A command center intended to provide prompt response to overseas Filipinos in times of crisis abroad will be established under the Marcos administration.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced that a One Repatriation Command Center (ORCC) will be established under his watch to provide immediate assistance to overseas Filipinos in times of life-threatening situations, crisis, and abuse.
"Para sa mga kababayan nating naiipit sa kaguluhan, inaabuso, at nanganganib ang buhay, ikinagagalak kong sa ilalim ng aking pamumuno, ay ilulunsad natin ang One Repatriation Command Center o ORCC (For our countrymen who are in the middle of unrest, being abused, and in danger, we are happy that under my leadership, we will launch the One Repatriation Command Center or ORCC)," Marcos said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
The Chief Executive said a social media platform and hotline will be set up by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to provide prompt assistance to embattled Filipinos abroad.
Marcos vowed that under his administration, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their family back home will be protected.
He likewise laid out his intention to provide a "home in government" among migrant workers while they are away from home.
"Sa ating mga kababayan na nasa ibang bansa (To our fellow Filipinos abroad): You deserve a Home in Government not only for the money that you send home, but you are not cold tools of the economy. You deserve it for your sacrifices, for our country and your perseverance and excellence in the global arena," Marcos said.
"You OFWs represent the fighting faith of the Filipinos as a nation and as a people. Let us transform your overseas journey into inspirational stories for all time," he added.
The President directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the newly created DMW to join hands in ensuring that all diplomatic posts will help in the redeployment of OFWs who lost their jobs in the past years.
He also ordered the concerned government agencies to reduce the processing time of employment documents of OFWs from three months to only three weeks.
Marcos further ordered to remove red tape in government procedures, saying "we shall automate the verification of contracts and issue secure Overseas Employment Certifications (OEC) that you can keep on your smartphone. I call on the Department of Migrant Workers and the DICT (Department of Information and Communications) to make this a top priority."
He also ordered to simplify the 240-page handbook for migrant workers to just a pamphlet.