DMW: Marcos seeks enhanced OFW database to improve overseas worker services

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to enhance the overseas Filipino Worker database management to find out the number of OFWs in different countries, even the number of those who want to return home, to see what services could be provided to them, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said Sunday.

“Ipinag-utos... ni President Marcos na paigtingin ang database management para malaman ang bilang ng mga OFW na nasa iba't ibang bansa at maging 'yung bilang ng mga nais nang umuwi... anong serbisyo ang pwedeng ibigay sa kanila,” Ople explained on Super Radyo dzBB.

“Nais ni Pang. Marcos na magkaroon ng mga programa para sa mga OFW na papauwi ng bansa na nais makahanap ng trabaho, mag-retool or reskill at nais maging investor... Ili-link namin sila sa mga programa ng pamahalaan na angkop sa kanila,” she added.

(President Marcos would like to have programs for OFWs returning home who want to find work, retool, reskill, or want to be an investor... We will link them to government programs that suit them.)

Ople added that Marcos had also instructed her to see to the welfare of OFW families.

“Pinatutukan ni President Marcos ang pangangalaga, hindi lang sa mga OFW, kung di maging sa mga pamilya, lalo na ‘yung mga anak na parehong OFW ang magulang o isa sa mga magulang,” she said.

(President Marcos wants to focus on caring, not only for OFWs, but also for their families, especially those children whose parents or one of the parents is an OFW.)

Last December 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11641 or the law establishing the DMW.

Under the law, the department will absorb all functions and mandates of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and will be the primary agency under the Executive branch tasked to protect the rights and promote the welfare of OFWs and other overseas Filipinos. — DVM, GMA News