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The new MWOs — satellite offices of the Department of Migrant Workers — also have jurisdiction over several other central European countries
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has opened new satellite offices in Budapest, Hungary, and Vienna, Austria, amid growing overseas Filipino worker (OFW) populations in the areas, the department announced on Friday, October 11.
Apart from the 8,000 OFWs the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Vienna will cater to in Austria, it will also cover 12,000 OFWs in Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia.
Most of the workers are in the hospitality, food service, health, social work, and manufacturing industries.
Meanwhile, the jurisdiction of the MWO in Budapest covers Hungary, with around 12,000 OFWs, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Moldova, and Montenegro, with a total of 5,373 OFWs.
Most OFWs in Hungary are employed in the manufacturing, agriculture, and food service industries.
“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his vision for Bagong Pilipinas, we aim to make the services of DMW accessible to OFWs and their families. The presence of MWOs will ensure timely delivery of assistance and services to overseas workers,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said in a statement.
On October 4, the DMW and Croatia’s Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy also signed a memorandum of cooperation, which opened doors to more job opportunities for Filipinos in the country.
Prior to the MWOs opening, OFWs in the covered areas had to coordinate with the MWO in Milan, Italy. MWOs, in coordination with the Philippine embassies and consulates, are in charge of all matters related to Filipino workers based and being recruited for work in the host countries. The offices also guide foreign employers through the legal process of hiring Filipino workers.
The new MWOs are the first put up since the DMW was created in end-2021. MWOs used to be called Philippine Overseas Labor Offices, which were under the Department of Labor and Employment. The 39 POLOs were transferred to the jurisdiction of the DMW and were renamed MWOs. The Budapest and Vienna offices are the 40th and 41st.
The department plans to open MWOs in Bangkok and Guam before 2024 ends. – Rappler.com
