News
PHL Consulate General, U.S. DLWHD review commitment to OFW labor rights
MANILA –The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday said our Consulate General in Los Angeles bolstered its commitment in promoting and advancing the rights and welfare of Filipinos overseas by collaborating with the United States’ Department of Labor in reaching out and educating employees and employers about their rights and responsibilities.
The signing of the Arrangement Establishing an Understanding between the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (US DOL WHD) Western Regional Office, South West Regional Office and the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles took place at the Consulate Conference Hall in Los Angeles on February 27.
The document is a renewal of the AEU which was signed on October 28, 2013.
Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz signed on behalf of the Consulate while Regional Administrator Ruben Rosalez represented the US DOL WHD.
Consul General Cruz expressed his full support to the renewal of the AED and commended the WHD for actively pushing for the signing of the Arrangement.
“The Consulate will continue its strategic dialogue with the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in mapping out our joint priorities for the length of this 3-year arrangement. We hope to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by this renewed partnership for the benefit of the Filipino workers that we serve here in the US,” said Consul General Cruz.According to Mr. Rosalez, the AEU will provide a much-needed boost in the WHD’s mandate to implement workplace laws and regulations given the agency’s limited resources.
The document is one of the local agreements signed with the WHD since the signing of the Letter of Arrangement between the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the WHD in 2012.