THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday, July 22, 2025, that it is currently working on providing better protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
In a statement, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they are in talks with their FSM counterparts in a hope to have a full Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that shall guarantee safe and fair employment for OFWs.
"Both parties expressed optimism about finalizing a full Memorandum of Understanding by late September to ensure proper certification and skills matching of Filipino workers, aligned with international ethical recruitment standards," said Cacdac.
Records show that 1,891 OFWs have been deployed to FSM.
The DMW chief said that for the moment, they have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) with FSM.
He said the JDI would result in the hiring of more Filipino skilled workers in Micronesia.
"The JDI paves way for the deployment of Filipino workers in Micronesia's key sectors, such as construction, health, academe, and services," said Cacdac.
He added that it will recognize the OFWs' skills certification and matching in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Also, the joint declaration reaffirms both nations commitment to upholding the labor rights and social protection of OFWs, including the provision of same benefits, labor rights, and access to social security systems for OFWs as local employees in Micronesia.
The DMW said the JDI will also strengthen the partnership in combatting irregular migration through enhanced measures against illegal recruitment, trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, and document fraud. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)