AGIMAT Party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla has vowed to champion the interest of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in his tenure are chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (OWA).

Revilla had this to say Tuesday, Aug. 5 , just a few hours after his colleagues in plenary affirmed his election as OWA panel chairman.

Revilla expressed his deep gratitude for the trust placed in him by House Speaker Martin Romualdez and his fellow legislators. He described the role as “a privilege, a responsibility, and most of all, an opportunity to serve".

“Ang ating mga OFWs ay hindi lamang haligi ng ekonomiya, kundi ng buong sambayanang Pilipino. Ang kabayanihan nila ay hindi lamang dapat suklian ng papuri, kundi ng konkretong proteksyon, tamang representasyon, at makataong polisiya na sumasalamin sa kanilang aktwal na kalagayan at pangangailangan,” Revilla said.

(Our OFWs are not just pillars of our economy, but of the entire Filipino nation. Their heroism deserves more than praise, it demands concrete protection, proper representation, and humane policies that reflect their actual conditions and needs.)

As chairperson, Revilla said he will advance meaningful legislation in close collaboration with fellow lawmakers, national agencies, civil society groups and, most importantly, OFWs and their families.

“Inaasahan kong makatrabaho ang aking mga kasamahan sa Kongreso, gayundin ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno tulad ng DMW, DFA, OWWA, at iba pang mga organisasyon at kinatawan ng OFWs, upang magtaguyod ng mga batas at programang tunay na may saysay sa buhay ng ating mga kababayang nasa abroad,” he added.

(I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress, as well as government agencies like the DMW, DFA, OWWA, and various organizations and representatives of OFWs, to advance laws and programs that truly make a difference in the lives of our fellow Filipinos abroad.)

The committee is expected to prioritize the passage of key measures focused on the protection, reintegration, and long-term welfare of OFWs.

These include proposed laws that expand legal assistance and emergency support, redefine illegal recruitment, provide free financial literacy training and compulsory insurance, and establish a comprehensive reintegration framework for returning workers.

Other bills aim to grant civil service eligibility and technical certification to long-serving OFWs, offer scholarships to their dependents, and promote entrepreneurship and pre-deployment health benefits through free diagnostic exams.

“Ang tunay na serbisyo ay hindi natatapos sa hangganan ng ating bayan. Kaya’t maaasahan ninyo na pagdating sa komiteng ito, ang bawat desisyon, konsultasyon, at panukala, ay nakasentro sa mga OFW,” said Revilla.

(True public service does not end at the borders of our homeland. That’s why you can count on this committee to ensure that every decision, consultation, and proposal will center on the welfare of our OFWs.)