DSWD has new Region 8 OIC-director

TACLOBAN City – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista has named Yvonne Serrano-Abonales as officer-in-charge regional director of DSWD Eastern Visayas.

The secretary signed a special order on Friday (January 11) following the transfer of Director Restituto Macuto to the DSWD Central Office as the National Program Manager of the Sustainable Livelihood Program.

Abonales, a social welfare officer V, was previously assigned as the Policy and Plans Division Chief in the regional office.

She rose from the ranks in a span of over thirty years, starting as a youth development worker just like Macuto.

In a farewell program during their first Regional Management Development Conference for the year, the outgoing regional director shared his secret of success to the Field Office 7 staff.

"I am not a social worker, but I have never complained about whatever assignments that were given to me," he shared.

He narrated that he started as a mere social welfare aide in Region XI in Davao and how a DSWD official was impressed with his work in one of his visits in the region.

The offer to work in Manila followed, and eventually, promotions came one after the other.

Macuto has served the region for over four years where he was noted to have had a huge contribution in the Yolanda (Haiyan) rehabilitation efforts even when he was still assigned as an assistant regional director then before he was promoted as a full-fledged RD. (Marie Tonette Marticio)