A SERIES of videos that guide workers who want to be employed overseas on safe migration practices was launched Wednesday.
The project is a collaboration among the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Department of Labor and Employment, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Union.
“Knowledge is power and it’s very important that they are guided every step of their journey through these audio-visual presentations that would pass the test of time,” Migrant Workers Secretary Maria Susana V. Ople said during the online launch.
She said the videos were products of consultations and dialogues with labor and migration stakeholders across all ASEAN member states.
This comes after ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo’s visit to the Philippines last week, where he met with labor groups, employers’ representatives, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma and Ms. Ople.
During his visit to the Migrant Worker Resource Centre in Quezon City on June 27, he recognized the progress in Philippine efforts to help returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) find local jobs but cited the need for more international collaboration on migrant workers’ issues.
“We must work together to address these systemic problems and show that the rights of migrant workers are safeguarded at every step of their journey,” the ILO chief said.
Money sent home by OFWs rose by 3% in March to $2.67 billion from a year earlier amid improving economic conditions in host countries, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
“We may be launching what appears to be a few minutes of audio-visual presentations, but really behind these presentations is the desire of every ASEAN member state and the ILO, and all our partners, to ensure that each and every migrant worker is protected,” Ms. Ople said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
