Monday, 19 November 2001
One-stop shop for OFWs readied
By E. T. SUAREZ
A one-stop shop which will bring all the services of agencies involved in the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) under one roof and cut the processing time of their documents could be operational by January, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said yesterday.
Labor Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas said the one-stop shop is likely to be located at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Bldg. at the corner of Epifanio de los Santos Ave.(EDSA) and Ortigas Ave.in Pasig City.
She said, however, that the DoLE is finding it hard to fit all the offices concerned with OFW processing in the small POEA building.
Sto. Tomas said some agencies involved were asking for as much as 2,000 square meters of floor space, which would displace some offices of the POEA.
But she expressed confidence that this problem can be solved soon in time for the opening of the one-stop shop for OFWs in January.
She said she is hopeful that growth in employment, here and abroad, would still be achieved amid the global crisis as the economy continues to register a positive growth.
The economy, she said, is growing -- although slowly -- whereas other countries are experiencing negative growth. She said she expects overseas placement to increase by three to five percent this year.
She said she accompanied the President in all her visits abroad, particularly to Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The presidential party met with OFWs in these countries. She said she also met with OFWs andforeignemployers wholauded their Filipino workers'effficiency,loyalty,hard work,and patience.
She said that foreign governments and employers promised that if worse comes to worst, they would see to it that their Filipino workers would be the last to be laid off or to have their salaries cut.
