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THE PHILIPPINE STAR

MONDAY I OCTOBER 28,2Ot9 I news

OFWs deserve own
deptt
By DELON PoRCALLA
- lawmaker
ent of migrant worker remittances world;
wide. beliind India's $78.6 billioo China's
It is only but fitting for govemment $67.4 billioru and Mexico's $35.7 billion.
to put up a department fully devoted to House Deputy Speaker LRay Villa-
addressing the needs of overseas FiJipino fuerte, another author of the measure,
workers whose average $25-billion an- said prob)ems perennially besetting the
nual remittances have been keeping the families of about more than 10 million
local economy afloat, a lawmaker said OFWs across the globe might finally have
some kind of resolution once the bill be-
'vesterdav.
"One'of the main issues against the comes law.
establishment of the Deparirnent of OFWs He added that this is the chamber's
is fundine or the cost it would entail in wav of "recosnizine" the vita-l contribu-
creating inew office. But why would we tioi to the doinestic"economy of the ever-
7'who
look at the cost?" Rep. Fidel Nograles of increasinq number of OFWs are our
Rizal asked modem-day heroes."
"If we are talking about money, then - Tt19 pangko Sentral ng Pilipinas re-
our primary consideration should be the cords showed that the OFW remittances
dollars they have been rcmittinS to their from January to May this year soared to
fami-lies. Thev have been our unsuns he- $13.7 billion or 4.1 percent higher than the
roes for the l6ngest tirne now. Don';,ihey same period in 2018.
deserve something better? Can we not "I have been with President Duterte in
helo them?" he Dointed out. many of his official trips abrqad and I,have
i.lograles is Jmong the more than 30 personally seen how our OFWs love our
lawmakers who have filed a bill at the Presidenf" Villafuerte stressed. "Presi
House of Represenl.atives for the estab- dent Duterte has heard many stories about
lishment of a DeDartment of OFWs. A the hardships of our coun'trymen while
technical workinj group had been cre- working abroad and I understand why he
ated to iron out the various bills' key wants Congress to speed up dre passage of
provisions. He has urged his colleagues a measure creating an OFW departmenl."
to priodtize the creation of and funding The commitmerit for the passage of
for the department. the OFW deDarlment bill wa's made bv
He disclosed that the personal remit- Villafuerte durine his recent meetins it
tances of OFWs reached $33.8 billion the House with ieaders of rhe Alliance
from 2.3 million migrant workers and has of Bonafide Recruiters for OFW's Ad-
accounted for 9.7 percent of the country's vancement and Development (Abroad),
gross domesticproduct and 8.l percent of which earlier submitted a position paper
the gross national income in 2018. to Malacaflang and Congress identify-
The World Bark's April 201 9 Miqration ing points of agreement and discussion
and Development Bridf reported lat the on fine-tuning this priority bill of the
Philippines was the fourthbiggest recipi- Duterte administration.

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