A meaningful morning unfolded at the DSWD Field Office 3 as the agency family gathered to honor four employees whose years of public service were marked by dedication, compassion, and a genuine heart for others.

The “Send-Off Program: Honoring Our Hearts for Service — Celebrating Our Red Vest Retirees” paid tribute to Yolanda P. Lopez and Josieflor D. Alvaro, both Project Development Officer II of SWAD Nueva Ecija–Pantawid Pamilya Program, and Reynaldo B. Dayrit, security guard of the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY).

Also honored was Evangeline G. Biag, Houseparent I of Amor Village, whose dedication was remembered and celebrated even though she was unable to attend the program.

Representing Regional Director Venus F. Rebuldela, Assistant Regional Director for Operations Armont C. Pecina expressed the agency’s heartfelt gratitude to the retirees for their years of unwavering service and compassion for the people they served.

Pecina reminded them that working at DSWD goes beyond fulfilling a formal job. It is a commitment rooted in service, sacrifice, compassion, and the desire to help build better lives.

He described retirement not as the end of service, but as a transition into a new chapter—one that allows the retirees to devote more time to their families and carry forward the values, lessons, and principles they gained throughout their years in government service.

He likewise assured the retirees that the DSWD family would remain a source of support, not only for them but also for their families and loved ones.

As the four retirees bid farewell to active government service and their familiar red vests, they carried with them more than memories of work. They took home stories of lives touched, lessons learned, friendships forged, and a legacy of service that will continue to live on.

Because at DSWD, a career may come to an end—but a heart for service never truly retires.