The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has become the epitome of a bloated bureaucracy in the Marcos administration, with close to three dozen undersecretaries and assistant secretaries earning six-figure salaries monthly.
A check of the DSWD’s website shows there are currently 10 undersecretaries and 21 assistant secretaries on its payroll.
The 10 undersecretaries are:
1. Edward Justine R. Orden: Undersecretary for General Administration and Support Services
2. Monina Josefina Romualdez: Undersecretary for Operations
3. Diana Rose Cajipe: Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management
4. Adonis Sulit: Undersecretary for Policy and Plans
5. Denise Florence Bernos-Bragas: Undersecretary for Standards and Capacity Building
6. Vilma Cabrera: Undersecretary for National Household Targeting System and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
7. Alan A. Tanjusay: Undersecretary for Special Concerns, and for Inclusive and Sustainable Peace
8. Eduardo Punay: Undersecretary for Innovations
9. Rowena Taduran: Undersecretary for Legislative Coordination and External Affairs
10. Fatima Aliah Dimaporo: Undersecretary (appointment announced on July 28, 2023)
Meanwhile, the assistant secretaries are:
1. Romel M. Lopez: Assistant Secretary for Social Welfare and Development
2. Rodolfo M. Santos: Assistant Secretary for Policy and Plans
3. Irene Dumlao: Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs
4. Juan Carlo Marquez: Assistant Secretary for Development Assistance
5. Ivy Grace Rivera: Assistant Secretary for Administration
6. Janus Siddayao: Assistant Secretary for Finance
7. Gary Politico: Assistant Secretary for Policy and Plans
8. Janet Armas: Assistant Secretary for Standards and Capacity Building
9. Marlon Alagao: Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management
10. Florentino Loyola Jr.: Assistant Secretary for Specialized Programs
11. Ada Colico: Assistant Secretary for Statutory Programs
12. Paul Ledesma: Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations
13. Marites Maristela: Assistant Secretary for the National Household Targeting System
14. Evelyn Macapobre: Assistant Secretary for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
15. Arnel Garcia: Assistant Secretary for Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns
16. Ulysses Hermogenes Casimiro Aguilar: Assistant Secretary for Community Engagement
17. Baldr Bringas: Assistant Secretary for Innovations
18. Glenda Relova: Special Assistant to the Secretary for Centers and Residential Care Facilities (Assistant Secretary rank)
19. Julius Exequel Gorospe: Chief Information Officer
20. Elaine Fallarcuna: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Office of the Secretary (OSEC) – Concerns (Assistant Secretary rank)
21. Ana Maria Paz B. Rafael: Assistant Secretary for Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization
An Iskooper said most of the appointees assumed office during the time of former DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo, who’s now the party-list representative of ACT-CIS after failing to hurdle the Commission on Appointments.
Of the 10 undersecretaries, the Iskooper said only four reportedly have plantilla positions: Romualdez, Punay, Caljipe and Sulit. Among the assistant secretaries, only Santos, Maristela, Macapobre and Garcia are filling existing vacancies.
Tulfo’s successor, Rex Gatchalian, brought in one undersecretary and assistant secretary of his own. He, however, is said to be having difficulty trimming the fat in the agency, which means the 31 executives continue to be on the payroll.
An undersecretary earns a basic pay of P189,199 monthly as a salary grade 30 government employee, while an assistant secretary is paid P167,432 per month (salary grade 29).
