Mayor Michael Rama and former Labor undersecretary Josephus Jimenez discuss the Pag-Amoma program for OFWs in a press conference at Hotel Elizabeth. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Cebu City Hall will now serve a one-stop shop for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) concerns following Monday’s launching of its Pag-Amoma (Pag-alagad ug Gugma Alang sa Mga OFWs ug Migrante Abroad) program.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and former labor undersecretary Josephus Jimenez said the program would provide services like pre-departure orientation seminar to OFWs.
The program, which will be placed under the Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP), would also extend financial literacy program to help OFWs manage their finances.
He also wanted the PagAmoma program to tap the assistance of the University of the Visayas and the University of Cebu law students to help out OFWs prepare documents and for filing cases in court on their claims for unpaid salaries for example.
Rama tapped Jimenez in crafting the Pag-Amoma program because of his expertise in labor concerns due to his background as labor attache to various foreign countries including Kuwait.
Jimenez, a native of Argao town, southern Cebu who’s now based in Manila, said there are now 12 million Filipinos abroad sending $24 billion in remittances per year.
“If not for their remittances, we will suffer imbalance in foreign exchange. We are not just be providing reactionary service but we will be pro-active,” Jimenez said.
Cebu City Hall’s Pag-Amoma program will integrate services by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Philippine Overseas Employment Association and the Department of Labor and Employment.