DMW, DOLE’s priority programs tackled in 5th Cabinet meeting

President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. presides over a Cabinet meeting to talk about the priority programs and projects of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). (Photo: Office of the President/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his Cabinet discussed Tuesday the top priorities of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to improve the working conditions of Filipinos.

During the fifth Cabinet meeting convened by Marcos at Malacañan Palace in Manila, the DMW and DOLE presented their plans to help ease the plight of Filipinos working in the country and overseas, the Office of the President (OP) said in a Facebook post.

“President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. presides over a Cabinet meeting to talk about the priority programs and projects of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),” the OP said.

The OP also shared several photos of Marcos and his Cabinet during the meeting.

The DMW, the OP said, has vowed to prioritize the implementation of the One Repatriation Command Center (ORCC), Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFW) Mobile Application, and the National Reintegration Program.

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople earlier ensured that her department would impose stricter measures to protect the rights and welfare of OFWs, particularly the domestic workers.

Ople also directed the National Reintegration Center for OFWs to assess the needs of overseas workers and provide necessary assistance to repatriate migrant Filipino workers.

She also heeded Marcos’ call for automated government services as she instructed her office to prioritize paperless processes for OFWs.

The DMW has also established the ORCC to provide an immediate response to repatriation, welfare, and other concerns of distressed OFWs.

The ORCC operates on a 24/7 basis and can accommodate calls and walk-ins on regular workdays.

OFWs or their families may reach the DMW by calling the “1-348” hotline or visiting the center’s satellite office at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Pasay City.

Meantime, the DOLE told Marcos that increasing employment opportunities, ensuring “just and humane” working conditions, and delivering “accessible, prompt and continuous” services to the people are the agency’s top priorities.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma in July bared the DOLE’s partnership with other agencies to further enhance the skills of Filipino workers.

Employees with additional skills, Laguesma said, would have better and higher-paying opportunities.

The growth industries identified by DOLE based on labor market studies are manufacturing services, agriculture, tourism, construction, information technology, and business process outsourcing.