House adopts resolution honoring late DMW chief Ople

The House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted a resolution conveying its profound condolences to the family of the late Secretary Maria Susana “Toots” Ople of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

This developed after the House, via voice vote, adopted House Resolution 1226, which consolidated seven resolutions on Ople’s death.

Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, one of the authors of the adopted Resolution, said Ople was “a staunch advocate of fair and ethical recruitment, a leading voice in recognizing the dignity of labor no matter how small the task, and a fierce enemy of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.”

“Secretary Ople will forever be remembered for her great passion, dedication, commitment, and contribution to the welfare and well-being of millions of OFWs and the entire Philippine labor industry,” Romualdez said.

Ople, who passed away on August 22 at the age of 61 after a battle with cancer, is survived by her daughter, Susanne Laurie.

Born on February 9, 1962, Ople earned a degree in Communication Arts from the University of Santo Tomas in 1985 and a post-graduate degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as an Edward Mason Fellow in 1999 alongside then-Naga City mayor and later Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Ople held the position of the first Secretary of the DMW under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration.

Before her appointment as DMW Secretary, Ople also served as Chief of Staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2003, Communications Consultant of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process from 2011 to 2012, Consultant of the Office of the Senate President in 2016, and a consistent resource person for both chambers of Congress in crafting legislation to safeguard the rights of Filipino migrant workers.

Ople also established the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute in 2004 in honor of her late father, former Senator Blas Ople.

The Ople Center aims to foster collaborations with both private and public institutions to drive capacity-building efforts across all stakeholders. — BM, GMA Integrated News