1.2280111-3150416767
File photo shows Filipino migrant workers paying Social Security and Pag-Ibig (Home Mutual Development Fund) contributions at a remittance shop in Satwa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Image Credit: Courtesy, Julian de Jesus

Highlights

  • Law signed on Thursday creates Department of Migrant Workers to pool all agencies for migrant workers and improve services.
  • Overseas Filipino workers, who send home more than $30 billion each year, are deemed as modern day heroes.
  • Thursday marked 125th anniversary of the martyrdom of the country national hero Rizal’s martyrdom.

Manila: President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Thursday (December 30, 2021) signed into law creating the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which aims to improve coordination among agencies concerned with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their affairs.

In a ceremony at the Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace, Duterte signed Republic Act 11641, known as “An Act Creating the Department of Migrant Workers”, according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

December 30 is the death anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the country’s National Hero. Thursday marked 125th anniversary of the Rizal’s martyrdom.

Duterte likened OFWs to Rizal. Filipinos overseas send home an average of about Php135 billion (about $2.6 billion) a month, according to latest Bangkok Sentral ng Pilipinas data (January to October 2021).

“The establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers happens on the celebration of Rizal Day. May we honour not only the exceptional love for country of Dr. Jose Rizal, but also the patriotism, excellence, courage of our modern-day heroes including our overseas Filipinos,” he said in his speech.

The creation and establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers is one of Duterte’s priorities after he certified it as an urgent bill in March.

Duterte has repeatedly pushed for the passage of a bill mandating the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers, even mentioning it in his final State-of-the-Nation Address on July 26 this year.

“I also ask Congress to pass a law creating the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos kailangan po ito (we need this) because they are suffering not on — they suffered not only yesterday but they are still suffering now with so many inadequacies, in both our government response, including the monetary assistance — to ensure that there is a department that is solely focused on addressing the needs and taking care of the welfare of our countrymen abroad,” he said.

The Department of Migrant Workers is expected to benefit an estimated 2.2 million Filipinos abroad, based on the 2019 Survey on Overseas Filipinos released in 2020 by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the state agency added.

5.3% jump in remittances
Personal remittances — cash or kind transfers between families — reached $2.736 billion in September 2021, and $2.812 billion in October, bringing the January-October total to $25.928 billion, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data.

The latest data brought the year-to-date figure to $25.69 billion, up by 5.3% from 24.63 billion during the same period in 2020.