The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is accelerating its global expansion to better protect and serve overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), with new offices, more personnel, and upgraded welfare programs now underway.
Speaking in an interview on a Filipino radio program in Hong Kong, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the department — still among the government’s newest — is now shifting from internal buildup to full-service delivery for Filipinos abroad.
“We have rendered the oath to about 800 new positions, employees to new positions. That means our workforce now is substantially new, but at the same time, stronger, more, and better,” Cacdac said, describing the rapid growth shaping the DMW’s operations.
He reiterated that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the department to strengthen protection, listen to OFWs, and provide concrete solutions to their concerns.
Since its creation, the DMW has opened additional Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in Vienna, Budapest and Bangkok, raising the total to 42, with a target of 45 by the end of the year. These offices handle welfare assistance, labor concerns, documentation support and coordination with host countries.
Cacdac said repatriation and crisis response remain among the department’s top priorities, citing its work in bringing home Filipinos affected by conflict and instability in Sudan, Myanmar and various parts of the Middle East.
The DMW is also planning a larger Migrant Workers Shelter in Hong Kong by 2026. The facility will serve as both a safe haven and a resource hub where OFWs can receive training and skills development support.
“A shelter that will also function as a training ground, training center, migrant workers resource center. Yun ang naman nakalagay sa law, hindi naman shelter eh,” he said.
To help Filipinos thrive in emerging job markets, the DMW is partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education to equip workers for opportunities in digital, green and care economy sectors. Cacdac also encouraged recruiters to expand women’s roles beyond domestic work.
The department continues to hold its OFW Serbisyo Caravan, a multi-agency initiative bringing essential government services onsite to OFW communities abroad.
“So yes, we’ve been going around. And ito naman, yung 15 or 16 government agencies na kasama namin. Ang marching orders lang naman ni Presidente, make them feel the care and the services, on-ground services of our government agencies,” Cacdac said.
