DUBAI: A retired diplomat, who was among the first to postulate the capability of overseas Filipino workers for a swing vote, has expressed concerns about the planned Department of OFWs (DOFWs), saying doing so would “not only duplicate the work now being done” by the Departments of Labor and Employment as well as Foreign Affairs, “it would also further bloat the bureaucracy.”
Former Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael E. Seguis, whose OFW swing vote premise was validated during the May 16, 2016 national elections which saw President Rodrigo Duterte winning by huge landslides in OFW bailiwicks across the globe, also cautioned that the DOFWs “gives the impression that labor export is a primary economic policy” of the Philippines.
“With due respect to the proponents and authors of the five or more bills creating a new DOFW, I have some concerns about it. Creating such a new Department, not only duplicates the work now being done by DOLE and DFA, it also bloats further the bureaucracy,” Seguis said.
He said the Philippines already has existing laws to address not only domestic labor but also global migration concerns, namely the Philippine Labor Code of 1974 and the Migrant Workers Act of 1995 (RA8042) as amended by RA10022 in 2010.
“The proposed department gives the impression that labor export is a primary economic policy,” Seguis said.
Apart from all these, Seguis said he is of the opinion that “the root causes of most of the problems faced by OFWs abroad are in the Philippines.”
He said the proposed new department may have to rely on DFA, “the only government agency that interfaces with foreign governments… and undertakes to provide assistance to OFWs in coordination with DOLE, consistent with the third pillar of Philippine foreign policy, that is, the promotion of the welfare and protection of OFWs.”
“This being the case, the proposed new department may still have to rely on DFA in dealing with problems faced by migrant workers abroad. Notwithstanding the above concerns, I still submit to the wisdom of our respected experts and lawmakers,” Seguis said.
Seguis, who had received various commendations during his postings in the Gulf and served at the pleasure of seven Philippine presidents.
