Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla has called for closer cooperation and enhanced gender-responsive safeguards for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families. Speaking at the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) flag-raising ceremony at the Blas F. Ople Building, she emphasized the urgent need to address lingering vulnerabilities in the migration sector.
Chairperson Valdeavilla acknowledged the DMW’s ongoing initiatives to combat illegal recruitment, secure better employment terms, and implement gender-sensitive protocols. However, she stressed that critical gaps remain, pointing to systemic challenges such as:
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Protection Gaps: Persistent issues regarding illegal recruitment and unsafe employment conditions.
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Gender-Based Violence: Prevalence of violence and harassment targeting women migrant workers.
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Seafarer Safety: Specific vulnerabilities faced by women maritime workers.
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Family and Digital Welfare: Domestic strains, psychosocial challenges for left-behind families, and rising digital risks impacting OFW children.
To bridge these gaps, the PCW proposed strategic collaboration points, including robust on-board reporting mechanisms for sexual harassment involving women seafarers, expanded counseling services, and cross-agency coordination to mitigate social risks for children in OFW households.
“Let us identify the strategic gaps and build our next steps upon the shared strengths of both the DMW and the PCW. The point of choosing to become an OFW is an aspiration for a better life for one’s family. Lahat ng OFW kaya tinitiis ang lahat ng ito ay dahil sa kanilang pamilya. Our shared task, PCW’s and DMW’s, is to ensure that in the course of that pursuit, no family is left to crumble in the OFW’s absence,” said Chairperson Valdeavilla.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac welcomed the renewed partnership, expressing full institutional support for tighter inter-agency coordination. The collaboration aims to align policies, practices, and frontline services to better support modern heroes and protect their support systems at home.
