DMW helps returning female OFWs venture into business

By Keren Anne Bernadas

LEGAZPI, Albay --- The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Bicol is empowering returning female overseas Filipino workers (OFW) by providing them with the resources and support they need to establish their businesses.

Marianne Dela Cruz, a resident of Camalig, Albay, is one such success story. Compelled to seek employment in Dubai in her early 20s to support her two children, Dela Cruz had to return to the Philippines prematurely after sustaining burns while working overseas.

“I was stressed and worried because of our condition in the past,” Dela Cruz shared. “But now, I am thankful for President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos’ AKSYON Program for helping me recover physically and economically.”

The DMW promptly granted Dela Cruz P30,000 for medical assistance through the AKSYON Program.

This financial aid, coupled with the DMW’s Balik Pinay, Balik Hanapbuhay Program, enabled Dela Cruz to establish a thriving piggery business while pregnant with her third child.

Another returning OFW, Daisy Garcia Serrano, faced a different challenge. She returned to Legazpi City from Saudi Arabia in February 2024 after being unjustly dismissed by her employer. Serrano sought help from the DMW, which provided her with the necessary capital and financial assistance to start her own fish-selling business at a local market.

“Hindi ako nagkamali sa paglapit sa kanila,” Serrano said.

“Mabilis akong nabigyan ng tulong at madali lang din ang naging proseso ng kanilang pagbigay ng ayuda para sa akin.”

(I did not make a mistake in approaching them. I was given help quickly, and the process of their providing aid for me was also easy.)

Thanks to the DMW’s support, Serrano is now able to provide for her family’s daily and educational needs.

The DMW’s initiatives are making a real difference in the lives of returning female OFWs. By providing them with the necessary resources and support, the department is helping them to rebuild their lives and achieve economic independence.

“Sa tulong ng mga programa ng DMW, nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na muling itayo ang aking sarili at pag-asa na makaahon sa kahirapan ang aking pamilya. Maraming maraming salamat, PBBM sa mga programang ito. Hindi nag-iisa ang mga OFWs sa Pilipinas dahil nandito ang DMW,” she added.

(With the help of DMW programs, I had the opportunity to rebuild myself and hopefully lift my family out of poverty. Thank you very much, PBBM, for these programs. OFWs are not alone in the Philippines because the DMW is here.)

Under Bagong Pilipinas, both Dela Cruz and Serrano experienced fundamental transformations in the way the government provides support and treatment to the unsung heroes, the OFWs.

Thus, DMW Regional Director Jeena Laceda said, “Inilalarawan ang Bagong Pilipinas na gobyernong may prinsipyo, may pananagutan at maasahan na pinatitibay ng pinag-isang mga institusyon ng lipunan, na ang layunin ay maisakatuparan ang mithiin ng bawat Pilipino. With Bagong Pilipinas, we aim for our OFWs and their families to fulfill their potential as co-architects of national development.”

(The New Philippines is described as a principled, responsible, and reliable government supported by unified social institutions, whose goal is to realize the aspirations of every Filipino. With Bagong Pilipinas, we aim for our OFWs and their families to fulfill their potential as co-architects of national development.)

More OFW welfare desks under PBBM watch

To enhance the support provided to migrant workers and their families in the country, the DMW will establish additional OFW desks in local government units (LGUs) under the administration of Marcos.

Laceda stated that they will collaborate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and LGUs to create highly visible and operational OFW desks.

They will also provide training to LGU leaders, volunteers, and OFW association members so that they can assist in making referrals and accessing services, particularly livelihood support and financial assistance.

“We will also continue to build partnerships, especially with the private sector, to further expand the livelihood and employment options of OFWs and their family members,” she said.

As one of the newest national government agencies, Laceda said the DMW will work towards enhancing informational and educational campaigns to increase public awareness about their programs and services through various platforms.

Under the Bagong Pilipinas, the resources of the DMW will be utilized to safeguard OFWs throughout their journey, “especially when OFWs need the government the most,” according to Laceda.

The AKSYON Fund, which provides financial assistance to OFWs, will be regularly monitored and expanded, and the One Repatriation Command Center has also been established, she added.

There are also specific welfare cases being handled and financially assisted by the regional office, she noted.

Laceda said Marcos has deployed a whole-of-government approach so that OFWs and their families can achieve prosperity and security upon their return through comprehensive reintegration programs.

“At present, DMW Bicol is providing various reintegration programs, such as the livelihood program for OFWs. We also offer AKSYON and SPIMS, or the ‘Sa Pinas Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir.’

Aside from this financial assistance, we also provide financial awareness seminars, small business management training, a reintegration education campaign program, livelihood and skills training, and Byaheng Entrepreneur,” she said.

Alongside these reintegration programs, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) also commits to providing comprehensive support to returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through psychosocial interventions.

Additionally, the DMW takes decisive action against illegal recruiters and traffickers at the grassroots level.

“We closely monitor cases and closures and initiate activities at the regional level through the OFW help desks. Through training, we will help authorities at the local level to detect illegal recruitment or TIP and to properly report these kinds of incidents. (PIA5/KAB)

Marianne Dela Cruz is a resident of Camalig, Albay, and a former OFW who received assistance from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to establish her own business.