A Dutiful & Devoted Public Servant: Undersecretary Leticia A. Moises in the Eyes of DSWD

Introductory Note

By: Alex Moises, Website Owner

This article is a gift given to our family, the family of my mother, the late Leticia Angara Moises. It is a tribute to her by the Department of Social Services and Development or DSWD of the Philippines.

The tribute was prepared by the human resources staff of the DSWD central office and it was read by Undersecretary Florita Villar during the necrological service for my mother held on December 14, 2019. Present during the program were the children of Leticia Moises, nephews and nieces, grandchildren and great grandchildren, two sisters and a brother-in-law from abroad, former secretary Corazon Alma de Leon, who went directly to the funeral wake after arriving from an international conference at NAIA airport, Undersecretary Celia Yangco, social workers from Region III and the central office, and others who were there to honor, sincerely, my mom.

From me to the Department of Social Welfare and Development: Thank you.

The TRIBUTE

Leticia Angara Moises was a dutiful and devoted servant of the Department for Social Welfare and Development. (DSWD). Her career path is an example of growth and development as it witnessed the Department’s evolution throughout the years.

She rose steadily from the ranks of the Department. A native of Baler, Quezon [now Baler, Aurora], Leticia entered the Social Welfare Commission (SWC) as a Clerk in 1947. She then became a Social Worker for the Social Welfare Administration (SWA) in 1954 and became a Senior Social Worker in 1957. She was appointed as Provincial Social Welfare Officer in 1968. She became a Social Welfare Specialist in 1973, now under the Department of Social Welfare (DSW).

In 1974, she became the Regional Director for Region III with a Career Executive Service Officer II appointment wherein she witnessed the renaming of the agency to Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) in 1976, to Ministry of Social Services and Development in (MSSD) in 1978, and to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 1987.

She was appointed to Assistant Secretary for Administration in 1987, and appointed Undersecretary for Administration in 1988. She retired in 1990 with more than forty faithful years with the Department.

It was during her time as Regional Director for Region III that she would be recognized and known for. One of the most notable awards was the Lingkod Bayan Award given in 1982. The Lingkod Bayan Award is a public award granted by then the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) to Career Executives who have outstanding performance and contributions towards the improvement of the delivery of services.

She had been the President/member of numerous groups and organizations, established within Region II, such as the Career Executive Service Guild, Region III and the Philippine Association of Social Workers, Central Luzon Chapter. It was through these channels and networks that she was to provide valuable support in promoting service-oriented programs.

She would receive numerous distinctions, plaques of merit, or plaques of appreciation from several non-governmental organizations in recognition of her untiring and outstanding commitment for nation building, community welfare, youth development, and disaster relief operations. These were a few accomplishments among others.

Lira Pampanguena gave her Award of Merit for being the Outstanding Social Worker in 1974, Award of Government Service and Most Outstanding Citizen in 1976, and Outstanding Regional Director in 1979.

Together with her spouse, Filomeno, and her children – Edna, Raul, Noel, Riza, Alex, Rene, Zita and Jose Marlo, Undersecretary Leticia A. Moises indefatigably attended to the call of service and performed exceptionally until she retired in March, 1990. She had spent over forty remarkable and wonderful years with the Department and for that we celebrate, honor and pay respects to her.

Thank you, Undersecretary Leticia A. Moises, for the inspiration you have given to all of us here.

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