MANILA — Newly appointed Acting Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Virginia Orogo on Tuesday sought the cooperation of officials and personnel in attaining the goals and objectives of the department.
“Sana po tayo ay magtulungan at magturuan. May matutunan po kayo sa akin at ako po ay may matutunan din sa inyo (I hope that we can work together and learn from each other. You will learn from me and I will learn from you),” Orogo said in her speech at the turn-over ceremony during the flag-raising activity at the DSWD Central Office in Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
Orogo said she recognizes the great responsibility being at the helm of the agency which requires the cooperation of all the internal and external stakeholders to achieve the marching orders of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, which is to effect positive change and reforms.
She also further asked senior career officials to provide her guidance regarding the various programs of the agency.
“Sana mawakasan natin ang kahirapan (We are hoping that we can end poverty),” Orogo told the officials and staff of different bureaus of the department.
She also underscored the current administration’s 10-point Socio Economic Agenda which aims to improve social protection programs, including the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program.
Orogo also asked DSWD frontline personnel to attend to the people who need help with smile on their faces.
“Smile can help ease their burden,” she said.
Meanwhile, she assured that she will be open to any suggestions and constructive criticisms which will help enhance the services provided by the agency.
Prior to her appointment as acting secretary, she held the position of Deputy National Program Director of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) since March 2018.
Orogo replaced Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco who was appointed as Officer-in-Charge of the agency after the ad interim appointment of former Secretary Judy Taguiwalo was rejected by the Commission on Appointments in August last year.
During the turn-over ceremony, Leyco thanked President Duterte for giving him the opportunity to lead the agency.
Leyco said that after his stint as OIC of DSWD, he wants to go back to teaching at the Asian Institute of Management. (LSJ/PNA)
