President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration seeks to add more labor attaches protecting the rights of Filipino migrant workers.
During a meeting with the Filipino community in Brussels, Belgium on Monday, December 12, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople announced that the government has laid out initiatives to help overseas Filipinos wanting to go back to the country for good.
According to Ople, they are already strengthening the agreements in accordance with the President's order for those who want to invest after working hard abroad will be assisted.
She added that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Go Negosyo will be their partners.
Meanwhile, Ople said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will provide opportunities for returning OFWs who want to venture into agriculture and agribusiness enterprises.
In addition, the Department of Information of Communications Technology (DICT) will extend support in upskilling Filipino workers to stay competitive in the workforce.
Established in 2021, the DMW will have its budget in 2023 once the chief executive signs the General Appropriations Act of 2023 into law.
The signing of the GAA gives the new department the go-ahead to fully establish itself, which will result in the conversion of the existing Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) into Migrant Workers' Offices (MWOs).
Aside from Belgium, Filipinos from Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland joined the Filipino community gathering.
