Ni NOEL ABUEL
Nagpasalamat ang isang party list group kay Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos sa pagtupad nito sa pangakong pagtulong sa mga overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo sa pamamagitan ng dagdag na pondo sa Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
Sa budget deliberation sa 2023 budget ng Office of the President, sa kanyang manifestation, sinabi ni OFW party list Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino na umaasa itong mas maraming OFWs ang makinabang sa pondong inilaan sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan.
“As an advocate of labor rights and for the promotion of welfare of our Filipino workers, is the President’s emphasis in empowering our workers not just by creating jobs, but by providing them with quality jobs. In concrete the ‘Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program’ of the DOLE will receive P18.4 billion, while the TESDA wil receive P4.5 billion for its training and scholarship programs to retain and retool our workforce,” sabi pa ni Magsino.
“But more importantly for our OFWs, the 2023 budget proposal includes a P 15.2 billion budget for the newly-created Department of Migrant Workers, from which P10 billion is allocated for the Emergency Repatriation Program of the Department to provide a target 367,287 beneficiaries with transportation, accommodation and psychosocial counselling assistance. Nonetheless, compared to the allocations given to the other Departments, P15.2 billion would appear miniscule and I can only hope that the welfare of our OFWs would be given more consideration,” dagdag pa nito.
Sinabi pa ni Magsino na maging ang kaso ng Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, na may mandating tulungan ang mahihirap partikular ang marginalized at urban poor, at kailangan na magkaroon ng sariling tahanan dahil sa inilaang pondo nito na aabot sa P1,042,798,000 sa 2023, na mas mataas sa kasalukuyan nitong pondo na P663,115,000 lamang.
“Be that as it may, the noble objectives that the proposed national budget for 2023 hopes to accomplish, and which our people long for, to finally lift them from poverty and begin to enjoy the comfort and bliss of a decent and sustainable way of life, are worthy of our support,” paliwanag pa ni Magsino.
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