House panel ends DMW budget briefing early to pay respects to Ople

MANILA, Philippines — The House Committee on Appropriations terminated the deliberations on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) proposed 2024 budget earlier than expected in consideration of Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople’s death last Tuesday.

During the discussions of the department’s budget on Thursday, Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin moved to dispense with the DMW’s presentation so that the panel could move immediately to the period of interpellation.

“Mr. Chair, we fully understand the situation of the [DMW] as of this moment, and I believe they also have a necro[logical service] later today and all members have actually been furnished a copy, and we are very much aware of all the hardships, the challenges, and the accomplishments that the DMW as a family headed by Secretary Ople has done,” Garin said.

“May I move Mr. Chair, that we dispense with the presentation and proceed with the manifestation so that we can terminate as early as possible the budget briefing of the Department of Migrant Workers,” she added.

During the period of interpellation, no questions were asked, but lawmakers asked DMW officials to provide them with certain lists that would be needed for further discussions, possibly at the plenary level.

Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan then moved to terminate DMW’s budget briefing.

“Kaisa po ako sa [DMW], nagdadalamhati sa pagkamatay ni Secretary Toots Ople.  Naging kasama ko po si Secretary Toots no’ng ako’y commissioner ng Immigration (I am one with the DMW in mourning the death of Secretary Toots Ople. We worked together when I was Immigration commissioner), where she fought for the welfare of our migrant workers and also to prevent our citizens from being trafficked to other countries,” he said.

“At sa kahalagahan ng oras na ito — na magkakaroon tayo ng necrological services pa mamaya — we would like to move to terminate the budget briefing of the Department of Migrant Workers,” he added.

(And the importance of this time — as we would have a necrological service later — we would like to move to terminate the budget briefing of the Department of Migrant Workers.)

Ople, a known advocate of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rights, is the first secretary of the DMW.  According to a statement from DMW last Tuesday, Ople died surrounded by her family and loved ones.

She was 61.

Ople was also a columnist, writer, and former presidential speechwriter.  She used to be a researcher at the office of former Senator Ernesto Herrera before working as the chief of staff and public information officer of her father, the late Senator Blas Ople.

She then served as labor undersecretary from 2004 to 2009 while founding the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a nonprofit organization that extends assistance to victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

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