Taguig city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Academy has intensified its training programs, expanded its facilities, and widened access for the upskilling of social welfare professionals and partner institutions nationwide.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Academy Director Justin Cesar Batocabe mentioned in a radio interview that while their functions have long existed within the department, the current administration has significantly scaled up its mandate under Secretary Rex Gatchalian. Batocabe highlighted that they have built new facilities and renovated existing ones to ensure that more social workers can benefit from technical assistance and various training programs.
The DSWD Academy operates in a department-managed learning facility in Taguig City, offering both basic and specialized courses designed for licensed social workers, local social welfare and development offices, municipal social welfare and development offices, community development workers, paraprofessionals, and social work auxiliaries. The training programs also serve as refresher modules for registered social workers, covering topics such as Introduction to Social Welfare and Development, Pre-Marriage Counseling, Leadership Training for Social Workers, and House Parenting for staff in residential care facilities.
The academy also addresses specialized competency needs, particularly in disaster response and child protection. Training programs include camp coordination and camp management, training for social workers handling Children in Conflict with the Law, and modules for court-based social workers. Participants, who often come from other regions, attend the in-house training programs and are housed in the Academy's hostel, which ensures a focused learning environment and peer support.
While the DSWD Academy primarily targets local government units and government social welfare institutions, Batocabe mentioned that slots occasionally open for qualified individuals when targeted participants are unable to attend. These openings are announced through the official DSWD Academy Facebook page, and interested applicants with an educational or professional background in social work or community development can register to qualify.
