19/09/2026
We are so proud of you, sir Arn💕
𝗗𝗦𝗪𝗗 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿
Testimony by Arnold C. Casaig, RSW
DSWD Scholar,
PDO II/Municipal Link
SAN REMEGIO, Antique - Arnold C. Casaig is a pure Antiqueño. He is a native of Hamtic and currently serves as a Municipal Link or Project Development Officer II (PDO II) under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the neighboring town of San Remegio.
Prior to his present position, he served as a Social Welfare Assistant (SWA) in Iloilo and in Antique over several years.
"As a 4Ps worker, I have witnessed the social realities faced by our vulnerable beneficiaries. I have entered communities and listened to their struggles, visited schools and households, and accompanied people as they worked toward improving their lives," Casaig said.
He added that through these experiences, he realized that social work is not simply about giving assistance it is about understanding people, empowering them, walk with them toward self-sufficiency.
When DSWD opened the slot for Social Worker scholar, Casaig submitted his intention to study and later passed the September 2026 Social Workers Licensure Examination (SWLE).
"Now that I am a licensed Social Worker, I see this achievement not as the end of my journey but as a greater responsibility to serve. The license is a reminder that the knowledge and opportunity given to me by DSWD must be translated into compassion and committed service to the most vulnerable," Casaig stressed adding that he is deeply grateful for the opportunity not only as a DSWD-funded scholar and a passer of the SWLE but also as a 4Ps worker who has personally experienced how education, government service, and social work come together to transform lives.
He also said that his journey as a scholar was not always easy. There were challenges in balancing work, studies, family responsibilities, and the demands of becoming a professional social worker.
Casaig added that the support of DSWD gave him something more than financial assistance but allowed him to pursue a profession that is closely connected to the work he was already doing in serving the poor.
For him, being a DSWD scholar and a 4Ps worker has a very meaningful connection for him. The scholarship helped him become the professional while his work in 4Ps gave him a living classroom where he could apply the values and principles of social work.
"I am a scholar who became a Social Worker and a Social Worker who continues to serve through 4Ps. My journey is a testament that when opportunity is given and that opportunity is match with perseverance and commitment, we can turn education into meaningful service," he added.
Casaig is grateful for DSWD for believing them as employees that can still dream, learn, grow and become better public servants to the poor.
