Villanueva wants proposed OFW department to be ‘temporary’

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday said the proposed separate department for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should only be temporary so as not to send a “wrong message” that sending workers abroad is a state policy.

“We should also be careful of the fact that it might send a wrong message that it is a state policy for us to send our workers abroad, it shouldn’t be that way,” Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart.”

“In fact, if we are to push through with this department and if we’re all serious about it, I will put a sunset provision to make sure that this is just for temporary,” he added.

Villanueva, however, clarified that he supports the intention behind the proposal to create a separate OFW department.

“The intention of creating a department is very noble. I support the intention of making sure that one particular agency of the government is fully focused and concentrated in that aspect but until now it’s still debatable as to what do we really need right now with the department that they cannot do,” he said, referring to already existing agencies addressing concerns of OFWs.

“Because if it’s the same thing… balewala din yung creation (then the creation was just for nothing). I’m very open, I just wanted to make sure ano yung magagawa ng isang department that hindi kayang gawin ngayon (what a separate department can do that is not already being done),” he added.

Villanueva issued these statements amid the recent imposition of a total deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait triggered by the death of Filipina domestic worker believed to be sexually and physically abused.

“I think it’s important to show a strong message to the Kuwaiti government that we can longer allow our people to be maltreated, abused,” he said.