DoLE still mum on details of contingency plan for OFWs amid global crunch

MANILA, Philippines - What exactly is the contingency plan of the government for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who could be affected by the US-led global economic crunch? Until Tuesday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) had not yet disclosed the plan to reporters after the agency — along with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) — was tasked by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last week to draft the contingency measure. DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque told GMANews.TV on Tuesday morning that he would not divulge the proposed steps to be undertaken for OFWs until the President sees it later in the day. However, during the 2 p.m. press briefing at Malacañang, Roque remained tight-lipped about the plan. “We have the mechanics to assist our workers. That's as far as I can say in our plan. I don't have to elaborate on the details of the plan but we can safely say that the government is prepared for any eventuality," Roque told reporters. Instead of detailing the plan, Roque enumerated other countries where Filipino workers could be deployed. He said jobs especially for skilled workers like welders, truckers, truck drivers, and hotel service workers are still available for Filipinos in countries like Australia and Canada. The DoLE chief said that the agency recently signed up with four provinces in Canada – Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan for OFW job opportunities. A negotiating team from the department would also travel to the ‘Land Down Under’ to begin talks on employment potentials for Filipinos in southern Australia, according to Roque. “We are also looking at France, Norway, and New Zealand as new markets that would be needing the services of the Filipinos," he said. CFO chairman Dante Ang told GMANews.TV on Monday that the commission had not yet sat down with the DOLE and the DFA to brainstorm about the plan. “(The) CFO will have its inputs but DFA or DoLE must initiate a meeting so we can discuss relevant issues and what we can do to address them," he said. The CFO is tasked by the government to monitor the welfare and status of Filipino migrants throughout the globe. Meanwhile, DFA spokesperson Claro Cristobal said the agency had already instructed heads of the department's foreign posts to check on the welfare of OFWs. “We are asking all our foreign service posts to assess and evaluate the local situations obtaining it through their areas of jurisdiction, host government actions, other developments and prospects and through recommendation," Cristobal said. When asked when the contingency plan would be implemented or made public Cristobal said, "as soon as the inter-agency group is ready." - MARK JOSEPH H. UBALDE, GMANews.TV