WHO WE ARE

PASWI is an accredited non-profit professional organization that promotes a dynamic and transformative professional organization towards total human development. As a professional association, its commitment is to provide our social workers opportunities for continuing professional competency and career advancement, advocate for emerging social issues and trends, and develop mechanisms for strengthening solidarity among its members and key partners in the local and global communities.

 

PASWI is administered by a Board consisting of 15 directors who elect from among themselves the officers of the Association. Much of its income was derived from convention revenues, conferences, seminars, membership fees, and interest from thrust fund. The recently concluded Biennial convention generated adequate income.       

 

The following shows the milestones in the organizational growth of PASWI[1]:

 

1948-1955: Improving the standards of welfare practice

PASWI’s initial membership comprised two groups of professionally trained social workers and social agency administrators, executives and practitioners. They were united and committed to make the Association an instrument for improving the standards of welfare practice in community agencies.

 

Among PASWI’s activities included: workshops and seminars to enhance social work practice and to promote better community understanding of social work; drafting of statement of principles on social work training and education; information exchange among the members; initial study of job classification of social workers; initial study of the social workers’ Code of Ethics; and drafting of a Licensing Law model.

 

1956-1959: Growing sense of professional identity

PASWI undertook several activities to highlight the role of social work in emerging social issues through the following: regular quarterly publications of ‘Social Work’, its official organ; biennial national conferences of social workers; collaboration with the Council of Welfare Agencies, Social Welfare Administration and the Wage and Personnel Commission Office to improve social work standards and upgrade social work positions; reviewing the curricula of undergraduate and graduate social work education programs; and the initial granting of scholarship for social work training.

 

In addition, PASWI was involved in the activities of other organizations such as the UNESCO, Presidential Arm for Community Development, and the Council for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency. It was accepted as a member of the International Conference on Social Welfare (ICSW) in 1959.

 

 

 

1960-1972: Increasing participation in local and international social welfare advocacies

PASWI actively participated in the holding of the national workshops of social work education in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1972. It affiliated with the Schools of Social Work Association of the Philippines (SSWAP). It held a series of study sessions on the pertinent provisions of the Philippine Constitution, which was capped by a dialogue between PASWI members and the delegates to the Constitutional Convention during its 1971 biennial conference. At the international level, PASWI hosted the symposia sponsored by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)’ Conference and the International Conference in Social Welfare, both held in Manila in 1971. PASWI assumed the presidency of the IFSW in 1972.

 

A major breakthrough for the professionalization of social work practice in the Philippines was achieved by PASWI through its militant pursuit of Republic Act (RA) 4373, an act to regulate the practice of social work and the operation of social work agencies in the Philippines and for other purpose was enacted into law on 19 June 1965 and amended by RA 5175 on 4 August 1967.      

 

PASWI heightened its interest in social action activities as it successfully lobbied for amendments to national laws for the standardization and upgrading of positions and salaries of social workers, for the passage of the Social Welfare Act elevating the Social Welfare Administration to a Department of Social Welfare, for the creation of the Career Deputy Welfare Officer of Social Welfare (House Bill No. 4909), and for the creation of the juvenile and domestic relations courts in the country.

 

In 1967, PASWI set up a Volunteer Service Center (VSC) to mobilize a greater number of people in the community for social welfare through a systematic recruitment and referral of volunteers to agencies and institutions needing volunteers.

 

PASWI to date: Intensifying regional representation and involvement in social welfare and development work

At present, the association has 80 local chapters that are clustered per region.  The identified regional clusters are as follows: North National Capital Region (NCR), Manila; South NCR; Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); and regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Jolo, Basilan, Tawi-tawi, Zamboanga), 10 (Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur), 11, 12 (Cotobato, Maguindanao, S.Kudarat, Lanao), and CARAGA.

 

PASWI has created several committees with the following tasks:

• Program: Prepare the Association's program of activities, and monitor and assess its implementation on a year-to-year basis; coordinate the various activities of the different committees and prepare an annual program report; and plan and implement activities designed to achieve the objectives of the Association.

• Membership and local chapter: Recruit, screen and recommend to the Board of Directors membership in the Association in accordance with Constitution and By-Laws; maintain linkages with International Social Work Associations; promote and supervise the organization and operation of local chapters, which shall carry out the objectives of the association; and recommend to the Board new Chapters for Accreditation.

 

• Standards for professional practice and continuing professional education: Study and formulate recommendations that will help promote and enforce the highest standards of professional practice in line with the Code of Ethics; maintain liaison with the Board for Social Work; and undertake formal and non-formal education programs/projects to enhance, upgrade and update the competencies of Social Worker in the practice of their profession.

 

• Social legislation and advocacy: Study and formulate actions programs on important current issues and needs, and execute the same in coordination with other committees concerned; and work for legislative approval in Congress of priority bills affecting Social Work and Social Welfare.

 

• Special projects: Undertake special projects geared towards the attainment of the objectives of the association, including student involvement and interests.

 

• Research and publication: Initiate and conduct studies relevant to the objectives of the association in the profession; solicit contributions of articles for the social work magazine and newsletter and publish such indigenous material related to the interest and activities of the association; and link with the Philippine Social Science Council.

 

• International and public relations: The primary link to the International Federation (As amended on Nov. 20, 1998) of Social Workers; will establish and maintain professional relationship with the association for other countries, and other international organizations; and maintain public relation for the association through linkages with the mass media.

 

[1] Thelma Lee-Mendoza and Rosita Fondevilla, The Philippine Association of Social Workers: 1948-1973,unpublished, 1973