Filipinos doubt Manila’s offer of jobs for returning workers

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here and in the Philippines have expressed doubts in the capacity of the Philippine government to provide jobs at home to its returning OFWs, while others see it as the best legacy of the current administration.
A high ranking government official on Tuesday said that the Aquino government has rolled out programs to create more jobs for its citizens making it unnecessary for them to seek employment abroad.
“We affirm President Aquino’s vision to create jobs at home, so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity,” said Presidential Communication Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. at a briefing with reporters.
Commenting on this move, a veteran former OFW Jun S. Aguilar from Manilla said, “Being at the forefront of reintegration here at ground zero since 1998, I haven’t seen any concrete and substantial programs by the National Reintegration Center for OFW’s so far.”
He said that there must be a serious effort to craft a program of reintegration based on the economic needs of the sector.
Aguilar, who is currently chair of the Filipino Migrant Workers Group (FMWG) added, “It is usual for the government to merely do lip service by letting everyone know there is an employment program for OFWs.”
“Labatt Resty was the person in charge of the NRCO but he has recently been reassigned to Riyadh,” he added. “Now the new head of the NRCO is at a loss because of the frequent changes and the very limited budget. The government must develop tangible economic opportunities if they are to succeed,” Aguilar said.
Another OFW based in Eastern Province, Romeo Navidad sees the move as ambitious. According to him it’s a one-in-a-million chance.
For Malou C. Mariano the move will be the best legacy of PNoy’s administration while others hoped that such an ambitious plan would actually materialize.
Like others, Nadzker Sahidulla from Riyadh wanted to see some concrete evidence. “The Philippines government should act first before they announce anything to the public,” he said.
According to a GMA online report the Philippines has created programs to increase employment opportunities for professionals and skilled workers through the Philippines Employment Administration (POEA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines.