EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

In order to improve organizational capacity and help the Department attain its institutional goals and objectives, it must have provide opportunities for the growth and development of its human resources which are deemed as one of its most important assets. 

Relative to this, the provision of educational scholarships and other short-term courses/ training program offered by established universities and/or other foreign institutions are part of the staff development program of the Department to ensure employees' professional growth. These opportunities enable the employees to enhance their competencies which will ultimately contribute to the achievement of the Department's mission, vision and goals.

The experiences gained and feedback received¹ in the past twelve (12) years (2005-2017) of implementing local and foreign scholarships and other educational support for DSWD employees prompted the consolidation and enhancement of three (3) existing guidelines in the Department namely Memorandum Circular No. 7, series of 2006- Educational Programs for DSWD Employees, M.C. No.2, s. 2006- Guidelines on Foreign Scholarship, Training Grants and Related Travels Abroad, and M.C No. 3, s. 2006² - Terms of Reference of Personnel Development Committee and some of the provisions of M.C. No. 3, s. 2008- Guidelines on Travels Abroad. The consultation visits made by the Personnel Development Committee (PDC) from June to November 2010 with its regional counterpart validated the need to integrate various issuances in the Department pertaining to scholarship programs, thus the recommendation of the Committee for an enhanced guideline on educational support for DSWD employees. 

Further, Executive Order No. 402 series of 2005 was promulgated which transferred the National Economic Development Authority's (NEDA) function of serving as clearing house of information regarding foreign education policy and scholarships to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for non-degree courses and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for degree courses. With this, relevant invitations for foreign scholarship/ training that is aligned to the DSWD mandate and core programs are being referred by these offices to the Department, and are subjected to the PDC selection and evaluation process. 

With due consideration to the changing needs and varying conditions pertaining to the professionalization and continuing education of the Department's human resources, this Order is hereby issued amending all other related guidelines as reference of prospective scholarship applicants, current DSWD scholars and PDC members appraising scholarship scholarship applications.