In life, not everything will always go according to plan. Things change almost quickly and dramatically. Sometimes, without further notice. That, in some circumstances, riding the waves is so much better than maneuvering the raft towards a direction you are not fated to follow. That’s why when Remelyn found herself devoting her time in helping vulnerable people get back on their feet, she knew she was in the right place.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐍𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬 had her heart set in helping other people way before she became a social worker. A resident of New Lucena, she is married to a Miag-aonon and has two children. The eldest child among the four children of Melanuis and Rebecca Sumadic, Remelyn grew up in a tight-knit family regardless of her father being away most of the duration of her childhood as he worked as a Seaman. She didn’t feel like something lacked in her life because despite of the distance, she felt her father’s presence during the happy and sad moments.

Remelyn was a graduate of BS Social Worker at Iloilo Doctors College. Then, she also took up Public Administration for her Masters degree at Guimaras State University (GSU). However, she was unable to finish her masters due to the unfortunate occurrence of COVID-19 and her promotion from social worker to center head. When asked if she chose BS Social Worker as her first choice in college, she smiled politely and answered that it wasn’t the case at all. In fact, she was a graduate of Pre-Dentistry. On the course of planning her next step towards this particular branch of the medical field, the Social Worker profession caught her eye.

“𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐲𝐚” [Being a social worker is not just a profession, but being a social worker is a calling] she says.

Right after she graduated the year 2013, she immediately volunteered at the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) for 6 to 7 months. Then, an opportunity presented itself in the form of becoming a social welfare assistant for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) before eventually applying for the SO1 position at the regional office. For many years, Remelyn worked as a social worker until such time she became the center head for the Regional Center for Women in New Lucena.

The 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 (𝐑𝐂𝐖) is a sanctuary for abused women and children ages 18 to 69 which offers protection, rehabilitation services and interventions that seeks to restore and develop the social functioning of the residents who had traumatic experiences. And so, as someone who had strong feelings when it comes to helping other people, Remelyn chose DSWD due to their holistic approach especially when it comes to case management. Besides spearheading the office of the RCW as Center Head, she also manages Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) cases where they, as social workers, handle every case with utmost care and sensitivity. That way, these victims will be able to gain their confidence back and feel empowered after overcoming such traumatic experiences.

As social workers, they have certain principles that they need to uphold whilst handling these cases especially critical ones which affected the victim psychologically like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Depressive Behavior. Though stories of bad experiences by these women saddens them, one must control their emotions to offer sympathy and support that these women needed the most.

“May mga sessions kita nga gina conduct sa aton nga mga women and for our victim survivor nga pwede sila maka build rapport sa aton like counseling group session and one on one talk with them.” [We conduct sessions for the women and victim survivors where they can build rapport with us through the help of counseling group sessions and one-on-one talk with them]

For the victim to be able to disclose their horrific encounters, it does not necessarily need to be attained at the end of the day. Remelyn explained that it takes time and certain processes need to be followed. It took a lot of patience and understanding as well as time which is part of the job. Being a social worker at RCW, one has to be readily available 24/7 in order to cater their needs, whether it be medical or emotional. Currently, there are 12 residents living in the center. From January to the present, they have served a total of 36 clients with 24 of them rehabilitated and discharged to rejoin the community.

What is commendable with the programs and services offered at RCW is that their help is not limited to the clients staying at the residential facility. Upon the client’s discharge, they coordinate with their partner agencies and partner LGUs in conducting Family Capability Assessment Reports (FCARs) in order to ensure their clients’ safety and their families’ capabilities of taking care of them. There is also a matter of partnering with agencies that offer scholarships if they choose to go back to school. Overall, the focus of these services and programs are to make sure that their clients are settled at their location, monitoring them for 6 months. And due to the center’s well established staff and services, they are able to facilitate and meet the needs of their clients.

“Kami diri sa regional center for women ang amon nga motto is to help gd and gusto gd namon ya nga at the end of the intervention of the clients nga na serve naton na sigurado gd naton nga empowered ang aton nga cliente pag halin diri sa center nga hindi na sila mag balik sa pag abuso man nga gin hatag sang ila perpetrator sa ila and ma ensure man naton nga ma uplift man ang ila life from the time nga na abuse sila” [Here, at the Regional Center for Women, our motto is to help and what we aim at the end of the intervention of the clients that we serve is to ensure that they are empowered once they left the center. That way, they won’t go back to the abuse they experienced from their perpetrators and to uplift their lives from the time of the abuse.]

It is a handful and a big challenge to handle these cases. All the sad stories and traumatic experiences they had to listen which affects them emotionally and how they have to hold it in, comes with the job. As a social worker of RCW, one has to be fully equipped in terms of offering support for these women who are victims of abuse. That’s what the job entails. And for Remelyn, her passion in lending a hand to those who needed it most, is what steered her to her rightful place.

Trixie Aurelia Ningas, BA Journalism-WVSU