She was 61 years old.
On Tuesday, August 22nd, through a post on social media, the news was confirmed that the Philippines’ Secretary for Migrant Workers, Susan “Toots” Ople has passed away at 1:00 pm today. Undersecretary Tony Nebrija said this in a social media post.
Ople served as an Undersecretary for the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) from 2004 to 2009, under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
She also founded and headed the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute in 2004, named after her late father who also was labor official during the Marcos regime.
In 2022, she was assigned by current President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. to head the newly-formed Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). She was initially an officer-in-charge, before formally becoming the agency’s first Secretary.
During her term as DMW Secretary, Ople was notably responsible for the repatriation of Filipinos affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
Ople is known to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and is on a wellness break prior to her passing. In July, her brothers Felix and Blas, Jr. died within five days of each other and both succumbed to lung cancer.
Trendrod expresses its deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family, friends, and colleagues of Ms. Ople.