Congress urged to release P9B more for OFWs in Japan, Mideast

Seven progressive party-list lawmakers on Monday urged Congress to release a P9-billion supplemental fund for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been repatriated from or are still in quake-hit Japan and conflict-laden areas in the Middle East and north Africa. The legislators filed House Bill (HB) 4406 appropriating P9 billion to four government departments in charge of repatriating, assisting, and reintegrating OFWs from these countries. “Our foreign policy will be a complete failure if government cannot allocate funds for the safety and bailout of Filipinos caught in dire situations abroad," the bill read. Japan was hit by an 8.9-magnitude quake and a tsunami two weeks ago while tension in Bahrain and Libya continues to rise due to political protests to oust their respective leaders. Under the proposed legislation, P5.5 billion of the supplemental budget will be allocated to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the emergency evacuation, repatriation and legal assistance to OFWs in countries affected by disasters and conflict situations. Meanwhile, half a billion pesos will be allocated to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to provide job opportunities to repatriated OFWs, if the bill is approved into law. The measure also allots P2.5 billion to the Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG) to subsidize local government units to help in the “reintegration" of repatriated OFWs. “For the past three decades, OFWs were the ones keeping the country’s economy afloat. It’s about time we return the favor by helping them now in their time of need," Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, one of the lawmakers who filed the measure, said in a statement Monday. Among the other lawmakers who filed the bill were Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares; Gabriela Women’s party-list Reps. Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus; Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano; Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino; and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio. – VVP, GMA News