By Brian Campued
Following a series of tropical cyclones that caused widespread flooding in Pampanga, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday assured that his office will be giving an additional P5,000 cash assistance each to 3,000 affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Marcos made the announcement during the distribution of aid to affected OFWs through the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
The assistance from the Office of the President (OP) will supplement the P5,000 provided by the DMW AKSYON Fund to help beneficiaries recover from the impacts of recent calamities.
“Hindi biro ang inyong pinagdadaanan—malayo sa pamilya habang nagtatrabaho sa ibayong lugar para sa kinabukasan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. At kapag may mga problema o mga pangyayari sa inyong pamilya dito sa Pilipinas, may kalamidad kung sakali, o talagang doble or triple pa ang inyong hirap sa pag-aalala,” Marcos said.
“Ito ay aktuwal na tulong lalo na sa mga sandaling walang ibang matatakbuhan,” the President added.
Aside from financial assistance, the AKSYON Fund also provides legal, medical, and emergency assistance for OFWs and their families.
To sustain support and protect the welfare of OFWs, the Chief Executive announced that DMW, Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the provincial and local governments of Pampanga have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to bolster efforts to combat illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
“Ito ang magsisilbing proteksyon para sa ating mga kababayan bago pa man sila makaalis ng bansa. Ngunit, hindi sapat na may programa lang. Kailangan ang malinaw na koordinasyon at sabay-sabay na pagkilos ng iba’t ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan,” Marcos said.
Under the MOA, a framework called “Kalasag ng Proteksyon para sa OFWs” will be established with four pillars: prevention, protection, prosecution, and reintegration.
“Hindi po dito nagtatapos ang ating pagkikilos. Mahalaga ang maagang tulong, ngunit higit na kinakailangan ang mga pangmatagalang solusyon. Hindi lang ‘yung minsanan,” Marcos stressed. “Kaya gumagawa po tayo ng mga hakbang na magsisilbing tulay tungo sa mas matatag na kinabukasan.”
-jpv
