Vice President Sara Duterte commended the social workers for their hard work and dedication to social justice and called them the “foot soldiers for social change.”
Vice President Duterte paid tribute to a crowd of around 2,000 social welfare officers from across the country during the 26th National Convention and General Assembly of the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines (ALSWDOPI) at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Tuesday.
In her keynote speech, the vice president expressed her admiration for the hard work, resilience, sacrifices, and positive attributes of social workers.
“Sumasaludo po ako sa inyo — kagaya ng pagsaludo ko sa iba pang mga sektor na nagsasakripisyo at nagbubuwis ng kanilang buhay para mapagsilbihan ang kapwa Pilipino at matulungan ang mga komunidad na malampasan ang ano mang krisis,” she said.
Duterte also shared that she has high respect for them and what they do.
“Karapat-dapat lang na tingnan at pag-aralan ang inyong buhay at propesyon at pamarisan ang lalim ng pagmamahal ninyo sa inyong kapwa at sa inyong bayan,” she added.
The vice president stressed the critical function of social workers in caring for the community during disasters, assisting with search and rescue efforts, and helping victims of abuse recover from their trauma.
She did not miss mentioning her experience as mayor of Davao City and the creation of Kean Gabriel Hotline where community members can anonymously report incidents of child abuse.
The Kean Gabriel Hotline receives calls and messages 24/7.
“And behind the hotline are social workers. They receive and process information about possible child abuse and, together with the child protection officers of the police, conduct rescue operations and I must say that without the help and dedication of the social workers and their hearts for abused victims, we could have failed Kean Gabriel once again,” she added.
Kean Gabriel was a child who died because of abuse in Davao City in 2016. Since the creation of the hotline in the same year, the city has no recorded child death due to abuse.
“Over time, with the active involvement of the community in the Kean Gabriel advocacy, our social workers noticed a dramatic drop in reports. The hotline remains active even today. And I must say that without the help and dedication of the social workers and their hearts for abuse victims, we could have failed Kean Gabriel once again,” she said.
She also cited the help through the ongoing lobbying of social workers and child rights groups in the goal of putting up the Special Office for Children’s Concern under the Office of the City Mayor in 2019.
The Office is tasked to implement programs related to children alone.
Duterte also highlighted the crucial roles social workers play in implementing all social services projects of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) such as the Medical and Burial (MAB) Assistance Program, Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day, and the PagbaBAGo: A Million Learners and Trees Campaign, where social workers are the frontline providers of services to the public.
She ended her message by saying that the uplifting and provision of assistance to poor communities will not fail under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“At the Office of the Vice President today, social workers play crucial roles in implementing all social services projects,” she said.
