DOLE to review PHL policy on undocumented workers

Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the government will review the policy that prohibits illegal overseas workers from becoming legal overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).   The policy was initiated by former Labor chief and now Supreme Court Associate Justice Arturo Brion.   Baldoz said she intends to meet with officials of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to study the department order.    "I’ll be setting a meeting with POEA and OWWA board to review this policy issued introduced by Secretary Brion which disallows irregular or undocumented workers from becoming regular or documented workers," she said.   Baldoz made the announcement after the Philippine government recently signed bilateral agreements with Jordan and Lebanon to protect OFW rights, among others.   During her recent visit in Beirut, Filipino community leaders there sought help for undocumented OFWs who went to Lebanon after the total deployment ban there was imposed in 2007.   "Majority of Filipino workers here would like to go home and see their children graduate. We want them to be given passes to allow to visit their families and return here later," said Gerald Cabautan, a Filipino community leader.   Cabauatan said there were some 35,000 OFWs in Lebanon in 2007 but the number rose to 50,000 due to the continued influx of undocumented OFWs. - VVP, GMA News