DMW Secretary Wants to Speed Up the OFW Deployment Process in the Philippines
Incoming Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople wants to speed up the deployment process of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Philippines.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Chief Bernard Olalia stated in a Laging Handa briefing, “That is one of her marching orders. We look at the efficiency of the delivery of services to OFWs. So the ease of doing business is our current focus. How to facilitate the processing, especially the approval of documents, for example. In the next few days, especially when the new secretary of DMW enters, expect that there will be changes.”
In addition, Olalia noted that POEA is continuously in operation under a two-year transition period which started in February.
Moreover, Olalia mentioned, “We have finished IRR (implementing rules and regulations), the staffing pattern has been submitted, including the 2023 budget, but for now the POEA is still there because that’s what Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said — until DMW is fully constituted. This means the status quo is still there and the POEA will remain and will continue to provide services to the OFWs.”
Olalia assured that the services of the agencies will not be disarrayed while they are in the transition period.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11641 in December 2021 which created the DMW.
President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. named Ople to the DMW post in May and will replace Abdullah Mama-O.
Other than POEA, agencies that will be part of the DMW are the following:
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
- National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP)
- International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB)
All of which are currently under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). On the other hand, the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA), is currently under the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
