Former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has proposed the creation of a department with the sole purpose of protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“The Department of OFW Affairs, if created, will be a one-stop shop that will provide government services to cater to the needs of our modern-day heroes,” Go said over the weekend.
The Philippines is seventh in the world in terms of population of international migrants, third in terms of receiving remittances and first in labour exportation, according to the Blas F Ople of the Policy Center and Training Institute.
Go said there is a need to enhance co-ordination of all offices working for OFWs by putting them together under one roof. This move, he added, can put an end to the current problem of OFWs being passed from one agency to another just to avail of government assistance. The proposal of having a Department of OFW Affairs came as Go vowed that justice will be served to the Filipino masseurs recently rescued from three spas allegedly engaged in human trafficking in Kuwait.
As narrated by the victims, they were employed in three spas owned by a Santi Santero, who promised them decent jobs, only to have their engagement involve sexual services.
They were reportedly asked to provide “happy endings” to their customers.
The masseurs were also made to perform indecent acts, depending on how much the customer paid their employers.
As the “massage” work was their only source of income, the victims said they could not decline the requests.
The masseurs, having lost contact with their employment agency, reached out to Raffy Tulfo’s TV-radio programme months ago.
The media anchor sought the assistance of Go, who then referred the case to the National Bureau of Investigation and other concerned agencies.
“We will never let this issue of human trafficking pass. It pains me to see OFWs who leave their loved ones for employment in other countries. Only for them to be treated that way and toyed with,” Go said.
Co-ordinated efforts between the NBI, Department of Justice and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration led to the arrest of Santero.
Santero is detained at the Manila City Jail and cannot post bail because human trafficking is a non-bailable offence.
Go extended legal and medical assistance to the masseurs upon their arrival in the Philippines.
In a recent interview with Tulfo, he reiterated his “malasakit” stance for OFWs and the need to make access to government services easier for them.
Go said OFWs have various concerns, which the government should address such as adequate legal assistance for those in distress, reintegration services and shared database system to aid in tracking their status and concerns.
His statements calling for easier access to government assistance for the poor and the needy mirrors his Malasakit Center initiative–a one-stop-shop service for citizens seeking medical assistance.
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop programme of President Rodrigo Duterte to speed up delivery of medical services and give poor patients access to free medicines.
A fast lane making senior citizens and persons with disabilities a priority is also available.
Currently, there are 15 established Malasakit Centers nationwide.
Christopher Go: outreach to masses
