DILIMAN, Quezon City -- Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan “Toots” V. Ople today announced the appointment of key DMW officials, describing them as “a mix of seasoned government officials and new faces who share a commitment to serve our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).”
“Together, we will make the DMW a secure home for our OFWs and their families,” Ople said.
Ople said the senior DMW officials include Atty. Bernard P. Olalia and Atty. Hans Leo J. Cacdac, who served as administrators of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), respectively.
Olalia will assume his new post as Undersecretary for Licensing and Adjudication Services. He will remain as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the POEA until such time that the DMW is deemed fully constituted upon the approval of its 2023 budget. Olalia has been with DOLE and the POEA for more than five (5) years.
Cacdac, who has been in the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and OWWA for a total of 21 years, will serve as Undersecretary for Welfare and Foreign Employment. He will oversee the department's Aksyon Fund, which will be used to help distressed OFWs in various countries.
“This mix of familiar faces and new names reflects our desire for continuity and innovation. The DMW's "dream team" is now in place, and we vow to serve our OFWs faithfully and with utmost professionalism," Ople said.
Another seasoned official is Undersecretary Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones who has been in the civil service for 31 years. She was a former DoLE Assistant Secretary during the Arroyo Administration. She was head of the Tourism Promotion Board prior to her latest appointment. She is coming to the DMW as Undersecretary for Finance and Internal Affairs.