Susan “Toots” Ople, the first secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), died Tuesday, the agency she headed announced. She was 61.
In a statement, the DMW said Ople passed away around 1 p.m. surrounded by her family and loved ones.
DMW spokesperson Toby Nebrija said more details would be released soon.
Susan was the youngest of the seven children of former Senator Blas F. Ople and Susana Vasquez. Her father served as Labor secretary and minister during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Ople was appointed as Undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
She was also the founder and president of the Blas Ople Policy Center, which helps distressed overseas Filipino workers in various parts of the world.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mourned the passing of Ople, saying it was “a great loss for all of us.”
“It’s very, very sad news. I have lost a friend, the Philippines has lost a friend. Secretary Toots was a special person. With the deep compassion really for the people she had to care for, namely the migrant workers,” President Marcos told reporters Tuesday.
“Secretary Toots was really good. She was very much following the tradition of Ka Blas Ople, of excellence, [and] of compassion. It is a great loss for all of us… It is a great loss to the Philippines for the service we know she could have still rendered,” he added.
The Presidential Communications Office expressed its condolences to the family of Ople.
“Secretary Ople was a dedicated public servant who tirelessly fought for the rights of overseas Filipino workers. We continue to pray for her family and loved ones,” the agency said in Filipino.
Ople had said she was battling breast cancer. In July, she took a two-week wellness leave after losing her two elder brothers, both from lung cancer in the same month.
Legislators led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday mourned Ople’s passing.
“Migrant workers, and workers in general, have just lost a great and tireless champion in Secretary Ople. She was the first secretary of the department Congress had created to focus on attending to the welfare of millions of overseas Filipino workers,” Romualdez said.
Ople was a consistent advocate of protecting workers’ rights, earning accolades not only from local labor groups but from international organizations as well, he said.
“She took up such advocacy from her father, the late Senate President Blas F. Ople, who was Labor minister of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Father and daughter served under two Marcoses,” Romualdez said.
The House leader noted that after the death of her father, Toots Ople, as a civilian, continued to help OFWs and domestic workers and pushed for their rights, using the advocacy office set up by her father, the Blas F. Ople Center.
“Our thoughts and prayers go to Secretary Toots Ople’s family and loved ones at this most difficult time,” Romualdez said.
Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said he was saddened by Ople’s demise.
“Her integrity, strength of character, and unwavering dedication to public service served as an inspiration to us all,” Yamsuan stated.
“As president and founder of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, Toots untiringly fought for the rights and welfare of distressed overseas Filipino workers. She continued her lifelong mission of protecting our OFWs when she was appointed as the first-ever Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.”
ACT-CIS Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo and Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo also offered their condolences to her family, colleagues, and to the entire DMW.
“Today we mourn the passing of a dear friend and colleague in public service, Secretary Maria Susana “Toots” Ople…. Her commitment, passion, and dedication in serving our country, her fellow Filipinos, and protecting our Overseas Filipino Workers are truly remarkable and touched the lives of many,” said Tulfo.
“Our heart goes out to her loved ones and colleagues during this difficult time. We will continue her legacy and advocate for the protection of the rights and welfare of our OFWs,” Tulfo added.
Salo, chair of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, said Ople was a true champion of the Filipino Migrant Workers. “Her passing is a great loss to the entire Filipino nation,” he said.
“She was a dear friend and a colleague. Her passion in promoting and protecting the welfare of every Filipino migrant worker is truly appreciated and will be greatly missed.
“We hope to honor her life’s work by continually advocating for the rights and the protection of the welfare of our Filipino migrant workers… Her legacy will live on,” Salo said.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said it was a sad day for laborers and overseas Filipino workers.
“I join the country in mourning the loss of Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople, a dedicated public servant with a huge heart for our people. She showed us that true leadership is about kindness and compassion, dedicating her life and her career to the least privileged and the least heard,” Zubiri said.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva paid tribute to Ople for her “dream that one day, Filipinos will go abroad not because of necessity but because of their options to go there–not because they are being forced to go there.”
He said when DMW was created and Ople was appointed to head it, nobody raised an eyebrow because they all believed she was very qualified to sit as its secretary.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said Ople’s passing was a great loss to the nation.
“I had the privilege of not only working alongside Secretary Toots in a professional capacity but also sharing the airwaves with her as co-anchor on a radio program. She was not just a colleague, but also a friend who I will truly miss,” Pimentel said.
“In this time of mourning, let us remember Secretary Susan ‘Toots’ Ople for her unwavering commitment to service and for being the guiding light during the darkest hours of countless overseas Filipinos,” he added.
Senator Francis Escudero said as the first secretary of the Migrant Workers department, Ople’s accomplishment was remarkable even in a very short period of time. He said her successor has big shoes to fill.
Senator Risa Hontiveros described Ople as “a dedicated public servant with a huge heart for our people.”
“Secretary Ople’s passing leaves an irreplaceable void, but one that we will strive to fill with the same remarkable warmth, conviction, and passion that she had in life. In her honor, we will continue the great gains she has made to protect and uplift our migrant workers and all of our laborers,” Hontiveros added.
The Department of Justice on Tuesday mourned the passing of Ople, vowing its commitment “to the cause she championed and honor her memory by working tirelessly to ensure that the rights and dignity of overseas Filipino workers are preserved and upheld.”
“Her passing leaves us with a profound sense of sadness, as her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to the rights of overseas Filipinos (OFWs) have significantly enriched our nation,” the DOJ said in a statement.
“Her legacy will undoubtedly continue to influence our efforts to strengthen labor protections, improve working conditions, and advocate for the rights of those who leave their homes to seek better opportunities,” the department said.
“Secretary Toots Ople’s life will forever serve as a beacon of hope, reminding us that through our collective efforts, positive change is possible,” it said.