The Marcos administration has begun regularizing social workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with 5,000 new regular positions created this year, giving frontline welfare workers job security for the first time after years of contractual arrangements, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday.
Gatchalian made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on July 25, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series.
He said many DSWD social workers had long been on contract-of-service arrangements despite performing critical, often dangerous work in disaster zones and crisis situations.
“Napakahirap na ng trabaho nila, pero hindi pa sila regular, contract of service pa sila. Ito ‘yung mga parang mga reporter na walang tulog,” Gatchalian said.
He said the regularization was not done all at once but is being carried out in phases, starting with 5,000 positions this year, including positions in disaster response.
Gatchalian said the social workers’ recognizable symbol, the red vest they wear in the field, has become synonymous with the government’s presence and care during disasters and crises.
“Ang tawag sa mga kawani ng DSWD are ‘The Angels in Red Vests.’ May sakuna, makita mo lang ‘yung red vest, dapat mapanatag na ang loob mo,” Gatchalian said.
He said investing in social workers—through regularization, training at the DSWD Academy, and better equipment—is essential to protecting institutional knowledge and ensuring consistent delivery of services.
Gatchalian said the regularization also protects the workers themselves, ensuring they can deliver services in the field with greater confidence and peace of mind.
“Mas maraming oras ang nabibigay nila sa case management na actual kaysa sa report generation,” he said, noting that the combination of regularization, better tools, and improved ratios has made social workers more effective.
