In its commitment to protect the public from unscrupulous fundraising activities, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Standards Bureau headed by Director Justin Caesar Anthony Batocabe, met with the members of the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and representatives from different Crowdfunding and Fundraising consultant agencies, through a virtual conference meeting conducted recently.

During the meeting, the DSWD, together with the representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ) – Cybercrime Division, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Local Government Development (BLDG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – Legal Evaluation Legislative, and the Philippine National Police (PNP), discussed possible collaboration and partnerships in formulating guidelines and implementing public solicitation regulations.

Participants also agreed to create a technical working group to set the roles and responsibilities of each member and to discuss specific policies and guidelines to improve public solicitation.

The participants also discussed the data of unregistered individuals/organizations and the scenarios of the public solicitation activities with no permit from the DSWD during the past months. Participants, likewise, shared and suggested their current best practices and ideas to help the Department in regulating public solicitation.

In a separate meeting with the members of the Crowdfunding and Fundraising consultant agencies,
possible areas of collaboration between the Department and the consultant agencies in regulating solicitation for public and charitable purposes to prevent illegal fund drives that abuse the generosity of donors and intended beneficiaries were also discussed.

Some of the identified areas of partnership focused on information dissemination of public solicitation guidelines and monitoring unpermitted solicitation; establishment of internal control mechanism to the customers of the Crowdfunding and Fundraising Consultants relative to public solicitation; and, to study the photography-child protection policy of DSWD.

Among the agencies which attended the meeting include: The Spark Project; Simply Giving, Fundraiser’ Network for Development, Inc.; AKUBO; Venture for Fundraising; and Go NonProfit.

Mandated through Presidential Decree No. 1564 or the Solicitation Permit Law, the DSWD has the exclusive authority to regulate the solicitation of donations or receiving of contributions for charitable or public welfare purposes. Individuals, groups, and other entities are required to apply for a solicitation permit from the Department that will authorize them to solicit donations or voluntary contributions for charitable or public welfare purposes to prevent any illegal fund drive that exploits the generosity of the donors and intended beneficiaries.

Individuals, groups, and other entities may apply for a Public Solicitation Permit through the official email addresses of DSWD Central/Field Offices, via mail or courier, or by walk-in or physical submission of application documents.

Likewise, these entities can also request for a temporary solicitation permit during a state of emergency or calamity, through fast-lane processing. The temporary permit has a maximum validity period of three months for a regional permit and up to six months validity period for a national permit.

The DSWD, through its Standards Bureau, vows to continue to improve its guidelines and processes to provide quality services and programs to the poor and vulnerable Filipinos.