Villanueva: OFW department bill pending as panel awaits input from gov’t agencies

Senate committee on labor chairperson Joel Villanueva on Tuesday said the bill seeking to establish a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers has yet to be tackled by his panel.

"We already filed last month Senate Bill No. 1848, the administration bill which consolidates the comments of Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Budget and Management into the proposed Department of Overseas Filipino Workers," Villanueva said in a statement.

"But the affected agencies are still refining the provisions with the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office to ensure seamless services to overseas Filipinos," he added.

Once a "unified" version of this bill has been produced, the Senate committee may start its deliberations, according to the senator.

President Rodrigo Duterte urged Congress to fast-track the passage of a law that would create this new department that would cater to Filipino migrant workers.

The House of Representatives approved its counterpart bill on third and final reading last March. — BM, GMA News