SOCIAL WORK PHILOSOPHICAL AND KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATION

MODULE 4
: THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND SOCIAL WORK IN THE
PHILIPPINES AND OTHER COUNTRIES
A. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE IN THE PHILIPPINES
(Pre – Historic Period, the Spanish Period, the American Period, the Commonwealth Period, the Japanese
Occupation, the Post War Years, the Seventies, the Eighties, the Nineties/Early 2008)

B. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION IN THE PHILIPPINES

(the Associated Charities, Catholic Women’s League/National Federation of Women’s Clubs, War Relief
Office (WRO), Social Welfare Administration (SWA), Presidents’ Action Committee on Social Amelioration
(PACSA), UNICEF – Assisted Social Services Project of SWA, PASSAGE of RA 4373, Philippine
Association of Social Workers Inc. (PASWI); School of Social Work Association of the
Philippines(SSWAP), National Association for Social Work Education Inc. (NASWEI); Expanded Tertiary
Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (E.O. 330)

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of module, the students will be able to:

1. Explain critically the evolution of social welfare and social work

2. Describe the significant development for each period
3. Identify relevant organizations/groups created during the development/evolution

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Discussion – Sharing, Individual Reporting, Group Presentation

CONTENT:
A. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE IN THE PHILIPPINES

 PRE – HISTORIC PERIOD

→ Social welfare work = centered around mutual protection/aid and economic survival
→ Pre – historic Filipinos = lived in small scattered communities called “barangays” ruled by “datu”
oversees the welfare of his members, leader in times of danger, arbiter of conflict
→ Bond together – to link with each other through marriage among their members

 THE SPANISH PERIOD (1565 – 1899)

→ the Spaniards motive was religious; brought the church’s teaching to do good to others for the salvation
of their souls and for many years was the underlying philosophy behind all social welfare activities in the
country
→ established/administered hospitals, asylums/orphanage, and schools

 THE AMERICAN PERIOD (1899 – 1937)

→ introduced new educational system, new health methods and religious freedom
→ created Insular Board, Public Welfare Board = to coordinate/supervise private institutions and various
existing charitable institutions engaged in welfare work and activities
→ created Associated Charities of Manila = to centralize the receipt and distribution to different charitable
organizations
→ set up first government orphanage to operate as welfare agency in child welfare services
→ established American Red Cross – Philippine Chapter – to take charge of disaster relief in the country
1|Page
 → organized Philippine Anti – Tuberculosis Society – to combat the spread of the disease
→ The Social Welfare administration in the Philippines → marked significant developments under Frank
Murphy, Governor – General in 1933
 Murphy’s administrations of social welfare programs – marked the first time the government assumed full
responsibilities for the relief of distressed people

 THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD (1940’S)

→ President Manuel L. Quezon – took over the reigns of government, had major changes in Philippine
political and social life; worked for social justice, health and welfare programs/services expanded; housing
projects, passed laws related to insurance, pensions and women and child labor; relief activities during
natural calamities, economic crisis and unemployment
→ created Department of Health and Public Welfare – took charge of health and welfare services (1930-
1940)
→ organized Public Assistance Service (under the Bureau of Public Welfare) → took over the activities
that used to be performed by the Associated Charities of Manila by them had ceased to exist

 THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

→ Social welfare activities = consisted mainly of giving medical care and treatment, food and clothing to
the wounded soldiers, prisoners and civilians (brought about by the second world war for 3 years, from
1942 to 1944)
→ Relief work = undertaken primarily by volunteer organizations; churches and convents were used as
centers of operations
→ Relief agencies were active in the distribution of goods to the needy war victims = Emergency Relief
Office, Emergency Commission Administration, Philippine Civil Affairs Unit, Philippine Relief and Trade
Rehabilitation Administration (PRATRA)

 THE POST WAR YEARS

→ BUREAU OF PUBLIC WELFARE (BPW) = became SOCIAL WELFARE COMMISSION (SWC)
was placed under the office of the President → signified the formal recognition of social welfare as a
responsibility of the state
→ SOCIAL WELFARE COMMISSION (SWC) = child welfare work, institutional care, relief and case
work services to indigent war victims, physically handicapped
 In charged of coordination and supervision of all public welfare activities
→ created PRESIDENT’S ACTION COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AMELIORATION (PACSA) = relief
assistance to the hungry homeless, sick, victims of violence, comprehensive program on health, education,
welfare, agriculture, public works and financing
→ created UNTIED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY FUND (UNICEF) =
maternal and child health services (feeding programs, medical care, health education)
→ created SOCIAL WELFARE ADMINISTRATION (SWA) = merging of SWC and PACSA
 Under SWA are PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DIVISION AND CHILD WELFARE DIVISION
→ PASSAGE OF RA 4373 (1965) → an act to regulate the practice of social work and the operation of
social work agencies in the Philippines and formal recognition of social work profession in the Philippines
→ REPUBLIC ACT 5416 - the Social Welfare act, elevating SOCIAL WELFARE ADMINISTRATION
(SWA) into a department
► (DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE – DSW)
→ Preventive and remedial programs and services for individuals, families and communities
→ Protective, remedial and developmental welfare services for children
→ vocational – rehabilitation services for physically handicapped released prisoners and
individuals with special needs
→ Training, research and special projects
 THE SEVENTIES
→ September 8, 1976 – The Department of Social Welfare (DSW) became the Department of Social Services and
Development (DSSD)

2|Page
  Community oriented programs and services = self-employment assistance, practical skills development and
job placement, day care centers and supplemental feeding, emergency assistance, family planning
information and motivation, special services for orphaned, abandoned, neglected, disabled, other types of
needs
(Acronym as SPDEFS)

→ June 2, 1978 – DSSD was converted into ministries and renamed as Ministry of Social Services and
Development (MSSD)
 The organizational structure, functions and programs remained the same
→ the sixties and seventies – continuation of efforts of existing voluntary organizations and establishments
of more agencies

 THE EIGHTIES
→ SELF – EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (SEA) – MSSD’s banner program “total family approach”
guided the program → emphasis on food production and nutrition, training in business management skills;
bigger loans to expand income generating projects
→ launched Case Management System → employed the total family approach with a set of Social Welfare
Indicators (SWI) → monitors the level of well – being of MSSD’s service users
→ January 30, 1987 – re – organized the MSSD, renaming it as DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE
AND DEVELOPMENT (DSWD), evolving from mere welfare or relief agency to the greater task of
development
→ Department’s mandate, objectives and programs remained the same
→ DSWD five (5) major social programs → family and community welfare, child and youth welfare,
women’s welfare, welfare of persons with disabilities and elderly; emergency assistance for victims of
natural and man – made disasters
→ The approach taken by the DSWD → preventive and developmental, participative and client – managed

 THE NINETIES/EARLY 2008

→ DSWD continued the same five (5) program areas of concern; priority attention to Low Income
Municipality (LIM) and other socially depressed barangays
→ Disaster Management in many parts of the country (typhoons, floods, eruption of Mt.Pinatubo =
required massive relief work, use of Crisis Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) → form of crisis intervention
used with these disasters
→ October 10, 1991 → passed R.A. 7160 → Local Government Code, DSWD had to devolve its
implementing functions, with its programs and services, direct service workers; budget/funds for the staff
and programs, assets and liabilities to the Local government Units (LGU) starting in 1992
→ The Department – expressed its commitment → continue its leadership role in social welfare and social
development in the new millennium; given its vision poverty eradication and empowerment of
disadvantaged individuals, families and communities with capability to improve their quality of life

B. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION IN THE PHILIPPINES

 The ASSOCIATED CHARITIES → founded in 1917, family welfare agency, considered as the “mother”
of the social work profession in the Philippines
→ first to use casework as a method of helping people
 Josefa Jara Martinez → first hired trained social worker as its executive secretary
 In 1930’s → employed trained social workers in several voluntary organizations = Catholic Women’s
League, National Federation of Women’s Club
 During World War II → social welfare volunteers and paid workers devoted efforts = needs of wounded
soldiers, emergency medical and material assistance, and other war – related activities
 WAR RELIEF OFFICE (WRO) in 1946 = provide relief and rehabilitation services to war victims, started
hiring of “relief grantees” (obtained formal education in social work)
 PRATRA, PACSA, SWA → practice the use of “relief grantees” until 1959
 PACSA established in 1948 by President Elpidio Quirino → a community development agency to help
with the problem of social unrest in the country

3|Page
 June 1950 = established Philippine School of Social Work, a one – year degree program called Master of
Arts in Social Administration and later changed to Master of Social Work
 University of the Philippines and Centro Escolar University and University of Santo Tomas offered social
work courses at the graduate level
 In 1956, the civil service commission gave an examination for social workers
 In July 1961 = launched UNICEF Assisted Social Services Project of the SWA → to improve child
welfare services – a big boost to the professionalization of social work; initiated foster home care,
adoptions child reception and study centers and community centers
 June 19, 1965 →passed RA 4373 = regulating the practice of social work and the operation of social work agencies
→ requires that one must be a registered social worker to qualify for social work practice
→ designated the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) as the accrediting and licensing agency for the
registration of social work agencies in the country

 THE PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (PASWI)

→ November 12, 1947 = founded the PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS, the
national organization for social workers in the country
 Incorporated on April 18, 1948
 Re – incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on October 18, 1988 =
changing its name to PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS, INCORPORATED
(PASWI)
→ PASWI = a charter member of the Philippine Social Science Council (Its Objectives: to promote and
maintain a professional standard of social work practice, to strengthen members competence = thru
continuing professional growth and development, to work for better understanding, acceptance, and
recognition of social work as a profession, to initiate and work for social legislation in social welfare and
development through effective action and to expand professional activities of the organization of local
chapters, and development of linkages with international organizations devoted to human service

 THE SCHOOLS OF SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (SSWAP) – NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION FOR SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION, INC.
→ In 1969 = formed group named as SCHOOLS OF SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATION OF THE
PHILIPPINES (SSWAP), a formal organization of the schools → to promote the cause of social work
education in the country
→ In 1977 = the PROFESSIONAL REGULATION COMMISSION (PRC) approved SSWAP’s
recommendation: Areas to be covered in the social work board examination:
 Human Behaviour and Social Environment (HBSE) = 20%
 Social Welfare Policy and Program (SWPP) = 20%
 Social Work Practice/Methods (Theory) = 20%
 Field Practice = 40%

→ December 1990 = SSWAP was registered and incorporated with the Securities and Exchange
Commission → assumed a new name as NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SOCIAL WORK
EDUCATION (NASWEI)
 Objective of NASWEI = to promote and maintain a high standard of social work education and to
coordinate with duly authorized agencies for accreditation; to standardize social work curricula
designed to prepare qualified professional social workers and paraprofessionals social workers; to
serve as a national forum on issues related to social work profession and social work education; to
facilitate inter – school sharing of manpower and facilities and to encourage and promote research
and the development of indigenous teaching materials and related resources
→ May 10, 1996 = promulgated by President Fidel Ramos, the EXPANDED TERTIARY EDUCATION
EQUIVALENCY AND ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (ETEEAP) or EXECUTIVE ORDER 330

 To benefit deserving individuals = “access to opportunities that will prepare them for higher value jobs”
 ETEEAP was adopted → in the context of government’s desire to “take appropriate steps to make
education accessible to all”

4|Page