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Villanueva calls for 'fast, orderly' transition for new Dept. of Migrant Workers

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Sen. Joel Villanueva sponsors a bill in the Senate on May 13, 2020. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/07/03/joel-villanueva.jpg"/><figcaption>Sen. Joel Villanueva sponsors a bill in the Senate on May 13, 2020. <em>Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva on Sunday called on the transition committee on the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to make the process &quot;fast but orderly.&quot;</p><p>“The Transition Committee should aim for a speedy and orderly turnover of functions to the DMW during the transition period, while making sure that there are no interruptions to OFW services. Confusion and delays during this period will be at the cost of the livelihoods of our migrant workers,” Villanueva said in a statement.</p><p>Villanueva was reacting to DMW&#x27;s order allowing Filipino migrant workers to be deployed to Saudi Arabia, despite a prevailing ban imposed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/29/22/migrant-workers-dept-insists-saudi-deployment-ban-lifted">Dept of Migrant Workers insists on power to lift ban on new hires to Saudi Arabia</a></li></ul><p>DMW should refrain from issuing orders or directives on deployment bans before the department is fully constituted, he said.</p><p>Under Republic Act 11641 or the Department of Migrant Workers act, DMW Secretary Abdullah Mama-o is required to consult with the Advisory Board on Migration and Development and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary before making any decisions on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).</p><p>The consultations, Villanueva said, can only be undertaken when the DMW is fully operational.</p><p>The senator added that confusing directives, especially on deployment bans, make OFWs vulnerable to illegal recruiters and fixers. </p><p>“The transition period compounds a very delicate time for our migrant workers. Not only will a new administration impact this important sector, but global events such as the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have far-reaching effects. Let’s get our act together for our OFWs,” said Villanueva.</p><p>He also noted &quot;an uptick&quot; of migrant workers leaving the country due to loosened COVID-19 restrictions in the Philippines and in other parts of the globe.</p><p>Government agencies now have &quot;their hands full&quot; with providing services for OFWs particularly in Shanghai and Hong Kong in China, as well as in Ukraine where a war is still raging.</p><p>Aside from the DMW secretary and the DFA, other agencies involved in the new department&#x27;s transition committee include the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), National Reintegration Center for OFW (NRCO), National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), and the Office of the Social Welfare Attaché (OSWA).</p><p>“The faster the Transition Committee complies with the requirements of the law to constitute the DMW, the sooner we deliver our promise of dedicated service to our OFWs,” Villanueva said.</p><p>Villanueva, who also authored the law that created DMW, is running for another 6-year Senate term in the May 9 elections, under the senatorial slate of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis &quot;Kiko&quot; Pangilinan.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2017239" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Senator Joel Villanueva called on the transition committee on the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to make the process 'fast but orderly.'