Solon confident OFWs' cause will get special mention in SONA


At a glance

  • Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo believes that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will champion the cause of overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24.

  • Salo chairs the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs.


IMG-49ab930d6d644a41ed92ea562973cb91-V.jpg Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo (Rep. Salo's office)



Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo believes that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will champion the cause of overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24.

Salo, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, shared his optimism that the President would place the rights and welfare of OFWs at the forefront of his agenda.

"The President, a true champion of the OFWs, will certainly prioritize and dedicate special attention to enhancing the rights, welfare, and protection of our hardworking migrant workers," he said in a statement Friday, July 21.

"I firmly believe that the welfare of OFWs holds a special place in the President's heart, and he will spare no effort to continuously improve their rights and welfare," he said, adding that migrant Filipino workers contributed in a big way to Marcos' election as Chief Executive in May 2022.

"We are confident that the President will emphasize the passage of the Magna Carta of Seafarers as one of his top priorities, which will provide the impetus needed for the bill to triumph in the Senate and become law," Salo noted.

The House of Representatives approved the Magna Carta of Seafarers last March. It is pending with the Senate, the other legislative chamber in Philippine Congress.

"For our land-based OFWs, we are hoping that the President will give us clear and decisive policy direction in order to guide us how we will be able to improve their rights and welfare. Our committee is fully committed in pursuing the best interests of our OFWs," Salo stated.

Meanwhile, in a proactive move to address the pressing needs of OFWs, the veteran congressman filed earlier this month a bill proposing the creation of a dedicated social security and pension system exclusively for them.

"From our consultations with our OFWs both here and abroad, it is clear that one of their most urgent requests is for the establishment of a social security and pension system especially tailored to fit the uniqueness and peculiarities of the circumstances of an OFW. It is my aspiration as well that the President recognizes the importance of such proposal," Salo said.