The Muntinlupa City government and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) signed a memorandum of agreement on Oct. 13 for the opening of a help desk to assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon and OWWA Administrator Arnel Ignacio led the signing ceremony witnessed by OWWA Deputy Administrator for Operations Mary Melanie Quino, OWWA Regional Welfare Office-National Capital Region Director Ma. Teresa Capa, Councilor Cornelio Martinez, and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Manager Glenda Zamora-Aninon.
"Hindi 'to mananatili na pirmahan lamang, kundi pinapangako namin sa inyo ang buong suporta at kooperasyon ng OWWA para po ang Muntinlupa ay maramdaman kami (This will not remain just as a signing but we promise to you the support and cooperation of OWWA for us to be felt in Muntinlupa),” said Ignacio.
The Muntinlupa City Council earlier passed Resolution 2022-119 authorizing Biazon to represent the Muntinlupa City government in the MOA signing for the establishment of the help desk.
At the signing ceremony, 15 OFWs received financial assistance of P20,000 each.
OWWA’s OFW Help Desk, in coordination with PESO, will be established at the Muntinlupa City hall and will provide easier access for OFWs in Muntinlupa and in the south to its range of services, including facilitation of training, promotion of health care and overall welfare, and integration, together with their families.
The OWWA estimates that there are 27,000 OFWs in Muntinlupa.
OWWA is the latest national government agency to open a help desk in Muntinlupa in addition to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).