Arenas seeks new department for OFWs
A BILL has been filed in the House of Representatives by 3rd District Rep. Rachel Arenas seeking the creation of a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), separate from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).
Existing government agencies handling OFW concerns are under DoLE.
The explanatory note of the bill states that it is now “about time for government to realign its resources so that we can be responsive to the needs of our OFWs”.
Arenas filed House Bill No. 4488, along with Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Rolando Golez Jr.
The two lawmakers jointly said, “It is not enough that we call them our ‘Bagong Bayani’, it is about time that we convert this label into action. Let us create the Department of Overseas Workers. Now.”
The two cited the urgency of creating a department for OFW as the Commission on Filipinos Overseas reported that as of December 2009, there were 8,579,378 Filipinos overseas and more than one-half of these are temporary workers.
“Let us create an agency which can take full charge in their deployment or repatriation, when the need arises. There should be one which will be made accountable to the OFWs and their families,” Arenas said.
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