Thursday, '19 September 2019
Daily Tribune
New House panel
consolidates OFW bills
By l(dth Cslttrg
ommitte e s on
The llouse C The Phitippine
Government &eorganization and
Overseas Workers Affairs yesterday
agreed to create a technical working
group (TWG) that will harmonize
the bills that aim to establish the
Department of overseas Filipino
florkers (oFW).
The d$€lopment came a day after
the committee began tackling the 3l
bills filed on the matter
The TWG wiu be headed by Albay
Rep. Joey Salceda, Kabalan Rq. Ron
Salo and'l PACMAN Rep. Eric Pineda
and will be composed of members
of both the committees and various
concerned stakeholden.
During the joint committee
hearing, Labor Secretary Silvestre
Bello III informed the panels that the
D,epartment of Labor and Employment
(DoLE) drdfted its venion ofthe bill on
OFW Department.
Bello said in DoLE's proposal, the
OFW Department shall be headed
by a secretary assisted by four
'\ g.1qa-eE
undersecretaries and four assistant
secrctaries.
0ve rs e as
Emplol'ment Administration, Overseas
Workers Welfare Mministration and the
National Reintegation Center for OFW
shall be attached agencies under the
departm€nt.
Bello said the DoLE's-version
advocates the retention of agencies
and ,gommissions dealing with OFW
to provide seamless transactions and
smooth continuation of the services.
DoLE's proposal will be taclded
dlring the upcoming meetings of
the TWC, along with the several bills
seeking same.
House Speaker Alan Peter
Cayetano earliei said the House
leadership wants the bitl ready for
President Rodrigo Duterte's signing
in December.
Cay€tano said members ofthe TWG
will I'ork togetler with their Senate
counterparts in order to speed up
the passage of the OFW department
bill - which is among the Duterte
administration's priority measures.