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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DFA, UN launch program protecting PH migrants

DFA, UN launch program protecting PH migrants

Published Dec 16, 2020 04:23 pm

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the United Nations (UN) jointly launched Wednesday a program that aims to safeguard the rights and welfare of millions of Filipino migrants throughout the migration cycle that starts from their recruitment and deployment until their return and reintegration into the local labor sector.

(AFP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Called the Bridging Recruitment to Reintegration Migration Governance (BRIDGE), the program is also designed to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on overseas Filipino workers.

A total of 707,186 Filipinos have returned to the country, and over 300,000 OFWs, as of Dec. 11.

The BRIDGE program seeks to equip and strengthen the approach by both the government and the civil society towards more effective ways of helping OFWs to secure jobs upon their return.

The BRIDGE program is spearheaded by the UN and implemented by IOM, ILO, UN Women, DFA, and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). 

It aims to support the government in promoting fair and ethical recruitment and ensure that returning OFWs can successfully reintegrate through an approach that puts them at the center, address the challenges to women in particular, and is inclusive of all groups, including the OFW community and civil society organization.In his remarks, Locsin applauded the efforts of the UN Team in the Philippines, particularly the International Organization for Migration, the International Labor Organization, and UN Women for initiating the program.

The DFA chief made a special mention of IOM’s Chief of Mission Kristin Dadey “whose dedication and effectiveness is an inspiration to us all."

Funded by the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), BRIDGE aims to provide financing for innovative programs designed to support States’ migration priorities, ensure the better protection of migrants, foster cooperation, and further the promotion of migration governance that benefits all.  

UN Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said migration governance is currently one of the most urgent and profound tests of international cooperation, even as he acknowledged the Philippines as a champion of migrants’ welfare and safety.

Gonzales cited the Philippine government’s admission that it needs to reinforce its implementation of the UN Global Compact for Migration (GCM), particularly the provisions on ensuring fair and ethical recruitment and the safe and dignified return of migrant workers and their effective reintegration into the Philippine labor sector.

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2018, the GCM lays out 23 objectives to open up legal migration and better manage the influx of migrants. The Philippines was an active contributor and participant to the adoption of the GCM.

According to the Philippines National Migration Survey, and the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, forced labor or involuntary work remains to be a challenge for migrants workers both for the Philippines and on a global scale. 

Many OFWs have encountered difficulty to reintegrate, or to find work in the country, for several reasons, including the mismatch between the skills they acquired abroad and available jobs in the country when they return. Women migrants are particularly susceptible to risks of exploitation, violence, and trafficking with only a small percentage of them seeking help for physical or sexual violence.

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