59 The right to social security of the workers in the informal economy/ sector registration takes a lot of time and is sometimes costly. This gets in the way for the small business to earn income during the application process. It is therefore recommended to streamline the application process, ensure that registration does not take more than one business day so as not to affect the flow of income (particularly of the start-ups and small enterprises), and minimize the costs for securing documentary requirements. b. None of the participants expressed that they have availed or have knowledge of any of the programs offered by DTI, including the Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa program. 13. The FGDs also revealed that the advocacy campaigns failed to generate high leads for the availment of the social security programs. As mentioned, less than half of the participants availed of the insurance-based program of SSS even before the 2020 lockdown. To encourage more Filipinos to avail of these programs, the government should intensify the information drive by ensuring that the information shared to the public is within the level of their understanding and the language used is the one that the locality speaks. The message must likewise reflect the importance and value of social security in their life and one that would make the population feel that it is not merely a preference but one that is indispensable for them and their families. 14. Results of the FGDs show that the offices and branches of the government offices offering the social services are accessible by public transportation, except when the mobility of persons was restricted due to the imposition of the hard lockdown. It was not specified, however, whether the buildings and offices have the appropriate accessibility features for persons with disabilities. a. As a workaround to the limitation on transportation, some of the government agencies, such as the SSS, strengthened their online application systems to make way for another option for the public to access the services. This is a manifestation that the government is compliant with the physical accessibility of the right to social security. b. Some challenges were, however, put forward with the use of the online application systems. The participants admitted that they could not access the online platforms or applications due to the lack of electronic devices or little or

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