Arnell Ignacio, the newly appointed administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), said Thursday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed him to assist the families of overseas Filipino workers, particularly their children.
According to Ignacio, the organization will begin initiatives to assist the children of Filipino migrant workers. OFW Children’s Circle is one of the agency’s new initiatives that aims to assist children cope with the negative consequences and social costs of migration.
“Ang bilin ni Presidente hindi lamang OFW ang inyong alagaan, extend this care, itong inyong pangangalaga sa kanilang pamilya especially the children,” said Ignacio in his interview with ANC.
The OFW Children’s Circle program also intends to showcase OFW children’s creative abilities and talents, enhance their socializing skills, raise civic consciousness, establish camaraderie among other OFW children, and participate in government policy and program creation.
The agency has set aside P15 million for the program’s first deployment.
According to the most recent Philippine Statistics Authority statistics, there would be an estimated 1.77 million OFWs from April to September 2020. Women account for 59.6 percent of the total, while males account for 40.4 percent.
