The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) acts as the focal agency for initiatives under the Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) through Assistant Secretary Florita R. Villar. In partnership with the newly established Philippine Social Work Consortium (PSWC) that is composed of the various social welfare organizations and agencies, has successfully implemented the first two (2) ASEAN Social Work Consortium (ASWC) Conferences.
The First ASWC Meeting was hosted by the Philippines last March 1-3, 2011 at the Manila Hotel. The 1st ASWC was attended by seventy- five (75) social welfare officials, social work practitioners and educators from the ten ASEAN member-states took part in the Conference to share updates on social work education and practice, discuss the Consortium structure and discuss the ASWC Work Plan (2011-2014) and corresponding national Work Plans.
The ASWC is an initiative under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), under the purview of the SOMSWD. The ASCC Blueprint outlines activities that will contribute to good neighbourliness, shared sense of responsibility and greater understanding. It is to be inclusive in addressing social and human development and will also focus on the social dimension of Narrowing the Development Gap (NDG) among the ASEAN Member States. The ASCC blueprint action lines:
C.1 (iv) calls for the establishment of an ASEAN Network of Social Workers by 2013 and action; and
C.1 (xv) calls for the establishment of an ASEAN Consortium of Social Welfare Practitioners, Educators, and Schools of Social Work.
The ASWC envisions promoting solidarity among social work practitioners and educators, and schools of social work. Among its purposes are the promotion and development of social work as a profession in the region, the institutionalization of effective collaboration towards excellent and responsive social work education, and the promotion of greater support from policy makers to the role of social work in social development.
The Philippines became the first lead Coordinator of the Consortium for the first two years is an ad-hoc (2011-2012) capacity. As joint proponent, Thailand will lead the ASWC for the next 2 years (2013-2014). Moreover, it was agreed that leadership of the ASWC will be on a two-year rotation by each member country, underscoring that the Secretariat for each term will likewise be from the host country.
As the first lead coordinator (2011-2012), the Philippines expressed its commitment to social development, social justice and attainment of the ASCC’s primary goal of contributing to the realization of an ASEAN Community that is people-oriented, socially responsible with focus on solidarity, unity among nations and people. Hosting of this activity conveys that the Philippines prioritizes the pursuit of improvement in the quality of lives of the peoples of ASEAN.
