Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go reiterated on Friday the need for the timely passage of his proposed Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (DOFW) bill as the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic continues to negatively impact on the welfare of Filipino migrant workers, some of them losing their jobs abroad and are forced to return home.
“Maraming nawalan ng trabaho dala ng Covid-19. Apektado po ang mga empleyado dito sa bansa at pati rin ang mga nagtatrabaho abroad. Mas maisasaayos ang mga programa at serbisyo ng gobyerno para matulungan ang mga apektadong Pilipino kung mayroong sariling departamento na mamamahala sa mga pangangailangan ng mga OFWs [overseas Filipino workers],” Go said.
The stressed that there is an urgent need for the creation of this new department because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that the Department of Labor and Employment needs to concentrate on domestic labor concerns while the DOFW, if created through the passage of the proposed law, can concentrate on OFWs for their full-cycle migration, from departure from the Philippines to working abroad until their eventual reintegration in the country.
“Nararapat lamang na may tumutok sa mga pangangailangan ng OFWs lalo na yung mga napilitang bumalik sa bansa. Matagal rin po silang nagsakripisyo at nawalay sa kanilang mga pamilya. Hindi po matutumbasan ang hirap na dinanas nila para lang buhayin ang mga pamilya nilang iniwan dito,” Go explained.
“Ngayon na napilitan silang umuwi dahil sa krisis, dapat lang bigyan ng sapat na atensyon ang kanilang mga pangangailangan para matulungan ang ating mga bagong bayani na makabangon muli,” he added.
According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the government is expecting around 300,000 OFWs to return to the Philippines as a result of country lockdowns in different parts of the world. As of May 25, 2020, some 27,000 OFWs have already been repatriated, while around 43,000 others are expected to come home this June.
Due to the consequences of the pandemic, there is a growing need to provide reintegration programs for OFWs who would like to return and permanently settle in the country. Moreover, there is also a need to improve coordination among all agencies and offices dealing with OFW concerns to improve government service delivery.
Go has firmly suggested the need to establish an executive department dealing solely with OFW-related concerns to improve government efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of necessary services from deployment, issues they encounter while in foreign countries, as well as in their reintegration once they return to the Philippines.
One of his first legislative measures, Senate Bill 202, or the Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2019, seeks to address concerns of overseas Filipinos, such as the need to improve coordination among concerned offices in responding to their needs, particularly of OFWs. The bill proposes for government agencies dealing with OFW matters and concerns be transferred to the new department to be established.
The senator said that the DOFW’s reintegration component will ensure that Filipino migrant workers who lost their job abroad are assisted by government programs and other safety nets, a need which has become more apparent as a result of the pandemic.
Image credits: AP/Bullit Marquez