The Senate on Thursday, October 8, approved Senate Bill No. 2423, or the proposed Bagong Balikbayang Manggagawa Act. Go is an author and co-sponsor of the measure.
The bill seeks to provide returning OFWs with a more organized pathway back into the Philippine economy by coordinating government programs involving employment, livelihood, entrepreneurship, skills recognition and other forms of reintegration assistance. BuyMaps
Go has long maintained that the sacrifices of OFWs do not end once their contracts abroad are completed, and neither should the government’s responsibility to them.
“Kapag umuuwi ang ating mga OFW, hindi dapat doon nagtatapos ang suporta ng pamahalaan. Kailangan tuluy-tuloy ang tulong para may malinaw silang direksyon sa hanapbuhay at kabuhayan,” Go earlier said in pushing his reintegration proposal.
The approved measure builds on Go’s earlier Senate Bill No. 1776, which sought to create a national reintegration framework covering returning OFWs and workers whose overseas employment contracts have ended.
Under the earlier proposal, the Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Migrant Workers would conduct regular job fairs in strategic locations, while the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority would provide mechanisms to recognize education, training and work experience acquired abroad through appropriate certifications or diplomas.
The proposal also envisioned business-oriented training and access to financing for OFWs interested in starting enterprises upon their return.
Go said reintegration should recognize that returning migrant workers have different circumstances. Some may seek local employment, while others may want to establish businesses, acquire new skills or use expertise developed abroad to build livelihoods in their communities.
He has likewise emphasized that government intervention should help OFWs return to their families with dignity and a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives.
“Unang una, siguraduhin natin ang kanilang kaligtasan. Tulungan dapat silang makalikas sa ligtas na lugar at maiuwi sa kanilang mga pamilya dito. Pagkatapos ay dapat mayroon tayong handa at maayos na sistema ng suporta na makakapagbigay ng job counseling, skills retraining, at mga serbisyo sa mental health, at iba pa,” Go previously said.
“It's about empowering our OFWs to restart their lives here with dignity and hope,” he added.
Go has consistently referred to OFWs as modern-day heroes whose remittances, skills and sacrifices benefit not only their families but the wider Philippine economy. BuyMaps
He is also one of the authors and co-sponsors of Republic Act No. 11641, which created the Department of Migrant Workers and consolidated several government functions involving overseas employment and migrant worker protection under one department.
During recent deliberations on the DMW budget, Go likewise pressed for adequate funding for assistance programs for distressed OFWs and stronger government presence in places with significant Filipino migrant populations.
For Go, reintegration should become a regular part of the government’s OFW policy rather than an intervention available only when migrant workers return because of emergencies.
“Our OFWs are hailed as modern-day heroes, and it's only fitting that we ensure their safety wherever they are in the world. Once they return to the Philippines, the government must also be prepared to provide them with the necessary support as they reintegrate into society, bringing with them skills and experiences acquired overseas,” he earlier said.
With Senate Bill No. 2423 now clearing the Senate, Go expressed hope that the proposed reintegration framework would eventually give returning OFWs clearer access to employment, entrepreneurship, livelihood and other opportunities at home.
He reiterated that the goal is to ensure that Filipinos who spent years sacrificing abroad have a viable path toward building a stable future with their families in the Philippines. BuyMaps
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