The SUN HK : DMW Secretary Susan Ople passes on at age 61

Secretary Toots passed on at about 1pm today (PTV photo)

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople passed on at age 61 earlier today, after a long bout with cancer.

The news was confirmed by the Department of Migrant Workers as well as her family members.

The DMW’s statement read:

It is with great sadness that the Department of Migrant Workers announces the passing of our dearest Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople.

Secretary Toots peacefully joined our Creator at around 1PM today, August 22, 2023 surrounded by her family and loved ones.

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We shall be releasing more details soon. For the meantime, we ask for prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of our dear Sec. Toots.

We ask as well for prayers for the Ople family.”

Reports said Ople went on medical leave immediately after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr's second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month.

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But just before this, she was busy getting her officials to launch one of her dream projects, the OFW Pass, which is meant to get rid of the overseas employment certificates, one of the long-standing banes of Filipino migrant workers especially those in Hong Kong.

She also ordered the immediate investigation of an apparent student visa scam that victimized dozens of Filipinos, particularly those working abroad.

During her short stint as DMW Secretary, Ople also sought solutions to the non-payment of wages of OFWs in Saudi Arabia, negotiated for better working conditions for Filipino nurses and other medical workers in countries abroad, and looked into the possible criminal liability of Hong Kong employers who force their helpers to do dangerous window cleaning.

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Her death was the third tragedy to befall her family only in the past month, with two of her older brothers, Felix (Toti) and Blas Junior (Jun) also succumbing to cancer only days apart.

Ople in an online training for the OFW Pass while mourning the death of her brother Toti

Before being appointed as Secretary of the newly created Department of Migrant Workers, Ople founded the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute (Ople Center), a non-profit organization that addressed OFW concerns.

The center was named after her late father who served as labor minister during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s father, Ferdinand Sr.

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Ople earned her degrees from the University of Santo Tomas and the Harvard Kennedy School and was the first Filipino to sit in the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking.

She was also named by the U.S. State Department as one of its human trafficking “heroes."

Ople ran for senator along with President Marcos, Jr in 2016 under the Nacionalista Party but failed to win a seat.

She is survived by her daughter, Estelle.

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