MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will continue the programs that the late Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople spearheaded in the agency, and make sure that her vision for the DMW would be achieved, Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Saturday.

Ople wanted the DMW to feel like the home of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), Cacdac, named officer-in-charge this week, said.

• Hans Cacdac appointed DMW officer-in-charge: Palace

"Malaking gap... big shoes to fill ang kanyang iniwan," Cacdac said over Teleradyo Serbisyo.

"Kami ay mayroon nang direksyon na pangangatawanan at pagtitibayin pa namin," he added.

(She set the direction that we will stand by and strengthen.)

Cacdac said the first task at hand is to shape DMW's proposed P15-billion budget. They will defend this at the Senate next week.

He also plans to strengthen the P1.2-billion action fund for the legal assistance to OFWs.

"Isa sa mga huling public statements niya ay makakapag-file, makakahanap tayo ng hustisya, makakakamit tayo ng hustisya sa mga OFWs na ang karapatan nila ay na-abuso," he said.

(One of her last public statements was that OFWs whose rights are violated will now be able to file cases and get justice.)

Ople, who passed away in late August, also wanted a cancer fund established for migrant workers and for the digitalization within the agency to continue.

In July, the DMW launched an app for OFW meant to streamline the processing of labor and overseas documents.

• Philippines launches mobile app for migrant workers, OFW Pass

SAUDI OFWs WITH UNPAID WAGES

In the same interview, Cacdac said the Saudi government has already formed a technical committee that would implement Saudi King Salman's orders regarding OFWs with unpaid wages.

• Saudi finally allocates funds for OFWs with unpaid wages: DMW
• DMW sees 'significant progress' for Saudi OFWs with unpaid wages

The DMW has said that at least 10,000 OFWs who had worked for nine Saudi companies that declared bankruptcy following the economic crisis in 2015 would receive "full payment" of their pending wages.

So far, the acting DMW chief said, the Saudi government has assured them there is funding and resources for the payout.

He said, though, that processing is still ongoing and that the Saudi government has not given a definite timeline on when the money will be released.

"Medyo hamon dito ang pag-determina kung sino ang mga claimants at proseso ng pamamahagi in coordination with the Philippine side," he said.

(There is a challenge in determining who the claimants are and how the distribution will be done in coordination with the Philippine side.)

Ople said last November that the Saudi government would "set aside 2 billion Riyals (more than P30.2 billion) to help our displaced workers."

• Saudi officials 'request more time' to arrange meeting on OFWs' backpay: Ople

The funds will cover workers from Saudi OGer, MMG, the Bin Laden group, and other construction companies that declared bankruptcy in 2015 and in 2016, she said then.

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