Former senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Thursday said he will make sure that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will benefit from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Law and Universal Healthcare Law should he win in the upcoming May 2022 senatorial elections.

“Definitely, kasama ang OFW diyan. Dahil matapos ang ilang taon, di naman sila forever na nasa ibang bansa. Uuwi rin ang mga ‘yan. So, kasama ang mga OFWs sa programa natin (Definitely, our OFWs are part of these programs. Because after so many years, they cannot stay forever in other countries. They will still return. So our OFWs are included in our programs),” Ejercito said in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas.

Ejercito, who principally sponsored the DHSUD Law during his first term in the Senate, said OFWs can avail of cheap public housing through the PAG-IBIG Fund or the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation.

“Basta qualified sila (As long as they are qualified). Through PAG-IBIG or sa National Mortgage Corporation, pwede po silang mag-avail (They can avail),” he said.

“ Siyempre, target din po natin na mabigyan ang OFWs. Siyempre, yung pinag-ipunan nila ay dapat naman mailagay sa tama (Of course, our target is to ensure all OFWs can avail. Of course, they earned the money so it’s only right to set things right),” he said.

Ejercito also said he pushed for the passage of the Universal Healthcare Law to ensure that families, including the families of Filipino migrant workers, can spend less on medical services and save more funds for socialized housing and other basic expenses.

According to Ejercito, he pushed for the Universal Healthcare Law to make sure that OFWs are also covered and to ensure that their families would be taken care of by the government.

“Gobyerno na ang aalalay sa kanila (The government would take care of their medical needs),” he said.