DSWD needs social welfare attachés for OFW areas

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is in need of two social welfare attachés who will be deployed in Amman, Jordan and Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said that the attachés are needed to deliver much-needed basic services to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). "The DSWD has been deploying social workers in countries with influx of overseas Filipino workers or OFWs in order to provide them with social welfare services in accordance with Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995," Cabral said in an article on the DSWD website (www.dswd.gov.ph). Applicants to the position of social welfare attachés must have a Bachelor's degree in Social Work with relevant training on gender and development. They must also have psychosocial intervention including counseling, stress and case management, therapy; and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). Cabral said the DSWD has intensified its efforts to protect the welfare of Filipino migrants through the International Social Welfare Services for Filipinos (ISWSF). She added that higher standards of protection and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers, their families and overseas Filipinos in distress are being implemented by the DSWD, in partnership with the DFA, DOLE, other member agencies of the "one-country team" and international non-government organizations. ISWSF started in 2002 where the target clientele are composed of migrant Filipinos and other overseas local nationals who are in crisis situations, and in need of special protection: such as victims of trafficking, deportees, and repatriates who were either abused or exploited. Thus far, the DSWD has only one social welfare attaché, who is in Malaysia. Areas for expansion in 2009 include Amman, Jordan; Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and in Beirut, Lebanon. "The presence of a social welfare attaché in Malaysia resulted in the systematic coordination and synchronized delivery of psychosocial services for OFWs and other Filipino nationals abroad, especially in cases of trafficking and deportation. These social services are being provided to victims of exploitation, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse," Cabral said. The social welfare attaché facilitated the safe return of some 51,824 deportees and repatriates to the Philippines from 2002 to June of 2008, she said. Interested applicants may contact the Human Resource Management and Development Service of the DSWD at telephone numbers 951-2807 (direct line) and 931-8101 to 07 locals 100/104, or at email address msgopalan@dswd.gov.ph or log on to www.dswd.gov.ph. Deadline for submission of applications is on November 14, Friday. - GMANews.TV