Department of Migrant Workers bill passed, hailed

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate yesterday unanimously approved on the third and final reading a bill that calls for the creation of a department tasked with addressing the needs and concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who remit P3 million every minute.

Voting 20-0-0, senators passed Senate Bill 2234, or the proposed Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, one of the bill’s proponents, said the department would serve as the “go-to agency” for all OFWs’ concerns, including recruitment, red tape, regulation, emergency response, repatriation and reintegration.

Sen. Bong Go, also a main proponent of the measure, congratulated and thanked Villanueva for pushing for the passage of the measure.

“Our sponsor is really determined to provide our OFWs with their own department. I know what our sponsor went through from talking to various agencies and OFW groups to reconciling different versions of the bills,” Go said in his manifestation.

“On my part, I can just pass it on and give it as a gift to them – to our OFWs, to migrant workers – this Christmas,” Go added.

Go also thanked all of his senator-colleagues for their support of the measure, especially Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon for his assistance and scrutiny to improve the measure with the goal of providing better services to OFWs.

He noted that the Department of Migrant Workers is his and President Duterte’s priority. “Our OFWs are close to the President’s heart. In fact, just recently, President Duterte issued Executive Order 154 to ensure the establishment and operations of an OFW hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga.”

“Mr. President, we know the situation our OFWs are going through. Sadness cannot be paid for, especially when you are away from your loved ones just to provide for the family’s expenses and give your children a better future. In fact, many of our OFWs have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. They came home to our country, they lost their jobs and they had a hard time,” Go said in his manifestation.

“They have a problem with how to feed their family. In recent months and years, many OFWs have come to our office for help. Some are imprisoned for murder, some are abused by their employers. Hopefully, with the establishment of this department, they can return to normal life,” Go added.

Go said OFWs have long considered OFWs to be modern-day heroes because of their great contribution to the economy and community.