It’s homecoming of sorts for newly sworn DSWD secretary

It was a homecoming of sorts for the new social welfare chief, who got her first job at age 19 in the same department then known as the Social Welfare Administration.

Dulce Saguisag, wife of human rights lawyer and former senator Rene Saguisag, was sworn in by President Estrada yesterday as the new secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to replace Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Saguisag, was appointed Friday night, a few hours after the Vice President resigned from her Cabinet post over the alleged jueteng payoffs.

Saguisag served at the Social Welfare Administration for almost 15 years before transferring to the private sector.

The new secretary said she intends to continue the policies and programs of the DSWD under Arroyo.

"I don’t think I need to reinvent the wheel," she said. "The Vice President has started a lot of good programs and projects at the department."

Accompanied by her husband and children, Saguisag took her oath of office in simple rites at Malacañang.

The President said he impressed upon the newest member of his official family the need to speed up completion of priority projects under his administration’s "Angat Pinoy" medium-term development program.

"We will concentrate on livelihood projects for people in rural areas, they are the ones that need to be served first," Mr. Estrada said. "I believe that with the qualifications of our new DSWD secretary, the implementation of these projects will immediately get underway."

US Embassy clarifies meeting with Gloria

The United States Embassy in Manila clarified yesterday that officials sought a meeting with Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her capacity as secretary of the DSWD, and not in relation to the ongoing jueteng scandal.

Officials pointed out that the invitation was sent to the Vice President even before allegations against President Estrada were made.

The meeting, they said, was aimed at addressing the Amerasian problem. –Marichu Villanueva, Aurea Calica