Department of Migrant Workers’ Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, in an official statement, expressed his commitment to creating career, job, and business opportunities for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through partnerships with government and private sectors as part of the platform under his leadership.
As the newly-appointed secretary, Cacdac shared his action plan designed to strengthen the DMW, which includes boosting opportunities for OFWs.
He shared that he wants to “streamline and digitalize OFW-protective processes to ensure greater OFW convenience and more efficient operations by stakeholders in overseas employment.” Second, he wants to perform regulatory functions to ensure fair and ethical recruitment, combatting illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
Cacdac wants to empower OFWs to safeguard and grow their earnings by promoting financial education, inclusion, and anti-fraud efforts, encouraging investment in the stock market, and supporting entrepreneurship.
Among his objectives are to create skill development pathways for lower-income OFWs and establish specialized programs catering to senior OFWs. Furthermore, Cacdac shared that he wants to strengthen bilateral labor relations with host countries of OFWs, focusing on safe, transparent, and fair labor mobility, and collaborating with relevant government agencies to develop investment and brain gain initiatives.
- Proactively participate in regional and multilateral fora, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to further advance migrant workers’ rights, protection and development;
- Development of DMW central and regional offices and MWOs (Migrant Workers’ Offices) as Centers of Competence, Integrity, and Excellence, which includes a vigorous anti-corruption and anti-fixer campaign; and,
- Continue to provide fora and avenues for social dialogue with stakeholders in overseas employment, including discussions on policy development and the exercise of rule-making authority.
Prior to his appointment as the Secretary of Migrant Workers, Cacdac was the undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the DMW after the passing of former secretary Susan “Toots” Ople, in August last year. He also used to be the administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or OWWA.
On April 25, 2024, Malacanang announced his appointment as the Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers.
