Today, the Faculty of Management and Development Studies of UP Open University joins social workers around the world in celebrating the World Social Work Day. This year’s theme is centered on “Co-building Hope and Harmony: A Harambee Call to Unite a Divided Society.”

For thirty-one years, UPOU FMDS has served 13,347 students, making waves across disciplines and enriching professionals committed to the transformative impact of social work.

Social work is helping hand in moments of need, reaching communities from all walks of life. Through disasters, struggles, and calls for change, social workers continue to advocate for empowerment by helping others rise.

Distance learning in the context of social work expands beyond the university’s digital spaces, building meaningful partnerships across professions. Throughout these years, UPOU FMDS through its Diploma in and Master of Social Work program has partnered and worked with various organizations such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to develop and implement capacity-building programs that strengthen child protection systems and social welfare and social work practice. These collaborations highlight how distance education can extend learning opportunities to practitioners, support evidence-based policy and program development, and enhance the competencies of professionals working directly with children, families, and communities.

Recognizing the importance of continued learning and professional development in social work, UPOU remains committed to providing quality education through its Diploma in Social Work and Master of Social Work program, proudly showing a 100% passing rate in its first time to produce Licensure Exam in Social Work (LESW) takers who graduated from the university’s MSW program, with ladderized arrangement from the Diploma in Social Work.

Learn more about the Diploma in and Master of Social Work (D/MSW) program offered by UPOU–FMDS by visiting the official page:
DSW: https://fmds.upou.edu.ph/academics/post-bac/dsw/
MSW: https://fmds.upou.edu.ph/academics/post-bac/msw/

Applications for the First Semester, A.Y. 2026–2027 are ongoing!

Start your application today through the UPOU Registrar’s website:
DSW: https://registrar.upou.edu.ph/diploma-program/
MSW: https://registrar.upou.edu.ph/masters-program/

Today, we celebrate and thank social workers worldwide for their dedication to empowering communities and driving social change. We are one with social workers all over the world to work and call for better working conditions for them and even greater socio-economic conditions for all people, especially the marginalized towards a rights-based and just society. Happy World Social Workers’ Day! 🧑‍💻

Sustainable Development Goals