Dinky Soliman
{{Short description|Filipino politician, activist, and social worker (1953–2021)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Philippine name|Nerves|Juliano|Soliman|ph=married}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = The Honorable
| name = Dinky Soliman
| image = Dinky Soliman (crop).jpg
| caption = Soliman in 2015
| office = 23rd and 26th Secretary of Social Welfare and Development
| term_start = June 30, 2010
| term_end = June 30, 2016
| succeeding =
| predecessor = Celia Capadocia-Yangco
| successor = Judy Taguiwalo {{small|(Ad interim)}}
| president = Benigno S. Aquino III
| president1 = Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
| term_start1 = January 20, 2001
| term_end1 = July 8, 2005
| predecessor1 = Dulce Saguisag
| successor1 = Esperanza Cabral
| birth_name = Corazón Victoria Nerves Juliano
| birth_place = Tarlac City, Philippines
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|9|19|1953|1|27}}{{cite news |last1=Mallorca |first1=Hannah |title='Her passing ends a chapter in a Civil Society': Friends, allies mourn death of ex-DSWD chief Dinky Soliman |url=https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/898449-friends-allies-mourn-death-of-ex-dswd-chief-dinky-soliman |access-date=September 19, 2021 |work=The Philippine Star |date=September 19, 2021}}
| death_place = Quezon City, Philippines
| nationality = {{PHI}}
| party =
| spouse = Hector Soliman
| relations =
| children = Sandino Soliman
Marikit Soliman
| residence =
| alma_mater = University of the Philippines Diliman
Harvard University
| occupation =
| profession = Social worker
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Corazon Victoria "Dinky" Nerves Juliano-Soliman (January 27, 1953 – September 19, 2021) was a Filipina politician, activist and social worker who served as Secretary of Social Welfare and Development twice, under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from 2001 to 2005, and President Benigno Aquino III from 2010 to 2016.
Early life and education
Soliman was born on January 27, 1953, in Tarlac City, Philippines. After completing her secondary education at the College of the Holy Spirit of Tarlac, she attended University of the Philippines Diliman where she obtained her B.S. in Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees. She also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she earned her Master of Public Administration.
Prior to being in the government, Soliman has worked for several decades as an activist & social worker for various non-governmental organizations that aided poor communities.{{cite web |title=Cause of death, Former DSWD secretary Dinky Soliman dead, 68 |url=https://en.memesrandom.com/cause-of-death-former-dswd-secretary-dinky-soliman-dead-68/ |website=en.memesrandom.com|access-date=September 19, 2021}}
Career
In the aftermath of the 2001 EDSA revolution, Soliman was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was formerly Vice President, as the Department of Social Welfare and Development secretary for her new cabinet, Soliman held the position for four years but later resigned in 2005 in protest of the Hello Garci scandal, following allegations that Arroyo had cheated in the 2004 Philippine presidential election.{{cite web |url=http://politics.inquirer.net/politics/view/20100531-273088/Aquino-names-long-time-friend-as-executive-secretary |title=Various names being floated for Noynoy's cabinet |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=June 9, 2010 |first=Aurea |last=Calica |access-date=June 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603041025/http://politics.inquirer.net/politics/view/20100531-273088/Aquino-names-long-time-friend-as-executive-secretary |archive-date=June 3, 2010 }}
She was once again appointed in the same position and served again as the social welfare head under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III during his whole six-year term as president. During her tenure as the social welfare secretary under the Aquino administration, she bolstered the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and also chaired Aquino's cabinet group on Human Development and Poverty Reduction.
On June 28, 2012, Soliman initiated anti-poverty programs and inaugurated the construction of a new daycare center and a concrete road for the residents of Donsol, Sorsogon.{{cite web |title=Secretary Soliman inaugurates anti-poverty projects in Donsol, Sorsogon |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/06/28/secretary-soliman-inaugurates-anti-poverty-projects-in-donsol-sorsogon/ |website=www.officialgazette.gov.ph |access-date=June 28, 2012}} On November 14, 2012, Soliman held charitable activities including a Family Camp for families living in the streets in Metro Manila.{{cite web |title=DSWD hold Family Camp for street families in NCR
|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/11/14/dswd-hold-family-camp-for-street-families-in-ncr/ |website=wofficialgazette.gov.ph |access-date=November 14, 2012}}
From 2013, Soliman notably led the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts at Tacloban alongside Interior Secretary Mar Roxas until the tail end of her term. On 2014, Soliman was criticized because some food packs in the typhoon relief that were lost to spoilage due to "improper handling" were still distributed to evacuees of Mayon Volcano's renewed activity, in a fault she admitted.{{cite web |title=DSWD admits some rotten relief goods given to Mayon evacuees |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/spoiled-relief-goods-dswd-mayon |website=rappler.com |date=October 15, 2014 |access-date=October 15, 2014}} It led to several groups urging her to resign for being "inefficient" including Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who tried to prevent her confirmation as the secretary of welfare and called her "dangerous" because of being previously allied to former President Arroyo.{{cite web |last1=Gabieta, Aurelio |first1=Joey A., Julie M. |title=Dinky Soliman, told to quit, says 'read whole report' |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/637300/dinky-soliman-told-to-quit-says-read-whole-report |website=Inquirer.net |date=September 12, 2014 |access-date=September 12, 2014}}{{cite web |last1=Calonzo |first1=Andreo |title=Despite illness, Miriam to block Soliman's confirmation anew |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/363978/despite-illness-miriam-to-block-soliman-s-confirmation-anew/story/ |website=www.gmanetwork.com |access-date=June 3, 2014}}
In May 2015, Soliman was among the awardees of the World Bank's award for leadership in social accountability in a ceremony held in Washington, D.C.{{cite web |title=Soliman cited by WB for leadership in social accountability |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/05/13/15/soliman-cited-wb-leadership-social-accountability |website=news.abs-cbn.com |access-date=May 14, 2015}}
Illness and death
By June 2021, Soliman was seen in public and noticeably lost weight{{cite web |title=Post on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/NewsRmn/status/1439410234494128128}} when she paid her tributes to President Benigno Aquino III in his wake and funeral that marked her last public appearance.{{cite web |title=Post on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom/status/1408429497607622656 |website=Twitter |access-date=June 25, 2021}}
In August 2021, Soliman, her husband Hector and thirteen other family members{{cite web |last1=Franco |first1=Bernie V. |title=SURVIVOR'S STORY: How lawyer Hector Soliman and his family of 13 win battle vs COVID-19 |url=https://www.pep.ph/news/kuwentong-kakaiba/160577/hector-soliman-family-covid-19-a717-20210908-lfrm |website=PEP.ph |access-date=September 8, 2021}} contracted COVID-19. However, at the age of 68, Soliman died on September 19, 2021, after succumbing to renal and heart failure, as well as COVID-19.{{cite web | url=http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/in-memoriam | title=In Memoriam | date=January 12, 2022 }}{{cite news |title=Ex-DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman dies at 68 |url=https://filipinotimes.net/latest-news/2021/09/19/ex-dswd-secretary-dinky-soliman-dies-at-68/ |access-date=September 19, 2021 |work=The Filipino Times |date=September 19, 2021}} Her death was confirmed in a statement announced by Vice President Leni Robredo.{{cite web |title=Former DSWD secretary Dinky Soliman dies, 68 |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/former-dswd-secretary-dinky-soliman-dies |website=www.rappler.com |date=September 19, 2021 |access-date=September 19, 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=Celia Capadocia-Yangco}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of Social Welfare and Development|years=2010–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=Judy Taguiwalo {{small|(Ad interim)}}}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Dulce Saguisag}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of Social Welfare and Development|years=2001–2005}}
{{s-aft|after=Esperanza Cabral}}
{{s-end}}
{{Aquino Cabinet}}
{{Macapagal Arroyo cabinet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soliman, Dinky}}
Category:Secretaries of social welfare and development of the Philippines
Category:Women members of the Cabinet of the Philippines
Category:Benigno Aquino III administration cabinet members
Category:Arroyo administration cabinet members
Category:University of the Philippines Diliman alumni
Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines