Manila, Sept. 18 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has assured the 921 accredited social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs) that there is no cause for alarm on the agency's semestral monitoring visits as these inspections are aimed at ensuring their compliance to the existing standards.

Director Megan Therese Manahan of the DSWD's Standards Bureau (SB) said that with stronger monitoring measures in place, there is a prevailing apprehension among the 921 SWDAs that agency visits might result in the closure of their facilities following recent incidents of violations which led to the shutdown of two private facilities in Pampanga and Zambales.

"We want to guarantee the non-government organizations (NGOs), th...