Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Raine Musñgi

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178502284974920230804-naia-travellers-jc-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Travelers arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay City on August 4, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Four years since the Department of Migrant Workers was established, the agency says its role has evolved well beyond deploying Filipinos overseas, with worker protection, crisis response, digitalization, reintegration and anti-human trafficking efforts now defining its agenda under the Marcos administration.</p><p>Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said during an interview on DZMM&#x27;s &quot;Balitapatan&quot;, the department&#x27;s accomplishments reflect how the government has adapted to an increasingly volatile global labor market, where wars, geopolitical tensions and illegal recruitment have made protecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as important as creating overseas jobs.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FROM DEPLOYING WORKERS TO PROTECTING THEM</strong></div><p>The DMW was created in 2022 primarily to consolidate government services for OFWs.</p><p>Its mandate has since expanded into a full-cycle migrant protection system — from pre-departure processing and digital services to emergency evacuations, legal assistance, family support and reintegration.</p><p>The shift comes as global conflicts continue to threaten thousands of Filipino workers, particularly seafarers and construction workers deployed in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/7/1/dof-wants-to-cut-ofw-remittance-fees-2051">DOF wants to cut OFW remittance fees</a></div><p>Rather than measuring success solely by deployment numbers, the DMW is increasingly being measured by how quickly it can rescue workers from conflict zones, support affected families, regulate employers and help returning OFWs rebuild their livelihoods.</p><p>The broader labor market is also changing. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that 48.87 million Filipinos were employed in May 2026, while the unemployment rate eased to 4.8%, prompting the Department of Labor and Employment to shift its focus toward creating &quot;quality jobs&quot; and building a future-ready workforce. </p><p>Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that cash remittances continued to post year-on-year growth, underscoring the continuing importance of overseas Filipinos to household spending and the Philippine economy, even as geopolitical tensions weigh on global labor mobility.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/7/15/cash-remittances-up-to-2-7-billion-in-may-2300">Cash remittances up to $2.7 billion in May</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>OVERSEAS WORK FACES NEW REALITIES</strong></div><p>Cacdac acknowledged that the department&#x27;s priorities are increasingly shaped by international crises rather than routine deployment.</p><p>Earlier this year, heightened tensions in parts of the Middle East disrupted deployment schedules as some workers deferred travel because of security concerns. </p><p>At the same time, the DMW has continued diversifying overseas employment opportunities by expanding partnerships with higher-value labor markets for nurses, caregivers and skilled professionals in countries such as Japan, Germany, Austria and Canada, while maintaining traditional deployment markets in the Gulf.</p><p>For returning workers, the government has also expanded reintegration programs with DOLE, TESDA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to help displaced OFWs transition back into local employment or entrepreneurship.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PROTECTING WORKERS DURING CRISES </strong></div><p>The department&#x27;s evolving mandate has become most evident during recent international emergencies.</p><p>At the time of the interview, Cacdac said the DMW was monitoring around 15 ships carrying approximately 169 Filipino seafarers following attacks in the northern Black Sea.</p><p>&quot;We have already asked the manning agencies and ship owners to bring them all home because their ships were attacked,&quot; he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/21/marcos-assures-legal-aid-for-families-of-slain-seafarers-1737">Marcos assures legal aid for families of slain seafarers</a></div><p>The DMW has reiterated directives for shipowners and licensed manning agencies to avoid deploying Filipino seafarers to the northern Black Sea, while similar advisories remain in place for the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.</p><p>Cacdac also reminded seafarers that the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers gives them the legal right to refuse deployment to designated high-risk conflict areas.</p><p>&quot;If they refuse to sail... they will be given a two-month salary, free repatriation and non-discrimination for future employment,&quot; he said. </p><p>The department likewise warned that licensed manning agencies that fail to comply with monitoring and reportorial requirements involving conflict-zone deployments could face immediate suspension.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A GROWING OPERATIONAL—AND FISCAL—RESPONSIBILITY</strong></div><p>The DMW&#x27;s expanding responsibilities are also translating into larger government operations.</p><p>According to Cacdac, the department has repatriated about <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/25/over-10-000-filipinos-repatriated-from-middle-east-amid-conflict-dmw-0012">10,500 OFWs</a> affected by the recent Middle East crisis while extending on-site financial assistance to around 18,000 workers whose jobs or incomes were disrupted overseas.</p><p>To sustain these operations, the government has expanded emergency assistance through the AKSYON Fund, which finances legal aid, medical assistance, financial support, repatriation and other welfare services for OFWs. </p><p>The Marcos administration recently approved an additional PHP3 billion for the fund, reflecting the increasing resources needed to protect Filipino workers amid recurring global crises.</p><p>The DMW has also mounted 25 overseas service caravans serving more than 100,000 OFWs, alongside 15 reintegration caravans across the Philippines that have assisted around 40,000 returning workers since the Middle East crisis.</p><p>Meanwhile, the department&#x27;s One Repatriation Command Center has facilitated assistance to more than 30,000 OFWs since it was established, underscoring how emergency response has become a core function of the agency.</p><p>Beyond logistics and financial assistance, Cacdac said President Marcos has repeatedly instructed the DMW to prioritize the welfare of families left behind, particularly children of OFWs killed or injured overseas.</p><p>&quot;I have visited the families of the two deceased seafarers... We always look out for the welfare of the children left behind,&quot; he said.</p><p>He recalled meeting one child worried about continuing school after losing a parent.</p><p>&quot;May isang anak... kinakabahan siya na baka mag-struggle siya sa studies niya (There&#x27;s a child... he was worried that he might struggle with his studies),&quot; Cacdac said, explaining that government support now includes psychosocial counseling, educational assistance and financial aid. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/21/what-assistance-does-government-provide-to-repatriated-ofws-1253">What assistance does government provide to repatriated OFWs?</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ENFORCEMENT AND DIGITAL REFORMS </strong></div><p>Alongside welfare initiatives, the DMW has strengthened its regulatory and enforcement functions.</p><p>According to Cacdac, the agency&#x27;s campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking has resulted in 36 convictions, 72 establishment closures, and the removal of approximately 200,000 illegal online job advertisements from Facebook and TikTok.</p><p>Digital transformation also remains one of the agency&#x27;s flagship reforms.</p><p>The DMW has issued nearly 500,000 OFW Passes, replacing the Overseas Employment Certificate, integrated its services into the government&#x27;s eGov platform, and begun piloting digital verification of overseas employment contracts in Dubai before expanding the system to Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong.</p><p>The department has likewise expanded its OFW Lounges at major airports, which have now served around two million OFWs, with Davao International Airport becoming the latest facility to open.</p><p>For an administration entering the second half of its term, the DMW&#x27;s accomplishments suggest a broader transformation in Philippine labor policy — from simply deploying workers overseas to protecting them throughout every stage of their migration journey.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R27jWIZqjcg?si=fYTGSjYjWjDrBGzS" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Four years after the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) was established, the agency says its role has evolved well beyond deploying Filipinos overseas, with worker protection, crisis response, digitalization, reintegration and anti-human trafficking efforts now defining its agenda.</p>

Four years after the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) was established, the agency says its role has evolved well beyond deploying Filipinos overseas, with worker protection, crisis response, digitalization, reintegration and anti-human trafficking efforts now defining its agenda.

DMW highlights Marcos-era reforms as global crises reshape OFW agenda ahead of SONA

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DMW highlights Marcos-era reforms as global crises reshape OFW agenda ahead of SONA

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 26, 2026 08:19 AM PHT

Read More:

overseas Filipino workers

Department of Migrant Workers

Hans Leo Cacdac

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

State of the Nation Address

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