Palace honors first DMW chief Toots Ople
More than two years after her death, former Migrant Workers Secretary Maria Susana “Toots” Vasquez Ople was conferred the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Grand Cross (Bayani) by President Marcos.
The posthumous award was received by Ople’s family in a ceremony held at the Palace on Tuesday, which coincided with Rizal Day and the fourth founding anniversary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), whose first secretary was Ople.
“In many ways it could be said that all of us who are doing any kind of work for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) around the world are only following the instructions she laid out. She was the one who started it all. Everything that we are doing now, all of the successes that you see, she laid the groundwork for that,” Mr. Marcos said.
Ople, daughter of the late senator and former Labor Secretary Blas Ople, was appointed DMW chief in June 2022.
She served until her death on Aug. 22, 2023 at age 61. Under her leadership, the Philippines entered into 42 bilateral labor agreements with 25 countries.
She also helped establish the One Repatriation Command Center and the OFW Hospital.
