In line with the efforts to elevate the social work practice and profession in the ASEAN Region, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian urged the members of the ASEAN Social Work Consortium (ASWC) to prioritize the standardization and improvement of competencies of social workers.
Secretary Gatchalian serves as the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting for Social Welfare and Development (AMMSWD) Leader of the Philippines.
“The ASEAN Social Work Consortium (ASWC) calls upon us to reflect on the role we play in the field of social work—not only in addressing the pressing issues that our communities face but also in raising the standards of our profession and ensuring competency at all times, as our work is the cornerstone of inclusive development,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his keynote message during the opening session of the 13th ASWC Conference on Tuesday (April 29).
The DSWD chief stressed that the ASWC is not just a platform, but also a call to action to unite as a consortium to champion the shared vision of unifying the social work practice to make it more responsive and adaptive to global realities.
“Let us seize this moment to inspire change, strengthen partnerships, and champion the values that make ASEAN a beacon of unity and progress. Together, we have the capacity to redefine social work that is adaptive to change, resilient to shocks, culturally responsive, and globally competent,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
With the theme, “Promoting Competency-development and Standardization Towards Strengthening Social Work in ASEAN,” the 13th ASWC Conference is held from April 29 to 30 via hybrid session at the DSWD Central Office’s Katapatan Board Room and through video conferencing platform.
Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar of the DSWD’s International Affairs, Attached and Supervised Agencies co-chaired the first day of the conference as Permanent Focal Point for the Philippine Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD).
Members of the ASWC Philippines and the ASEAN Secretariat participated in the first day of the online conference, which serves as a platform to discuss initiatives aligned towards the realization of the Ha Noi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work Towards a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community — the first regional framework adopted by ASEAN State Leaders for the strengthening, recognition, and advancement of social work in the ASEAN.
The 13th ASWC Conference also highlighted updates on the implementation of the ASWC Work Plan 2021-2025 and other good practices in improving the standards of social work practice and education across the region. (AKDL)