Meritorious Service Awardee, Dr. Finaflor F. Taylan - University of the Philippines Open University

FFTaylan is Meritorious Awardee

Dr. Finaflor F. Taylan, the program chair of the Diploma in and Master of Social Work (DMSW), in the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), was awarded the Meritorious Service Award by the Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc. (PASWI) Batangas Chapter in its Annual Awards 2023. The said award is given to members in recognition of their steadfast and dedicated service in the pursuit of professional excellence, beyond their work. Moreover, the Meritorious Service Award recognizes Dr. Taylan’s superior contributions to making the social work profession become of better service to the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors.

She was invited to receive the award and deliver her acceptance speech on June 23, 2023, at the Taal Convention Center, Batangas during the chapter’s Annual General Conference in time for the 5th Filipino Social Workers’ Day 2023 celebration, where registered social workers in the Province of Batangas attended.

Dr. Taylan has been a social worker for almost 20 years and has been working as a faculty of UPOU for 11 years teaching Social Work and Gender courses and also serves as the Director of the Office of Gender Concerns of UPOU. Dr. Taylan also sits as the Vice President of the National Association for Social Work Education, Inc. and was recently elected as President of the Asian Association of Women’s Studies. She also was given the Community Service Award by the University of Southern Queensland in October 2020 for her volunteer work for the community, where she finished her degree in Doctor of Professional Studies in 2021.

Among her notable contributions to the Social Work profession are the following: offering of free webinars to the public on social work and development topics, free psychosocial support during the pandemic, participation in the discussions on the revision of Social Work laws, development of practice standards and areas of specialization for advanced Social Work practice in the Philippines, and drafting of the Asia -Pacific amplified definition of Social Work.

Written by: Denise Therese Anne A. Palisoc ♦ Edited by: Finaflor F. Taylan, DprofSt, RSW ♦ Cross-posted from FMDS Website

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The 7th AAWS Congress opened with compelling plenary sessions that framed key conversations on empowerment, inclusion, and women’s scholarship.Plenary 1, “Revisioning Gender/Women’s Studies in the Post-Pandemic World: Work for Empowerment,” was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Finaflor F. Taylan, Dean of UPOU FMDS and President of AAWS. Dr. Taylan discussed how crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic deepened gender inequalities—particularly in sectors with high female participation—and intensified unpaid care work. She emphasized the need to integrate crisis-related realities, including gendered vulnerabilities, labor shifts, and digital divides, into Gender/Women’s Studies teaching and research, and called for stronger advocacy toward gender-responsive recovery and structural transformation. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A moderated by Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez.The second plenary, “Emerging Issues in Diversity, Multiculturalism, and Democracy in Asia: The Role of Advocates,” was presented by Dr. Aileen Park, Associate Professor at Philippine Normal University Mindanao and AAWS Council Member. Drawing from migration-related experiences in the United States, Korea, and Australia, Dr. Park explored discriminatory practices and highlighted the importance of a multivoiced academic mindset rooted in cultural sensitivity, self-awareness, and social responsibility. The session was moderated by Asst. Prof. Maria Lourdes Jarabe, Director of UPOU’s Office of Gender Concerns.Several Parallel Presentation Sessions were also held in the afternoon, featuring research topics on Evolution of Women and Gender Studies Across Asia; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; Women’s Struggles and Democracy in Asia; Gender and Development: ASEAN’s Performance on the SDGs; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; and it also included a Colloquium where UPOU undergraduate and graduate students present their research studies.#AAWSCongress2025 #EmpowerSustainDemocratize #AsianWomenInFocus #SDG5GenderEquality #UPOU ... See MoreSee Less

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