More than 200 private Social Welfare and Development Agencies (SWDAs) and 168 public Social Work Agencies (SWAs) actively participated in a two-day online orientation aimed at streamlining the compliance process though the DSWD Harmonized Electronic License and Permits System (HELPS) held on August 22 and 29, 2025 via Google Meet. The orientation served to provide comprehensive guidance and technical assistance to the agencies, focusing primarily on the DSWD HELPS, simplifying the regulatory requirements for SWDAs.

In her message, Undersecretary for Regulatory Services, and Institutional Development Group (RSIDG) Denise Florence Bernos-Bragas, MD, RSW highlighted the importance of the orientation, “Our primary goal is to empower you to navigate the DSWD HELPS with confidence, ensuring that your application for registration, license to operate, or accreditation moves forward smoothly and submit complete documents, helping you achieve full compliance and address concerns on unregistered and unlicensed operations.”

The participants received a thorough overview of HELPS and its functions, detailed understanding of the mandatory registration, licensing, and accreditation processes, technical assistance on how to properly upload complete and compliant documents to the HELP System, and a discussion on common issues and challenges encountered during the online application process.

Meanwhile, a detailed schedule of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Registration and Licensing Caravan was also shared. The event concluded with an interactive Question and Answer session, where attendees received clarity on their specific concerns. By guiding both private and public agencies through the proper use of HELPS, the Bureau is ensuring a more efficient, transparent, and compliant regulatory environment,
ultimately benefiting the vulnerable sectors served by the SWDAs. (MGCBA)