Senator Cynthia Villar is pushing anew for the creation of a department that would look after the millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Villar on Monday disclosed that she has filed Senate Bill No. 141 which would create a Department of Migration and Development. She filed a similar measure in 2016.
The bill, she said, seeks to address the “problem of redundant and difficult procedures and unnecessary fees that government agencies impose on overseas Filipino workers.”
In re-filing the measure, Villar noted that despite the presence of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA), and even the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), many OFWs, still, feel that they being neglected by the government.
“There are reports of numerous complaints and resentment towards government harbored by overseas Filipino workers apparently brought about by the government’s delayed and inadequate support and assistance while they are facing difficult predicaments abroad,” Villar said.
“It is appropriate to create a government agency in the executive department, which shall have the exclusive function of protecting and enforcing the welfare and rights of Filipinos overseas. We need an empowered agency that will adequately support and give assistance to them,” Villar said.
The proposed Department of Migration and Development shall recommend and implement the government’s policies, plans and programs for the promotion of protection, safety, development, support, of and for OFWs and their families.
It shall also coordinate with other countries where Filipinos are present and monitor foreign developments to ensure that most reasonable working conditions are given to them.
The bill also seeks to create an inter-agency coordinating Council on Migration and Development, which will handle death row cases involving blood money, terrorism, drug-trafficking, human trafficking as well as large-scale illegal recruitment cases involving Filipino workers, and urgent cases involving overseas or their families left behind that require humanitarian assistance.
Under the bill, POEA and OWWA will be attached to the department for policy and program coordination.
The bill also proposes the creation of a P1-billion Special Assistance Revolving Fund for Filipino Migrants which covers both documented and undocumented OFWs.
The fund shall be used for emergency repatriation, medical expenses, immigration penalties, legal assistance, payment of blood money, humanitarian assistance to families left behind as well as scholarships for children of Filipinos overseas.
The bill also seeks to mandate the establishment of One-Stop Migrant Assistance Centers in all major capital towns and cities nationwide to ensure prompt, efficient, vital and relevant services to migrant Filipinos and their families. Services of the one-stop-shop include passport and authentication services, acquisition of government clearances and permits, validation of overseas job offers, reintegration services and all pertinent seminars and workshops for all stakeholders.
Aside from these, the proposed Department of Migration and Development shall also promote, develop and monitor the continuing education, training and qualification, availability and deployment of OFWs and coordinate with concerned agencies in training them to improve their competitiveness.
Citing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas records in 2018, Villar said the remittances of OFWs, which amount to $28.94 billion sent through formal channels and $32.21 billion personal remittances, are “significant contributors to the country’s gross domestic product that keep the Philippine economy buoyant.” (Vanne Elaine Terrazola)
