Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Saturday, April 9 echoed President Duterte’s wish for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Center to be replicated in major cities to serve as a one-stop shop catering to the needs of the country’s modern-day heroes.
Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demography Committee, personally joined President Duterte during the groundbreaking ceremony of the OFW Center in Daang Hari, Las Piñas City on Thursday, April 7.
The center is a 10-story one-stop shop that will house satellite offices of government agencies involved in the documentation and travel needs of Filipino migrant workers. It is also envisioned to provide other government services, ministry counseling, and legal assistance for OFWs.
The facility is a project of the Global Filipino Movement Foundation Inc., a non-stock and non-profit organization that works with Christian churches, organizations and individuals to provide free assistance to overseas workers.
Go, a political ally of the President, commended the foundation for its initiative and called on the private sector and other key partners of the government to strengthen their collaborative efforts to promote the welfare of the Filipino migrant workers.
The senator from Davao has always been an ardent supporter of the rights of OFWs, acknowledging their sacrifices for their families and their contributions to the development of the country.
“Higit kumulang sampung porsyento ng ating populasyon ang nasa abroad (Almost 10 percent of our population are abroad). Mahirap po mawalay sa sariling bayan para lang buhayin ang pamilya at mabigyan ng mas magandang kinabukasan ang inyong mga anak (It’s hard to be away from your own country just to support the family and provide better future for your children),” he earlier noted.
“Kaya bilang mambabatas, ginagawa ko ang lahat upang maipaglaban ang kanilang kapakanan (That is why as a legislator, I am doing everything in order to fight for their welfare). Huwag nating ipagkait sa Pilipino kung ano po ‘yung nararapat sa kanila, lalung-lalo na sa ating OFWs at iba pang overseas Filipinos. Itinuturing nga natin silang mga bagong bayani (Let us not deprive the Filipinos of what they deserve, especially our OFWs and other overseas Filipinos. We consider them as our new heroes),” he stressed.
Go authored and co-sponsored the Senate version of Republic Act (RA) 11641 which establishes the Department of Migrant Workers. The DMW will focus the full resources of the government on protecting the rights and advancing the interests of overseas Filipinos. It is currently in a two-year transition period.
“Hopefully po, sana bago matapos ang termino ni Pangulong Duterte ay talagang nandiyan na ang departamentong lalapitan n'yo na mag-aasikaso sa ating mga OFWs (Hopefully, before the term of President Duterte ends, the department that will take care for our OFWs is already there). Regalo natin ito sa mga (migrant workers) na nagsasakripisyo (This is our gift to our migrant workers who are sacrificing). Malaki ang ambag sa ating bayan ng modern heroes natin. Para po ito sa inyo, itong Department of Migrant Workers (Our modern heroes contribute a lot for our country. This Department of Migrant Workers is for you),” the senator previously remarked.
Earlier that day, Go attended the opening of the Center for Thoracic and Critical Care Medicine at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.