The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now asking the public to refrain from throwing jokes and memes at the woman known as “Rose” (not her real name), a street dweller who went viral after the public filmed her emerging from a sewer in Makati.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday called out to netizens to be more compassionate and refrain from ridiculing individuals from vulnerable segments. Rose, a PET bottle recycler, was reportedly trying to recover a blade cutter that had accidentally fallen into a sewer when the video was captured.
In a move to help ease the public uproar caused by the video, the DSWD provided Rose with financial assistance worth P80,000 under the agency’s Oplan Pag-Abot, which launched in January 2023. This program intends to reintegrate street dwellers and mendicants into mainstream society through various forms of government support.
Gatchalian commented on the reactions given regarding the amount of assistance provided to Rose, with some condemning it as “excessive” and “unjustified.” He stated that the amount is well within the bounds of the program, which allows livelihood grants of up to P10,000 to P80,000, depending on the beneficiary.
He also emphasized that aid is not given as a one-time cash but is dispersed in tranches, closely monitored by social workers. There is also an opportunity that the program may provide temporary shelters, food, job placement, and transport or relocation assistance.
In a statement made during a press briefing at Malacañang, Gatchalian noted that more than 5,000 people and family beneficiaries have been served by Oplan Pag-Abot since its inception, bearing different levels of service through the program based on assessments.
