Villanueva hails Asean consensus to protect migrant workers rights

FILE: Sen. Joel Villanueva. (Photo: Joel Villanueva/Facebook)

Senator Joel Villanueva on Wednesday lauded the recent signing of the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, saying the document would benefit the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Villanueva, chair of the Senate committee on labor, released the statement a day after Asean head-of-states signed on Tuesday the accord titled the Asean Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

“As the Chairperson of the Committee on Labor, we welcome the recent signing of the Asean Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

It is a testament to the commitment of the region to improve the labor standards and protect the legal rights of our workers especially in line with ASEAN integration,” Villanueva said.

“This agreement will definitely benefit our OFWs. Truly, there is a need to do so especially since we are in an era where our countrymen have increasingly chosen to work abroad,” Villanueva added.

Villanueva said the agreement would complement the proposed measures, including the creation of a separate department for OFWs.

“One such example is the creation of a separate department for migrant workers which will cater to all their concerns and thereby reduce or eliminate bureaucracy in OFW assistance,” he said.

“With the recently signed ASEAN concensus, we are confident that our efforts and advocacies in the legislative department would be given adequate attention for the sake of providing sustainable future for our citizens here and abroad,” Villanueva added.