Opportunities for public social workers to grow professionally and to develop their potentials and experience a sense of worth and dignity in their work; Mechanism for democratic consultations; Staffing patterns and standards of social work to ensure that the clients receive quality care; Upgrading of working conditions, reclassification of positions and salaries of public social workers to correct the disparity vis-a-vis other professions; Allocation of funds for the participation of public social workers in seminars, conferences, conventions and similar activities as part of their continuing professional growth. SEC. 22. Security of Tenure. — No public social worker holding a permanent position shall be terminated except for cause: Provided, That, in the event the public social worker is found to be unjustly dismissed by the CSC or the NLRC; as the case may be, he/she shall be entitled to reinstatement without loss of seniority rights and backwages with twelve per centum (12%) interest to be computed from the time his/her compensation was withheld from him/her up to the time of reinstatement. SEC. 23. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Social Work Management and Consultative Council, upon consultation with the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development and the Chairperson of the House Committee on Social Services, shall formulate the necessary rules and regulations, not inconsistent with any provisions of this law, for the implementation of the Magna Carta for Public Social Workers. The rules and regulations shall be promulgated within six months from the effectivity of this Act. SEC. 24. Penal Provision. — Any person who shall wilfully interfere with, restrain or coerce any public social worker in the exercise of his/her rights or shall in any manner commit any act in violation of any of the provisions of this Act, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) but not more than Forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00) or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. If the offender is a public official, the court, in addition to the abovementioned penalties, may impose the additional penalty of disqualification from office. SEC. 25. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. SEC 26. Repealing Clause. — All laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this law are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. SEC. 27. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation. Approved, (SGD.)FRANKLIN M. DRILON President of the Senate (SGD.)JOSE DE VENECIA JR. Speaker of the House of Representatives This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2587 and House Bill No. 4536 was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on February 8, 2007 and February 7, 2007, respectively. (SGD.)OSCAR G. YABES Secretary of the Senate (SGD.)ROBERTO P. NAZARENO Secretary General House of Representatives Approved: April 11, 2007 (SGD.)GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President of the Philippines Written by dandee · Filed Under