President Bongbong Marcos allotted no less than six minutes of his first-ever State of the Nation Address (SONA) to outline his plans and vision to help overseas Filipino workers in his next six years in office.
With the newly-launched Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) as his anchor point, Marcos assured that OFWs will be well taken care of under his administration.
Here’s Marcos’ 9-point plan as outlined during his first SONA:
Department of Migrant Workers as OFWs’ ‘home’ overseas
Marcos empathized with the plight of OFWs, and assured that the Philippine government, through the DMW and other relevant agencies, will provide job opportunities, assure that OFWs’ skills match their chosen profession, ensure fair wage and humane treatment from overseas employers, and care for the children they leave behind back home.
“Bawat Pilipino sa ibayong dagat na nagsasakripisyong lisanin ang kanyang pamilya sa Pilipinas upang mag-hanapbuhay ay nararapat lamang magkaroon ng pamahalaang matatawag nilang “tahanan” habang nasa ibang bayan,” said Marcos.
Digitization of Contract Verification and OEC
One of the most notable points that Marcos raised in his SONA was to remove red tape through passage of digitalization. He tasked the DMW to collaborate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), most especially in the process of contract verification for OFWs as well as the secure issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) which Marcos said will soon be accessible through smartphones.
“Gagawin natin ito sa pamamagitan ng pag-aalis ng red tape sa sistema ng pagsusulong ng digital empowerment. We shall automate the verification of contracts and issue secure Overseas Employment Certifications (OEC) that you can keep on your smartphone. I call on the Department of Migrant Workers and the DICT to make this a top priority,” said Marcos.
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Labor Attache Atty. John Rio Bautista of the POLO-OWWA in Dubai said that this is a significant step that would help OFWs spend less time on manual verifications and processes. He added that their office would be more optimized as well through this digitalization drive.
“Napakagandang hakbang kung tuluyang maging digitize na ang process para sa mga OFWs. Malaking kaluwagan para sa kanila at ang POLO ay pwede na rin mabigay ng dagdag na oras sa ibang gawain katulad ng pagdinig sa kaso ng mga OFW dahil malilipat na ang Assistance To National functions sa POLO,” said Atty. Bautista.
Elmer Casao, who was among the virtual OFW attendees of the SONA, stated that Marcos’ pronouncements reflect the sentiments of OFWs who wish to find newer, more efficient ways to get their papers processed whenever they visit the embassy or the consulate in their respective areas.
“I was actually inspired hearing it first-hand from His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his first SONA which includes digitization of employment verification and making OECs available via smartphones because this reflects the sentiments of OFWs. I am sure will ease the burden of OFWs in the appointment and processing of their applications.
Return to overseas work
The past few years witness the exodus of many overseas Filipinos back to the Philippines – with 2.2 million OFWs repatriated as of June 2022, according to Statista.
PBBM tasked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to work with the DMW to find ways and means to engage with diplomatic posts and open more job opportunities overseas to help those who lost their jobs during the pandemic years.
“Tinatawagan ko rin ang Department of Foreign Affairs na makipagtulungan sa Department of Migrant Workers na tiyakin ang lahat ng mga diplomatic post ay tutulong na agarang maibalik sa trabaho ang mga ating mga Overseas Filipino workers na nawalan ng hanapbuhay nitong nakalipas na ilang taon,” said Marcos.
Faster OFW deployment
Marcos also intends to streamline the OFW recruitment process, which usually takes several months before a Filipino is given the green light to head overseas to begin her/his journey as an OFW.
“Mula sa tatlong buwan ay gagawin na lang nating tatlong linggo para sa isang dayuhang employer na i-proseso ang mga papeles ng Pilipinong nais nitong kunin bilang empleyado,” explained Marcos.
Simplifying OFW handbook
The OFW Handbook which currently has 220 pages for its online PDF version, will be crunched to less than 100 pages: “Mula sa handbook na may dalawang daan at apatnapung(240) seksyon ay gagawin nating pamphlet na lamang na hindi hihigit sa isandaang pahina.”
Launch of Repatriation Center
International emergencies such as conflicts in Ukraine, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, as well as the ongoing fight against human trafficking and foreign employer abuse, witnessed an uptick in repatriation in the recent years.
Marcos stated that the newly-launched One Repatriation Command Center will help OFWs and their families to have a dedicated one-stop shop that will aid OFWs who are in dire need to head home: “Para sa mga kababayan nating naiipit sa kaguluhan, inaabuso, at nanganganib ang buhay, ikinagagalak kong sa ilalim ng aking pamumuno, ay ilulunsad natin ang One Repatriation Command Center o ORCC.”
Warpeace Arnold, who also participated in the virtual SONA, praised this move that will consolidate all government efforts to help OFWs who are in dire straits to head home.
“As an ofw – ang pinaka importante sa akin ang DMW new program na One Repatriation Command Center at pag sulong nang Rescue Recover Reunite. Naramdaman ko na ang pangulo natin ay nagsasalita ng galing sa puso,” said Arnold.
Hotline, social media platform for OFWs in need
The Philippine President also added that they have allocated the social media page of the DMW and will launch a specific hotline that will cater to emergency situations of OFWs. He also added that instead of the relative of the OFW who constantly asks for updates, as is the case in the previous years, his administration’s government employees will be the ones reaching out to the families.
“Ilalaan natin ang isang social media platform ng Department of Migrant Workers at ang hotline upang matulungan agad at mailigtas sila mula sa mas higit na kapahamakan. Noon, nangungutang pa ang isang ina ng bawat OFW upang sumakay ng barko para pumunta sa Maynila at mangatok sa iba’t ibang ahensya para mapauwi ang anak na inaapi. Ngayon, kami na ang tatawag sa mga magulang ng OFWs para sabihin sa kanila ang petsa kung kailan nila mayayakap at makakapiling ang kanilang mga anak,” said Marcos.
Art Los Baños, a PR professional for over 20 years in Dubai hopes that this will help families of OFWs to get the assistance and be assured that their loved one is safe.
“Good news for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their respective families. The president reiterated the availability of the One Repatriation Center which was launched by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) last July 20. The center will provide immediate response to repatriation, welfare, and other concerns of distressed OFWs. Anyone can call the One Repat-DMW hotline ‘1-348’ where a team of case officers, welfare officers, and medical professionals will assist them. OFWs can also email to [email protected].
He hopes that the DMW Sec. Ople could also mull the creation of a “Global Emergency Response and Crisis Center” that will be based in the UAE as an overseas office that could streamline services covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EMEA) which is currently the home of over 3 million OFWs.
“EMEA will always be a hotspot for the department. It will make a lot of sense and practicality to have the center in the UAE where there are two international aviaton hubs. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are 8 flight hours to London and Johannesburg, 7 flight hours to Milan, 5.5 flight hours to Kenya, 4 flight hours to Cairo and Tel Aviv, 3 flight hours to Jeddah and Amman, 2 flight hours to Riyadh, 1.5 flight hours to Kuwait, and 1 flight hour to Doha. This proposal is related to one of the additional functions of the Office of Undersecretary for Foreign Employment and Welfare Services, which is to “provide prompt and appropriate response to global emergencies or crisis situations affecting OFWs, and members of their families.” This is found in Section 9 of Republic Act No. 11641 creating the DMW,” explained Los Baños.
Reopening deployment to Saudi Arabia
Marcos likewise tasked DMW Sec. Ople to head to Saudi Arabia in the hopes of talking to local officials for the reopening the deployment of overseas Filipino workers in the country. Saudi Arabia is currently home to at least 1.6 million Filipinos, according to statistics from Global Media Insight.
“Sa kasalukuyan ay nakikipag-ugnayan tayo sa pamahalaan ng Saudi Arabia upang buksang muli ang deployment. Kaya natin, at gagawin natin, ang makipag-negosasyon na mabigyan ang ating mga kababayan doon ng tamang pasahod, at mapangalagaan ang kanilang karapatan at kapakanan.”
Quality education for OFWs’ children
Marcos likewise assured OFWs’ that the children they left behind will be given quality education at schools of good standing. He highlighted that these children will be taught in key areas such as the arts, culture, financial literacy, mental wellness, and sports.
“Para naman sa mga anak na naiwan sa Pilipinas. Titiyakin ng Department of Migrant Workers, sa pamamagitan ng OWWA, na sila ay maipapasok sa magagandang paaralang magtuturo sa kanila ng financial literacy, mental wellness, sports, sining at kultura. Ito ay mangyayari sa pakikipagtulungan ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan. Alagaan natin ang kabataang Pilipino sapagkat sila ang kinabukasan ng ating Inang Bayan,” said Marcos.
Nedie Toralba, a single mom working for over 23 years in Abu Dhabi said that the SONA reflects Marcos’ support for modern-day heroes, especially since he highlighted his plans for OFWs that will be coursed through the DMW.
“Isang malaking tulong sa aming mga OFW ang maayos at fully support niya sa DMW so happy kami at alam naming na masusuportahan din ang aming pamilya, lalo na din sa mga single parents tulad ko,” said Toralba, who was among the OFW attendees of the virtual SONA.
PBBM concluded by thanking former President Rodrigo Duterte as well as the legislators, who paved the way for the DMW to come to fruition as an agency that the Marcos administration enjoys today: “You OFWs represent the fighting faith of the Filipinos as a nation and as a people. Let us transform your overseas journey into inspirational stories for all time.”
He added: “Thanks to you, our dear legislators, and of course, to the man, every OFW now refers to as their “Tatay”, President Rodrigo Duterte. You passed the law that created this new home for our OFWs.”
