UNA presidential bet Binay to increase legal assistance fund to OFWs in distress

Vice President Jejomar ‘Jojo’ Binay (Facebook photo)

MANILA—To protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer Vice President Jejomar C. Binay vowed to increase the OFW legal assistance fund (LAF), which helps OFWs in distress.

“Poproteksyunan po natin (ang mga OFWs), daragdagan po natin ng budget ‘yong mga dapat tulungan,” Binay said in a radio interview.

The increase in the LAF is one of the steps that a Binay administration will implement to protect the welfare of overseas Filipinos, he said.

Binay added that it is high time for OFWs to have their own bank so that their earnings can be augmented.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), 90 Filipinos are facing death penalty abroad. The LAF can be used for OFWs’ legal concerns such as filing cases against erring or abusive employers, hiring lawyers, bail and other litigation expenses.

The Vice President also promised to increase the skills of OFWs, especially of domestic helpers.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said that OFWs sent around US$ 25.

767 billion dollars back to the Philippines last year. A total of 2.3 million Filipinos worked abroad in 2014, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.