DSWD Benchmarking at UPOU

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) conducted a benchmark meeting with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on 26 May 2023.

The DSWD delegation, headed by Bureau Director Ana T. Nuguid, benchmarked on possible areas of collaboration between DSWD Academy and UPOU.

The discussion was led by UPOU Chancellor, Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, together with the Director, Office of Public Affairs (OPA), Dr. Myra C. Almodiel; Program Chair, Diploma in/Master of Social Work, Dr. Finaflor F. Taylan; and Program Development Associate for Institutional Linkage, Ms. Margaret Jarmin-Suarez.

This initiative is part of UP Open University’s efforts in public service toward the capacity building of open and distance learning teachers and practitioners in compliance with Republic Act No. 10650.

Written by Lovelyn P. Petrasanta Edited by Myra C. Almodiel

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The 7th AAWS Congress opened with compelling plenary sessions that framed key conversations on empowerment, inclusion, and women’s scholarship.Plenary 1, “Revisioning Gender/Women’s Studies in the Post-Pandemic World: Work for Empowerment,” was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Finaflor F. Taylan, Dean of UPOU FMDS and President of AAWS. Dr. Taylan discussed how crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic deepened gender inequalities—particularly in sectors with high female participation—and intensified unpaid care work. She emphasized the need to integrate crisis-related realities, including gendered vulnerabilities, labor shifts, and digital divides, into Gender/Women’s Studies teaching and research, and called for stronger advocacy toward gender-responsive recovery and structural transformation. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A moderated by Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez.The second plenary, “Emerging Issues in Diversity, Multiculturalism, and Democracy in Asia: The Role of Advocates,” was presented by Dr. Aileen Park, Associate Professor at Philippine Normal University Mindanao and AAWS Council Member. Drawing from migration-related experiences in the United States, Korea, and Australia, Dr. Park explored discriminatory practices and highlighted the importance of a multivoiced academic mindset rooted in cultural sensitivity, self-awareness, and social responsibility. The session was moderated by Asst. Prof. Maria Lourdes Jarabe, Director of UPOU’s Office of Gender Concerns.Several Parallel Presentation Sessions were also held in the afternoon, featuring research topics on Evolution of Women and Gender Studies Across Asia; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; Women’s Struggles and Democracy in Asia; Gender and Development: ASEAN’s Performance on the SDGs; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; and it also included a Colloquium where UPOU undergraduate and graduate students present their research studies.#AAWSCongress2025 #EmpowerSustainDemocratize #AsianWomenInFocus #SDG5GenderEquality #UPOU ... See MoreSee Less
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