The presence of MWOs will ensure timely delivery of assistance and services to overseas workers,” said DMW Secretary Hand Leo Cacdac.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomes the opening of two (2) new migrant workers offices in Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary.
“This brings closer our programs and services to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Central Europe,” the President said in a press statement.
As emphasized in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), a key measure to a number of governments’ bilateral agreements is putting in place responsive mechanisms for the social welfare, repatriation, and reintegration of our returning OFWs into the Philippine economy.
Meanwhile, DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the opening of the MWOs will ensure responsive provision of comprehensive assistance to the OFWs, including legal, labor, medical, and welfare assistance. It aims to support the increasing number of OFWs in Central Europe and provide guidance to foreign employers on the legal process of recruiting and deploying Filipino workers.
“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his vision for Bagong Pilipinas, we aim to make the services of DMW accessible to OFWs and their families. The presence of MWOs will ensure timely delivery of assistance and services to overseas workers,” said Cacdac.
The Secretary emphasized that the presence of the newly opened MWOs will also facilitate partnerships with local businesses to create more job opportunities for Filipinos in a safe, orderly, and ethical manner.
These events were graced by the presence of the Philippine Ambassador to Hungary, His Excellency Frank R. Cimafranca and Her Excellency Evangeline Lourdes A. Bernas, the Philippine Ambassador to Austria.
There are around 8,000 OFWs in Austria and around 12,000 OFWs combined in Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia, countries covered by MWO-Vienna. Filipino workers are mostly deployed in the sectors of hospitality, food service, health, social work services, and manufacturing. MWO-Vienna shall cover Croatia, Slovenia and Slovak.
On the other hand, MWO-Budapest’s jurisdiction includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Moldova and Montenegro with the presence of a total of 5,373 OFWs. In Hungary, an estimate of 12,000 OFWs deployed in the sectors of manufacturing, agriculture, and food service.
Before the opening of the MWOs in Vienna and Budapest, OFWs in both nations were being catered by MWO in Milan, Italy.
The opening of the MWO Budapest on September 26, and MWO Vienna on September 29, brings to a total of 41 established migrant workers’ offices in different countries with high numbers of deployed OFWs.
The DMW eyes the opening of two other MWOs this year in Bangkok, Thailand and Agana, Guam, which are both strategic locations to reach OFWs in Southeast Asia and in the Micronesia, respectively.
