Poe pushes bill seeking additional protection, aid for OFWs
Sen. Grace Poe has urged .the immediate passage of her proposal that seeks to provide more protection and assistance for overseas Filipino workers who have unjustly or prematurely lost their jobs, especially amid the COVID-19 crisis.
"We must guarantee that our OFWs who were found eligible in keeping their jobs are shielded with social protection and fair benefits,” Poe said.
"While we acknowledge that COVID-19 has hit a number of industries worldwide, it should not be flagrantly used as an excuse to lay off our Filipino workers without just cause, sufficient notice, and fair compensation," she added.
Poe filed last May Senate Bill No. 1476, which seeks to amend the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act (Republic Act N0. 10022) and entitle the OFWs to the full reimbursement of their placement fee with 12 percent interest per year plus their salaries for the unexpired portion of their employment contract.
Section 10 of the current law that states that migrant workers who have been terminated without just, valid, and authorized reason may receive only three months’ salary for every year of the unexpired term.
The bill proposes to mandate the Department of Labor and Employment and its attached agencies to provide new skill trainings, re-training programs, livelihood and technology assistance, seminars for micro-finance assistance, and similar opportunities for the returning OFWs.
Poe stressed the need to institutionalize increased protection for OFWs as thousands were displaced and sent home due to the slowdown in economic activities worldwide amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She said that pandemic "has exacerbated their vulnerability as they struggle to gain access to healthcare, testing, or treatment to ensure they remain fit to do the job and continue to have income to provide for their families."
"Our OFWs have contributed to keep the economy afloat. Their sacrifices in the hope of enjoying the fruits of their labor when they come home should not be taken for granted,” Poe said.
Under the Migrant Workers Act, the OFWs may file complaints before the National Labor Relations Commission and seek claims for actual, moral, exemplary, and other forms of damages. The complaints will be heard and decided within 90 calendar days after the filing.