The newly established Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the problems of overseas Filipino workers during the pandemic were discussed in Congress this Wednesday.
In the discussion of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs of the House of Representatives in the DMW, the two versions of its Implementing Rules and Regulations were first discussed, and their legality was questioned.
The IRR submitted by DMW Sec. Abdullah Mama-o and its Transition Committee, so the DOLE asked the palace to pay attention to it.
According to POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia, DOLE Sec. Silvestre Bello III with IRR provisions in the DMW not being complied with.
He said that Malacanang issued a response on April 18 and said that the IRR should be followed by the one formed by the Transition Committee, which includes various government agencies, including the DMW.
Mama-o said that his IRR is based on the law and cannot be simply discarded.
“This was published under the provision of the law. And therefore, this IRR shall stay until it is declared null and void by a court of law,” he said.
Amid the DMW’s IRR issue, migrant workers have been affected, said former Labor Undersecretary and OFW advocate Toots Ople.
Congress tackles Department of Migrant Workers
The welfare of OFWs should prevail here, said Ople. But, unfortunately, the OFWs are said to be caught in the conflict between Olalia’s camp of POEA and Mama-o of DMW.
He added that the conflict between government agencies is not helping OFWs, especially since the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte will end in a few months.
So the migrant workers’ group demanded that the problem be ended immediately so that the OFWs could focus on it.
Eventually, the committee agreed to bring the issue back to Malacanang to end the controversy over IRR. The Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs is led by Rep. Raymond Mendoza of the TUCP Partylist of the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs.
After the IRR issue, OFWs’ hardships, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, were discussed.
According to Daphne Cenisa of the migrant workers’ group in Hong Kong, even though the consulate there is helping, it still lacks the facilities to meet the sick OFWs.
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