L 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B. NO. 
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA "L0Itt P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The position of provincial or city or municipal social welfare and development 
officer is a very crucial one, He/she not only formulates measures for the approval of the 
local sanggunian, but he/she also provides technical assistance and support to either the 
governor or the mayor in carrying out various measures to ensure the delivery of basic 
services and provisions of adequate facilities relative to social welfare and development 
services as provided for in the Local Government Code of 1991. 
As officer-in-charge of the office on social welfare and development services, 
he/she develops and implements, upon approval by the governor or mayor, plans and 
strategies pertaining to social welfare programs and projects. He/she not only identifies 
the basic needs of the needy, the disadvantaged and the impoverished and develops and 
implements appropriate measures to alleviate their problems, but he/she also provides 
relief and appropriate crisis intervention for victims of abuse and exploitation by being in 
the frontline of service delivery, particularly those which have to do with immediate 
relief and assistance during the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters and 
calamities. 
Thus, there is an urgent need to professionalize the delivery of various basic 
social services by making the qualifications of these social welfare and development 
officers equivalent and comparable with their counterparts in the local government units. 
Setting certain parameters as to who would qualify as social welfare and development 
officers and making mandatory their appointment in municipal governments are steps in 
the right direction. Hence, the early passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUISA "LOI" fi. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B. NO. 
i 
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~ 
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA "LOI" P. E JERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991, BOOK 3, TITLE 5 ,  ARTICLE 13, SECTION 483, 
AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Section 483; Article 13, Title 5, Book 3 of Republic Act No. 7160, 
otherwise known as The Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 483. Qualifications, Powers and Duties, 
(a) No person 
shall be appointed social welfare and development officer unless he/SHE 
is a citizen of the Philippines, a resident of the local government unit 
concerned, of good moral character [,I AND a duly licensed social worker 
[or a holder of college degree preferably in sociology or any other related 
course from a recognized college or university, and a first grade civil 
service eligible or its equivalent]. He/SHE must have acquired experience 
in the practice of social work for at least five (5) years in the case of the 
provincial or city social welfare and development officer, and three (3) 
years in the case of the municipal social welfare and development officer. 
"The appointment of a social welfare and development officer is 
mandatory for the provincial, [and] city [,I and [optional for] municipal 
government." 
SEC. 2. 
Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or the application thereof to any person, circumstance or transaction is 
held invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions of this Act or the applicability of 
such provision to other persons, circumstances or transactions shall not be affected 
thereby. 


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I
 
SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. - The provisions of all other laws, decrees, orders, 
rules or regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed 
accordingly. 
SEC. 4. 
Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
publication in the Official Gazette and in two (2) newspapers of national circulation. 
Approved, 
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