City government urged to implement OFW law

AN organization has called on anew the city government of Davao to establish an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Center and implement the nearly decade-old OFW Ordinance in Davao City to provide the needed services and address the welfare of the OFWs and their families.

Speaking during Kapehan sa Dabaw, Inorisa Sialana-Elento of the Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions Inc. (MMCEAI) said Ordinance 056-08, also known as the OFW Center Ordinance, was passed in January 2008. However, no concrete plans and programs were implemented yet.

"We are pushing this to the Local Government of Davao to answer the implementation of OFW ordinance approved in 2008. Until now, it was not yet implemented. There's no answer yet on the city's position on the implementation of the OFW ordinance," she said.

According to her, the technical requirements of the ordinance was already completed. There has been series of consul-

tations undertaken to iron out the provisions.

Sialana-Elento said the delay of the implementation is due to the lack of budget for the programs. She, however, said the city government does not need to go on a full-scale implementation. The programs could be implemented gradually until it will be established fully.

She cited that one of the provisions of the OFW ordinance is putting up a one-stop shop. Only one shop is established

here located at fifth floor of the Gaisano Mall of Davao. However, this is a national government initiative and not of the city.

The ordinance included an office under the Office of the City Mayor that is designated to give holistic service for OFWs. She also said that the government must think that they should not only focus on the OFWs but on their families as well. JCR