Creation of OFW department pushed

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos is urging President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent the immediate establishment of a department that will focus solely on the needs and concerns of more than 2.3 million overseas Filipino workers, pointing out that it is one of the President’s most significant campaign promises.

“Given the huge number of OFWs and the amount of money they contribute to our economy primarily through their remittances, the incoming Congress must make this a priority legislative agenda,” Marcos said.

“The oppression and abuse suffered by OFWs working as domestic helpers in some countries is a continuing horror story, causing serious physical and mental injuries on many daughters, mothers, and young women who only want to make a better life for their families,” she added.

“The concerns of our OFWs go beyond just deployment. There is repatriation, legal aid, financial literacy, and postdeployment retraining for other jobs, among others. There is also the welfare of their families to attend to. We really need a dedicated department to squarely address the needs of our migrant workers. I intend to make this a priority legislative measure to support the President’s initiatives for the OFWs” Marcos said.

During his various trips abroad, the President has consistently assured OFWs that a department for Migrant Filipino workers is already in the pipeline even as he admitted that the ball is with Congress and not with the executive department.