Vice President Leni Robredo recognizes that a lot of Filipinos working abroad want to come back home and retire, but many of them are wary of the economic environment in the country and the lack of a reintegration program that will help them make use of their savings efficiently.

She deplored there is no good reintegration program that helps skill overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) once they decide to go home. She said that the program should also include the families of the OFWs who were left here.

“Iyong sa atin kasi tinitingnan natin na iyong ating mga workers ay siyempre (For us, we’re looking at our workers as, of course, a) source of remittances kaya kino-consider natin silang bayani. Pero para sa akin, kung kino-consider natin silang bayani, kailangan asikasuhin natin iyong pangangailangan nila (that’s why we consider them heroes. But for me, if we are considering them heroes, we have to take care of their needs),” she said during the Archers Talk and Eagles Meet Our Leader forum on Tuesday, August 24.

The vice president shared that her husband, the late former Interior secretary Jesse Robredo, started a program for OFWs when he was still mayor of their home province, Naga City.

She said her husband established a center for migration in Naga City which still operates to this day.

The center has a skills training program and financial literacy classes for the OFWs who want to retire, as well as for the families they leave behind when they work abroad.

“Iyong mga pagpaplano na kabahagi iyong pamilyang naiwan dito. Iyong sa akin, agree na wala tayong sufficient na ginagawa pagdating doon (The planning should include the families left here. For me, I agree that we don’t do anything sufficient in terms of that),” Robredo added.

A lot of OFWs already want to retire but are not able to do so because there is no reintegration program for returnees in the country, she cited, noting that the financial package that the government provides to OFWs is “not enough.”

The plight of OFWs and the lack of government aid for them were highlighted during the pandemic when thousands of them had to go home after losing their jobs abroad. Many have already used up their savings since the pandemic did not open new opportunities for them.

READ: COVID-19 repatriates among OFWs still mostly unemployed

Robredo understands that many OFWs felt they were being milked for money because the government kept on imposing new rules and additional fees.

Although government agencies claim they have consulted with OFW groups about these rules and fees, the lady official said consultation has “many different layers.”

“Sino ba iyong kino-consulta? Paminsan iyong consultation masyadong ano lang, parang, ano ba iyong term nito, para masabi lang. Para masabi lang na nagkonsulta (Who are being consulted? Sometimes, the consultation is like, what is that term, to say that there is one. Just for them to say they were consulted),” she added.

Robredo said she already met with some OFW groups regarding this matter and has talked with “proper offices” about consulting the workers before imposing new rules and fees.

READ: OFW groups urge gov't to ease stringent anti-COVID 19 rules for returning workers

Filipino workers abroad have complained the changing rules in the country, particularly during the pandemic when their flights are repeatedly canceled because of the lockdown and quarantine protocols.

Many of them were also prevented by said protocols from fulfilling their employment obligations either because their destination country does not recognize the vaccines given to them here or their vaccination cards are not honored by the government of the country where they are going.