One-stop OFW help center opens in Makati
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday, December 17, opened an extension of its main office in Makati City, designating it as a one-stop help center for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the “Bagong Pilipinas” One-Stop OFW Aksyon Center in Makati City on Tuesday, December 17.
“The Action Center is not just an office. This is a fast, streamlined, and combined service for our OFWs. This is to make their processes easier—from reintegration, legal aid, retraining, and other services they may need.,” Marcos said in Filipino in his speech.
Marcos credited late Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople for the new center.
“It was her idea and she said we have to simplify the work or rather we have to simplify the process with which we assist our OFWs,” Marcos said.
Essential government services are already available at the Makati office, including PhilHealth, PAGIBIG and TESDA.
The DMW, currently the youngest government department at three years old, has been continuously expanding its workforce. This growth necessitated more space, leading to the establishment of the OFW center in the Landbank Building 1 on Malugay Street in Barangay Bel-Air in Makati City.
How OFWs can benefit from the new center
OFWs present at the inauguration expressed optimism about the new office.
Services. Retired OFW Agnes Reyes, who had just returned from working in the United Arab Emirates in 2023, said she hoped the new action center would help her find a job.
At 56 years old, Reyes is a solo parent with six children, only two of whom have graduated.
When she returned to the Philippines from the United Arab Emirates, she underwent medication for six months. She tried looking for a job but struggled due to her age.
Reyes sought help from the Public Employment Service Office, a state-run job placement facility which links to the labor department, but received no calls.
“I am sad because as of now, I carry all of it: rent, lights, water, food. That is why I want to work,” she said.
The retired OFW said she was not picky about jobs.
While the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided her with some aid, Reyes had to use it for her medication.
Accesibility. It was only when she attended the inauguration of the OFW action center that she learned she could avail herself of local employment opportunities.
Rona Rinoza, whose husband works as an OFW, said the new center could help her save money on commuting since she lives in Makati. The current main building of the DMW is located in Ortigas along EDSA. Some services will now transfer to Makati.
Convenience. Japan-based OFW Marissa Igamalobrio, meanwhile, said the new center made processes more convenient.
Igamalobrio is not only an OFW herself but also part of three generations of migrant workers in her family. Her father worked as an OFW in Saudi Arabia, while her daughter is currently a registered nurse in Dubai.
Igamalobrio noted that many processes are now online, making things easier. Should her daughter need assistance, she now knows where to go.
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