Villanueva leads passage of bill on Dept of Migrant Workers; 'Finally, a house made by, for OFW.'

The Senate today stamped its approval on the bill creating the Department of Migrant Workers, in a major advance for a legislation the administration has pushed as an urgent measure.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, hailed the passage on 3rd and final reading of Senate Bill No. 2234, which organizes the proposed Department of Migrant Workers, after the Upper Chamber voted 20-0 on Tuesday afternoon.

In his brief remarks after the plenary vote, Villanueva said the proposed department seeks to be a "dedicated service arm" for 10 million Filipinos overseas who account for 10 percent of the population and whose remittances comprise 12 percent of national income.

"This moment is for every Filipino abroad who has sacrificed so much for their family and our beloved country. This bill is a chance to change for the better the way our OFWs, our modern-day heroes, are recruited, repatriated, and reintegrated," said Villanueva, principal sponsor and author of Senate Bill No. 2234.

"Kaya't isang malaking pagtanaw ng utang na loob, at isang makabuluhang pamasko para mga OFWs ang pagpasa ngayong araw dito sa Senado ng Department of Migrant Workers Bill," continued Villanueva.

The department will orchestrate all efforts and policies, which unfortunately have become fragmented, to protect OFWs. With POEA as the backbone, a total of seven (7) offices are consolidated and merged as the Department of Migrant Workers (DFA-OUMWA, POEA, POLO, ILAB, NRCO and NMP under DOLE, and the Office of the Social Welfare Attache of DSWD). The OWWA will be an attached agency of the new department.

Allaying fears that the transfer of agencies to a new department amounts to a mere "lipat-bahay," Villanueva said the role of each, based on its strengths, is well clarified.

"Hindi po basta 'lipat-bahay' o 'pagpapalit ng karatula ng pangalan' ang itinatayo nating kagawaran kundi isang 'bagong bahay' na may maayos na plano at base sa pangarap at adhikain ng mga mismong may-ari ng bahay na ito, wala pong iba kundi ang ating mga Overseas Filipino Workers," Villanueva said.

Villanueva expressed gratitude to the different government agencies who serve as front liners to OFW concerns and helped shape the bill to its current form.

While recognizing the "the many and different paths that were taken" during the entirety of the deliberations into the measure, these efforts "will now converge as we establish the Department of Migrant Workers, an agency that is laser focused on OFWs needs and welfare," explained Villanueva.

Villanueva also maintained that the department would help ensure the state policy of not promoting overseas employment.

"Naniniwala po tayo na balang-araw--at hindi po tayo mawawalan ng pag-asa--na darating ang panahong hindi na kailangang mag-abroad ng Pilipino at mawalay sa kanyang pamilya para lang mabuhay," said the lawmaker. "We are in unison that it is not the policy of the state to promote overseas employment and it is our common aspiration that Filipinos will migrate or work abroad only out of choice, and not out of necessity."

Villanueva: Panukalang magtatayo ng Department of Migrant Workers, pasado na sa Senado; 'Itatatag ang isang bahay na gawa ng, para sa OFW'

Inaprubahan ng Senado ngayon sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang isang bill na layong magtayo ng isang Department of Migrant Workers, isang panukalang dineklarang "urgent" ng administrasyon.

Pinuri ni Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman ng Senate labor committee, ang pagkakapasa sa botong 20-0 ng Senate Bill No. 2234 na siyang nagbalangkas ng kapangyarihan at komposisyon ng Department of Migrant Workers.

Pagkatapos ang botohan, sinabi ni Villanueva na ang iminungkahing kagawaran ay siyang tututok sa kapakanan ng mahigit 10 milyong Pilipino na nasa ibayong dagat na bumubuo sa halos 10 porsyento ng populasyon ng Pilipinas.

"Para ito sa bawat Pilipinong nagsakripisyo sa ibang bansa para sa kanilang pamilya at para sa bayan. Mahigit isandaang taon na tayong lumilisan at nangingibang bansa, at ngayon nga ang sandali na nagpapasalamat tayo sa ating mga OFWs sa pamamagitan ng maayos na serbisyo para sa kanila," ani Villanueva, pangunahing sponsor ng SB No. 2234.

"Kaya't isang malaking pagtanaw ng utang na loob, at isang makabuluhang pamasko para mga OFWs ang pagpasa ngayong araw dito sa Senado ng Department of Migrant Workers Bill," pagpapatuloy niya.

Trabaho ng bagong departmento na pag-isahin ang lahat ng polisiya at effort ng gobyerno, na sa kasamaang palad ay naging watak-watak sa paglipas ng panahon, para protektahan ang mga OFWs. Pitong ahensya ng gobyerno ang bubuo sa kagawaran, sa pangunguna ng Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs ng DFA, Philippine Overseas Labor Offices at International Labor Affairs Bureau, National Reintegration Center for OFWs ng DOLE, at Office of the Social Welfare Attache ng DSWD. Magiging attached agency naman ang OWWA ng Department of Migrant Workers.

Bubuin ang bagong kagawaran mula sa mga ahensiya na nakalagak sa DOLE, DFA at iba pa, at hindi lamang daw ito simpleng "lipat-bahay" kundi nilinaw at pinalakas ang mandato ng bawat isa, ayon kay Villanueva.

"Hindi po basta 'lipat-bahay' o 'pagpapalit ng karatula ng pangalan' ang itinatayo nating kagawaran kundi isang 'bagong bahay' na may maayos na plano at base sa pangarap at adhikain ng mga mismong may-ari ng bahay na ito, wala pong iba kundi ang ating mga Overseas Filipino Workers," ani Villanueva.

Nagpasalamat naman si Villanueva sa iba't ibang ahensya na nagsilbing frontliners sa mga OFWs na tumulong sa paghubog ng panukala hanggang sa ito'y maipasa.

Iginiit din ni Villanueva na sisiguruhin ng itatayong kagawaran na hindi magiging polisiya ng bansa ang paghimok sa mga Pilipino na mangibang bansa.