.
Monday, October 14,2019
E
BY JASPER EMMANUEI Y. ARCALAS
J glearcalas
OUSE Deputy Speaker Luis
Raymund F. Villafuerte Jr. on
I I Sunday assured overseas Filipino
workers (OFW) that lawmakers are
prioritizing the creation of a department
dedicated to their needs and concerns.
In a statement, Villafuerte said the House
of Representatives is "giving toP priority" to
the creation of the Department of Filjpino
Overseas (DFO) "to address the concerns of
this ever-burgeoning sector."
This is line with President Duterte's
commitment during his State of the Nation
Address last July to establish a Cabinetlevel
office for the exclusive benefit of the OFWS
Villafuerte said.
"The creation of this new department
for OFWs is a top priority of the House
leadership, and in recognition by the House
of the vital contribution td the domestic
economy of the ever-increasing number of
OFWs who are our modern-day heroes," the
solon said.
Villafuerte, who represents Camarines
Sur's Second District, is a member of
the government's Legislative-Executive
Development Advisory Council or Ledac.
The lawmaker made the commitment after
the Ledac met with leaders of an organization
of OFWs to fine-tune the bill that would
create the DFO.
The House of Representatives is set to
approve the bill creating the DFO before the
year ends.
In an interview following a technical
'The qeation ofthis new
d.partment for ofws i! a top
priority of the House leadership
and in re@gnition bY th€ Hous€
ofthe vital ontribution to the
domesti( e@nomY of the ever'
in(icaring nunber of 0tw' who
are our modem-day herces."-
Villafuerte
.
working group (TWG) meeting on the proposals creating
a single agency for overseas Filipino workers, Albay Rep'
Jose Maria C. Salceda echoed that the measure creating
the DFO is one of the top priorities of the Duterte
administration and the 18th Congress.
Salceda, head of the TWG, said the proposed DFO
would absorb the functions of the Philippine Overseas..
Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers
Welfare Administ{ation, with the POEA as the lead
agency.
"
"We Lthe TWGI will finish the draft bill this week ;
as this was identified as top priority of the small '
group Ledac and lit will be submitted to the plenary
ior approval when session resumes in November]," he
said.
' "We are recognizing the contribution fof Filipino workers
abroadl as the most stable source of money for the economy'
[Therefore], we must be able to proviae their needs by
having a single department that will protect them and their
families," Salceda added.
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