By Katrina Gracia Consebido
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday, Nov. 13, vowed to strengthen partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to provide prompt assistance to Filipino migrant workers in distress.
“Sa pagtutulungan ng DFA, sa pangunguna ni Kalihim Enrique Manalo at ng pinakabagong ahensya ng ating administrasyon… ang tawag ay DMW, the Department of Migrant Workers na pinangungunahan ni Kalihim Toots Ople, lalo nating pag-iigtingin ang tambalang ito upang makapagbigay ng mabilis at karampatang serbisyo at tulong sa mga overseas Filipinos na nangangailangan ng tulong,” Marcos said during his meeting with the Filipino community in Cambodia.
Marcos said that the national government gave prompt assistance during the height of the pandemic to all Filipinos affected by COVID-19 through the coordination between the DFA, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
According to Marcos, the government had already conducted medical repatriations and provided help through the Legal Assistance Fund where Filipinos are provided with Khmer-speaking lawyers that will help them with their legal problems in Cambodia.
More than 5,000 Filipinos live and work in Cambodia where most of them are English teachers and supervisors in clothing and apparel factories and casinos.