During the New Hero of the World – OFW Service Caravan in Milan, Italy, Senator Erwin Tulfo put the spotlight on a landmark legislative proposal designed to provide greater financial security for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) returning home.
Senator Tulfo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, promoted Senate Bill No. 252, or the proposed OFW Pension Act, which seeks to establish a supplemental pension benefit for OFWs in addition to their existing Social Security System (SSS) contributions.
“If you are a caretaker, house cleaner, domestic helper (DH), driver, or gardener—as long as you are an OFW—this proposal covers you,” Senator Tulfo stated. “If you decide to go back to the Philippines, you will have a pension on top of SSS.”
The Service Caravan is a major initiative led by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in partnership with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and a consortium of 12 other government agencies. It is specifically designed to bring essential government services and information directly to Filipinos working overseas.
DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay reaffirmed the government’s commitment to its migrant workers, stating that the Caravan is a tangible demonstration that, under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the government continues to value the immense sacrifice and contribution of OFWs to the nation’s economy.
The event also saw the participation of key officials who voiced strong support for all initiatives aimed at improving OFW welfare, including Agimat Party-List Representative Bryan Revilla, Chair of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, and OWWA Administrator Atty. Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan.
The presentation of the OFW Pension Act at the Milan Caravan underscores the government’s ongoing effort to provide a more secure and dignified future for its modern-day heroes upon their return to the Philippines.
