Good news for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families: President Marcos Jr. has reiterated the availability of the One Repatriation Command Center that will provide an immediate response to repatriation, welfare, and other concerns of distressed OFWs.
I hope Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople can also create an emergency response and crisis center based in the United Arab Emirates to cover Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The three regions have over three million OFWs, which is the largest number of actual migrant workers since Filipinos in the United States and Canada are considered immigrants. EMEA will always be a hotspot for the department. It will make a lot of sense and practicality to have the center in the UAE where there are two international aviation hubs: Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
This proposal is related to one of the additional functions of the Office of Undersecretary for Foreign Employment and Welfare Services, which is to “provide a prompt and appropriate response to global emergencies or crisis situations affecting OFWs and members of their families.” This is found in Section 9 of Republic Act No. 11641 creating the Department of Migrant Workers.
Art “Popoy” Los Baños, Dubai