MANILA, Philippines — The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said it will expand programs for overseas Filipino workers and their families after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated his administration’s commitment to migrant workers in his State of the Nation Address.
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said Wednesday that Marcos’ regular recognition of Filipino migrant workers in his annual address reinforces the government’s responsibility to improve services, including through the Department of Migrant Workers and other agencies.
“Every year in the SONA, OFWs are always included,” Caunan said in an interview with state-run Radyo Pilipinas. “For us, this is a confirmation.”
Caunan said OWWA will continue strengthening programs that cover repatriation, reintegration, skills training, education and employment assistance.
Among the planned initiatives is the OFW/OWWA Academy, which is scheduled to formally open in September. The academy is intended to support returning workers as well as those preparing to seek overseas employment again, she said.
OWWA also plans to expand scholarship and educational-assistance programs for the children of overseas workers in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Caunan said helping workers’ children pursue education remains a priority because many Filipinos work abroad to secure better futures for their families.
Marcos said in his address that more than 12,000 overseas Filipinos had been assisted in returning home. Caunan said government support continues after repatriated workers arrive in the Philippines.
The Department of Migrant Workers and OWWA, working with the Department of Labor and Employment and local Public Employment Service Offices, have been providing job-placement, livelihood and reintegration assistance to returning workers, she said. The programs are designed to help them find jobs in the Philippines or abroad, or start small businesses.
Caunan said OWWA will also continue holding service caravans abroad and in the Philippines to bring government programs directly to migrant workers and their families.
She said many returning workers are seeking employment or considering small-business ventures after coming home, underscoring the need for sustained government support.
