ALONG THE HIGHWAY

Pampanga OFW projects/ Passports for Tarlac folk

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga -- From indications, the provincial government and the private sector here are determined to ensure a better future for would-be and currently deployed Kapampangan overseas Filipino workers and their families as multi-sectoral efforts to consolidate all programs and services for the protection of their rights and welfare are being boosted.

The exponents of the Church-initiated Pampanga Inter-Agency Council for Migrants Concerns buckled down to work as it met for the third time last Nov. 20 to discuss the immediate formation of the migrants’ concerns committees on Information and education, welfare and protection, reintegration and sub-
committees on economic and family integration, as well as lobbying advocacy.

To lead in these committees are the provincial public employment services office and provincial social welfare development office respectively. Accordingly, the Pampanga Archdiocese Migrants Desk, lead convenor of PIAMCO, plans to take up with Gov. Eddie Panlilio the five-point Capampangan migrants agenda that it had earlier submitted to his office. This includes the establishment of a Migrants Desk or Office that would provide and facilitate the delivery of various forms of services to the OFWs and their families.

The PIAMCO initiative is in line with the provincial government’s intensified efforts to push for the advancement and better protection of the rights and welfare of would-be and currently deployed Kapampangan OFWs and families.
Last week, Gov. Panlilio signed a landmark memorandum of understanding with the POEA to strengthen and intensify the anti-illegal recruitment campaign in the province through barangaylevel information dissemination.

Fr. Arnie Serrano, director of Pampanga Archdiocese Migrants Desk and the presiding officer of the meeting, said "PIAMCO is very much like the provincial government’s PAMISAUPAN program. Its success lies on the commitment and the concerted efforts of all who have genuine concerns for our OFWs and their families."

Government agencies represented in the PIAMCO were the Department of Labor and Employment, National Labor Relations Commission, PhilHealth and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Also present were the representatives of the provincial offices of the Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Skill Training and Development Authority, while the Pampanga Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneural Development Office and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office represented the provincial government.
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In Tarlac City, the Department of Foreign Affairs Regional Office No. 3 issued passports on Nov. 17 to some 500 applicants here in line with the program of the city government to assists its residents who intend to seek overseas employment or travel abroad.

This was made possible through the holding of a one-day passporting and releasing activity at the city hall held in cooperation with the DFA office in Region 3 headed by regional director Ernesto Belardo. City Mayor Genaro M. Mendoza said this is the fourth occasion wherein the city government, in cooperation with the DFA, had conducted passport processing and releasing in one day.

Belardo said Mayor Mendoza has taken the initiative to help his constituents avail themselves of the opportunity to have their travel documents processed right where they are residing, which also saves time, as well as expenses for meals and transportation. Lorrie Ledesma, Tarlac City Licensing Division chief, said this passport processing and releasing project of Mayor Mendoza had started last year, in cooperation with Director Belardo.