The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its partnership with UNICEF and Miriam College welcomed 50 scholars from the DSWD, National Authority for Child Care (NACC), and Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) for the second batch of the Post Graduate Diploma on Child Protection cum Case Management (PGDCPCM). The PGDCPCM aims to strengthen the competencies of the social service workforce on implementing child protection in the context of the social welfare system. The graduates of this course are expected to serve as course developers, resource persons, coaches and mentors under the DSWD Academy and technical assistance providers to the local government units, social welfare and development agencies, and other intermediaries in implementing programs and services for children.
The onboarding of the scholars commenced on 4 March 2024 that included online registration and enrollment, student ID processing, and Miriam College Student Orientation. On 5 March 2024, an opening ceremony officially welcomed the scholars to the PGDCPCM with the officials of the DSWD, CWC, NACC, Miriam College and UNICEF providing inspirational messages to the scholars. For DSWD, Atty. Justin Caesar Anthony D Batocabe, Director IV of the Social Welfare Institutional Development Bureau highlighted the role of the DSWD Academy in the pursuit of professional development and career progression of the scholars. He also emphasized the need for DSWD to highlight “development” in the work of DSWD not just social welfare which is the common perception of the Department by the general public. Director Batocabe further stated that pursuing professional education through the PGDCP is a way of providing extra love and extra care to the clients served by the Department. For the NACC, Ms. Imelda Ronda, Division Chief, stated in her message the mandate of NACC and the important role of case management. She emphasized that “child protection is not just a matter of policy but a matter of humanity and that… protecting children is the very essence of humanity.” On the part of the CWC, Undersecretary Angelo Tapales mentioned the importance of kindness and love for the children and setting good examples. He stressed, “Basta bata, tayo ang bahala”. From UNICEF, Atty. Maria Margarita Ardivilla, Child Protection Specialist, provided updates on the 9th Country Program of UNICEF and pointed-out the role of the scholars, being in the forefront on child protection. For Miriam College, Dean Francis Julius N. Evangelista of the School of Arts, Sciences and Education, espoused team effort and collaboration of the scholars for the success of the PGDCP experience.
The PGDCP cum Case Management is a 21-unit graduate diploma course on Child Protection under the Master in Social Work in Miriam College is a practice-based, data-driven, policy-oriented and innovation-focused academic program designed for social work professionals who are currently or planning to specialize in the area of child protection work. It will be using face to face and online methodologies composed of lecture discussions, field applications, and capstone projects. The duration is from March to December 2024. The students are expected to devote 54 hours to earn a 3-unit course. It will have 32 hours for classes (online and offline using Google Classroom), 16 hours of writing time and 6 hours of individual presentation. The core components are (a) provision of training on Psychological First Aid and Psychosocial Support; (b) specialized course on child protection cum case management; and (c)special project/ capstone project.