The wait is over: Stephen secures permanent position at DSWD6, continuing his mission of compassionate

Testimony by Stephen M. Suajico
Provincial Link, 4Ps Aklan POO
Newly-promoted permanent staff

AKLAN – Social work was never my first choice. I still remember the days when I would write in my slam notes that I wanted to become a doctor. That was the dream I carried in my heart back then. I never imagined that life would lead me to social work, much less to a 15-year journey of serving Filipino families through the department’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

From Municipal Link (ML) to Compliance Verification (CV) Focal, then to SWO III, and now SWO IV (Permanent) my journey has been filled with challenges, sacrifices, growth, and countless lessons. Life did not unfold exactly as I had once imagined. I did not become the doctor I dreamed of being, but I found myself in a profession where I could also help people, touch lives, and make a difference in my own way.

Through social work, I learned that healing and helping do not happen only in hospitals. Sometimes, they happen in communities, in the homes of struggling families, and in the simple act of listening, understanding, and giving people hope. For 15 years, I have learned to embrace this path, even when the journey was difficult and the waiting seemed long. From being contractual to finally becoming permanent, this milestone reminds me that every season has its purpose and every delay can teach us something valuable.

Today, I look back with a grateful heart. Perhaps my younger self dreamed of wearing a white coat and becoming a doctor, but God had a different plan for me. He led me to a profession where I could serve with compassion, empower families, and become part of their journey toward a better future. My heartfelt gratitude to God, my family, the DSWD, my supervisors, colleagues, and everyone who became part of this journey. Your support and prayers helped me persevere through the years.

After 15 years, finally, from contractual to permanent! I may not have become the doctor I once dreamed of being, but I have become a public servant who continues to serve with a heart for people. And perhaps, in a different way, that dream of helping others never really left me—it simply took a different path.
Now, I carry with me the same heart that once dreamed of making a difference, strengthened by years of experience, faith, and perseverance. God’s plans may not always be the plans we first imagined, but sometimes, they lead us exactly where we are meant to be. All glory and honor belong to Him!

#BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD