MANILA, 7 October 2005 — A third batch of social workers will sent by the Philippine labor and social welfare departments abroad to assist distressed or stranded Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the government said yesterday.
Director Merliza Makinano of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the group will replace those sent last year whose tour of duty has expired.
Some of the members of the second batch, including Perla Panganiban in Jeddah, have been given an extended tour.
It was not clear if the Department of Health will also replace its doctors who have returned home after completing their 10-month assignment.
Makinano said the project, which started in 2003, apparently needs to be continued in view of the large number of distressed OFWs, mostly domestic helpers and other low-paid workers.
Last year, eight social workers who were sent to Hong Kong, Taichung, Riyadh, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Kuwait assisted a total of 4,716 distressed OFWs, she said.
Kuwait registered the most number of distressed OFWs who were assisted by the social workers at 2,143, or almost half (45.4 percent) of the total.
Because of that number, two social workers will be sent to Kuwait, said Makinano, who heads the DOLE’s International Labor Affairs Services office.
Riyadh accounted for 1,723 distressed workers (36.5%), including seven children of OFWs. Of the number, 1,693 were females.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were third and fourth with 203 and 191 cases, respectively. Taichung in Taiwan has 183, Jeddah recorded 148, and Hong Kong had 125 cases.
Makinano said the social workers render services such as included counselling, stress management, values orientation and settlement of conflict.
In cooperation with Filipino community organizations, they have also helped organize livelihood and skills training for the “runaways” housed at the Filipino Workers Resource Center abroad.
Among these trainings include sewing, making of paper greeting cards and comforters, cosmetology, salon management, cooking or baking, hair cutting and styling, and food preservation and preparation.
The DOLE and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would also send a social worker to Lebanon, Makinano said. Before leaving, the social workers have to undergo an orientation seminar on the current political situation, laws, and customs and traditions as well as the situation of the OFWs in the host countries.
Among those soon to be deployed are Remy Beltran for Hong Kong, Consejo Usman for Riyadh, Viviene Pinlac for Abu Dhabi, Elena Labrador for Dubai, Josefina Reyes for Lebanon, and Milagros Orticio and Delia Bernal for Kuwait.
The social workers are under the supervision of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), which are part of the Philippine embassies or consulates in countries with big concentration of OFWs.
Part of the social workers’ task is to undertake worksite, hospital and jail visitations subject to the approval of the host country in coordination with embassy officials.