Better OFW awareness urged for health, social programs

THE GOVERNMENT should improve the health literacy and awareness of social security protections for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said.

“The government must strengthen its migration policies to promote health and social security systems literacy among Filipino migrant domestic workers (MDWs),” it said in a policy note, “Promoting health and social security systems literacy among Filipino migrant domestic workers.”

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that OFWs between April and September 2022 numbered about 1.96 million.

The study, written by Jocelyn O. Celero, Melissa R. Garabiles, and Evangeline O. Katigbak-Montoya, said more systems are needed to improve the awareness of migrant workers of these social programs.

“Philippine migration-related agencies lack effective mechanisms for sharing and updating information on health and social security programs and services for OFWs,” it added.

“It is crucial to enhance the health and social security systems literacy of Filipino MDWs by boosting government efforts to reach Filipinos working abroad and enable their wider participation in these programs,” it added.

PIDS also called for greater collaboration between the government and stakeholders to develop adequate tools to measure literacy.

“Survey tools must be accurate, updated, and relevant to the target population to ensure a robust understanding of health and social security systems among Filipino MDWs,” it added.

PIDS also cited the need to strengthen migration-related and gender-responsive policies and programs. —