ZAMBOANGA CITY (PIA) — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) continues to prioritize the protection, employment, and reintegration of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), with programs directly impacting migrant workers and their families.
OIC Regional Director Gay Iris Tangcalagan emphasized the agency’s mission to provide holistic support from deployment to return.
“The DMW exists to protect, serve, and empower our OFWs from the day they decide to leave, to the day they return home,” she said.
One of DMW’s flagship efforts is OFW reintegration, offering assistance to distressed and returning workers.
As of the first quarter of 2024, DMW has disbursed P3.5 million in the Zamboanga Peninsula under the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo Action Fund to assist 80 distressed OFWs.
Additionally, P210,000 was released as Livelihood Development Assistance to support 21 returning migrant workers in rebuilding their lives.
Through the Balik-Pinay, Balik-Hanapbuhay Program, P730,000 was granted to 73 beneficiaries, providing them with starter kits and livelihood support. The agency also extended assistance to licensed teachers under the “Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir” program, implemented in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), helping them transition into teaching careers back home.
“These programs give OFWs a fresh start. Reintegration is not the end, it’s a new beginning,” Tangcalagan noted.
In terms of employment facilitation, DMW supported 24 job fairs and special recruitment activities, leading to the successful deployment of 1,810 workers. The newly implemented Online Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) system has also simplified document processing, saving time and effort for OFWs.
DMW also extends legal and welfare services, repatriation assistance, and coordinates closely with Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Foreign Affairs. The One Repatriation Command Center operates 24/7 to respond to crises abroad.
To date, 1,511 distressed OFWs have been assisted in returning home, including the remains of 16 Filipinos—a somber reminder of the risks faced abroad.
With 42 Migrant Workers Offices worldwide and more on the way, DMW remains steadfast in ensuring no Filipino worker is left behind.
“You are not alone. We are with you, mula pag-alis hanggang pagbalik,” Tangcalagan said. (EDT/MLE/BNT/PIA9-Zamboanga City)
