MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is ready to provide essential support to Filipinos, especially undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the United States, amid potential mass deportation under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
The DMW said at least 370, 000 undocumented Filipino immigrants in the US may be affected by the possible crackdown.
In a press release, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency is bracing for the impact of the proposed policy to be imposed by the incoming administration against undocumented immigrants.
“The DMW is prepared to assist our OFWs, whether they are documented or undocumented OFWs. Under the directives of our President, a whole-of-government team is here to provide support to possible deportees,” Cacdac said.
During the previous Trump administration, over 3,500 Filipinos were deported between 2017 and 2020.
Cacdac said the agency will work closely with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to set up support mechanisms that include financial aid, medical services, and legal assistance through the Aksyon Fund and the Emergency Repatriation Fund to ensure that deported individuals receive immediate access to essential services upon returning to the Philippines.
In addition to financial aid, the DMW’s Aksyon Fund will also provide reintegration support, helping returnees re-enter the workforce.
Meanwhile, through the National Reintegration Center for OFWs, the DMW, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), will offer job retooling, reskilling, and employment facilitation.
Alternative employment opportunities abroad, with a focus on government-to-government agreements in countries like Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary, and Japan, to offer new job markets for returnees, are also being considered.
He added the DMW and the DFA will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Meanwhile, affected Filipinos with unpaid wage claims or those facing labor-related issues may reach out to the DMW’s Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in the US.
They may email MWO Washington DC at [email protected] or call its hotline 202-467-9426, or the MWO Los Angeles at [email protected], with hotline 213-887-8573. (PNA)