𝗜𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗗𝗦𝗪𝗗 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is pushing for a more inclusive government workforce, with Secretary Rex Gatchalian committing to significantly increase job opportunities for persons with disabilities. Speaking at the agency’s celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Gatchalian emphasized that the DSWD’s new hiring policy is not symbolic — it is structural, intentional, and anchored on the belief that disability is never a barrier to public service.

Central to this commitment is the launch of Administrative Order No. 11 (2025), which formalizes inclusive employment guidelines across DSWD offices nationwide—from the central office to field units and residential care facilities. While the law mandates that at least one percent of government positions be reserved for PWDs, the DSWD aims to go beyond the minimum, strengthening recruitment pipelines, expanding job categories, and removing barriers to entry. As of today, 411 DSWD employees—1.01 percent of the agency’s workforce—are persons with disabilities.

The new policy also invests in the agency’s own people. Human resources teams will undergo training in basic sign language, inclusive hiring practices, and the proper handling of assistive devices. Gatchalian stressed that it is not enough to hire; workplaces must be prepared to support and uplift PWD employees so they can thrive. “We are preparing our entire hiring ecosystem to grow with them,” he said.

Gatchalian also revealed plans to bring this initiative to the national level by asking President Marcos to mandate similar inclusive hiring standards across all departments. “The DSWD will serve as a disruptor,” he said. “Kung hindi gagalaw ang sistema, tayo ang gagalaw para mabuksan ang pinto para sa mas maraming Pilipinong may kapansanan.”

Image from DSWD FB