Department of Migrant Workers

Department of Migrant Workers The DMW is the agency tasked to protect the rights and promote the welfare of OFWs & their families.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked to protect the rights and promote the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The department was created by virtue of Department of Migrant Workers Act or the Republic Act No. 11641, which was signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on December 30, 2021. The Department of Migrant Workers Ac

t (RA 11641) took effect on February 3, 2022, wherein the DMW was created, established, and constituted. It now assumes and performs all the powers and functions of seven merged agencies, namely: the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA); the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs (OUMWA) of the DFA; the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) and all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) under DOLE; the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP); the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRC) under the OWWA, and the Office of the Social Welfare Attachรฉ (OSWA) under the DSWD. The DMW is mandated to facilitate the overseas employment and reintegration of Filipino workers, while taking into consideration the national development programs of the National Economic and Development Authority. It is also tasked to promote the empowerment and protection of OFWs through continuous training and knowledge development.

๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ข๐—ž: The One Country Team to the Republic of Korea Welcomes EPS workers!The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with ...
06/08/2026

๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ข๐—ž: The One Country Team to the Republic of Korea Welcomes EPS workers!

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Korea, warmly welcomed 80 newly arrived Filipino workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) upon their arrival in the Republic of Korea on 4 August 2026 in Inchon, Seoul South Korea.

This welcome activity underscores the Philippine government's continuing commitment to supporting and protecting our OFWs as they begin their employment and build better opportunities abroad.

We extend our best wishes to our newly deployed EPS workers for a safe, successful, and fulfilling journey in Korea!











The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Korea, warmly welcomed 80 newly arrived Filipino workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) upon their arrival on 4 August 2026.

This initiative reflects the Philippine government's continued commitment to protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of our overseas Filipino workers from the moment they begin their employment abroad. Through close collaboration with Korean government agencies, Filipino EPS workers receive timely support to help them transition smoothly into their new workplaces and communities.

We wish our newly arrived workers a safe, successful, and rewarding journey in the Republic of Korea. Mabuhay ang ating mga bagong EPS workers!






PHILIPPINE EMBASSY, TOGETHER WITH MWO-OWWA KOREA, WELCOMES 80 NEWLY ARRIVED FILIPINO EPS WORKERS
ํ•„๋ฆฌํ•€๋Œ€์‚ฌ๊ด€ยท๋…ธ๋ฌด๊ด€์‹ค(MWO-OWWA), ์‹ ๊ทœ ์ž…๊ตญ ๊ณ ์šฉํ—ˆ๊ฐ€์ œ ๊ทผ๋กœ์ž 80๋ช… ํ™˜์˜

Incheon, 04 August 2026 โ€“ The Philippine Embassy in Seoul together with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in South Korea, warmly welcomed 80 newly arrived Filipino workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) upon their arrival in the Republic of Korea on 04 August 2026.

Leading the welcome delegation was Her Excellency Ambassador Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez, accompanied by Labor Attachรฉ Rosemarie G. Duquez and Welfare Officer Cornelia DG Chanco, together with personnel of MWO-OWWA Korea. The delegation welcomed the newly arrived workers and reaffirmed the Philippine government's commitment to supporting Filipino workers as they begin their employment in the Republic of Korea.

The activity was conducted under the HRDK-Embassy Coordinated Entry Process for E-9 Foreign Workers, a program of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK) that aims to facilitate the entry and promote the stable settlement of E-9 foreign workers through close coordination with participating embassies in the Republic of Korea.

The Philippine Embassy, through MWO-OWWA Korea, continues to work closely with HRDK and other Korean government agencies to safeguard the welfare of Filipino workers and ensure that they receive timely support from the beginning of their employment in South Korea.

The Employment Permit System remains one of the Philippine government's key labor migration programs, providing thousands of qualified Filipino workers with opportunities for decent employment while strengthening labor cooperation between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. END


Migrant Workers Office - Korea
Owwa Seoul SoKor

๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐˜€ ๐—”๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฏ๐˜† ๐—•๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ ๐—”๐˜๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐˜€BUCHAREST, Romania โ€“ The Romanian Govern...
06/08/2026

๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐˜€ ๐—”๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฏ๐˜† ๐—•๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ ๐—”๐˜๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐˜€

BUCHAREST, Romania โ€“ The Romanian Government reaffirmed its support for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea during a meeting on August 5, 2026, between Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac and Dr. Raed Arafat, State Secretary and Head of Romania's Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), with officials from the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI). The Philippine delegation was joined by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne V. Caunan and Philippine Ambassador to Romania Noel R. Servigon. Dr. Arafat expressed Romania's condolences to the families of the affected seafarers and assured the delegation that Romanian authorities would continue to provide assistance through emergency response, law enforcement, immigration, and other government agencies. "We are very sorry for what happened. You can count on Romania's continued support, whether for this incident or any future emergency," he said, adding that Romania also looks forward to expanding cooperation with the Philippines in disaster management, emergency preparedness, and humanitarian response.

Romanian immigration officials also updated the Philippine delegation on the processing of documents for the deceased Filipino seafarer, explaining that the death certificate will be issued once the ongoing investigation is completed and released through official channels. They also committed to coordinating with the Romanian Border Police and other authorities to facilitate transit documentation for OFWs who need to board or disembark vessels related to the recent maritime incidents. During the meeting, Major General Marius Dugeanu recalled leading the European Union Civil Protection Team that assisted the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. He said the resilience of the Filipino people left a lasting impression and expressed hope for stronger cooperation in disaster risk reduction and emergency response.

Secretary Cacdac thanked the Romanian Government for its swift assistance, particularly the support from medical personnel at Tulcea County Hospital, emergency responders, police authorities, immigration officials, and other Romanian institutions. "We deeply appreciate the solidarity shown by the Romanian Government during this difficult time. Your prompt response and unwavering support have brought comfort to our affected seafarers and their families. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to protecting those who keep global trade moving despite extraordinary risks," he said. Following the meeting, the Philippine delegation traveled to Constanศ›a to visit Filipino crew members aboard MV Christina B and coordinate arrangements for MV Ventura, which is carrying the remains of another deceased Filipino seafarer. The DMW, through the Migrant Workers Office in Bucharest, together with OWWA and the Philippine Embassy in Bucharest, will continue working with Romanian authorities, licensed manning agencies, shipowners, and the families of the affected seafarers to provide welfare, psychosocial, documentation, and repatriation assistance.





๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€BUCHAREST, ROMANIA โ€” On 05 August 2026, the Philippin...
06/08/2026

๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA โ€” On 05 August 2026, the Philippines and Romania agreed to proceed with renewing their labor cooperation framework and to convene the first Joint Committee Meeting under the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding. The talks focused on ethical recruitment, fair working conditions, employer accountability, and stronger protections for Filipino workers in Romania.

Romanian Minister of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity Dragoศ™-Nicolae Pรฎslaru and State Secretary Silvia Monica Dinicฤƒ met with Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Philippine Ambassador to Romania Noel Eugene E. Servigon, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, and other members of the Philippine delegation. Secretary Cacdac presented the Philippinesโ€™ 52-year system for managing overseas employment and protecting workers throughout the migration process. โ€œThe Philippines deeply values its partnership with Romania in advancing safe, orderly, and regular labor migration. As we pursue the renewal of our bilateral labor agreement, convene the Joint Committee Meeting, and establish the Migrant Workers Office in Bucharest, we are strengthening a modern framework that promotes ethical recruitment, protects the rights and welfare of Filipino workers, and supports Romaniaโ€™s evolving labor market needs. Together, we are demonstrating that labor mobility can be both economically beneficial and firmly anchored in human dignity,โ€ Secretary Cacdac said.

The Philippine delegation welcomed Romaniaโ€™s Emergency Ordinance No. 32/2026, which establishes licensing and digital registration requirements for recruitment agencies and employers. It also prohibits recruitment agencies from charging foreign workers placement fees, commissions, guarantees, or other recruitment-related costs. Both sides discussed further cooperation on social protection, including stronger safeguards for women migrant workers and greater employer accountability.

Secretary Cacdac also briefed Romanian officials on the delegationโ€™s visit to Tulcea following attacks on vessels in the Northern Black Sea that began on 06 July 2026. The delegation paid tribute to the fallen Filipino Chief Engineer in Romania, who died in the incident, and met with more than 200 OFWs employed at VARD Tulcea to hear their concerns and discuss available assistance. The Philippine delegation also included OIC-Assistant Secretary for Sea-Based Concerns Augusto B. San Diego III and Labor Attachรฉ Geraldine M. Mendez.





๐—š๐—–๐—– ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—š๐˜‚๐—น๐—ณ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—–๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—น ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ข๐—™๐—ช๐˜€On August 4, 2026, at the DMW Central Office, the Department o...
06/08/2026

๐—š๐—–๐—– ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—š๐˜‚๐—น๐—ณ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—–๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—น ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ข๐—™๐—ช๐˜€

On August 4, 2026, at the DMW Central Office, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) met with the delegation from the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat, the Gulf Health Council, and Embassy representatives to discuss initiatives on the health and medical screening of OFWs under the Wafid Program, a digital platform for managing pre-deployment medical examinations of workers bound for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The GCC delegation presented the Wafid Program, including its accreditation process for participating health facilities, quality assurance, and implementation in 21 countries, including the Philippines. As of now, there are 24 accredited medical centers and clinics across the country, and the Council announced plans to expand and increase the number of its accredited medical centers and clinics.

The DMW officials, led by Undersecretary Jainal Rasul, Jr., welcome the GCC move not only to ensure accessibility for our OFW applicants but also to uphold quality standards, integrity, credibility, and transparency in the application and appointment system, the selection of centers and clinics, and the uniformity of fees. The DMW officials also stressed the need to ensure that OFWs' medical examinations are conducted by qualified and accredited health facilities in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH).

DMW officials further reiterated its commitment to the welfare and protection of Filipino migrant workers.

Assistant Secretaries Levinson Alcantara, Jules Ambito-Fermin, and Maria Regina Galias; Directors Jerome Yanzon, Paul Listones, and Celso Hernandez; and other DMW officers and staff participated in the discussion.





๐——๐— ๐—ช ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐——๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฏ ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€Innovation took center stage as the Department of Migran...
05/08/2026

๐——๐— ๐—ช ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐——๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฏ ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€

Innovation took center stage as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) recognized the winners of the Design Thinking Club (DTC) Innovation Challenge, highlighting employee-led ideas to make DMW services more responsive, user-centered, and accessible to migrant workers and stakeholders.

Project Haligi: PEOS Online 2.0 of the Pre-Employment and Government Placement Bureau was named the first-place winner. Project H.E.R.O.E.S. (Harnessing E-learning for Responsive Overseas Empathetic Service), a Learning Management System for Migrant Workers Offices by the Migrant Workers Training Institute, placed second. At the same time, the Electronic DMW Monitoring Coordination System (E-DMW MCS) of the Foreign Stakeholders Relations and Engagement Bureau won third place.

The winning teams were selected on 25 May 2026 after presenting their innovation proposals to a panel of judges from the Foreign Service Institute, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

For DMW Design Thinking Club President and Director Janine T. Tutanes, the challenge reflects the Departmentโ€™s commitment to nurturing fresh ideas and empowering employees, especially young innovators, to improve public service.

โ€œThe value of the Design Thinking Club lies in its ability to foster a culture of creativity, empathy, and user-centered problem-solving. By empowering teams to turn ideas into practical innovations, DTC plays a vital role in continuously improving our programs and services to better serve our clients and stakeholders,โ€ she noted.

Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay congratulated the winning teams and encouraged them to bring their proposed systems to fruition by the end of 2026, reinforcing DMWโ€™s push for digital transformation and improved service delivery.

Director Tutanes looks forward to expanding the Clubโ€™s impact through strategic partnerships, particularly with DAP. โ€œWe seek the continued support of our Management to nurture this culture of innovation by empowering our employees, sustaining the Clubโ€™s initiatives, and enabling more personnel to participate in future Design Thinking activities, with a renewed focus on partnership and growth,โ€ she noted.

By turning ideas into practical solutions, the DMW Design Thinking Club continues to inspire innovation from within and to strengthen the Departmentโ€™s mission to deliver better, faster, and more compassionate service to overseas Filipino workers and their families. # # #





๐——๐— ๐—ช ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ฑ-๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ, ๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—จ๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ง๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜€During its Mid-Year Performance Assessmen...
05/08/2026

๐——๐— ๐—ช ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ฑ-๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ, ๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—จ๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ง๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜€

During its Mid-Year Performance Assessment on August 5-6, 2026, at Ace Water Spa Hotel in Pasig City, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reviewed program performance and discussed operational improvements to accelerate progress toward targets.

Senior officials, cluster heads, and bureau directors assessed the Departmentโ€™s accomplishments, program implementation, and service delivery for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families. They also identified measures to address operational gaps and improve coordination among DMW offices.

Assistant Secretary Grace Riguer-Teodosio presented the Department's status, including implementation progress and performance ratings for major programs, projects, and deliverables. According to the report, the following areas achieved 100 percent of their targets: issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates; placement of jobseekers under government-to-government arrangements; provision of various forms of assistance to beneficiaries; assistance to local government units implementing reintegration programs; assistance in illegal recruitment cases endorsed for prosecution; inspection and assessment of recruitment and manning agencies; and compliance with obligations and commitments to international organizations and treaties.

Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, who addressed the officials via an online call, thanked the men and women of the Department for their work and accomplishments.

โ€œI appreciate all of your hard work and your accomplishments. I also take consistent, continual pride in working with you, literally side by side. Nothing exhilarates me more than seeing all of you working side by side in the trenches as we help our OFW. So truly, thatโ€™s what keeps me going. Kapag nakikita ko nagtatrabaho ang lahat at patuloy tayo sa one goal, one effort towards Bagong Pilipinas ng ating mahal na Pangulo,โ€ Secretary Cacdac said.

Cluster heads also reported on welfare and protection services, repatriation and reintegration programs, licensing and adjudication, campaigns against illegal recruitment and human trafficking, and other frontline operations.

They presented proposed improvements within their respective bureaus to simplify processes, strengthen coordination, and make DMW services more responsive to the needs of OFWs and their families. # # #





๐— ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ ๐—จ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ข๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—œ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐˜€Migrant Workers Secreta...
05/08/2026

๐— ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ ๐—จ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ข๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—œ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐˜€

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac urged Department of Migrant Workers officials to accelerate the implementation of key programs and finalize new policies to ensure more responsive service delivery for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families during the agency's Mid-Year Performance Assessment in Pasig City.

Secretary Cacdac emphasized that continuous innovation remains essential to improving service delivery and strengthening future programs, citing the development and implementation of the regional operations manual, improvements to ISO processes and the Quality Management Service, and the rollout of the Labor Migration Management Plan. He underscored the urgency of meeting the Department's 2026 priorities and commitments through stronger coordination and expedited action.

Highlighting the agency's ongoing digitalization initiatives, the Secretary noted the full rollout of the OFW Pass following its recognition by airlines. The Secretary also attributed its foundation to the legacy of former Secretary Susan "T***s" Ople and called for intensified information dissemination at the regional and overseas levels.

Furthermore, Secretary Cacdac underscored the importance of sustaining reintegration partnerships with other government agencies and of maintaining the Philippines' Tier 1 status in the U.S. Department of Stateโ€™s anti-human-trafficking campaign.

The Secretary stressed the need for swift and judicious assistance for distressed overseas Filipinos amid the ongoing evolution of the departmentโ€™s AKSYON (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan) Fund. He noted that fund sustainability requires calibrated financial support tailored to each case rather than uniform, high-tier allocations. # # #





๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ฉ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—— ๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜†๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎTULCEA, Romania โ€” Department of Migrant ...
05/08/2026

๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ฉ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—— ๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜†๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ

TULCEA, Romania โ€” Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac met with more than 200 Filipino workers at VARD Shipyards Romania S.A. on 04 August 2026 to personally check on their welfare, convey the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.โ€™s appreciation for their valuable contributions, and thank VARD Shipyards Romania S.A. for its continued partnership in providing employment opportunities and supporting Filipino workersโ€™ well-being.

During the town hall meeting, Secretary Cacdac met directly with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) employed as pipe fitters, steel fitters, and welders. The workers raised employment and welfare concerns, and the Secretary assured them that these would be promptly addressed through close coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Bucharest, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the licensed Philippine recruitment agency, and VARD Shipyards Romania S.A.

โ€œThe protection of every overseas Filipino worker remains our highest priority. We are here to listen to your concerns and to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that your rights and welfare are upheld,โ€ Secretary Cacdac told the workers.

After the meeting, Secretary Cacdac and the delegation inspected the workers' accommodations and personally engaged with the OFWs to assess their living conditions. The delegation noted that the accommodations were well maintained, with reliable Wi-Fi and properly functioning air-conditioning units. They also noted that the facility is conveniently located within walking distance of the workplace, providing added comfort and accessibility for the workers.

Secretary Cacdac was joined by Philippine Ambassador to Romania Noel E. Servigon; Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan; Director Augusto B. San Diego III, Officer-in-Charge, Assistant Secretary for Sea-Based Concerns; Labor Attachรฉ Geraldine C. Mendez; Second Secretary Iris Vanessa Caranzo of the Philippine Embassy in Bucharest; Dr. Amelito S. Adel, Officer-in-Charge of the OWWA Repatriation Assistance Division; and Kate Loren C. Ignacio of OWWA.





๐—ฃ๐—› ๐—š๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—™๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ ๐—˜๐—ป๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎTULCEA, ROMANIA โ€” The Philippine government paid ...
05/08/2026

๐—ฃ๐—› ๐—š๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—™๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ ๐—˜๐—ป๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ

TULCEA, ROMANIA โ€” The Philippine government paid a solemn tribute to a fallen Filipino Chief Engineer during a private visit to Tulcea County Hospital, where Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac led a Philippine delegation per directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in honoring the life, dedicated service, and sacrifice of Chief Engineer Naa.

Joining Secretary Cacdac were Philippine Ambassador to Romania Noel E. Servigon; Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan; Director August B. San Diego III, OIC-Assistant Secretary for Seabased Concern; Labor Attachรฉ Geraldine C. Mendez; and Ms. Charisse Mae Tiongson, Officer-in-Charge of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Budapest.

The tribute followed the tragic incident involving the MT Gas Lisbon, which was struck while navigating the Black Sea on 21 July 2026. Romanian emergency responders successfully rescued all crew members and brought the three injured Filipino seafarers to Tulcea County Hospital for treatment. Two of the injured seafarers were safely repatriated to the Philippines on 3 August, while the Chief Engineer later succumbed to his injuries.

The Philippine delegation offered prayers and observed a moment of silence before the remains of the fallen Filipino Chief Engineer, paying tribute to his dedicated service to the global maritime industry and recognizing the invaluable contributions of Filipino seafarers who continue to keep international commerce moving under challenging conditions.

Secretary Cacdac extended the Philippine governmentโ€™s deepest sympathies to the bereaved family and reaffirmed the governmentโ€™s unwavering commitment to stand by them throughout the repatriation process and beyond.

โ€œToday, we honor a Filipino whose dedication, professionalism, and sacrifice embody the resilience and excellence of our seafarers. As we mourn this tragic loss, we reaffirm our commitment to bringing him home with dignity and ensuring that his family receives the full support of the Philippine government,โ€ Secretary Cacdac said.

The DMW, through its Migrant Workers Office, in close coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Bucharest, OWWA, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Romanian authorities, continues to facilitate the immediate repatriation of the Chief Engineerโ€™s remains while ensuring that all available assistance, benefits, and welfare services are extended to his family.

The Philippine delegation likewise expressed its profound gratitude to the doctors, nurses, emergency responders, and the entire healthcare team of Tulcea County Hospital for the exceptional care they extended to the three Filipino seafarers affected by the incident. Their professionalism, compassion, and unwavering dedication not only ensured quality medical treatment for the injured but also upheld the dignity and respect accorded to the deceased. The delegation likewise thanked the Romanian authorities for their invaluable cooperation and support throughout the emergency response and ongoing repatriation efforts.

The tribute reaffirms the Philippine governmentโ€™s unwavering commitment to stand with every overseas Filipino worker and their familiesโ€”not only in moments of success, but most especially in times of loss. It is a solemn reminder that no Filipino who serves the nation abroad is ever forgotten.

Far from home, but never alone. The Filipino nation will bring you home.
# # #







05/08/2026

๐—”๐—ก๐—š ๐—ฆ๐—”๐—ž๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ฌ๐—ข ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—™๐—ช, ๐—œ๐—ก๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—ก๐—š ๐—•๐—”๐—ช๐—”๐—ง ๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ก๐—ข

"Alam ko maraming OFW, ganun ang nararanasan. Kailangang umuwi dahil namatay ang mahal mo sa buhay na hindi mo na naabutan."

Ito ang masakit ngunit totoong karanasang ibinahagi ni Dr. Redelma "Bhing" Macapili-Cabal, isang dating OFW na nagsakripisyo ng 13 taon sa Saudi Arabia upang mabigyan ng mas magandang kinabukasan ang kanyang pamilya.

Sa episode na ito ng Usapang DMW: Ano ang Kwentong OFW Mo?, ibinahagi niya ang mga hamon, sakripisyo, at mga aral na humubog sa kanyang buhayโ€”mula sa pagiging OFW hanggang sa pagiging matagumpay na dentista at negosyante sa Pilipinas.

Panoorin ang buong episode:

๐Ÿ“บhttps://www.facebook.com/reel/1948887299848118?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e&fs=e

May Kwentong OFW ka ba? Ibahagi ang iyong inspirasyon, karanasan, o tagumpay. Ipadala ang inyong mensahe at maaaring ikaw na ang susunod na tampok sa Usapang DMW: Ano ang Kwentong OFW Mo?

๐Ÿ“ฉ [email protected]







Address

Ortigas Avenue Corner EDSA
Pasig

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 9pm
Tuesday 8am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 7am - 6pm
Friday 7am - 6pm

Telephone

+6387221144

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Department of Migrant Workers posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Department of Migrant Workers:

Shortcuts

Share