The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is urging newly elected senators, congressmen, and local officials to place the welfare and reintegration of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) high on their legislative agenda.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac emphasized the agency’s commitment to working with incoming lawmakers and local leaders to fulfill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for “shared responsibility and common purpose” in protecting OFWs and their families.
“So we’re willing to sit down with the newly elected officials and as the President mentioned, toward a common purpose, common goal, and a shared responsibility,” Cacdac said.
Among the priority legislative measures being pushed by the department is the passage of reintegration programs for returning OFWs, which was also identified by the President as essential.
Cacdac said one of the key proposals the DMW wants to revive in the new Congress is the passage of a comprehensive reintegration program for returning OFWs.
He said that the DMW’s Legislative Liaison Office is currently reviewing relevant bills filed in the previous Congress.
“There were reintegration bills filed in the last Congress. Our Department Legislative Liaison Office is currently reviewing those, and we hope to work closely with the committees on overseas Filipino workers, both in the House and Senate, to push these forward,” Cacdac said.
He emphasized that reintegration is a priority both for the department and the President, and that they need legislative support to build sustainable programs for returning OFWs.
The DMW is also seeking to intensify the campaign against illegal recruitment, calling for better cooperation with law enforcement, increased penalties for violators, and faster resolution of cases.
