DFA eyes adoption of new rules to aid distressed OFWs

FILE: Raul Dado, DFA Executive Director for Migrant Workers Affairs (Photo: Raul Dado/Facebook)

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expects to start implementing “liberal” guidelines for the provision of assistance to nationals (ATN) to all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in distress by next year.

Raul Dado, DFA Executive Director for Migrant Workers Affairs, said the new guidelines are up for review by Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

Dado said the Department will also seek comment from Malacañang which will provide implementation guidance to implementing agencies.

“Within this year should be timetable for that. So that when New Year comes, we have additional funds for ATN, (new) guidelines for implementation,” he said in an interview on Thursday.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved Cayetano’s request for a PHP1-billion budget to assist distressed Filipinos abroad in 2018, from previous PHP600 million.

“It’s going to be more liberal, easier for us to fund repatriations, legal cases, evacuations during emergencies, all these problems of our OFWs,” he added.

In 2016, a total of 16,630 overseas Filipinos in distress were assisted.

Some PHP308.50 million was spent on overseas Filipinos in distress.

This number includes recipients of the ATN fund, walk-ins and referrals, and those who availed of mass repatriation.