PRO-WORKERS. Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Arnell Ignacio (2nd and 3rd from left) guest at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum at the DMW head office in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday (Sept. 3, 2024). They discussed the programs and services of the government for the empowerment of overseas Filipino workers. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – Funds for the government's national reintegration program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been doubled under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas vision, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas of the Philippine Information Agency, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the increased budget will enable more OFW returnees to get assistance and benefit from the program.
He said reintegration program beneficiaries of the DMW and OWWA have reached around 28,000 from Jan. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2024, mostly under OWWA programs.
“Dito sa DMW, we started with a smaller budget from the NRCO (National Reintegration Center for OFWs) pero sa panahon ng bagong Pilipinas dumoble 'yung budget ng National Reintegration Center, so from around 2,500 beneficiaries, lalago yan ng around 5,000 beneficiaries this year (but during the time of the Bagong Pilipinas , the budget of the National Reintegration Center has doubled, so from around 2,500 beneficiaries, it will grow to around 5,000),” Cacdac said.
He said there are several programs and activities under the NRCO to help returning OFWs rebuild and restart their lives and successfully reintegrate into society.
These include the BPBH, Livelihood Development Assistance Program (LDAP), Sa Pinas Ikaw ang Ma'am at Sir (SPIMS), Training on Livelihood, Skills, Technical and Professional Development, Entrepreneurship Development Tour (EDT), Business Mentoring and Technical Support (BMTS) Technical Support, Tulong Pangkapital, Psychosocial Activities, and the Reintegration Education Campaign which include Pre-Migration. Orientation Seminar, Financial Awareness Seminar- Small Business Management Training, Financial Education, and Anti-Investment Scam, among others.
Meanwhile, OWWA chief Arnell Ignacio said the agency’s fund for OFW reintegration is always available.
“The OWWA fund, big chunk of that, about 10 percent goes to reintegration, so that is an additional help for OFWs who have worked abroad and are mulling to go back to the country and continue to sustain their livelihood, using the skills and experiences they learned abroad. So we are continuously supporting that through several existing OWWA programs,” he said.
He said the OWWA is thinking of a new reintegration program specifically for OFWs who are into farming, which will not only help returning workers but will also support the food sufficiency programs of the Marcos administration.
Cacdac said the DMW is also partnering with other government agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Tourism, to further strengthen the reintegration program and provide OFWs access to livelihood or business opportunities when they decide to return and settle in the Philippines. (PNA)
