MIGRANT Workers Offices (MWOs) must go out of their way to respond to the needs of all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
This was the plain and direct message of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to all its personnel and officials manning the 42 MWOs scattered across the globe during the 2025 Command Conference held by the agency earlier in the week.
"We must provide caring and prompt response to the needs of OFWs," said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac during the event held in Pasay City.
"We are all first responders. Whatever role you handle, when an OFW needs help, go out of your way to respond," he added.
Equally important, the official said, are the roles played by lawyers being tapped by the MWOs to help beleaguered OFWs.
Cacdac said MWO legal retainers and in-house lawyers should not just focus on legal matters but also on the humanitarian aspect.
"Legal work is technical work, but at the end of the day, it is heart work. We do not only work with our minds, but with our hearts. We do this not just for institutions or governments, but for our people, our OFWs," he said.
"Our duty is to ensure that justice, protection, and dignity are always within reach of every OFW," added Cacdac.
The MWOs serve as the operating arm of the DMW overseas, particularly in their respective jurisdiction. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)