DMW streamlines repatriation process for distressed OFWS
The centralised syst em aims t o facilit at e, monit or and document the repatriation of dist r essed OFWS r egar dless of t heir st at us — document ed or undocument ed — in the host countries
The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has streamlined and consolidated the repatriation procedures of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) and trained case officers who have had overseas assignments are on hand to assess requests for assistance for repatriation.
“(The One Command Repatriation Centreocrc) is consistent with the duty of the state to protect the rights and welfare of OFWS and their families by providing timely responsive services to address their needs regardless of their status. This is the centralised system in the DMW that aims to facilitate, monitor and document the repatriation of distressed OFWS regardless of their status — documented or undocumented — in the host countries, in coordination with concerned and relevant government agencies, the private sector and other stakeholders,” said Dmw-migrant Workers Welfare Services Assistant Secretary Felicitas Bay.
The lawyer and former labour atache in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (2017 to 2021) also said: “The vision of the OCRC is ‘Rescue, Recover, Reunite (the OFWS with his family). We do the rescue of course in coordination with the host country authorities and within the rules and regulations of the host country. (The OCRC) is the 24/7 Rescue and Extraction Services (of the DMW) but of course subject to the host country rules and regulations. Let us keep in mind that we have to heed the rules and regulations of the host country.”
With headquarters at the second floor of the Blas F. Ople Building (formerly the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Building) on Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, the OCRC was officially opened for service by DMW Secretary Susan Ople last July 20.
While OFWS’ families can just walk in at the Metro Manila office, other means to communicate requests for assistance for the “regular repatriation of OFWS, medical repatriation and repatriation of human remains” are via the Help Desk 1348 in Metro Manila, 021348 in other parts of the Philippines, +021348 from anywhere in the world, through the DMW Facebook, and the email address is repat@mw.gov.ph.
Bay discussed the elements and the work flow of the OCRC at the first-ever hybrid international meeting of DMW senior officials led by Secretary Ople evening of Sept.16 (Friday), at the “Kapihan at Kwentuhan, Kabayan” (“Coffee and Stories, Countryman), a collaboration of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office-dubai and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai.
She said the requests for assistance for repatriation are encoded then “electronically” transmited to the case officers for review and evaluation: “There will be feedback and monitoring upon the evaluation by the case officers.”
At the open forum Bay clarified: “All requests for assistance for repatriation are going to be evaluated by our case officers. The evaluation is necessary especially so in instances when families or loved ones in the Philippines want their OFW kin to return home but the OFW does not want to go home. The repatriation is not immediate. We validate the request.
Within the OCRC are trained case officers from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and technical and administrative staff, with experience of overseas assignments.”
“The OCRC will not be the one doing the repatriation. We will facilitate, monitor, and document; but, the repatriation procedure itself must be done by the employer or the (foreign recruitment agency) of the OFW in distress, or through assistance from the OWWA. We are going to coordinate (the repatriation procedures) with (any of the concerned 40 Philippine Overseas Labour Offices or the concerned Philippine missions through the Department of Foreign Affairs-manila where there are no POLOS). The procedure for repatriation remains the same except that (the OCRC facilitates, monitors and documents).”
The OCRC is under the supervision of DMW Foreign Employment and Welfare Services Undersecretary Hans Cacdac. Its operations manager is Welfare Officer Yolanda Penaranda.