The House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs approved a measure to establish offices of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) here in Bohol.
The said committee approved the measure on Jan. 28, 2021. The measure, which is a substitute bill, is a consolidated version of House Bill 1825 and House Bill 1826 principally authored by Cong Edgar Chatto.
The substitute bill aims to establish regional and provincial centers for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) including the establishment of offices of the said government agencies in Bohol.
Chatto emphasized the inclusion of critical agencies of the government providing a one-stop solution to the needs of OFWs especially those who reside in the province.
Boholano OFWs face difficulty in dealing with these agencies because the offices of OWWA and POEA are located in Cebu City.
With the travel restrictions due to the pandemic, transacting with the agencies’ offices in neighboring Cebu is quite a challenge.
He underscored that the state recognizes the significant contribution of OFWs to the country’s economic growth and national development. Hence, the need to provide affordable and accessible services and assistance to OFWs.
Committee Chairman Raymond Democrito Mendoza led the approval of the measure together with Congressmen Deogracias Savellano, Marisol Panotes and Ronnie Ong.
As this developed, Chatto also bats for the establishment of an office of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) here in Bohol.
Having a DFA office in Bohol will not only benefit the OFWs, but also serve local residents and even the tourists, he said in a statement released by Chatto’s office.
Meanwhile, Chatto also strongly backed the House Resolution 1344 urging the DFA, Department of Transportation (DoTR), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), POEA, OWWA and other relevant government agencies to create a task force responsible for conducting search and rescue operations during sea mishaps involving Filipino seafarers occurring in the country’s territorial waters, foreign waters, and the open sea.
The proposed task force will also ensure that the families of surviving, missing or dead Filipino ship crew members involved in sea mishaps will receive appropriate government assistance and legal claims from private entities.
Moreover, Chatto pointed out that national agencies should be work together to conduct investigations, and must put in place measures to ensure that families receive the assistance they need.
“Families are powerless and that is why they rely on government, that is why measures are needed, whether by legislation or through the task force to address these gaps,” he said.