Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat on Wednesday cited Vice President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo’s advocacies to decentralize and bring government services closer to the people.
Baguilat said under Robredo’s plan, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) chasing their travel papers no longer need to go to Metro Manila to transact business with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and other pertinent government agencies.
Baguilat, who is running for senator under the Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan ticket, said Robredo earlier vowed to establish a migrant workers’ office in every province to bring the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) closer to the people.
“If VP Leni becomes president, you no longer need to go to POEA in the NCR or regional office to process your documents,” Baguilat said.
“You can all do this without leaving your province. No more long and expensive trips and no need to look for a place to stay,” Baguilat added.
He said Robredo came up with the idea because “it is in her nature to be (on the ground) when talking about issues with the people.”
He added that Robredo understands that whatever hardship an OFW faces is also felt by the family.
“So she has hit the sentiments of the OFWs and their families during the last (presidential) debates,” the lawmaker said.
The DMW would cover seven related agencies presently scattered and attached to different line departments, including the POEA, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administtration (OWWA), the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) which is under the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, National Reintegration Center for OFWs, and the National Maritime Polytechnic, which are all attached to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).Macon Ramos-Araneta
“If we indeed consider our OFWs as heroes, they should be treated as heroes,” Baguilat said.