The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the University of the Philippines (UP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the strengthening of collaboration in social protection, capacity building, research, and innovation.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the collaboration aims to equip the Department’s workforce, the Angels in Red Vests, with relevant and advanced skills, enabling them to deliver interventions that are “more quickly” and “more contextually responsive” to the actual needs of beneficiaries.
“This is precisely the vision of the DSWD Academy to build a strong, professional, and future-ready social welfare and development workforce through quality learning, evidence-based practice, and strong partnerships with academic and research institutions,” the DSWD Chief said after the MOU signing on February 2 (Monday) at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City,
Secretary Gatchalian emphasized that the partnership combines DSWD’s extensive on-the-ground experience and UP’s academic strength.
“We believe that we can come up with a symbiotic relationship that both of us actually benefit. As mentioned, let DSWD be your laboratory when it comes to social work and community development. I don’t think there’s an agency out there who can offer you the vast network of on-the-ground, real-field experience in these ever-changing times when it comes to social welfare and community development… As I’m sure as academicians and scientists, you all want that laboratory, and that’s the laboratory that we are ready to offer, a real-world laboratory,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his message.
Secretary Gatchalian also offered the DSWD Academy as a platform for joint learning programs for social workers and community development practitioners.
“That facility was envisioned in the 70s to be the center of excellence for social work and community development by the first Marcos administration. We are wanting to go back to its roots, that caters not only to the domestic clientele but also to the Asia-Pacific, at that time, as it was called, clientele… Again, it’s something that we are very excited to sign with you,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
In his message, UP President Angelo Jimenez said the agreement reflects the shared commitment of both institutions, and aligns closely with the University’s key priorities.
“This initiative aligns closely with key priorities of the UP administration, particularly our flagship programs on active and collaborative partnerships and open distance e-learning… This MOU symbolizes more than institutional collaboration. It reflects our shared responsibility as government institutions to work together to model collaboration and good governance and to ensure our collective efforts translate into meaningful outcomes for the most vulnerable sectors of our society,” President Jimenez said.
The MOU sets an overarching framework for collaboration between the DSWD and UP. It outlines priority areas of cooperation, including the co-development of learning and training programs, joint research and documentation initiatives, innovation and knowledge management, and capacity-building activities to support social welfare and development practitioners nationwide.
Undersecretary Denise Florence Bernos-Bragas of the DSWD’s Regulatory Services and Institutional Development Group (RSIDG) noted that the partnership is timely and strategic since the Department’s mandate places the DSWD “at the center of the country’s social protection system.”
“Working with UP allows us to strengthen the link between academic knowledge and the realities of social work and development practice, helping ensure that policies are informed by evidence, programs are guided by research, and learning initiatives are grounded in real community experiences,” Undersecretary Bernos-Bragas said. (CC)
