TOGETHER with Mr. Ferdz Sabado, we have developed the Filipino Emergency Response Notification System (FERNS) so that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) could be immediately notified by any overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whenever he or she is in an emergency situation, for whatever reason.
Mr. Sabado and I came up with the idea for the software after we noticed that presently, the DMW does not have a system wherein they could find out right away, in real time, whenever an OFW is in trouble or in distress somewhere and would need immediate attention.
More often than not, the DMW Secretary and his or her staff is one of the last ones to know whenever there is an active case.
Simply by using a mobile app, any OFW can send a distress signal that could immediately be received by the DMW Secretary and his or her staff. That way, they will be the first to know whenever there is an active case.
At the same time, also in real time, the recruitment agency of the OFW who is in trouble will also receive the same distress signal, so that he or she could also act on his own, but preferably in coordination with the DMW.
There will be no cost to the DMW, because Mr. Sabado and I will donate the use of the mobile app to the DMW, free of charge. There is no need for a public bidding, because there is no procurement involved. All OFWs could also use the mobile app for free, with absolutely no hidden charges. Just like any other social media platform, we will earn our revenues from corporate advertisers and sponsors.
If and when necessary, we could also donate the use of the mobile app to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Commission for Filipinos Overseas (CFO), also free of charge.
I am very happy to have the opportunity to serve my fellow OFWs by way of developing this mobile app. I am also happy to dedicate this app to the memory of my late brother, Ambassador Roy Seneres, who dedicated his life to the service of the OFWs through the OFW Family Club.
INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS
My advocacy partner Mr. Roi Baluyot and I have created the Philippine Inclusive System for College Entry of Students (PISCES), for the purpose of making it easier for prospective students from the marginalized sectors to enter any of the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that are located all over the Philippines.
Although tuition is free in these SUCs, many prospective students find it difficult to proceed, because of possible expenses that they could not afford, such as books, learning materials, snacks, board and lodging, specifically for dormitory fees if they are from out of town.
This idea started when Mr. Baluyot informed me that there are some University of the Philippines alumni groups in the United States who are concerned about the fact that the majority of the students who are presently enrolled in the UP campuses right now are mostly coming from the upper classes. That reality defeats the purpose of UP becoming a “university of the people”.
To address this problem, we thought of a program that is intended mainly for the Diliman campus. Eventually, we realized that we should not limit it to the Diliman campus, because UP has many other campuses where students could enroll, depending on what courses they will choose.
Ultimately, we concluded that we should not only limit the program to the UP campuses, but we should expand it to include all SUC campuses.
Technically, all students who are admitted to UP and to all the SUC campuses are “scholars of the people”, but the value of that is diminished, because many students eventually drop out because they could not afford all the other expenses that are related to their campus journey.
Hopefully, we could start solving this problem. What a waste if these students are already admitted, only to drop out.
Could the Commission on Higher Education do something?/PN
