Re-electionist Senator Joel Villanueva on Friday, April 29 cautioned the Transition Committee establishing the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in making the next steps to fully constitute the agency orderly but expediently.
“The Transition Committee should aim for a speedy and orderly turnover of functions to the DMW during the transition period, while making sure that there are no interruptions to overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) services. Confusion and delays during this period will be at the cost of the livelihoods of our migrant workers,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development, made this statement after the DMW issued a department order lifting the deployment of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia, contrary to the prevailing ban imposed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
He also said that the DMW should refrain from issuing orders or directives on deployment bans before the department is fully constituted.
Republic Act 11641, or the Department of Migrant Workers Act, requires the DMW Secretary to consult with the Advisory Board on Migration and Development and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary before it decides any ban on the deployment of migrant workers, which can only be undertaken when the DMW is fully operational.
The senator from Bulacan added that confusing directives especially on deployment bans make OFWs vulnerable to illegal recruiters and fixers.
“The transition period compounds a very delicate time for our migrant workers. Not only will a new administration impact this important sector, but global events such as the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have far-reaching effects. Let’s get our act together for our OFWs,” Villanueva said.
As the author of and sponsor of R.A. 11641, Villanueva said the Philippines is currently seeing an uptick of OFWs going out of the country as the world is reopening from the pandemic.
At the same time, returning OFWs adversely affected by the pandemic have led to a “reverse diaspora” or “brain gain” for the country.
He also noted that government agencies have their hands full with providing OFW services in current areas of concern such as Shanghai, Hongkong, and Ukraine.
`“The Transition Committee faces challenging tasks especially during an election year, but our OFWs deserve a good and fresh start for the new department,” Villanueva said.
According to R.A. 11641, the new department will be fully constituted after the publication of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), submission of its staffing pattern to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and drawing up its budget in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the first year of operations.
“The faster the Transition Committee complies with the requirements of the law to constitute the DMW, the sooner we deliver our promise of dedicated service to our OFWs,” Villanueva said.
The Transition Committee includes the DMW’s Secretary, the DFA’s Undersecretary for the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs, as well as the heads of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), National Reintegration Center for OFW (NRCO), National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), and the Office of the Social Welfare Attaché (OSWA).
Villanueva reminded the Transition Committee that the government’s policy is to make overseas employment an option rather than a necessity for skilled Filipino workers.
“Our job in government is to provide the Filipino workforce with training and skills, and then help them find jobs and flourish wherever they choose. But it is also our job to make the Philippines the best place to work for Filipinos. The grass is always greener on the side where it is watered,” Villanueva said.