The Public Attorney’s Office and Department of Migrant Workers have partnered to help distressed overseas Filipino workers.
PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta assured government assistance for distressed OFWs as well the legal spouses and even partners of OFWs who have abandoned child support.
“Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople acts swiftly on complaints…We cannot afford to ignore our OFWs,” Acosta said.
“PAO and DMW are just here to help our migrant workers in their problems. We need to assist them,” she said.
Earlier, the DMW pushed for a law that would institutionalize the coverage of OFWs in the legal assistance fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said while OFWs can avail themselves of the fund, this is only through a department order from the DFA.
“While there is a DO from the DFA to address these forms of assistance, the reality is there is no permanency for a DO. If the secretary changes, they might overturn the DO, but if we change the law, we will be able to institutionalize this assistance and further enhance the protection of our OFWs,” Olalia told lawmakers at the House of Representatives last month.
“This is the reality our OFWs face – they often come home feeling helpless, and, in most cases, compliant recruitment agencies are implicated. The only way to counteract this is to provide for a fund that can give assurance to our OFWs, while they are still in destination countries, to file the necessary, appropriate legal remedies,” he added.
