QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – Director General Gilbert Houngbo of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on Tuesday, June 27, conducted a field visit to the Migrants Resource Center (MRC) of the Quezon City government in an effort to closely look into its local migration governance initiatives.
The visit primarily provided the official an insight regarding the accomplishments of the MRC as a one-stop shop facility to over 181,000 migrant workers since its inception in 2019.
“The center has become a bridge that introduced the international frameworks to the grassroots level by providing vital training to hundreds of OFWs and their families on social protection and labor for safe, regular and orderly migration,” said City Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Among the program offerings of the MRC include the Cross Borders Training that was reportedly availed by almost 300 reintegration providers and representatives from Filipino communities in leading countries of destination of QC Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
In addition, the local government recently launched the ‘SMART CHILD: e-Habilin’ project to provide social protection and lessen the social cost of migration by offering skills development programs, peer support groups, and psychosocial programs intended for the children of QCitizen OFWs.
Moreover, the city government also conducts ‘OFW Kamustahan Sessions’ on a regular basis to consistently connect and communicate with its overseas working residents through digital channels.
At present, the MRC has 48 OFW Chapters in the city that are being supervised by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) to deliver responsive programs and services to migrant workers and their families.
In 2022, the QC government and the ILO forged a partnership through the BRIDGE and Safe and Fair Programmes that are funded by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund and the European Union. The said partnership significantly strengthened the operation of MRC.
Meanwhile, the Director General’s official visit in the city and the country marked the 75th anniversary of the Philippines’ membership to the United Nations (UN), an intergovernmental organization that is mandated to champion social and economic justice through establishing fair international labor standards.
“Together, we push forward with our unwavering commitment to advance social justice and decent working conditions for our overseas workers and care for the well-being of their children and their families,” Mayor Joy added. (QC PAISD/PIA-NCR)
