Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9433)
Republic Act No. 9433 is officially titled as the Magna Carta for Public Social Workers.
The Act covers all registered social workers employed in government service.
The State shall promote and improve the social and economic well-being of public social workers, their living and working conditions, terms of employment, and develop their skills and capabilities.
A Public Social Worker refers to a registered social worker employed in the government service.
The normal hours of work shall not exceed eight hours a day or forty (40) hours a week.
They are entitled to hazard allowance, subsistence/transportation allowance, housing and living quarters allowance, longevity pay, and clothing allowance.
It is composed of representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Civil Service Commission, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Association of Social Workers Inc., Association of Provincial/City and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers, and various leagues of local government units, headed by the Secretary of DSWD.
They can be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) but not more than Forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00), or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both. If the offender is a public official, they may also face disqualification from office.
Except in the interest of public service, no transfer or reassignment shall be made without written notice at least thirty (30) days prior. The public social worker can appeal to the Civil Service Commission if they believe the reassignment is unjustified.
No public social worker holding a permanent position shall be terminated except for cause. If found unjustly dismissed, they are entitled to reinstatement without loss of seniority and backwages with interest.