Government agencies opened the second leg of the Bagong Bayani ng Mundo: OFW Serbisyo Caravan in Al Khobar by welcoming more than 1,200 overseas Filipino workers on November 21, marking the start of a two-day rollout of frontline assistance under the theme “Red Carpet, hindi Red Tape.”
The event began with a video message from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who thanked Filipino workers abroad for their commitment and hardships. He also assured them of continued state support and emphasized their welfare as a national priority.
Ten government institutions joined the deployment, with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia leading the initiative. They were accompanied by teams from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, DMW–National Reintegration Center for OFWs, DMW–Migrant Workers Office Eastern Region Operations, Philippine Statistics Authority, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, Land Transportation Office, Social Security System, and Land Bank of the Philippines.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac formally opened the 17th caravan together with Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat, DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay, Labor Attaché Solaiman Mutia in Al Khobar, Labor Attaché Atty. Dominador Salanga in Riyadh, OWWA Deputy Administrator Jasmine Gapatan, and community leaders from Al Khobar.
During the opening program, Cacdac conveyed the President’s directive to intensify and expand delivery of services to Filipinos overseas. “Gusto ko lang sabihin mula sa ating mahal na Pangulo, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dinaraos po nating itong serbisyo caravan kasi simple lang ang mensahe at direktiba sa amin ng ating mahal na Pangulo, continue to serve our OFWs and OFW families. Stay focused. Walang humpay at hindi lang walang humpay, palakasin ninyo pa. Find ways to further strengthen and improve your services to the OFWs,” ayon kay Secretary Cacdac.
He also introduced the government’s integration of the Overseas Employment Certificate and e-Travel through eGOVPH, a system developed with the Department of Information and Communications Technology. Although the two processes are now merged, OFWs are still required to complete procedures via the DMW portal inside the eGOVPH mobile app.
Cacdac added that DMW registration is crucial so authorities can identify workers’ locations, provide immediate assistance when needed, and use the data for “research and policy” to craft programs and laws that enhance OFW protection.
The caravan continued on November 22, at IPSA in Al Khobar, extending access to essential government services directly to OFWs in their host communities.
