Government working hard to prevent Pinoys from leaving — Palace

As the Philippines celebrates Independence Day tomorrow, Malacañang said yesterday the Arroyo administration has been working hard to improve the country’s economy and free Filipinos from unemployment and poverty that have driven many of them to leave the country.

"We recognize the leading contribution of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the strength and stability of our economy, and President Arroyo has been at the forefront to protect them and accord them and their families the special treatment befitting our modern-day heroes," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.

He admitted that "limited opportunities at home drive Filipino talent to greener pastures abroad," but added "this administration’s long-term economic blueprint will make sure we can keep more Filipinos, who have the inherent excellence and patriotism to help build the Philippines, right here where they can be with their families."

Bunye said this is one of the reasons why Mrs. Arroyo is single-mindedly focused on improving the economy — to bring home investments, create jobs, expand enterprises, build more infrastructure and bring more food to the table.

More than eight million Filipinos work around the world. During the first quarter of the year, remittances from OFWs reached $2.8 billion, up from $2.5 billion during the same period in 2005.

As this developed, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the administration’s legal and welfare services for both local and overseas workers will be among the highlights of the 2006 Independence Day Jobs and Livelihood Fair at the Rizal Park in Manila tomorrow.

Acting Labor Secretary Danilo Cruz said the on-site legal and welfare assistance complements the government’s effort to provide more than 30,000 jobs courtesy of 135 local employers and 34 licensed overseas employment agencies during the fair.

"Through such services, we hope to be able to assist and successfully resolve the labor-related problems of our clients, including labor and management," he said.

Labor Undersecretary for Labor Relations Manuel Imson, on the other hand, said appropriate services will also be set up on-site to answer questions and meet the needs of OFWs and would-be OFWs.

"The provision of such services, in consonance with the country’s labor-management harmony and peace, gives added significance to our celebration of the 108th anniversary of the country’s independence with the theme ‘Pagkakaisa Para sa Matatag na Republika,’" Imson said.

He added that a total of eight DOLE offices, agencies and organizations will provide on-site legal services through special booths designated for this purpose at the Rizal Park.

These include DOLE’s National Capital Region Office and the NCR branches of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board, the National Labor Relations Commission, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, and the Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council.

Also on hand to assist with OFW concerns at the job fair are the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-NCR, the DOLE’s Maritime Training Council, and the National Maritime Polytechnic.