Public employment officers can entertain OFW concerns

Municipal and city Public Employment Services officers can entertain concerns of relatives of Overseas Filipino Workers.

Overseas Workers Welfare Authority information officer Rey Jacalan said in the absence of an OWWA office and the Department of Labor and Employment office, relatives of OFWs can raise their concerns to their respective municipal and city PES officers.

PES officers, Jacalan said are designated to receive such complaints after undergoing a workshop on OFW welfare handling.

In Bohol, Jacalan said relatives of OFWs can go to the Bohol Employment and Placement Office while in Oriental Negros, they have both DOLE and OWWA offices.

For the rest, Jacalan said they may approach their PES officers in order to save on time and money.

Issues on unpaid salaries, repatriation, victims of maltreatment of employers, sending home of injured or dead OFWs are among the services rendered by OWWA.

OWWA also renders services for beneficiaries or dependents of OFWs such as computer and other skills training, personality workshops and livelihood programs.

There were more than 733,970 land-based OFWs and 247,707 sea-based OFWs deployed last year. - Ferliza C. Contratista