PH bags awards for OFW protection at GovMedia Singapore

By Marita Moaje, Philippine News Agency

MAJOR FEATS. The two major awards bagged by the Department of Migrant Workers during the GovMedia Conference and Awards 2025 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on Thursday (June 19, 2025). The DMW’s Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons program was hailed as the Campaign of the Year under the Labor Category, and the OFW Hospital in Pampanga as the Public Facility of the Year under the Health Category. (Photo: Department of Migrant Workers/Facebook)

MANILA – The Philippines earned international recognition for its efforts to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and improve access to quality healthcare at the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2025 held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on Thursday.

In a news release, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the award recognized their Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons (AIRTIP) program as Campaign of the Year under the Labor Category – Philippines, and the OFW Hospital in Pampanga as Public Facility of the Year under the Health Category – Philippines.

He said the DMW’s AIRTIP program was lauded for its notable accomplishments in ensuring safe and ethical labor migration of OFWs, and for implementing mechanisms for the protection of OFWs against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

The GovMedia Awards cited AIRTIP’s 564 surveillance operations from 2023 to May 2025, resulting in the closure of 35 establishments and the arrest of illegal recruiters and traffickers; and digital crackdown in collaboration with Meta and TikTok, which took down over 118,748 online posts and accounts involved in fraudulent recruitment schemes.

Another major initiative under the AIRTIP program is the Door-to-Door Victim-Survivor Support Program, a proactive approach that delivers direct and immediate aid to trafficking victims, minimizing further trauma.

Meanwhile, the OFW Hospital was recognized for delivering free specialized medical care to more than 80,000 OFWs and their dependents.

Now accredited as a Level 1 Specialty Hospital with 50 authorized beds, the facility also serves as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s accredited Konsulta (Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama) provider and Public Health Unit.

Among its major programs are pre-employment medical packages, medical assistance and medical repatriation support for OFWs returning home due to illness or injury.

GovMedia lauded the hospital’s ongoing expansion, including the soon-to-open Bagong Pilipinas Cancer Care Center, which will provide dialysis and cancer treatment for OFWs with chronic illnesses.

DMW Undersecretary Dominique Tutay, who received the recognition on behalf of Cacdac, dedicated the recognition to all OFWs.

“These awards are dedicated to all the overseas Filipino workers around the world who serve as our ambassadors, providing a culture of service characterized by resilience and perseverance,” she said.

She acknowledged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Cacdac for their unwavering leadership focused on the protection and welfare of OFWs.

The GovMedia Awards celebrates transformative government initiatives across Asia-Pacific.