DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo thanks the employees for their warm welcome.

“We are here  not to lord over you or to lord over the people but to serve.”

This was the message of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo to employees during her first flag raising ceremony held this morning at the Central Office in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

She also thanked the employees for their warm welcome during the turnover ceremony last July 1.

Amid cheers of jubilant employees, Sec. Taguiwalo also said that the DSWD management will review the Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) with the Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines (SWEAP), the DSWD’s union to see how it can be more responsive to employees’ concerns, such as granting of more benefits to memorandum of agreement (MOA) workers and allowing flexible working schedule, among others.

“Maaaring idagdag sa CNA bilang side agreements ang dagdag na benepisyo para sa mga MOA at flextime para sa mga nanay, nag-aaral at mga tatay na nag-aalaga din ng anak  (We can add to CNA as side agreements more benefits for MOA workers and flexitime for mothers, those who are studying, and also to fathers who are taking care of their children),” Sec. Taguiwalo stated.

“Hanggang kaya natin na maibigay ang mga dagdag na benepisyo ay gagawin natin sa pagtutulungan ng management at unyon (As long as we are capable of giving these additional benefits, we shall do these with the joint efforts of the DSWD management and the employees’ union),” she added.

Still on the issue of providing stability to employees, Sec. Taguiwalo said that they will pursue,  “kung paano mapabilis ang proseso ng pag-aaral ng pagkakaroon ng karagdagang plantilla positions (how to speed up the process of studying the creation of more plantilla positions).”

Under the former administration, the Department was able to secure 11,000 contractual positions and 550 fiduciary positions from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Sec. Taguiwalo urged the employees to continue to render genuine and quality service to the marginalized sector.

“Higit pa nating ayusin ang mga sistema sa ating Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU), Standards Bureau at iba pang mga opisinang nagbibigay ng frontline services para mas mapaunlad pa ang mga serbisyo (Let us further improve the systems at CIU, Standards Bureau, and other offices providing frontlines services),” the Secretary ended. ###

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