Bong Go stresses urgent need to establish DMWOF to further protect Filipinos overseas amid hate crimes and other crises happening abroad

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go emphasized the urgent need to establish the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos which will be primarily responsible for protecting the rights and promoting the welfare and interests of migrant workers and other Filipinos overseas.

"Ako po ay umaasa na papasa po itong DMWOF (bill). Inisa na po siya at alam naman natin na ang ating OFWs, mga kababayan natin, hirap na hirap po, maraming nawalan ng trabaho na mga OFWs, maraming umuwi. Meron ding pamilyang pinapakain ang mga ito," said Go in an interview after he visited and distributed assistance to fire victims in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday, June 15.

Go said the passage of the measure is long overdue after President Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly appealed for its swift passage in his past State of the Nation Addresses.

"Napapanahon na po na meron din silang sariling departamento. Long overdue na po 'yan, matatapos na po ang termino ni Pangulong Duterte, matagal na po n'yang ipinangako 'yan. Ibigay na natin sa kanila ang para sa kanila. Mga modern-day heroes natin sila tapos wala pa silang sariling departamento," urged Go.

"Isipin n'yo po 10 million ang mga Overseas Filipinos. Bakit wala silang sariling departamento? Nararapat naman po na bigyan natin sila ng halaga na hindi na nila kailangan pang manawagan sa radyo, sa telebisyon, sa Facebook para humingi ng tulong. Tayo po ang pumunta sa kanila, tayo po ang lumapit sa kanila, tayo po ang maglagay ng departamento para po sa kanila," he added.

The Senator, on May 25, co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 2234 which, if passed, will establish the DMWOF. This is a consolidated version of his earlier proposed measure that aims to create the Department of Overseas Filipinos.

DMWOF will be mandated to formulate, recommend and implement national policies, plans, programs and guidelines that protect overseas Filipinos, including OFWs, as well as promote their interests and resolve issues concerning them in a timely and effective manner.

Meanwhile, amid the reported hate crimes against Asians in other countries, Go said that the DMWOF will be instrumental in protecting the rights and welfare of Filipinos overseas, as he sympathized with other Asian nationalities who experience hate and discrimination.

"Unang una, kung meron nang sariling departamento, meron na silang malalapitan. Nakakalungkot na merong mga ganun na anti-Asian... dapat po protektado at ipaglaban natin ang ating kapwa Asian, lalu na po gusto lang mamuhay ng tahimik sa ibang bansa at ayaw nating may inaapi na kababayan natin doon," Go lamented.

"Ako naman po, kami ni Pangulong Duterte, ipaglalaban po namin ang lahat po ng ating kapwa Pilipino," he assured.

The Senator also expressed his openness to further expand the Malasakit Centers and study the possibility of adopting the same 'one stop shop' approach in the delivery of other public services.

"Sa ngayon po ay ayon sa batas, narito po ito sa mga government hospitals. So, tapusin muna natin ang sang-ayon sa batas na magkaroon po sa mga government hospitals. Siguro pagdating ng panahon pag-aaralan natin 'yan," he said.

Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops that host concerned government agencies with programs that provide financial and medical assistance to Filipino patients, particularly the poor and indigent. These agencies are the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Go, then, vowed to continue improving further the access to quality and affordable healthcare services to Filipinos, especially during stressful times like the pandemic.

"Ang importante po ang Malasakit Center po, para po ito sa mabilis na tulong sa ating mga kababayan at 'wag na natin sila pahirapan pa," said Go.

"Lalo na po sa panahon ngayon, kailangan po ng mga kababayan natin, lalu na ang mga mahihirap. Hindi naman po pumupunta dito ang mayayaman. Ibalik natin sa kanila ang nararapat sa kanila. What is due to our fellow men and women, lalo na sa pandemya, ibigay natin sa mahihirap," he ended.