SMS-based system comes to rescue of overseas workers

Manila: Distressed overseas Filipino workers can now send an SOS through SMS to gain access to various Philippine government agencies for help when they are in distress abroad, an advocacy group has said.

The Centre for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) has a new short messaging service (SMS) system, that would allow Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and various government agencies such as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs could communicate with each other.

"An OFW who needs help or has questions that need answers is just a text message away from help," said CMA executive director Ellene Sana.

"This would allow Philippine government agencies and non-government agencies to respond or intervene immediately for OFWs in a life-threatening situation," said Sana.

"OFWs whose lives, safety, or well-being are in a critical consideration will always need immediate and timely assistance."

The new technology was developed with the OFWs in mind, said Sana. "It was initiated, conceptualised and developed by OFWs for OFWS around the globe.

"They volunteered their time, expertise, and resources to conceptualise, develop and maintain this SOS SMS project," she said.

OFWs Victor Barrazona, Joseph Henry Espiritu, who work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Christian Ramilo based in Australia; and Roberto Soriano of the Institute for Popular Democracy in the Philippines got together to develop the new service for Filipinos.

"The developers of the programme widened the scope of the text capabilities of mobile phones. They rode on the backbone of the cell phone technology and capitalised on the familiarity of OFWs with the SMS system," said Sana.