BY DANIE MAE FAJARDO-DELA CRUZ
MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is activating its Hotline 1348 as a handling center for families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the earthquake-hit countries of Turkey and Syria, and even Lebanon.
The hotline will be operating 24/7, said Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, so it could respond to calls for assistance and queries from anxious families.
The families may also email DMW at repat@dmw.gov.ph and/or visit the Turkey Help Desk at the DMW Office at 6/F Blas F. Ople Bldg., EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City.
Also, to ensure that humanitarian assistance are delivered to affected OFWs, Ople said the DMW and the Department of Foreign Affairs will work closely together.
In Turkey alone, there are an estimated 193 Filipinos in three quake-affected provinces of Hatay (113), Adana (51) and Gaziantep (29), data from the DMW showed.
“I have also instructed the DMW to share information with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines rescue mission bound for Turkey regarding the names of overseas workers deployed to the said country,” said Ople.
In another development, Ople said until after significant reforms are made resulting from upcoming bilateral talks with Kuwait, the application of first-time migrant workers specifically for household services in that oil-rich Gulf state shall be deferred.
“Nais tiyakin ng department na may mas maayos na monitoring at mas mabilis na response system in place bago sila tumungo doon,” explained Ople.
This new DMW advisory, she added, should not worry Filipinos seeking work abroad as domestic workers. That’s because they have several countries to choose from.
“Hong Kong remains a strong alternative and is much nearer to home, and we also have Singapore where we have very good relations with our counterpart ministry,” said Ople.
She rejected an outright deployment ban to Kuwait, pointing out that there are OFWs who have already worked in Kuwait for several years who still want to go back to their old employers or seek new ones.
“We have also been informed through diplomatic channels of the willingness of the Kuwait government to engage in bilateral labor talks. We are preparing well in advance for these talks, bringing with us an accumulation of abuse done over the years, hence the need for significant changes,” added Ople./PN
