As the newly-elected President of the Republic of the Philippines, all eyes are set on Rodrigo Roa Duterte, former Mayor of Davao City and the sole presidential candidate from Mindanao. Duterte won by a huge margin over his opponents, winning as the 16th president of the country.
During the last presidential debate held on April 24, 2016 at the University of Pangasinan, Dagupan City, Duterte expressed his intentions to prioritize the welfare and protection of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
So what are things that OFWs can look forward to under the Duterte administration? Here are the top 3:
- The creation of an OFW department.
Duterte said:
“I propose to create one government [agency] only to take care of the OFW. Lahat ng kailangan ng permit, diyan nila kukunin sa administrasyon na ‘yan (All the permits they need, they will get it from that agency). It’s going to be a department to take care of them.”
- The creation of OFW banks.
Duterte likewise mentioned his plans to establish a system of banks that will focus on OFW remittances. He elaborated:
“I will create a bank para sa mga remittances nila (for their remittances), hindi na sila pupunta sa mga dicer (so they won’t have to go to dicers). They can go to the bank and we will have a bank in every place where they are.”
- Closer tracking of OFW and assistance for abused OFWs.
Duterte wants to require all diplomats and embassies to keep track of the whereabouts of all OFWs within their areas of jurisdiction.
The president-elect likewise assured that the government will provide free plane tickets for abused OFWs who wish to go home:
“Third, make it mandatory for the consul general or consul to keep track of all the Filipinos abroad and at the first sign of abuse and if they want to go home, libre na ‘yan (it will be for free),” he said.
Aside from plane tickets, Duterte also said that his administration will shoulder medical expenses and even provide legal assistance for abused OFWs who want to have their employment contracts suspended.
via : rappler / debate 2016