House panel OKs bill for speedy OFW deployment

MANILA, Philippines - A bill seeking to speed up the processing and deployment of prospective overseas Filipino workers has gained ground in the House of Representatives. House Bill 387 was approved at the level of the House of Representatives Committee on Overseas Filipino Worker Affairs under Rep. Manuel Zamora (Compostela Valley). The bill has been forwarded to the plenary for deliberation, according to an article on the House of Representatives Web site. Bill author Rep. Roilo Golez (Parañaque City) said the measure corrects the official policy that the State "does not promote overseas employment." He said this action was adopted after the deaths of Flor Contemplacion and Delia Maga and stories of abused OFWs in the mid-1990s. HB 387 mandates the active promotion overseas employment to boost national incomes without sacrificing the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of Filipinos while working abroad. Golez said that since OFWs form the nation's economic edge, the term "export labor" should not be dehumanizing. "Today, the role of OFWs in promoting the national economy and keeping the national income afloat is indubitable," he said. He added that the reality is that "our local economy cannot adequately sustain our population growth." "We have found ourselves in the position of having a comparative advantage in the export of labor, an advantage we must fully harness to expand national wealth," Golez said. - GMANews.TV