Villar wants department for OFWs pursued

CEBU, Philippines -  Amidst the various hostilities in the foreign lands that affected thousands of Filipino Overseas Workers, former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar will continue to push for the passage of a pending bill seeking to create a department for OFWs.

The bill was sponsored by her husband, Senator Manuel Villar.

Cynthia, a senatorial candidate under  the United Nationalists Alliance, explained that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment have so much function to do and the concerns of OFWs are just one of them.

“With over 12 million OFWs and a remittance of P22 billion per year, it's time for the government to really give focus for the welfare of the OFWs by creating such department intended for them,” Mrs. Villar  said.

The Villar Foundation, now on its 25th year of existence, where she is the managing director have already helped thousands of OFWs being repatriated, who were mostly victims of abuses abroad.

Cynthia said that she and her husband have a very strong passion in helping the OFWs as it was a wife of an OFW who first bought a house that her husband built.

The Villar Foundation in partnership with Let's Negosyo just recently conducted the “2nd OFW and Family Summit 2012” in Manila wherein 4,000 OFWs and their families have attended.

During the summit, families of OFWs were taught how to start a small business to augment their income.

She said that a house and lot package, which is the grand prize during the summit, was won by a seaman. Other participants also won sari-sari store package, tricycle package, distributorship package, among others.

The said summit seeks to empower OFWs by teaching them the basic how-tos to improve their lives through entrepreneurship.

The Villar Foundation believes in the courage, heroism and hard work of overseas Filipino workers and is committed  to help, protect and serve them and their families wherever they are. —FPL (FREEMAN)