(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has announced the creation of a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers that will address the concerns of that sector of Philippine society.
Duterte made the announcement in a speech before around 4000 Filipinos who had gathered at the Khalifa Sports Complex on his last day of official visit to Bahrain on Friday.
“Ang (OFWs) meron na kayong in a few months a Department of OFW only. Sabi ko kay (Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III)..,” he said.
He said the OFWs could go to the department’s site if they wanted to look for a job.
“You can use online. Kung gusto (niyo) maghanap ng trabaho, (you will just get directed) sa kung ano nailista namin dyan. Mamili kayo, mag-apply online,” he said.
He said OFWs should no longer go through recruitment agencies that were “hao siao.”
“Gusto ko iwasan ninyo ang mga employment (agencies) na fly-by-night or who ask for exorbitant fees na halos maging buktot kayo sa kababayad…,” he said.
“The (Department of OFWs) will take care in the end para di kayo mahirapan,” he said.
The President has been on official visits to three Middle Eastern countries since Monday.
His first stop was Saudi Arabia, and his second Bahrain.
The President is expected to wrap up his Middle Eastern trip with Qatar.
