Qlik announced that the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is using Qlik to strengthen disaster response operations and improve the coordination of relief efforts across the country. By providing a unified view of aid inventory, distribution activities and emerging community needs, Qlik is helping DSWD make faster, more informed decisions during emergencies, supporting the agency's mission to deliver timely assistance to Filipinos affected by disasters.
As the Philippines' primary social welfare and development agency, DSWD is responsible for safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable communities and coordinating disaster relief efforts nationwide. Serving more than 110 million Filipinos across 18 administrative regions, the agency manages the distribution of food and essential assistance to communities affected by typhoons, floods, earthquakes and other emergencies.
Before implementing Qlik Analytics®, DSWD relied on fragmented reports and historical estimates to assess affected populations and determine food aid requirements. During major disasters, headquarters teams often had to reconcile multiple reports on affected populations, relief inventory and distribution status before allocation decisions could be confirmed. Supporting disaster response operations across a geographically dispersed archipelago, the agency needed a faster and more consistent way to coordinate relief efforts when speed and accuracy mattered most.
"We deal with granular data and rely on ballpark estimates when a province is hit. We base decisions on historical data available at the time, so our food pack replenishment strategies were often driven by hunches," said Johannes Paulus B. Acuna, Assistant Secretary for Information and Communications Technology and Chief Information Officer, DSWD Philippines.
Working with Qlik and Philippine technology partner Micropinnacle Technology Corporation, DSWD established a unified operational view across all regional offices. The agency can now monitor affected populations, evacuation centres, relief inventories, aid distribution activities and response operations through shared, near real-time information accessible to both regional and national decision-makers.
"Before, it wasn't always just about poor data quality. It was about understanding and reconciling the data from different sources," said Acuna. "Now that everyone sees the same data, decisions can be made more confidently."
With improved visibility into relief operations, DSWD reports that food aid replenishment is now achievable within 24 hours of field need identification in certain scenarios. The agency also estimates operational savings of 5–10 percent through more accurate resource allocation and planning, helping ensure resources are directed where they are needed most.
The initiative also supports DSWD's commitment to transparency and accountability. Through shared dashboards and reporting capabilities, the agency can provide greater visibility into disaster response activities and resource distribution, helping stakeholders access more timely and consistent information.
"When disasters strike, organizations cannot afford competing versions of reality," said Maurizio Garavello, Senior Vice President, APAC & EMEA, Qlik. "By helping DSWD create a shared, trusted view of operations, teams can make faster decisions based on the same information and direct resources where they are needed most. The result is more effective coordination and faster support for communities affected by disasters."
Beyond disaster response, DSWD is also leveraging Qlik to support planning, budgeting and operational management initiatives across the agency. With access to timely and trusted data, leadership teams can make more informed decisions on resource allocation, programme planning and service delivery, strengthening accountability and long-term resilience.
