MANILA -- The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported on Saturday that about 70 seasonal worker groups are set to be deployed to South Korean farms following the workers from three local government units (LGUs) in Pampanga last February 29.

“So, sa ngayon nagkaroon tayo ng, una, ito iyong binabanggit po ni sir na 39 initial group from three LGUs in Pampanga na nakaalis about two days ago, umaga sila umalis papunta na sa mga Korean farms at may napipintong mga pitumpu na susunod at tuluy-tuloy na po ito,” DMW officer in charge Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said in a news forum in Quezon City.

Cacdad said they are currently screening the contracts of the seasonal workers and processing their membership to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to protect them from labor abuses and increase their awareness of their rights.

The DMW also gave the LGUs the responsibility to conduct orientation for their constituents to inform them about their rights and responsibilities in the jobs they are going for.

The LGUs are also expected to closely monitor the situation of their constituent workers, Cacdac said.

Cacdac added they wanted standardized protection of Filipino seasonal workers as they are pushing for a formal government to government agreement (G2G) on labor standards with South Korea and its labor ministries.

“But, ang gusto nating mangyari, standardized iyong protection at halimbawa iyong nangyaring… ‘pag may namatay sa kinasamaang-palad, sana wala nang mamatay ‘no… at may masaktan, mayroong karampatang aksiyon – pupuntahan sa lugar ng farm at bibigyan ng lunas iyong pagpapagamot at agarang pag-uwi ng OFW sa tamang panahon,” Cacdac said.

“Kasi ang nangyari doon sa anim na namatay, nagturuan pa kung sino iyong mag-uuwi kasi nga hindi dumaan sa DMW iyong nakaraan eh,” he added.

There are more or less 3,400 seasonal workers in South Korea that did not go through DMW, to which the agency is currently gathering their names and monitoring their situation. (PND)