SINGAPORE --- Malacañang said the new Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is now looking for solutions to address the concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Singapore while reassuring them that their families in the Philippines will be taken care of.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said this after OFWs here shared with Filipino media their appeal to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to lessen their burden and help them live more comfortably while working in Singapore.
Marcos is in Singapore for a two-day State Visit. This is the second leg of his inaugural overseas trip. The first part of his journey was in Indonesia.
In a press briefing, Angeles said the appeal and concerns of the OFWs have already reached DMW Secretary Susan Ople.
"Umabot na kay Ople yung daing ng ating mga OFWs and hinahanapan na ito ng solusyon (Secretary Ople has heard their concerns and she is now looking for solutions)," she said.
Stall owner Narcisa Lim hoped Marcos would notice how some employers are not letting Filipino domestic workers have their day off. Meanwhile, household helper Nerissa dela Torre said OFWs are finding it difficult to return to the Philippines due to delayed issuance of their Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). An OEC is a document certifying the regularity of the recruitment and documentation of an OFW.
According to Angeles, President Marcos tapped the DMW as the "front and center" in facilitating the concerns of OFWs based on the recommendations of the embassy.
Benefits for OFWs
Meanwhile, Angeles said certain policies were being reviewed to care for the OFWs' families in the Philippines.
"Direktiba nga ng gobyerno sa bawat ahensya na pangalagaan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating OFWs (The government has directed all agencies to address the needs of our OFWs), particularly when it comes to taking care of their families," she stressed.
"There are certain policies that are being reviewed on health and housing, primarily," she said.
"Napagusapan po ito several times, and the President has directed the formulation of policies for that specific purpose," she added.
On Tuesday evening, President Marcos assured Filipinos in Singapore that his administration is working on caring for OFWs' families in the Philippines through scholarship grants, healthcare, and housing.
"‘Yan po ang aming tinatrabaho ngayon at nasisimulan na natin para naman eh ‘yung trabaho ninyo ay hindi kayo, hindi niyo na kailangang isipin ang kalagayan ng inyong mga mahal sa buhay (We're working on that now so you won't have to worry about the condition of your loved ones)," he said.