A better way of protecting the welfare of OFWs is to prepare them for what lies ahead. Often these OFWs get in trouble for lack of information about the cultures and laws of their host countries. There are rules requiring prospective OFWs to undergo government briefing about such matters, but the rules are rarely enforced especially by private recruitment agencies.
In some of the top OFW destinations, mutilation and corporal punishment are still imposed for certain crimes. Women in particular need a thorough briefing about how their gender is regarded in their employment destinations. There are cultures with different concepts of sexual molestation; in some countries, sexual harassment in the workplace is not a felony.
Saudi Arabia has some of the toughest laws based on Wahhabism, the Sunni fundamentalist form of Islam. Filipinos, especially non-Muslims, may be surprised to learn that certain countries frown on worshipping saints and praying to angels or seeking help from the dead, using amulets or believing in sorcery and faith healing. In some countries, Christians can be arrested and imprisoned for proselytizing, carrying Bibles or the rosary or celebrating Mass.
Given proper briefing about such matters, prospective Filipinos may even change their minds about going to certain countries. They should know what they are getting themselves into long before they hand over their life savings to job placement agencies. This will mean fewer problems to deal with for the country’s diplomatic missions. And there will be no need for the Philippine president to personally intercede for OFWs in trouble.