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 partnersin the local and global communities.

PASWI is administered by a Board consisting of 11 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.

DISCTINCTIVES

Affiliations and Accreditations

  • Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO)
  • PRC-accredited CPD Provider
  • SEC Registration
  • ASEAN Social Work Consortium
  • The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
  • Euro-Asia Forum

Mandated Representations

  • Regular BOT Meeting of Philippine Social Science Center (PSSC)
  • Monthly Meeting of Continuing Professional Development Council (PRC)
  • Quarterly Meetings of Philippine Social Work Consortium (ASWC)
  • Meeting on Career Progression and Specialization TWG – Policy Practice
  • Meeting on the Philippine Social Work Law Amendments
  • Meeting on Philippine Generalist Social Work Core Competencies and Professional Practice Standards (PRC)

BEGINNINGS

The Philippine Association of Social Workers (PASW) was founded on November 12, 1947, and incorporated on April 18, 1948. It was re-incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on October 18, 1988, changing its name to Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc. (PASWI).

Through PASWI’s vigorous advocacy, the professionalization of social work practice in the Philippines was achieved with the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 4373 on June 19, 1965 which was later amended by RA No. 5175 on August 4, 1967.

MILESTONES: Organizational Growth of PASWI

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, SocialWelfare 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 PhilippineConstitution, 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 109 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 (Maguindanao-Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao), and CARAGA.