MANILA -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday launched online portals for the acquisition of several permits to reduce processing time from 180 days to just one week.

The DSWD's Harmonized Electronic Licensing Permit System (HELPS) is a digital one-stop shop for organizations that seek government registration, license to operate and apply for duty exemptions, while the Minors Traveling Abroad (MTA) portal allows the online processing of travel clearances for minors who are traveling abroad alone.

"It has been a nightmare to get registration, accreditation and license to operate permits. Before it would take an average of 6 months… Now, you get to do everything with one simple step," DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian said during the agency's 74th anniversary celebration in Pasay City.

"Gone are the days when you have to do registration first, come back to us for your license, then come back to us for public solicitation, then come back to us for your duty exempt," he said.

READ: DSWD unveils new mobile kitchens, water treatment trucks for disasters

The DSWD has reduced the number of steps from 49 to just 12 steps, Gatchalian said.

"We want to make sure we bring back simplicity in governance," he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lauded the DSWD's digitalization efforts, and the agency's work to provide a "steady, reassuring presence for many, many Filipinos for countless generations."

"These endeavors reflect a government that listens and responds, a government that evolves to meet the needs of its people," Marcos Jr. said.

"Your courage, particularly during the recent spate of calamities, has been nothing short of extraordinary," he said.

The government will continue to support the DSWD's programs as "the mission does not end here," the President said.

READ: Most Filipinos find ‘ayuda’ helpful – survey

"Lasting change is not built overnight… Every single centavo spent, every program implemented must serve a very clear purpose: to create opportunities," he said.

"To my fellow Filipinos, the success of these programs does not rest on the DSWD efforts alone. It requires our collective determination, support and our effort," he said.

Aside from the HELPS and MTA portals, the DSWD is also set to launch a digital initiative that will streamline the agency's donation process.

The upcoming "Kaagapay Donations Portal" is expected to cater those who seek to send either in-kind or cash donations to the DSWD for disaster relief efforts and care facilities.