Social Work associate professor named this year's one of PH outstanding social workers

Ms. Lucia Estella Grace Abaa, a faculty member of the Department of Social Work (DPW) in Southern Leyte State University-Maasin City Campus, is recognized by the Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc. (PASWI) as one of the 2022 Outstanding Social Workers in the Philippines.

Recognized for her commitment to PASWI, Ms. Abaa is given with such distinction for her sustained effort in promoting transformative social work education for students' life-long learning that produces social work leaders in the country.

Ms. Abaa is one of the recognized outstanding social workers in the field of academe. Apart from being the former President of the Southern Leyte-Maasin City Chapter of PASWI, she has been serving as a faculty in DPW for 10 years and once became the Dean of the department.

She holds different positions outside Southern Leyte State U. She is a member of the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Philippine Red Cross-Southern Leyte Chapter, Board of Trustees (BOT) President of the Edmund Rice Ministries Foundation Philippines. Further, she became a member of the Regional Quality Assurance Team of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office VIII, and one of the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACUP) evaluators of Social Work program.

“Thousands of social workers in the academe aimed for this award and I am very grateful that I am one of the lucky few who are recognized with this esteemed distinction,” Ms. Abaa said.

(photo taken from DYDM AM Station Facebook page)

Meanwhile, Ms. Chrisa Gerong, an alumna of the then Maasin City College (MCC), now Southern Leyte State U-Maasin City Campus, has also been recognized with the same award in the field of Local Government.

In 2018, the then MCC was integrated to Southern Leyte State U as one of its external campuses by virtue of RA 11079.

Ms. Chrisa Gerong is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 2014 who is now working as a social worker in the Local Government of Maasin. She is also the former President of the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSWDOPI) Southern Leyte Chapter.

Expert in the field of social work, Ms. Gerong was recognized as one of the Outstanding Professional Social Worker in the ASEAN Social Work Consortium in 2021.

The awarding ceremony will be held virtually on October 18, 2022 during the National PASWI Convention 2022.