MANILA - A palace adviser on overseas Filipino workers on Tuesday said he still hopes that President Rodrigo Duterte will fulfill his promise of setting up a Department of OFWs.

Presidential Adviser on OFWs, Secretary Abdullah Mamao says he is still hopeful the Philippine Senate will pass the proposed law creating the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, which he noted was a campaign promise of Duterte when he ran in 2016.

“Hopefully, if the house of the Senate will approve, there is a very good chance it might be created into law by the end of the year,” Mamao said.

Overseas Filipinos at the ASIA CEO FORUM Expat Filipino 2021 meanwhile said they want a more organized effort from the government in terms of assistance and documentation. But more importantly, they want to work in the Philippines, for themselves and their loved ones.

Irma Cosico, Volunteer Mentor of Repatriated OFWs said OFWs often waste dayoffs lining up for documents at their respective consulates, only to be told they need to go to another office or agency. Cosico says what is needed is a "unifying and coordinated approach to helping our OFWs.”

She added that even if the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has programs to get more OFW families into entrepreneurship with low to zero-interest loans, OFWs aren’t able to capitalize because they are not being informed.

Undersecretary Edwin Bael of the Office of the Presidential Adviser of OFWs said many overseas Filipinos are also looking to return home and work in the country if jobs are available here.

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