OFW Party-List Rep. Marissa ‘Del Mar” Magsino introduced House Resolution 1215 today to express the profound sympathy of the House of Representatives on the death of Hon. Maria Susana ‘Toots” V. Ople and to honor the legacy of service she has left behind.
The late Maria Susana ‘Toots” V. Ople, who passed away yesterday, August 22, 2023, was a social activist who tirelessly fought for the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
On the local labor front, she supported the abolition of contractualization and called for better employment opportunities for the marginalized sectors of society. To continue the advocacy of her father, the late Senator Blas F. Ople, Sec. Toots founded the Blas Ople Policy Center (BOPC), which assists distressed OFWs in various parts of the world. She likewise served in the government as Undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment during President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration.
In 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. appointed her as the secretary of the newly-created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and was swiftly confirmed by the Commission on Appointments, making her the first secretary of the newly-created executive department.
“Bago pa man kami pumasok sa pagiging lingkod-bayan, kaagapay na natin si Sec. Toots sa pagpapalawak ng adbokasiya para sa kapakanan ng ating OFWs at ilang beses na kaming magkasamang nakipaglaban para sa ating mga migrante. Napakataas ng pagkilala ko kay Sec. Toots dahil sa kabuuan ng loob niya sa serbisyo at integridad sa pamumuno ng kanyang organisasyon at lalo na nang maging kalihim ng DMW. Kaya’t ang pagpanaw ni Sec. Toots ay mag-iiwan ng malalim na sugat; hindi lamang isang haligi sa ating adbokasiya ang nawala, isang hinahangaang kaibigan at lider din,” said Magsino.
The party-list solon said Sec. Ople’s demise is a great loss to the Filipino people and to thousands of lives she touched in her long and illustrious career as advocate of social justice, as a dedicated public servant, and as champion of Filipino migrant workers.
“A grateful nation bids her farewell with a heavy heart, but with the resolve to celebrate her life of service and with the enlightened belief that her legacy will live on. In the year that she was at the helm of DMW, she has accomplished a lot of innovations and redirected our policies on labor migration toward what our OFWs truly need. Walang sinayang na oras si Sec. Toots at kanyang sinagad ang pagkakataong magsilbi sa bayan. This is a testament to her heart of service and dedication to help change the lives of her countrymen,” said Magsino.
She also expressed its profound sympathy to the family of Sec. Toots Ople and to the entire DMW.
