The news of Susan “Toots” Ople’s passing at the age of 61 on Aug. 22, 2023, has left a profound void described by the President as a “great loss.” This loss is not only felt by her family and friends but resonates deeply with all Filipinos whose lives were touched by her tireless work and utmost dedication.
“It’s very sad news. I have lost a friend, and the Philippines has lost a friend. Secretary Toots was a special person, with deep compassion really for the people she had to care for, namely the migrant workers,” the President said. “It’s a great loss to the Philippines for the service we know she could have still rendered.”
Tributes have poured in from various sectors, including the government, Senate and House members, private groups, and international organizations. Each tribute extols her life and advocacy, with Vice President Sara Duterte hailing her as “a real patriot” who was a “beacon of hope and a source of strength for migrant workers caught in distressing situations while working abroad.”
Recalling her confirmation by the Commission on Appointments (CA) in November 2022 as the inaugural secretary of the newly organized Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), members of the CA unanimously agreed that no one was better suited for the role than Ople. With a lifetime’s worth of work championing the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and backed by glowing endorsements from various labor groups, her capability and competence were unquestionable.
Prior to her appointment as DMW secretary, Ople headed the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, an NGO bearing the name of her father, Blas F. Ople, former Senate President and labor minister during the administration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
In a video tribute, the President likened Ople to her father, “She very much followed the tradition of Ka Blas (in terms) of excellence, of compassion,” he said. “There cannot be a better example of the perfect mix of compassion and hard-nosed pragmatism than in Toots. She got many things done in her years of public service, and all for others, never for herself.”
It was also in that video that the President revealed that Ople was the only person he considered for the DMW secretary post, and that he collaborated with her on OFW issues during his tenure as a Philippine senator.
“She is the real champion of this sector,” the President said. “During the time (in the Senate when) we’re working together on these issues, I saw that helping OFWs has become her life; even when she’s struggling, she doesn’t stop her work because it’s not a job for her, it’s her life.”
Although her tenure at DMW was cut short, her lifelong dedication to migrant workers stands as an enduring testament to her selflessness, compassion, and dedication to the greater good. The President has committed that Ople’s work will serve as “inspiration” for the government to continue all her notable programs for migrant workers.
In her speech during her CA confirmation, She had this to say: “When my father died on Dec. 14, 2003, I pledged to dedicate my life to helping our migrant workers. It was and continues to be my way of honoring him, of keeping him close to me, and remembering the legacy he worked hard for.”
Farewell, Secretary Toots. You did not only maintain the legacy of your father, but further magnified it for the benefit of all Filipinos, whether they are here or abroad.