Essay on US and Philippine Social Work Agencies: Similarities and Differences

Social work agencies are volunteer teams which provide individuals, families and community at large with services that promote their well-being (Payne&Askeland, 2016). There are hundreds of social work agencies in the United States of America, Philippines and the rest of the world. This paper examines the similarities and differences of the social work agencies in America and the Philippines, and more so, the influence the US has made over the social work agencies systems in the Philippines.

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All social work agencies have the mandate to promote social cohesion and the development of people. Most principles used in the agencies are the same in both countries. It entails the justice, service to human rights and collective responsibility to social work (Bogo, 2015). Their policies are aimed at developing the skills and abilities of different individuals in society to be able to solve their problems. Another primary concern of the social work agency is to battle poverty in the community.

The social workers themselves have a professional association which provides directions to members and workers in the agencies. In the United States of America, the most significant social worker association is the National Association of Social Workers (Moon, 2018). The associations are further sub-divided according to the field of concern. The associations, however, can be international, national or regional, for instance, the agency based in the Philippines is governed by the International Federation of Social workers in the US.

In the Philippines, social work is concentrated in families. The families are considered the basic unit of the nation, therefore, attention should start from as little as the father, mother and children. The welfare of children is taken care of, their growth, maturity and emotional well-being are taken care of by the mothers. Elders are treated with respect, and they enjoy a close relationship with their children and grandchildren.

Social work agencies from the US has influenced the social work systems in the Philippines as far as management is concerned. The officials in the partnership have reviewed the governance of public financing and the human capacity in the Philippines. The review has helped to reduce the level of poverty in the country due to the resultant rapid growth of the economy (Doel&Marshal 2017). Over time the Philippines have implemented policies recommended by US policies which have brought significant improvement in sustainable and resilient growth. The two countries have continued to partner in social work agencies passionately.

By the time the Philippines got independence, the US had grown in terms of social services. The Philippines had a small number of social workers.US trained workers from the Philippines before the establishment of the Philippines Association of Social Workers in 1966(Howe, 2017). The development of existing agencies in the Philippines is low compared to those of the US. By 1915 America had established public welfares which were funded by American citizens setting up charitable organizations (David etal, 2019). American Red Cross is among the established agencies whose concern is health, disaster and other social welfares which serve in different countries, including the Philippines.

Comparing with the US, Philippines agencies started growing late in 1947 after independence, where the social welfare commission was established (Kim &Ryu, 2017). It later took time before the welfare was a full state responsibility. The primary responsibility of the social welfare in the Philippines is the institutional care, projects like self-help programmes and co-operatives, especially in the rural area. Most social work training in the Philippines is received in the US showing that there is a big difference in the development of social work in the two countries.

Social work agencies in the Philippines were influenced much by politics and colonials. Much of the non-governmental organizations found in the Philippines are faith-based, established by colonies characterized by their response to poverty. Today the agencies have grown through the influence of United States of America (Graff, 2018). Most social workers work across an extensive range of organizations like international and national non-governmental organizations. The department of Social Welfare and Development is now a state department in the Philippines. Its mandate is to protect citizen's welfare rights; it has employed people to monitor national programmes on social work agencies.

The social work agencies which are found in the two countries include child welfare social works. Childcare is concerned about rescuing children from abuse or neglect by parents and society by providing support to families like childcare, marital counselling and even adoptions. Medical health is also another social work produced by both countries where treatment to ill patients is provided in hospitals, emergency rooms, nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities, among others (Robinson etal, 2016). The typical third agency is the school social worker. Children and adults are provided with education facilities and services to meet the child's education requirement. It also includes functions to special needs children, foster children and nomadic families. Other major social works provided by various agencies courtesy of American and Philippine nations are emerging issues like HIV/AIDS social work, drug abuse social work and military services to mention a few.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Social work agencies in the Philippines share a lot in common. The similarities were brought when the US ventured into the Philippines, influencing the policies and strategies of the agencies (Beam etal, 2016). There are differences between the two countries' systems which are mainly historical. In summary, the social services are provided government, private, profit and nonprofit organization ranging from services in education, health care, security, community management and research.

References

Payne, M., & Askeland, G. A. (2016). Globalization and international social work: Postmodern change and challenge. Routledge.

Bogo, M. (2015). Field education for clinical social work practice: Best practices and contemporary challenges. Clinical Social Work Journal, 43(3), 317-324.

Moon, K. K. (2018). Examining the relationships between diversity and work behaviours in US federal agencies: Does inclusive management make a difference?. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 38(2), 218-247.

Doel, M., & Marsh, P. (2017). Task-centred social work. Routledge.

Howe, D. (2017). An introduction to social work theory. Routledge.

David, C. C., Tandoc, E. C., & Katigbak, E. (2019). Organizational adaptations to social media: How social media news workers in the Philippines are embedded in newsrooms and influences on editorial practices. Newspaper Research Journal, 0739532919835611.

Graff, C. (2018). Residential Care of Children in the Philippines. MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA PERSPECTIVES, 355.

Robinson, L., Johnston, P. B., & Oak, G. S. (2016). US Special Operations Forces in the Philippines, 2001-2014. Rand Corporation.

Kim, J. S., & Ryu, S. (2017). Employee satisfaction with worklife balance policies and organizational commitment: A Philippine study. Public Administration and Development, 37(4), 260-276.

Beam, E. A., McKenzie, D., & Yang, D. (2016). Unilateral facilitation does not raise international labor migration from the Philippines. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 64(2), 323-368.