DMW seen to help address needs of OFWs
TAGUIG 2nd District Rep. Lani Cayetano has said the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 11641 or the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Act will help address the needs and concerns of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) more effectively as they will no longer have to share the resources and attention from other departments.
“Sa kasalukuyan, ang sitwasyon natin, iba’t ibang departamento o ahensya ng gobyerno, may kanya-kanyang programa para sa ating mga migrant worker at OFW. Tuloy, kapag may mga problema, ang gulo-gulo, hindi mo alam sino ba talaga ang answerable, sino ba talaga ang liable, ano ba talaga ang solusyon, saan ba talagang departamento lalapit ang ating migrant workers,” Cayetano.
“Sa pamamagitan ng sariling Department of Migrant Workers ay magkakaroon ng dedicated department para sa mga OFW concerns at hindi na tayo makikihati sa resources at atensyon sa iba’t ibang mga ahensya. Na-consolidate na siya sa iisang programa,” Cayetano added.
Cayetano said the establishment of the DMW will also increase the focus on services for OFWs and eventually lead to the creation of “experts” on OFW welfare.
“Y’ung accountability at mga point persons, magiging malinaw na rin para sa ating lahat at hindi na magpapaikot-ikot y’ung ating mga kababayan – magkakaroon na ng mga one-stop shop para sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga OFW,” she added.
She also said the creation of the DMW will improve the Philippines’ economic relationships with other countries, especially the receiving countries where migrant workers live.
“Malaking benepisyo ito sa mga OFW natin, sa kanilang pamilya, at sa mga Pilipino in general,” she said.
Cayetano said her husband, former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, had been advocating for the creation of the DMW since his Senate days. She said the former Speaker grew closer to OFWs and was able to form a deeper understanding of their current state during his term as Foreign Affairs Secretary from 2017 to 2018.
“Senador pa si Alan, hinain niya na itong panukalang ito, hanggang sa naging DFA Secretary siya [at] lalo niyang naintindihan na kailangan magkaroon ng departamentong katulad nito, hanggang sa naging Speaker of the House siya, talagang naging principal author tayo nito sa Kongreso,” Lani Cayetano said.
