Marcos pokes fun at DSWD chief Rex Gatchalian for being single
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian —File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday playfully poked fun at Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian for remaining single due to his dedication to his job.
Marcos made the remark during the 74th-anniversary celebration of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City when he was enumerating the department’s achievements, including the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
When he mentioned the SLP in his speech, Marcos quickly joked that he did not mean “Sustainable Lovelife Program.”
“Maybe someone will ask, ‘Sir, is there training for hearts that always lose?’ Those are the ones, the personalities without jowa [partner]. Your secretary is leading that,” Marcos said in Filipino.
“Our secretary is very hardworking. No time for romance,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Marcos on DSWD’s 74th anniversary: ‘Our mission does not end here’
Article continues after this advertisementAccording to Marcos, since being appointed DSWD chief, Gatchalian along with his staff seemed to have sacrificed sleeping for working — pointing out how Gatchalian always answered his calls — even past midnight.
Marcos’ jokes did not stop there, he also claimed that if the SLP would be applied to love life, it would receive more applicants, especially those in “situationships.”
The president’s sudden mention of the term visibly shocked the audience, who might not have expected the president to know about it.
“Especially those in a situationship – where you’re already invested, yet there’s still no label. However, we focus on businesses — not hearts. We have no power over that,” Marcos said.
It was only after the candid moment when Marcos revealed that the SLP program, which sought to empower Filipinos with the skills and resources to improve their livelihoods through free technical-vocational and life skills training, helped 271,000 households in 2024 alone.
