The Philippines, a labor-exporting country, deploys a daily average of 5,878 overseas Filipino workers worldwide, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
This at hand, the government is pushing for better protection for migrant workers through strengthened global partnerships, said Labor Undersecretary Claro Arellano who stressed that protecting them is one of the essential elements in pursuing social justice and development.
Addressing the recent Multi Stakeholder Consultation on Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM), Arellano said workers’ protection requires inclusive participation of all actors involved in the migration process.
GCM is an international framework that aims to ensure the safety, dignity, and human rights of migrants, regardless of their gender or migratory status at all times.
“Through the GCM framework, we must continue to find ways in upholding the rights and protection of Filipino migrant workers, which will eventually contribute in shaping the global migration landscape,” he said.
Based on annual deployment of overseas Filipino workers in 2016, the Philippines deploys a daily average of 5,787 workers worldwide, which breached the 2 million-mark since 2015, thus the need for global action to guarantee the protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
“The Philippines is a major labor sending country with an estimate of 5.5 million labor migrants overseas. With that, we must ensure that they have access to safe and decent work,” Arellano said.
The global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, which will be adopted by UN Member States in September 2018, will set out a framework for comprehensive cooperation on migrants and human mobility.
DOLE, together with Department of Foreign Affairs has been actively participating in the preparatory process of the GCM with recommendations in safeguarding the interests of Filipino migrants
