Social welfare attachés to be deployed to places with big OFW population


By
 Bernadette D. Nicolas
 -
126
In File Photo: Filipino workers gather at the HSBC building in the central business district of Hong Kong
PRESIDENT Duterte has signed into law the measure establishing the Office of Social Welfare Attaché.
Signed into law last April 17, the new law paves the way for the deployment of more social welfare attachés to assist distressed overseas Filipinos and their children.
Under Republic Act 11299, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall deploy social welfare attachés in countries with a large concentration of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
These attachés shall be responsible for managing cases of OFWs and other overseas Filipinos in distress needing psychosocial services, such as victims of trafficking or illegal recruitment, rape or sexual abuse, maltreatment and other forms of physical or mental abuse and cases of abandoned or neglected children; and establishing and maintaining a data bank and documentation of OFWs and their families so that appropriate social welfare services can be more effectively provided.
They are also tasked to submit regular reports to the DSWD and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) home office on plans and activities undertaken, recommendations, and updates on the situation of OFWs, particularly those encountering difficulties. This report shall also form part of the semiannual report to 
Congress.
The funding for the implementation of this Act shall be included by the DSWD among its programs in the annual national budget.
Within 60 days after the effectivity of this Act, the DSWD, in consultation with the DFA, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Health, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and other relevant stakeholders shall formulate the necessary implementing rules and regulations of the new law.
Moreover, the DSWD shall also provide the criteria for determining the selection of Diplomatic Posts to which social welfare attachés will be deployed and the minimum qualifications and attributes of the social welfare attachés.
The law shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Image Credits: Paul Hilton/Bloomberg News

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