BY DANIE MAE FAJARDO-DELA CRUZ
MANILA – In a significant move to bolster the welfare of Muslim Filipino migrant workers, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has teamed up with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
This collaborative effort is aimed at fortifying the protection and broadening the employment prospects for Muslim Filipinos venturing overseas for work.
The collaboration was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which was inked by DMW’s officer-in-charge, Hans Leo J. Cacdac, and NCMF officer-in-charge, Yusoph J. Mando.
This agreement paves the way for a holistic support framework for Muslim Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) at every stage of their employment abroad – encompassing pre-departure orientation, actual deployment, employment tenure, and eventual return to the Philippines.
Cacdac emphasized the department’s dedication to fully activating the MOA’s provisions to support Muslim OFWs throughout their international employment endeavors.
“Our goal is nothing less than to provide comprehensive support, protection, necessary assistance, and love to our Muslim OFWs,” Cacdac stated during the MOA’s ceremonial signing at the DMW headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
Key initiatives outlined in the MOA include the creation of a registration system tailored for Muslim OFWs, the organization of pre-departure seminars in collaboration with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the provision of Arabic language training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the launch of joint efforts to combat illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
NCMF’s Mando expressed his appreciation for the partnership, underscoring its significance in generating dignified employment and opportunities for Muslim Filipinos.
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the signing of this agreement and its full implementation,” said Mando./PN
