Manila: President Benigno Aquino III has signed new law that provides more protection for overseas Filipino workers and mandates, among others, the creation of a programme that institutionalises their reintegration back to the mainstream.

Republic Act No. 10801, which was signed by Aquino last May 10, embodies a new charter for Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). It essentially mandates the government to provide budgetary support to the agency.

Previously, OWWA sourced its budget solely from the $25 (Dh91.8) paid by overseas Filipino workers (OFW) every time they leave the country to work abroad.

The OWWA had been created in 1977 during the administration of then President Ferdinand Marcos on a mandate of providing welfare services and benefits that could be used by OFWs such as insurance coverage, social work assistance, legal aid, placement support, remittance services among others. However, this early mandate is not clear where the fund accumulated through OWWA contribution would go. Senator Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr, during earlier debates, said the OWWA had accumulated some P18 billion (Dh1.42 billion) as of last year. This is where the new law comes in.

“With the national government providing regular budgetary support to the OWWA for its operation and personal services, the OWWA will now have more elbow room to devote the trust fund of OFWs exclusively to the implementation of programmes and services that promote the welfare of its members and their families,” Labour and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said.

The new law also specifies that OWWA programmes should cover other OFWs who are not members of OWWA or undocumented OFWs, and that the reintegration of OFWs will be among the core programmes of the government agency.

With the law, OWWA becomes a chartered institution. “This new OWWA charter governing the operations and administration of the OWWA took a long time coming. We welcome this development,” said Baldoz adding: “More than anybody else, OFW members and their families should be happy about this development.”

OWWA Administrator Rebecca J. Calzado the agency will introduce new programmes with the new law, while pointing out that they will continue to enhance the services, such as death, disability and dismemberment benefits; repatriation assistance; scholarships, skills training and skills upgrading programmes, and pre-departure assistance.

“OWWA members and their families will surely benefit more from these programmes because OFW returnees can leverage their acquired skills and savings to improve their standard of living through successful reintegration and business enterprise development,” she said.

One provision of the Charter will benefit long-time members as they can avail financial assistance or a system of rebate for those who have been members for at least ten and who, along with their families, have not used any service or benefit from OWWA.

“The new law is President Aquino III’s ‘early gift’ to OFWs on the occasion of the 21st Migrant Worker’s Day on 7 June 2016,” Baldoz added.