DFA to Continue Assisting Overseas Filipino Workers until DMW Fully Takes Over

PASAY CITY 13 January 2022 — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has assured the public that its Embassies and Consulates will continue to provide assistance to overseas Filipino workers until the new Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is ready to fully take over such function.

Under Republic Act No. 11641, the DMW is mandated to take over the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) functions from the DFA, through the establishment of Migrant Workers Offices (MWO’s) overseas. For this purpose, the Congress has allocated the DMW with an ASKYON Fund under Section 14 of said law.

The DMW has formally constituted its Migrant Workers Offices in places with large concentrations of Filipinos and is currently in the process of hiring employees, who will be trained by DFA personnel to assume all ATN functions and obligations under the relevant provisions of RA 11641. 

In the meantime, as a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to the welfare of overseas Filipino workers, the DFA and DMW have mutually agreed to come up with a joint agreement which would allow the DFA to continue funding all assistance to migrant workers until such time that the DMW has completed setting up its operations for disbursing its AKSYON Fund through their overseas MWOs.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo José A. de Vega explained, “Under RA 11641, the DMW is mandated to disburse its AKSYON Fund for overseas contract workers, while the DFA is mandated to disburse its ATN Fund and Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) only for overseas Filipinos other than contract workers, or for all overseas Filipinos situated in places without a resident Migrant Workers Office. Now with this agreement to be signed with the DMW, the DFA will be provided legal basis to continue using our ATN and LAF funds to assist all overseas Filipinos, including contract workers, in the interim period, which should last until the end of March 2023.”

He added, “Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has identified the protection and promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos as a priority of his administration. The DFA remains committed to doing our part to help the President achieve this objective.” END