BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and provincial and municipal local government units of Benguet and Mountain Province strengthened partnership in pushing for Overseas Filipino Workers and their families’ welfare and protection.

The partnership was formalized through the signinga Memorandum of Agreement  between OWWA headed by Deputy Administrator Emma Sinclair and OWWA – Cordillera  OIC Regional Director Luzviminda Tumaliuan and the governors and mayors of Benguet and Mountain Province at Pines View Hotel here last June 8.

Under the MOA, the local chief executives of the two provinces will establish OFW Help Desks and will designate desk officers  who  will look into the concerns and needs of OFWs and their families in their respective area of responsibility.

The Benguet and Mountain Province LCEs  also  committed  to implement programs and services for OFW welfare in their respective localities.

For OWWA, it  will  provide continuing information and capacity building activities to LGU personnel regarding its agency programs and services, as well as to conduct regular consultation, monitoring and close coordination with the designated local migrant desk officers to ensure prompt and effective delivery of the needed programs and services of OFWs and their families.

Sinclair, in her message, expressed OWWA’s gratitude to the LCEs of Benguet and Mountain Province, as with the renewal of partnership and commitment, government programs and services can reach the Filipino migrant workers, even in the remote areas of the two provinces.

“It is really an honor for OWWA na ka-partner namin kayo because there are places na hindi namin marating but with your participation, our undertakings ay napaparating natin ang gobyerno sa kanila kahit saan silang tuktok ng bundok”;

“Hindi po kaya ng OWWA lang na i-deliver ang welfare services namin at ngayon as partners, we have shared responsibilities to our clients, to your constituents and to our member OFWs”, Sinclair stressed.

Tumaliuan, in behalf of the OWWA Cordillera regional office also expressed their gratitude to their LCE partners.

“Let me extend my profound gratitude to all our honorable local chief executives for once again renewing a pact towards better and fast services to our OFWs and their families and for the establishment of OFW help desk in your respective LGUs”, Tumaliuan said.

“Through the OFW Help Desk, more OFW constituents could be accommodated for other programs and services of OWWA such as scholarships of their children, medical assistance of OFWs, livelihood and so on, she added.

For the LGU response messages, Mountain Province Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan and Benguet League of Municipalities president and Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro expressed their respective  province's gratitude to OWWA and  its  commitment to deliver OFW welfare and protection programs and services in their localities. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)