The Quezon City government is set to open a migrant resource center (MRC) within the city hall compound, the first-ever one-stop shop destination for overseas Filipino workers and their families in Metro Manila.
The establishment of the center is part of the implementation agreement signed yesterday by the city government and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to boost the city’s migration and development governance, program implementation, and service delivery.
“We are elated about this partnership as this means, finally, the implementation of our existing ordinance that pushes for the creation of an MRC. From then until now, our goal is to honor our OFWs by taking action and leading them to a future where they will be met with a positive, profitable, and successful cross-border journey,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
She was referring to Ordinance SP 2500 of 2016 or An Ordinance creating the Quezon City Migrants Resource Center.
Funded by the European Union, the support is part of the Safe and Fair Programme, the program for the ASEAN. The ILO-UN Women-IOM BRIDGE Programme, which aims to help the government achieve its commitments under the Global Compact for Migration, will also contribute to the initiative.
Khalid Hassan, director of the ILO Country Office in the Philippines, said establishing the migrant resource center is a landmark step for OFWs since Quezon City is recognized as one of the top places of origin for OFWs.