Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Saturday  stressed the continuing need for a comprehensive preparation and timely assistance for Filipinos in crisis situations abroad as he reiterated the need for the creation of a Department of Overseas Filipinos. 

Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography,  made the call after the recent disastrous, massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.

 While he expressed appreciation for the swift response of the Philippine Embassy in Beirut to the situation and request for assistance to Filipinos in Lebanon’s capital, Go pointed out the need to streamline public service delivery for Filipinos abroad as their needs are becoming more complex, urgent and complicated.

The senator from Davao pointed out that the crises happening in other countries might result to more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) being compelled to return to the Philippines. Given this, he said, concerned agencies must make sure that these affected overseas Filipinos are accounted for, provided immediate aid, and, if necessary, be repatriated back home.

“Siguraduhin po natin na mapoprotektahan ang mga Pilipino, kahit saan man sila sa mundo. Masakit mawalay sa kanilang mga pamilya ng ilang taon. Sa oras ng kanilang pangangailangan, dapat handa ang gobyerno na tulungan sila,” Go stressed. (We should ensure the protection of Filipinos  in different parts of the globe. It is painful to be separated from one’s family for years. The government should be ready to help them during times of need)

According to Go, the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 as well as the Duterte administration’s National Security Policy are both cognizant of the need to protect the rights and promote the welfare of overseas Filipinos who constitute roughly 10 percent of the entire population of the Philippines.  

Recognizing the importance of ensuring the well-being of overseas Filipinos, given their vulnerability in far-away countries,  President Duterte and  Go have been repeatedly calling for the establishment of a Department of Overseas Filipinos.

Go had said that his Senate Bill 202, or the Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2019, seeks to systematically consolidate the mandates of different government agencies dealing with overseas Filipinos’ concerns under a new department to be established.

There have been proposals from various government officials to retain the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) but put them under the new department as attached agencies.

 The senator noted that agencies handling overseas Filipinos’ concerns are currently scattered in several departments and offices which pose a challenge in the delivery of public services.

Go said that a sole department that would streamline these services would greatly improve responsiveness especially in times of crises.

He also said that the pandemic has highlighted the need for a department that could better respond to the needs of overseas Filipinos, with thousands already repatriated from abroad.

To date, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has repatriated an estimated 100,000 overseas Filipinos so far.

Go emphasized that reintegration services for returning overseas Filipinos, which is an integral part of the mandate of the proposed new department, must be prioritized to ensure that those who lost jobs and are forced to return home will be assisted through government livelihood and employment programs and other safety nets.