Voting 173-11, the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on third and final reading a bill creating the Department of Filipino Overseas and Foreign Employment.
The chamber in plenary session presided by Deputy Speaker and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales III passed House Bill 5832 that creates a new department that shall be the primary agency tasked to protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos overseas.
This developed as House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and his wife, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, welcomed the bill’s final reading approval at the chamber.
“This is part of Speaker [Alan Peter] Cayetano’s commitment to President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s promise of protecting our OFWs,” said the Romualdezes who are both principal authors of House Bill 5832 or “An Act Creating the Department of Filipinos Overseas and Foreign Employment, Defining Its Mandate, Powers and Functions, Appropriating Funds Therefor,” which was approved on second reading Wednesday evening.
Rep. Yedda Romualdez, the chairperson of the House committee on the welfare of children, said the absence of a single agency to address foreign employment concerns has made it difficult for the government to focus on the needs and demands of foreign Filipino employment, in general, and of OFWs, in particular.
“Furthermore, the lack of coordination among these agencies and redundancy of work lead to confusion among our OFWs and compromises the services to be rendered to our modern-day heroes,” said Yedda Romualdez.
The creation of a department solely for the welfare of the OFWs and their families is among the legislative priorities of the Duterte administration.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Luis Ray Villafuerte, another principal author, assured OFWs that the Congress will enact the measure soonest.
Congress adjourn sessions starting Wednesday for a Holy Week break. It will resume sessions on May 4.
Villafuerte said the measure creating a new department to address the concerns of this ever-burgeoning sector was approved in line also with the State of the Nation Address (SONA) commitment of President Duterte on the establishment of a Cabinet-level office for the exclusive benefit of the country’s modern-day heroes.
Villafuerte ensured the cooperation of the House leadership with OFW groups and other stakeholders involved in the training and overseas placement of OFWs behind the speedy congressional approval of the measure.
Under the measure, the new OFW Department is tasked to formulate, recommend and implement national policies, plans, programs and guidelines that will ensure the protection of Filipinos overseas.
The measure seeks to protect, and promote the welfare, well-being, and interest of the families of the OFWs.
The proposed law mandates to administer reintegration and social services programs for Filipinos who have worked abroad and are returning to the country, and for their families. It is also mandated to effectively regulate the operations of private recruitment and manning agencies and related business entities involved in the employment of Filipinos abroad to uphold the primacy of the welfare and protection of OFWs, with due consideration of the relevant market conditions.
