Manila: Secretary Maria Susana Vasquez Ople — also known by her nickname “Toots” — of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) passed away on Tuesday. She was 61.
"It is with great sadness that the Department of Migrant Workers announces the passing of our dearest Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople," the DMW statement said.
The stated added: "(Ople) peacefully joined our Creator at around 1 pm today, August 22, 2023 surrounded by her family and loved ones.”
No details of her funeral and burial was released yet. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Ople as the first secretary of the newly-created DMW in 2022. The cause of her death was not disclosed. Ople had been battling breast cancer, according to Philippine media/
The latest project Ople spearheaded was the digitisation of the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Advocate of migrant workers
"Toots" is a well-known OFW rights advocate and served as the first Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers.
Ople, born on February 9, 1962, was the youngest of the seven children of former Philippine labour secretary Blas F. Ople and Susana Vasquez. Her father served as Labour Secretary/Minister during the Marcos regime.
She served as chief of staff of the Office of her father Senator Blas Ople and later as chief of staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs when her father became its Secretary.
In 2004, Ople was appointed as Undersecretary of the Department of Labour and Employment by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Toots was the founder and current president of the Blas Ople Policy Center (BOPC) which assist distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) in various parts of the world. To promote her advocacy, Ople co-anchors the popular daily radio show “Bantay OFW” at DZXL’s Tatak RMN network. She also has a Saturday radio program on DWIZ 882 AM called “Global Pinoy”.
President’s reaction
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has joined the nation in mourning the passing of the secretary, and offered heartfelt accolades to Ople, praising her "outstanding expertise and profound empathy" in her professional endeavours, particularly in her dedication to migrant workers.
“It's very, very sad news. I have lost a friend. The Philippines has lost a friend. Secretary is a special person with a deep compassion really, really for the people that she had cared for, mainly the migrant workers,” Marcos said.
“It's a big loss. Ang galing galing ni Secretary Toots (she was excellent). She very much followed in the Blas Ople tradition of excellence, of compassion. It is a great loss for all of us, it is [a] great loss for all of us who called her a friend, it is a great loss to the Philippines, to the service that we know she could still have rendered,” he added.
