PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, July 12, sought the establishment of a new department that would attend to the needs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by December.

In a speech delivered in Quezon City, the President promised to finish the framework for the creation of OFW department by second week of August.

“Let me sleep on it for about... Next week, busy. August. Second week of August, meron na ako (I already have the framework). Maybe I can create the office of OFW,” Duterte said during the Araw ng Pasasalamat for OFWs.

“Kaya apurahin ko ‘yang Department of OFW (I will rush the creation of Department of OFW)... by December,” he added.

He made the vow, as he lamented that many Filipino migrant workers still have to deal with pressing labor issues.

Duterte said the establishment of the new government office dedicated solely to the OFWs would provide better services to them.

“With you as our partners, I look forward with optimism, malakas ang loob ko (I am confident) that we collectively strive to build a more secure, equitable, progressive future for all Filipinos,” the Chief Executive said.

Presently, there are several government agencies handling OFW affairs, which include the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, among others.

The total number of Filipino workers abroad was estimated at 2.3 million from April to September 2018, according to the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

OFWS’ remittances have kept the Philippine economy afloat.

Duterte also bared his plan to place the recruitment of OFWs under government supervision.

“Kaya kayong mga recruitment, bilang talaga ang araw ninyo. ‘Pag hindi ko kayo nadala -- ‘pag hindi ko kayo nadala sa usapan na maganda, brasuhan tayo. ‘Pag nag-brasuhan tayo, kayo ang matatalo. Sigurado ‘yan. Narinig ninyo? So you better wait. Wala na. Government supervision and control because what has happened and has been happening is not acceptable to the Filipino now,” he said.

(To the recruitment agencies, your days are numbered. If we can’t settle this, we will have a problem and you will suffer for it. That’s for sure. Do you hear me? So you better wait. You’ll no longer function. It will be government supervision and control because what has happened and has been happening is not acceptable to the Filipino now.)

“At ‘yan (That will be) regulated. And I have the power to do that because that kind of mechanism of recruiting Filipino workers abroad has been abused and abused and abused. At ang mga kababayan ko, puro biktima, puro kawawa (And my fellow countrymen are mostly the victims),” he added. (SunStar Philippines)