Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) president Raymond Mendoza lauded the passage of the new law as an early Christmas gift to the millions of Filipino workers abroad.

“For far too long, our OFWs were hailed as our heroes but were often treated as second rate and second-class,” Mendoza said. “With this new Department, this is our national commitment to them and their families, that they are truly first-class citizens.”

He said OFWs should be treated well as their personal remittances have kept the economy afloat before and during this pandemic.

However, he cited how “OFWs were last in line for vaccination, not given green lanes to facilitate their travel, and were faced with extreme difficulties in claiming their just compensation.”

“They also had contracts which were replaced and substituted at will by employers and recruiters who milked them dry and sometimes killed them. Their passports and phones were confiscated, and they were treated as commodities,” he added.

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