Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Aug. 15, extolled social workers in the communities and underscored the dedication and hard work they show every day.

(Photo from the Department of Social Welfare and Development via Facebook)

In her keynote speech at the 26th National Convention and General Assembly of Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines (ALSWDOPI) at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City, the country’s second top official described social workers as “foot soldiers for social change.”

“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 (I salute you the same way I salute other sectors that sacrifice and risk their lives to serve their fellow Filipinos and help the communities to surpass calamities),” she told some 2,000 social welfare officers.

“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. Gusto ko pong ipaalam sa inyo na mataas ang respeto ko sa inyo at sa inyong ginagawa (It is rightful to study your lives and profession and follow your deep love for your fellowmen and your country. I want you to know that I have high respect for you and all that you do),” Duterte added.

Recalling the Kean Gabriel Hotline in her hometown of Davao City, where she served as mayor before running for Vice President, the official emphasized the role of social workers in calamities, search and rescue operations, and trauma healing for victims of battering, and physical and sexual abuses.

“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,” she said.

“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.

The hotline number was named after Kean Gabriel, a child who died because of abuse.

Since the creation of the hotline in 2016, the city has no recorded child death due to abuse, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) claimed.

Duterte, who won on a platform of unity with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during the 2022 elections, also revisited the campaign’s focal message when she highlighted the other roles of social workers.

“During the election, our battle cry was unity. The significance of unity and being united for a common cause — this time social change — is something that we cannot overemphasize today,” she said.

Social workers, she added, are crucial in implementing all social services projects of the OVP, such as the Medical and Burial (MAB) Assistance Program, Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day, and the PagbaBAGo: A Million Learners and Trees Campaign.