QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 4373)
RA 4373 defines Social Work as the profession primarily concerned with organized social service activity aimed to facilitate and strengthen basic social relationships and the mutual adjustment between individuals and their social environment for the good of the individual and of society.
A social worker is a practitioner with accepted academic training and social work professional experience who possesses the skill to achieve the profession’s objectives through basic methods and techniques (casework, group work, and community organization), enabling individuals/groups/communities to meet needs and solve adjustment problems, and is connected with an organized social work agency supported partially or wholly from government or community solicited funds.
A social work agency is a person/corporation/organization, private or governmental, that mainly and generally engages in social welfare work (casework, group work, or community work) or represents itself as doing so, and obtains finances—totally or partly—from government agencies/instrumentalities and/or the community by solicitations/fund drives and/or private endowment.
The Board consists of a Chairperson and four members appointed by the President with consent of the Commission on Appointments, chosen from social workers of recognized standing in the Philippines, subject to the qualifications listed in the law.
At appointment, a Board member must: be a citizen and resident of the Philippines; at least 30 years old and of good moral character; possess either a BS in Social Work (or equivalent) or MS in Social Work (or equivalent) from a reputable government-recognized institution; have the required years of social work practice after the respective degree; be a registered social worker duly qualified (except for first appointees); and not be a faculty member at the time of appointment nor within the year immediately preceding appointment for the degrees they confer, nor have direct/indirect pecuniary interest in the institution.
The Board administers the Act; administers oaths; prepares the official seal; issues/suspends/revokes certificates of registration; monitors conditions affecting practice and adopts measures to maintain good standing and ethics; and investigates violations, including issuing subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to secure witnesses and documents.
Each member serves a term of three years or until successors are appointed and qualified. For the first Board: Chairman serves three years, two members serve two years, and two members serve one year (as specified). Vacancies are filled only for the unexpired portion. Members qualify by taking the proper oath; no member may succeed himself.
The Commissioner of Civil Service is the Executive Officer of the Board and conducts the examinations according to rules/regulations promulgated by the Board and approved by the President. The Civil Service Commission keeps all Board records, including examination papers, minutes, and administrative investigation records.
Unless exempt from registration, no person may practice or offer to practice social work in the Philippines (or be appointed to positions calling for social worker in any social work agency) without a valid certificate of registration issued by the Board.
Registration is not required of recognized social workers/authorities on social work who are residents/citizens of other countries and are called in for consultations in an agency working with the UN or similar international social agencies. Also, certain persons already qualified/engaged at the effectivity of the Act may be exempt from examination if they meet the enumerated qualifications and have practiced in a recognized social work agency for five years, and they register within one year after approval.
Regularly appointed social workers employed in social work agencies at the date of approval of the Act are generally not prejudiced; however, those in government social work agencies whose salaries may not be increased/adjusted until they pass the civil service examination and qualify as social workers under RA 4373.
Applicants must be: Philippine citizens; at least 21 years old; in good health and of good moral character; holders of a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited/legal institution; and have completed at least 1,000 case hours of practical training in an established social work agency under direct supervision of a fully trained and qualified social worker.
A candidate must obtain a general rating of at least 70% in the written test, with no rating below 50% in any subject.
Successful examinees must take a professional oath before the Board or before an authorized person authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon practice in the Philippines.
A certificate of registration may be issued without examination to social workers registered under laws of a foreign state/country, provided their registration/licensing requirements are substantially the same as those contemplated by RA 4373 and that the foreign state grants the same privileges to Filipino social workers on the same basis.
The agency must register with the Social Welfare Administration; existing agencies have one year to comply. Before registration, the Social Welfare Administrator must be satisfied that: the applicant engages mainly/general social work activity; it employs a sufficient number of duly qualified and registered social workers to supervise social work functions according to accepted standards; financial statement shows at least 60% of funds disbursed for direct social work services; and it keeps a record of all cases and welfare activities handled.
Penal provisions apply to, among others: practicing or offering to practice social work without being registered or exempted; using another person’s certificate; providing false fraudulent evidence to obtain registration; impersonating a registrant; using a revoked/suspended certificate; assuming/using/advertising the title “social worker” or similar title without valid registration; and operating as a social work agency without the required certificate.