OFW Groups Calls for Dialogue with Incoming President Bongbong Marcos


In a press conference held on June 15, 2022 at the White Knight Hotel Saint Anne Manila, OFW groups, Unified Migrant Workers Global and OFWs Distressed Advocate Philippines (ODAP) calls for a 15-minute dialogue with incoming Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr

The event was attended by  Ferdinand De los Reyes (NCR Chairman, Unified Migrant Workers Global); Roberto de Castro (OFWs Distressed Advocate Philippines - ODAP); Ken Bautista (Vice President, Unified Migrant Workers); Jo Ann Nouf Gomez  (Radio Host / OFW Advocate); Ramon Sta. Maria (Unified Migrant Workers Global) and Benjamin Pujeda

This is regarding the recent news that President-elect Bongbong Marcos is set to appoint Susan "Toots" Ople as secretary of the newly-created Department of Migrant Workers. DMW is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the protection of the rights and promote the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and their families. The department was created under the "Department of Migrant Workers Act" (Republic Act No. 11641) that was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 30, 2021. 

The functions and mandate of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will serve as the backbone of the department and absorbing the seven offices of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) namely the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs (OUMWA) of the DFA, Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) and the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) of the DOLE. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (from DOLE) will serve as its attached agency and the DMW Secretary will serve as the concurrent Chairperson of OWWA.

The OFW groups, Unified Migrant Workers Global and OFWs Distressed Advocate Philippines (ODAP) strongly believes that the current sitting secretary, Atty. Abdullah Mama-o the first ever secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers who was just appointed last March 9, 2022, is fit for the role and they believe that BBM should retain him. Aside from being a male Muslim, Secretary Mama-o is also an OFW and he did accomplished great things for the OFWs especially during the 2018 Kuwait–Philippines diplomatic crisis and in 2019, Mama-o helped facilitate the return of 7 Filipinos in Libya who were accused of smuggling fuel.

The group also believes that Susan "Toots" Ople is not physically fit for the role. Ople had earlier disclosed she is battling second stage breast cancer and has undergone chemotherapy and PET scans. Susan "Toots" Ople ran for a senatorial seat in 2010 and in 2016 election but eventually lost.