OFW cluster in Cabinet recommended

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will recommend the creation of a cluster for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Cabinet.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday said the OFW cluster aims to fast-track assistance extended to Filipino migrant workers.

“We recommend the creation of a Cabinet cluster on OFW. I talked to Cabinet Secretary (Jun Evasco) and I already mentioned that to the President,” Cayetano said during a Christmas lunch for the DFA press corps.

“We’re proposing the OFW cluster so that everyone who has to do with OFWs and their families can be included in the discussions,” he said.

He said they are also looking at the possibility of forming an interagency body on OFWs that would provide, among others, job assistance to returning Filipino migrant workers.

“The interagency (body) on OFWs can get some of our OFWs abroad who want to go back home and use their expertise at the right price and benefits,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said government agencies are set to sign the revisions on the legal assistance for OFWs on Monday.

From P400 million, the Duterte administration has raised the fund for OFWs to P1 billion.