By Marita Moaje
MANILA – Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has called on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to remain calm and make careful financial decisions for their families’ well-being amid calls for a remittance boycott.
In a statement Thursday evening, Cacdac cited his own experience growing up as a son to an OFW, noting how he saw the sacrifices of his father, who worked as an engineer in Africa to sustain their needs.
“Nakita ko po ang bunga ng kanyang pagod at hirap na kanyang kabuuang kita o suweldo. Nadama ko po ang pagpapadala niya ng kanyang pinagpagurang halaga ng pera para sa pag-aaral at kapakanan namin ng kapatid ko (I saw the result of his hard work and hardship, his total income or salary. I felt the money he had worked so hard to send for his children’s education and welfare,” he said.
Cacdac made the statement amid a growing call to halt sending remittances to the Philippines and their families by overseas supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte in protest of his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) while pushing authorities to bring him back to the country.
While acknowledging the challenges and sacrifices of the OFWs, he also reminded the remittances were crucial for their families’ financial stability.
Cacdac said any major decisions regarding their hard-earned money must be made with care and prudence.
Meanwhile, Cacdac reassured OFWs that the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. continues to provide financial and welfare assistance through the various programs of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), particularly for those in difficult situations.
A flagship program of the DMW is the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund.
“Ang isang ehemplo po nito ay ang patuloy na pamamahagi ng AKSYON Fund na siyang ipinag-utos ng ating Pangulo at ng Kongreso, para po sa legal, medical at financial assistance sa mga OFWs, na umabot sa 86,000 beneficiaries noong nakaraang taon. Unprecedented po ang naging financial assistance na ibinibigay natin sa mga OFWs na nawalan ng trabaho, sa mga nangangailangan, at sa mga nagkakasakit (An example of this is the continued distribution of the AKSYON Fund, which was mandated by our President and Congress, for legal, medical, and financial assistance to OFWs, which reached 86,000 beneficiaries last year. The financial assistance we are providing to OFWs who lost their jobs, to those in need, and to those struggling is unprecedented),” he said.
Additionally, he said the OFW Lounges at NAIA, established following President Marcos’ directive, have benefited over one million OFWs, providing them with a dedicated space for comfort and assistance.
Moreover, Cacdac highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen protections for OFWs through bilateral labor agreements with host countries.
He said the recent opening of Migrant Workers’ Offices (MWO) in Austria, Croatia, and Hungary, as well as the enhanced labor protections in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are part of these initiatives. (PNA)
