Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Corazon “Dinky” Soliman
Hon. Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman, Philippine’s Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare
and Development.
• Previously Executive Vice-President of Community Organizers Multiversity and Executive Director of COTRAIN;
• Pioneer, trainer and coordinator in developing a rural organizing programme under the province’s Social Action
Center in Bukidnon, Philippines (1976);
• MA 1998 in Public Administration (Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University), B. Sc. (1973) in Social
Work (University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman), University Scholar and Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardee;
• Recipient of numerous awards and citations in the field of social work and community development, including
the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service Award (1992) and the Most Distinguished Alumnus Award
(University of the Philippines);
• Committed social worker;
• Helped local farmers save native rice strains from extinction through a pioneering grassroots program of
chemical-free cross-fertilization (1973);
• While very pregnant, successfully campaigned (1987) for the passage of the agrarian reform law, uniting for a
time the entire Philippine agrarian community;
• Dedicated her life to organizing communities, fighting for the rights of the disadvantaged;
• Crossed over from NGO to government, where she is currently revolutionizing the department, steering it
towards more people-empowering and holistic development programs;
• Recognised negotiator and facilitator who has won a very large following in all social strata and managed to
translate the language of the historically oppressed into working relations with the rest of Philippine society, under
the belief that evolution, and not revolution, was the way to achieve sustainable change;
• Strenuous advocate of collaboration between government and civil society: “For me, reform is something
undertaken from two sides of government – inside and out. This is why I am very keen on maintaining a
continuous stream of communication with my roots – the NGO sector. I always remind my colleagues and
comrades to continue exacting accountability from the government and to tell us how we are really doing. This of
course, should be carried out parallel with their own efforts at social change.”
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