OFWs told to look at ‘brighter side’ of Philippines economy

The President pointed out that six million jobs have been created in the last six years and by continuing down this path “it will increasingly be keeping the best and brightest in the Philippines, closer to friends and families, helping to build the communities and provide the next generation of leadership.”

She said the government is doing its best to improve the OFWs condition by eliminating irregularities in the documentation and escort system in the airport where the Bureau of Immigration is implementing new systems to avoid pre-identification of the immigration officers and there could be random rotation of these officers in all main points of exit.

Relatively, the President said, the government will establish computerized shared government information system in order to easily identify the present and previous destinations of every Filipino.

She advised all Filipinos based in Singapore without sufficient documents to proceed and coordinate with the Philippine embassy here to facilitate the validity of their stay.

The President said that she had tasked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to create a group that would plan for the establishment of pension fund for the OFWs and to look for other concerns.

She said she had also tasked Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri to find ways of easing up the burdens of the OFWs from the effects of the strong peso.

Fr. Angel Luciano of the St. Michael parish celebrated the Eucharistic mass prior to the program

The Filipino community, led by Raymund Barbis, presented to the President a painting entitled “Balitaan” and a compact disc copy with a song entitled “On Dream,” composed especially for the President’s visit in Singapore. (OPS) (pinoypress.net)