Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday renewed his call for the creation of the Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFil) which he said will strengthen mechanisms to protect Filipinos overseas.

Go made the pitch as he narrated the successful repatriation of Malik Darimbang, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was stuck in Saudi Arabia for six years due to a legal battle. Go helped Darimbang to return to the Philippines and they met last Friday, December 18.

“Masaya ako na makakapiling na niya ang kanyang pamilya ngayong Pasko dahil sa suporta ng iba’t ibang ahensya at ng mga pribadong indibidwal na kusang tumulong sa ating kababayan. (I’m happy that he can now be with his family this Christmas because of the support of other agencies and private individuals who helped our fellowmen),” Go said.

“Pero sana, magkaroon tayo ng mas maayos na mekanismo para dinggin at rumesponde sa iba pang mga Pilipino na may hinaharap na problema abroad. Tungkulin nating protektahan at alagaan sila kahit nasaan man sila sa mundo (But I hope we can have a better mechanism where we can respond and hear Filipinos who have problems abroad. It’s our job to protect and care for them wherever they are in this world),” he stressed.

The senator reiterated that the establishment of DOFil would strengthen the state’s response to various crises being faced by distressed OFWs and further protect the rights of all migrant Filipinos such as Darimbang.

A Marawi City native, Darimbang figured in a vehicular accident in February, 2014 which led to the death of a Pakistani national. Go said he made a commitment to help him after his family contacted him last September 2020 and find a private donor who is willing to pay for Malik’s needed blood money.

“Finally po, after 10 years, makakapiling na po niya ang kaniyang pamilya (He can now be with his family),” he said of Darimbang whom he met at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where the 96th Malasakit Center was launched.

At the same time, Go lauded President Duterte for certifying the measure as urgent, saying its passage is already “long overdue.”

“More than 10 million Filipinos are abroad, that’s almost 10 percent of the whole population,” he pointed out.

He said Senate Bill No. 1949, also known as the proposed Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2020, defines the powers and functions of the DOFil, as it aims to streamline and rationalize the organization and functions of government agencies related to overseas employment and migration.

The senator said the new version of the proposal “represents the unified position o the entire Executive branch of the government” and is intended to address the most crucial problems of overseas Filipinos.

“The ultimate goal of which is to make such services more accessible and the delivery thereof more responsive,” Go further said.

The new version of the bill also seeks to transfer back to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) over monetary claims arising out of an employer-employee relationship or by virtue or any law or contract involving overseas deployment or employment. This includes claims for actual, moral, exemplary and other forms of damages.

The new version of the DOFil bill also seeks to improve the provision on the One Country-Team approach where all officers, representatives, and personnel of the Philippine government posted abroad, regardless of their mother agencies shall, on a per country basis, act as one country-team with a mission under the leadership of the Ambassador or the Consul General.