The Marcos Jr. administration is on the right path in emphasizing its commitment to jumpstart programs aimed at making working overseas an option rather than a necessity.
In remarks before a recent gathering in Malacañang Palace where the President handed out awards to outstanding individuals and organizations overseas, he conceded that millions of Filipinos are migrating internationally for better work opportunities.
“Our dream is to, one day, make overseas work a choice rather than a necessity,” he said. “We continue to implement reforms in governance and economic development to provide our people with opportunities here at home,” he added.
During the ceremony, the President recognized 13 honorees for bringing pride to the Philippines and Filipinos overseas. Their contributions span three main areas: improving the lives of overseas Filipinos, actively taking part in national development, and promoting the Filipino community worldwide.
The Marcos administration is in fact already involved in safeguarding the rights of overseas Filipino workers and their families.
These include strengthening labor agreements with foreign countries and launching campaigns against illegal recruitment and human trafficking,
The government is also implementing what’s called the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan Fund that provides assistance to OFWs in distress in their places of employment.
Our embassies and consulates abroad also conduct constant monitoring of the situation of Filipino workers spread out in the four corners of the world.
But more should be done posthaste.
The national government should embark on a comprehensive program to address the urgent need for job creation and increased productivity.
Apart from ensuring utmost protection of workers’ rights and welfare, the national government should also provide free capacity-building training to increase the skills and competence of our workers to make them more competitive and highly marketable even in the domestic job market.
There’s an estimated 10 million Filipinos now living and working in more than 200 countries. Their dollar remittances to their families back home represent a significant chunk of our gross domestic product every year.
Even then, we cannot ignore the fact that outward migration on a regular basis deprives our country of labor we also need to propel economic and social advance at a sustained pace in the years ahead.
If we’re to make overseas employment an option father than a necessity for our labor force, then we should create the ideal conditions for them to earn decent wages, keep their families intact and their enhance their role, as the Constitution mandates, as a primary social economic force.
