Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Alicia R. Bala was appointed as Deputy Secretary General of the ASEAN Secretariat. She will serve the ASEAN post on secondment status for three years effective September 8, 2012 until September 7, 2015. Undersecretary Bala was chosen because of her extensive knowledge and commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly children, through leadership, advocacy, policy and program development, negotiation skills and integrity beyond reproach.

According to DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, “We will surely miss Usec. Bala for temporarily leaving the Department, but we are proud that a DSWD official was appointed to this prestigious post.”  Likewise, Usec Bala will now be able to promote social protection in the entire ASEAN Region, Secretary Soliman stated.

Prior to her appointment, Undersecretary Bala is the Philippine representative for children to the ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC).

Undersecretary Bala previously headed the Policy and Programs Group of the DSWD and was also the National Project Director of the Department’s National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).  She has represented the DSWD in various international conferences on children. ###