In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted the role of the newly formed Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in improving the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The DMW didn’t disappoint Marcos. In the second half of 2022, the agency lifted the OFW deployment ban to Saudi Arabia and launched its One Repatriation Center, opening hotlines for repatriation, welfare and other concerns of distressed OFWs.
The agency is on track with Marcos’ plan of digitizing government processes. It developed and is set to launch a mobile application called OFW Pass, which OFWs can use to secure their digital identification and access other government apps.
With the help of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), the DMW is eyeing the establishment of an electronic Business One-Stop Shop (eBOSS) to reduce the processing time for documents that OFWs need.
However, out of the four labor-related promises Marcos mentioned in his maiden SONA, none tackled the pressing issues that Filipino workers face today.
In a statement after the SONA in July last year, activist labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno lamented the president’s lack of plans to address contractualization and workers’ wages. This is despite Marcos previously expressing his intent to revisit the Security of Tenure or anti-endo bill when he was campaigning.
Find out more on how Marcos fared in his SONA promises related to labor:
Find out how Marcos Jr. fared in other sectors
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Sources
On Marcos’ lack of plans to address salary and contractualization issues
- Kilusang Mayo Uno Facebook page, Komento sa unang SONA ni Bongbong Marcos Jr., July 25, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Bongbong Marcos plans to simplify gov’t labor offices; review ‘endo’ bill, Feb. 23, 2022
- GMA News, Bongbong Marcos expresses intent to end ‘endo’, Feb. 23, 2022
- Philstar.com, Marcos Jr. says may consider prioritizing Security of Tenure bill if elected president, Feb. 23, 2022
On automating contract verification and issuing secure OECs
- Department of Migrant Workers, News Release Department of Migrant Workers July 12, 2023, July 12, 2023
- Presidential Communications Office, PBBM wants Overseas Employment Certifications free for OFWs, July 9, 2023
On reducing the duration of the processing of papers for OFWs
- Anti-Red Tape Authority, EBOSS EYED BY DMW, ARTA TO FAST-TRACK OFW DEPLOYMENT, April 14, 2023
On launching One Repatriation Command Center
- Department of Migrant Workers, DMW launches One Repatriation Center, July 20, 2022
- OWWA Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, ADVISORY: For Assistance, families/relatives of OFWs affected, April 20, 2022
- Department of Migrant Workers, DMW Statement on the Kuwait government’s suspension of new entry visas for Filipinos, May 12, 2023
On the lifting of OFW deployment ban to Saudi Arabia
- Department of Migrant Workers, Ople: OFW deployment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia resumes on November 7 under new contracts that strengthen workers’ protection, Nov. 7, 2022
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