shown in Map 53.

Formerly a program of the CSWD, the Disabled Persons Affairs has evolved into a new division under the office of the City Administration through City Ordinance No. 193.S-1998. Since then, DPAD has developed sustaining programs which had reached hundreds of special children and differently-abled persons over the past couple of years. Among these programs are on research, education, advocacy, accessibility, community-based programs and organization, sports and socio-cultural programs, employment and livelihood, as well as income generation programs

Included in the program is the development/upgrading of the data base of persons with disabilities, linkage with research centers for possible research-based programs, and publication of wall news, journals, newsletters and other information materials for the service of the sector.

This provides the literacy program of the sector through evaluation of the present educational system for children and youth with disabilities, and establishment of institutions for programs that will help uplift the educational capability of beneficiaries.

This includes lobbying for support through the City Council for the passage of support local legislations for the sector; development of barangay, school-based and church-based awareness program; and, development of family, community and workplace sensitivity workshops.

This works for the establishment of a task force to monitor the implementation of the Accessibility Law and the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

Community-based Program and Organization

Support the establishment of different organizations of persons with disabilities and caregivers.

Sports and Socio-cultural Program

Development of sports training, linkage with both local, national and international sports association and participation in such sports events; institutionalization of different sporting events in the city’s programs; development of theater group composed of the sector.

Development of employment programs for the sector and linkage with other agencies for the promotion of the sector’s employment and livelihood concerns, as well as establishment of cooperatives.

Full implementation of the programs means support from other sources, not just the local government. DPAD tries to see to it that programs could be sustained at minimal costs of the local administration. This, DPAD tries to manage through networking with other concerned private organizations.

To date, thousands of disabled persons in the city has been benefited by the DPAD programs since it started six years ago. Table 5.24 shows the summary of projects and its impact to the sector.

From a small government institution, the Mandaluyong Manpower and Development Center (MMDC) has evolved into nationally competitive training center operationally guided by the philosophy of helping man realize his optimum potential to be a profitable member of his community. To develop and enhance capability and competencies of the unemployed, underemployed and those tending to be entrepreneurial, the MMDC as a training institution offers free training in various vocational and technical courses as well as livelihood programs. (See Table 5.25)

The center has two (2) training centers, one in Barangay Hulo and another at Welfareville Compound in Addition Hills. It has a total of 23 training facilitators and 26 support staff, supported by budget allocations from the General Fund.

A new addition to the center’s roster of courses is Carpentry. Its initial project, the Casket Making, catered to handicapped trainees whose training expenses were shouldered by the city government. These caskets were in turn sold for a minimum fee to the needing poor families in the city. This project has significant benefits both to the consumers of the affordable caskets as well as to the handicapped makers who eke out their living from the new craft.

The MMDC also give guidance counseling and placement assistance. Aside from PESO, MMDC through its Placement Officer conducts Training Induction Programs (TIP) and Job Induction Programs (JIP) for the on-going and out-going trainees. These orientations are conducted to promote study habits, moral, attitudinal and work values and ethics of training beneficiaries. The center also provides a listing of employment opportunities and makes job referrals to both public and private sectors.

Target participants of the livelihood programs of the MMDC are city residents from the poor barangays. Advocacy on the importance of education is its focus through career guidance in all public elementary and secondary schools in the city.

The MMDC conducts trade tests in various trade areas to out-going trainees in order to determine their effectiveness in skills by theories and practical applications and to upgrade their qualification for employment. The trade test is administered by testing officers from the TESDA-NCR-PaMaMariSan District.

Entrepreneurial initiatives are also a regular program of the center especially for the out-of-school youths and the unemployed adults. Seminars are conducted regularly by TESDA and other private agencies. These seminars aim to assist beneficiaries to get into employment through industry or self-employment.

For the past three years, the center has earned awards and recognition for both the center and its exemplary trainors and students which include the following:

• Certificate of Recognition for the Center for achieving 130% of its target on Basic Skills and Livelihood Training Program
• Outstanding Training Center Achievement Award from TESDA
• Most Outstanding Training Administrator in Metro Manila
• First Place, Pres. Ramon Magsaysay Working Man Award for the NCR Level
• Silver Medalist, Metro Manila 1997 Youth Skills Olympics
• First Place, 1999 Regional Skills Olympic Welding competition
• Silver Medalist, Welding Competition, Philippine National Skills Competition
• 2000 National Awardee of “TESDA KABALIKAT AWARD” for the City Government
• 2002 Outstanding Training Achievement Award for outstanding performance in the conduct of community-based technical and skills training by graduating over 1,000 trainees for the year
• Special Citation Award for its promotion of TESDA Occupational Qualification and Certification System (TOQCS)
• Certificate of Recognition for its valuable contribution in the promotion and conduct of community-based technical skills training
• Outstanding Industrial Skills Trainor Award to Arc Welding trainor Mr, Bernardo A. Benito for his outstanding performance and selfless contribution and dedication to the technical, moral and spiritual development of the trainees
• Certificate of Recognition Award to Ms. Rebecca O. Villaflores (Cosmetology/Reflexology Trainee) for having shown exemplary performance in relation to her technical and skills training

To promote specific trade areas and occupations relevant to present economic trends and gain active participation of the industry in advocating skills excellence, the Center launched its First Mandaluyong Open Skills Competition on July 15, 1999, and has continued to do so every year since then.