Negros lawmaker pushes OFW database for faster aid

By Glazyl M. Jopson

QUEZON CITY — Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo III plans to create a database of overseas Filipino workers in his legislative district to strengthen monitoring and support for them abroad.

In a recent media interview, Yulo said he discussed the proposal with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration last month after receiving numerous reports about the situation of OFWs, particularly those in the Middle East.

“We need a strong on site support group. For example, if someone goes missing or is picked up by authorities, we would immediately know what happened. If an OFW is arrested, we often do not know how to contact them,” Yulo said.

Yulo said a database, coupled with current technology, could help authorities and local officials directly reach OFWs when assistance is needed.

He said he hopes OFWs from the district will be willing to register in the proposed database before leaving the country.

“We also want them, before they depart, not to be unfamiliar with the cultural practices of the country they are going to, because the culture there is very different from ours. These are things that need to be considered even while they are applying,” he said.

Yulo said OFWs are often overseas without an immediate support network.

“They will be stepping out of their comfort zone. It is important for them to understand that life there is different and they may not have relatives or immediate support,” he added.

Yulo said discussions have also focused on providing financial literacy programs for families left behind, in addition to assisting distressed OFWs with repatriation.

“Their families need to know that OFWs are not an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) that provides easy money,” the solon said.

Yulo cited the case of an OFW from Isabela, Negros Occidental, who was recently rescued in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after allegedly suffering maltreatment by her employers.

“From the very beginning, we have been monitoring the situation,” the lawmaker said.

Yulo said the case should serve as a wake-up call on the need for stronger support systems for Filipinos working overseas.

“Filipino communities abroad are important because they provide support,” he said.

The Municipality of Isabela is coordinating with concerned government agencies for the OFW’s repatriation.

Mayor Miguel Yulo said in a media interview that the OFW, who worked as a domestic helper, had been transferred to a shelter through coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

“We’re happy to know that she will be returning home safe and sound,” he added.

The mayor said the OFW’s husband had sought help from his office on May 7, even before a photo showing her condition went viral on social media.

He said processing the case took about three months and that the local government maintained contact with the recruitment agency and the Department of Migrant Workers.

The mayor said he hoped the OFW could reunite with her family as soon as possible.

He also assured the OFW and her family of assistance as they rebuild their lives after her return.

“She’s okay now, and we’re just waiting for the schedule of her return,” he said.

The OFW’s husband said he became alarmed after sensing that his wife was having difficulty speaking freely with him.

He alleged that his wife had no cellphone, had been locked up, and that her employer sent only a portion of her undisclosed salary to the family.

The situation prompted him to seek assistance from the local government, he said.

He said he wanted his wife to return to their hometown.

The OFW reportedly escaped from her employer’s house last week and was rescued along a road by a fellow OFW couple.

She had traveled to Riyadh in December 2023 for work and had reportedly extended her employment contract.

A photo circulating on social media showed images of the OFW before and after her stay abroad.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government was also willing to assist the OFW and her family as they start anew.

Lacson said he learned about the incident this week.

“When she’s back here, we will address the situation,” he added.

The Department of Migrant Workers is the primary government agency tasked with protecting OFWs’ rights and welfare, including responding to emergencies, coordinating assistance abroad, and supporting their reintegration into Philippine society.

OWWA, which is attached to the DMW for policy and program coordination, also provides repatriation assistance to distressed OFWs, including those facing abuse, exploitation, labor disputes, or other emergencies abroad.