Shape up, Duterte tells agencies serving OFWs

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday served notice to government agencies to improve the delivery of their services to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), saying they should be spared of the difficulties as they seek work abroad.

“This is one aspect of the journey of a migrant worker starting on his working on the papers ang ayaw ko kasi patagalan, so itong Red Tape [Authority] it will really well call your attention that you are not serving the people alam mo ganun sa gobyerno eh,” Duterte said during his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the OFW Center in Daang Hari, Las Piñas City.

The center will serve as a one-stop shop that will house satellite offices of government agencies that can process the requirements of OFWs.

“Yung masakit sa akin saan-saan ituturo you have to go to the NBI [National Bureau of Immigration] then you have to go the BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue].  You know the traffic in Manila, even with the advent of this elevated highways is not enough really to make a great impact to improve the lives,” he said.

Duterte said he understands the difficulties of the migrant workers especially those in the provinces who wake up early in the morning to travel in order to get their documents in the government offices.

“Ang migrant workers hindi pwede mag-ano walang pera yan (do not have money) and it is very tiring because they have no private cars they have to travel public and they cannot complete the papers pabalik balik yan ang ayaw ko yung pabalik balik (and they always come back to the offices, I do not like that),” he said.

He then warned the government officials to their job and follow his order.

“Dito sa Executive department isa lang ang tao, isa lang ang tigas dito, sundin ninyo ang gusto ko.  Better do the things that I want to improve the service of the government or else mayroon tayong away I'm sure I don't want to quarrel masama pa naman yung bunganga ko,” he said.

"I am on my way out, dadalin ko kayo paglabas ko sa gobyerno kayong mga ...." Duterte added.

He said anew that he will not tolerate corrupt officials under his helm.

“But you know I have fired six Cabinet members, hindi ninyo lang alam. Along the way in my journey for six years, six cabinet members lost their jobs,” he said.

Duterte assured the government will continue to assist OFWs in distress such as those in the Middle East.

“We also continue to support our OFWs who are now facing unfathomable
difficulties in areas such as the Ukraine, Middle East, Afghanistan among others," he said.

"Wala ako masyado sa Ukraine, wala naman akong nababalitaan. Yung Middle East pati Afghanistan among others medyo..take a closer look dyan it has nothing to do with religion, it is the culture of brutality in these areas. Times of
crisis, your government remains hard at work to protect the interest of our kababayans abroad," he added,

Last December 2021, Duterte signed Republic Act 11641 or the law establishing the Department of Migrant Workers.

Under the law, the department will absorb all functions and mandates of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and will be the primary agency under the Executive branch tasked to protect the rights and promote the welfare of OFWs and other overseas Filipinos.—LDF, GMA News