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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Third Regular Session 
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SENATE 
(In substitution of S. Nos. 173, 437, 759, 897, 1086 and 1168 
taking into consideration House Bill 4536) 
Prepared by the Committees on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural 
Development with Senators Estrada (L), Osmetia, Villar, Estrada (J), 
Angara and Magsaysay as authors thereof 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR PUBLIC SOCIAL WORKERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic 
of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1, Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Magna Carta for 
Public Social Workers.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall promote and improve 
the social and economic well-being of public social workers, their living and 
working conditions, and terms of employment. It shall develop their skills and 
capabilities to make them more responsive to the needs and problems of their 
clients and better equipped in delivering social services and programs. The 
State shall likewise encourage those with proper qualifications and excellent 
abilities to apply and remain in social development work in the government 
service. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. -- As used in this Act, the following terms 
shall mean as follows: 
a) Social Work - refers to the profession which helps individuals, 
families, groups, and communities develop, improve, maintain or 
restore their capability for coping with the demands of their 


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environment, through the use of social work methods and 
interventions; 
b) Registered Social Worker - refers to a graduate of Bachelor of 
Science in Social Work or Master’s Degree in Social Work and who 
has passed the social work licensure examination; 
c) Public Social Worker - refers to registered social worker employed 
in the government service; 
d) Practitioner - a registered social worker actively practicing hislher 
profession. 
e) CSC - refers to the Civil Service Commission; 
f) DSWD - refers to Department of Social Welfare and Development; 
g) DOLE - refers to the Department of Labor and Employment; 
h) DlLG - refers to the Department of Interior and Local Government; 
i) NLRC - refers to the National Labor Relations Commission; 
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PRC - refers to the Professional Regulation Commission. 
SEC. 4. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all registered social workers 
employed in government service. 
SEC. 5. Recruitment and Qualifications. - The selection and 
appointment of social workers shall be in accordance with the merit and fitness 
principle. 
All government social work agencies and institutions shall be headed by 
registered social workers except for cabinet and non-career positions. Priority 
shall be given to registered social workers in filling up social work positions in 
the government. 
SEC. 6. Merit Promotion and Career System. - A Social Work 
Management and Consultative Council shall be created to prepare a uniform 
career and personnel development plan applicable to public social workers. 
Such career and personnel development plan shall include provisions on merit 
promotion, performance evaluation, in-service training grants, job rotation, 
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incentive awards system and other policies that govern the social security of the 
social workers. 
SEC. 7. Composition. -- 
The composition of the Social Work 
Management and Consultative Council shall consist of representatives of the 
DSWD, CSC, DILG, DOLE, Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc., the 
League of Provinces, League of Cities and League of Municipalities. 
SEC. 8. Classification of Social Work Personnel. - The Social Work 
Management and Consultative Council shall develop a career ladder and 
classification system for all social work positions in government service: 
Provided, That all position classification shall carry Social Worker title. 
SEC. 9. Code of Conduct. - All public social workers shall be guided by 
the Social Work Code of Ethics as adopted by the Board of Social Work and as 
approved by the PRC within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. 
SEC. IO. Normal Hours of work. -The normal hours of work of any 
public social worker shall not exceed eight (8) hours a day or forty (40) hours a 
week. Hours of work shall include: a) the time during which a public social 
worker is required to be on active duty or to be at a prescribed workplace; b) the 
time during which a public social worker is permitted to work; c) the time during 
which a public social worker is required in a place other than prescribed 
workplace; Provided, That, the time when a public social worker is placed on 
"On Call" status shall not be considered as hours worked but shall entitle the 
public social worker to an "On Call" pay equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of 
hislher regular wage. "On Call" status refers to a condition when public social 
workers are called upon to respond to urgent or immediate need or relief work 
during emergencies such that helshall cannot devote the time for hislher own 
use; Provided, That, no public social worker shall be placed in "on-call" status 
beyond seven "7" days per month. Public social workers can also teach or 
practice their profession after office hours. 
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SEC. 11. Overtime Work. - Where the exigencies of the service so 
require, any public social worker may be required to render service beyond the 
normal eight (8) hours a day, inclusive of Saturday, Sundays or non-working 
holidays. In such a case, the public social worker shall be paid an additional 
compensation in accordance with existing laws. 
SEC. 12. Compensation. - The existing law on the salary scale of 
government employees shall apply in determining the salaries of public social 
workers. In case of violations of this provision, the social worker concerned 
shall file the necessary complaint to CSC or NLRC through the Social Work 
Management and Consultative Council. 
SEC. 13. Leave Benefits. - Public social workers shall be entitled to all 
leave benefits and privileges, such as but not limited to maternity, paternity, 
vacation and sick leaves, as provided for under existing laws; Provided, That 
upon separation of the public social workers from service, they shall be entitled 
to all accumulated leave credits with pay. 
SEC. 14. Highest Basic Salary Upon Retirement - Upon retirement, a 
public social worker shall automatically be granted an increase of one (1) salary 
grade higher than hislher basic salary and hislher retirement benefits shall be 
computed on the basis of hidher highest salary received. 
SEC. 15. Other Benefits. - Aside from the benefits received as required 
under existing laws and Executive Orders, the public social workers shall 
receive the following: 
a) Hazard Allowance - Public social workers assigned in remote and 
depressed areas, strife-torn or embattled areas, distressed or isolated 
stations, mental hospitals, leprosaria, areas declared under a state of 
calamity or emergency which expose them to great danger, volcanic 
activity/eruption, occupational risks or threats to life shall be 
compensated with hazard allowance equivalent to at least twenty per 
centum (20%) of the monthly basic salary. 
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b) Subsistenceflransportation Allowance - Public social workers who 
are required to render services in communities, institutions, hospitals 
and other social work establishments in order to make their services 
available at all times, shall be entitled to daily full subsistence 
allowance for three (3) meals which shall be computed according to 
prevailing circumstances. Those assigned out of their regular work 
stations shall be entitled to per diem in place of this allowance. Actual 
transportation allowance shall also be provided to social workers on 
field work. 
c) Housing and Living Quarters Allowance. - All public social workers 
who are transferred to another assignment due to the exigency of the 
service shall be entitled to free housing within the agency concerned; 
Provided, That if living quarters are not available within the agency 
and the personnel has hislher residence outside of fifty (50) 
kilometers radius from such government or non-government facility, 
helshe shall receive a housing allowance, and Provided, further, That 
the rate of such housing allowance shall be periodically adjusted for 
inflation. 
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d) Longevity Pay. - A monthly longevity pay equivalent to five per 
centum (5%) of hislher latest monthly basic pay shall be paid to a 
public social worker for every five (5) years of continuous, efficient 
and meritorious service rendered as certified by the chief of office 
concerned, commencing with the service after approval of this Act. 
e) Clothing Allowance. -All social workers shall be entitled to a minimum 
of one thousand five hundred pesos (PI ,500.00) clothing allowance 
annually, which amount shall be adjusted as needed. 
SEC. 16. Compensation From hjuries. - Public social workers shall be 
protected against work-related injuries in accordance with the Labor Code and 
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Civil Service Law, as the case may be. Injuries incurred while doing overtime 
work shall be presumed work-connected. 
SEC. 17. Rights of a Public Social Worker - The social worker shall 
have the following rights; 
a) Protection form discrimination by reason of sex, sexual orientation, 
age, political or religious beliefs, civil status, physical characteristics/ disability, 
or ethnicity; 
b.) Protection from any form of interference, intimidation, harassment, or 
punishment, to include but not limited to arbitrary reassignment or termination of 
service, in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities; 
c.) Join, organize, or assist organizations or unions for lawful purposes; 
d.) Protection from any act that will prevent hislher from applying 
professional interventions that the client's situation may require; and 
e) Opportunities for continuing professional growth and development. 
SEC. 18. Reassignment of Public Social Workers. - Except in the 
interest of public service, no transfer or geographical reassignment shall be 
made or effected without written notice to a public social worker: Provided, That 
said written notice, stating the reasons for the reassignment, shall be made at 
least thirty (30) days prior to the date of transfer or reassignment; Provided, 
funher, That, if the public social worker believes that there is no justification for 
the transfer and/or reassignment, he/she may appeal hidher case to the Civil 
Service Commission, which shall cause hislher transfer andlor reassignment to 
be held in abeyance; Provided, still further, That reassignment coinciding with 
any local or national election shall be made in compliance with Election Code 
and other existing laws and rules; Provided, finally, That the necessary 
expenses of the transfer and/or reassignment of the public social worker and 
hidher immediate family shall be paid for by the agency concerned. 
SEC. 19. Married Social Workers. - Whenever possible, the proper 
authorities shall take steps to enable married couples, both of whom are public 
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social workers, to be employed or assigned in the same municipality, but not in 
the same office: Provided, That it shall not apply to married social workers 
already assigned in the same office at the time this law takes effect. 
SEC. 20. Freedom From Infetference or Coercion. - It shall be 
unlawful for any person to commit any of the following acts of interference or 
coercion: 
a) To intimidate or force a public social worker to submit valuable 
documents that will violate the principles of confidentiality of records 
agreed upon between him/her and the clientele groups: Provided, 
That the release of such documents shall be approved by the clients 
concerned and shall redound to their social well-being, and upon court 
order; 
b) To prevent a public social worker from upholding and applying the 
basic social work principles in carrying out the programs and services 
for the target client groups of the social work agency; 
c) To intimidate in order to encourage or discourage membership in any 
social work organization or union; 
d) To prevent a public social worker from carrying out hidher duties and 
functions in the social work organization or union or to penalize the 
public social worker for any lawful action performed in that capacity; 
e) To make calculated harassment and interference with the intention of 
intimidating or preventing the public social worker from performing his 
duties and functions; 
f )  To make calculated harassment against, or, to transfer, penalize or 
terminate the services of a public social worker who is carrying out 
hidher advocacy function role for and in behalf of hidher clientele 
groups who are victims of social injustice. 
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any manner commit any act in violation of any of the provisions of this Act, upon 
conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty Thousand Pesos 
(P20,OOO.OO) but not more than Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,OOO.OO) or 
imprisonment of not more than one (1) year, or both, at the discretion of the 
court. If the offender is a public official, the court, in addition to the 
abovementioned penalties, may impose the additional penalty of disqualification 
from office. 
SEC. 25. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected thereby shall 
continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 26. Repealing Clause. - All laws, ordinances, rules and 
regulations, other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this law 
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 27. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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