Senator Richard Gordon (File photo)
MANILA – During his co-sponsorship speech on the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act (DMWOFA) or Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFIL) on Wednesday, Senator Richard J. Gordon noted the importance of making sure that the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have an agency to rely on once they are sent abroad.
“Wala po tayong business na magpadala ng tao abroad. Kung hindi natin maproprotektahan ang mga umaalis nating kababayan, wala tayong karapatan o pribelihiyo na matawag na tahanan ang ating bansa ng mga OFW (We have no business in deploying people abroad. If we can’t protect our countrymen leaving the country, we have no right or privilege to be called home by our OFW),” he said in a media release on Thursday.
Gordon also cited some notable experiences he had, as Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), with OFWs asking for help.
Among the overseas Filipinos that Gordon had helped are: Ace Wendy Jutar, Geraldine Medina, and Amilou Dandan from Ivory Coast who were rescued in 2009 from illegal recruitment and trafficking; Harnea Saduyugan, Guiamela Esmael, Norhata Mentol, Nhoraisa Asi from Bangkok, Thailand; 70 repatriates from Gaza who were assisted and facilitated by the PRC in 2009; and the case of Romulo Del Rosario, Filipino who fell into a coma while onboard a trans-European flight.
He also mentioned two OFWs who had to jump from buildings to escape their situations, Gina Agustin Aguilar in Kuwait, and Michelle Tumagan in Lebanon.
“Kailangan talaga na ihanda itong department na ito, bigyan talaga ng sapat na appropriations, sapat na magagaling na tao— psychologists, mga expert in foreign affairs, at dapat naka-focus. Kapag naka- focus iyan, mabilisan ang takbo niyan at lalong magkakaroon ng flexibility, maiintindihan ng tao iyan sapagkat ito ay mag-a-anticipate na kung ano ang mga problemang mararating at madadatnan natin (We really need to prepare this department, give it sufficient appropriations, sufficient competent personnel—psychologists, experts in foreign affairs and they must be focused. If they are focused, it would run smoothly and it would have flexibility, people would understand that because it would anticipate whatever problem we would encounter),” Gordon said.
Gordon concluded as he reminds the government of the concomitant responsibility to protect our people once it enters the business of sending people abroad. (PR)
