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MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday underscored the importance of social work in promoting social justice, human rights and sustainable development.
This as the DSWD joined the World Social Work Day celebration, done annually every 3rd Tuesday of March.
This year’s event, held March 19, has the theme: “Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change.”
World Social Work Day honors the hard work and dedication of social workers to bring transformative change to communities through the principle of “Buen Vivir,” which means “living well” or “life in harmony.”
“Social work is a practice-based profession, whose core mandate or core intention is to effect social change, social development, social transformation, and changes favorable to the society, the individuals, the families, and the nation,” DSWD Undersecretary for National Household Targeting System and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Vilma Cabrera said in a news release.
The DSWD and the ASEAN Social Work Consortium-Philippines held a forum to promote the development of the social work profession at the DSWD Central Office Auditorium in Quezon City.
Cabrera said promoting the celebration contributes to the initiatives of the roadmap in the implementation of the Hanoi Declaration on Social Work that aims to strengthen the social work and social service workforce towards “the effective, responsive and sustainable delivery of inclusive and quality social service” in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.
“By commemorating the World Social Work Day, stakeholders can leverage the momentum generated by this global event to highlight the role of social work in addressing regional challenges and provide a platform to showcase successful social work interventions and initiatives that have made a positive impact,” Cabrera said.
Undersecretary for Standards and Capacity Building Group (SCBG) Denise Bragas enjoined the participants to continue to “cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate” in addressing the contemporary challenges and bring into fruition the aspirations of social work in the global setting.
The resource persons included DSWD Assistant Secretary for SCBG Janet Armas; Ateneo de Davao University Social Work Department chairperson Dr. Epifania Melba Manapol; Association of Local Social Welfare and Development officer Jocelyn Arzaga; and Ateneo de Davao University social work student Jhunhalyne Villarta.
Also gracing the event were ASEAN Social Work Consortium-Philippines chairperson Glady Bunao; Department of Health League of Medical Social Workers president Evelyn Muniz; National Association of Social Work Education, Inc. president Khalachuchi Flores-Caballes; Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc. official representative Rosauro Luntayao; and, Philippine Association of Court Social Workers, Inc. representative Precious Loida Ladaga. (PNA)
