The field office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Davao conducted a regional consultation forum on overseas Filipinos and their families on Thursday, May 16, at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.
Lawyer Aimee S. Torrefranca-Neri, undersecretary for operations of DSWD, said forum is an annual program of the agency which focuses on addressing issues and providing various assistance to overseas Filipino and overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
“This is also to strengthen the relationship between DSWD and OFWs and linking them to other agencies that provides assistance to these OFWs and their families,” the undersecretary for operations said.
Through this, the agency may also convey new information and updates especially services the government may provide.”
Para sad madungog ilang mulo and concerns whether government ba or even personal matters, pati asking assistance from other government agencies that provides services for OFWs,” she said, pertaining to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) among others.
Most of the participants are OFWs from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who experienced maltreatment and abuse from their previous employers.
Majority of them wished not to go back and rather enrol to DSWD’s sustainable livelihood program.
“Ang DSWD man gud naay sustainable livelihood program dili lang para sa mga OFWs na dili na gusto mularga abroad but apti tung mga nanginahanglan ug ayuda pud o negosya na ma provide sa agency,” Neri added.
Apart from the sustainable livelihood program, DSWD also provides “Balik Probinsya” program which repatriate’s OFWs back to their provinces with free transportation and assistance to individual in crisis situation program in which an OFW returnee may avail of financial, educational and medical assistances from the government.
Meanwhile, Cyndie Pulgadas, a 35-year old OFW who worked as domestic helper in UAE for seven years, said the agency provided P20,000 through OWWA that goes with “Pangkabuhayan” and another P5,000 upon her return to the country.
Pulgadas said she worked in Dubai for five years, and transferred to Jedah where she experienced physical abuse from her employer.
“Gidunggab ug tinidor akoang agtang ug gibunalan ko ug kahoy sa likod mao nagka infection,” she narrated.
Since she cannot work fully with her back injury, she decided to sneak her way home to the country and asked assistance to the government.
Pulgadas is among the 50 OFWs in the forum who suffered the same fate overseas.
Neri, meanwhile, said this program will continue annually and will be staged nationwide.
