The Philippines used a major United Nations migration forum to press for stronger protections for migrant workers and deeper international cooperation, with Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac leading the country’s delegation at the 2nd International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in New York.
Held at UN Headquarters, the IMRF serves as the principal global platform for assessing progress on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), a framework built around 23 agreed objectives covering labor rights, ethical recruitment, social protection, and migrant welfare.
Cacdac co-chaired a roundtable with Nigeria focused on migrant inclusion, access to services, and social cohesion, where he framed the GCM’s goals as going beyond policy ambition. The compact’s objectives are “no longer a policy aspiration but a moral imperative and a compass for a culture of governance for all migrants,” he said.
In a separate multi-stakeholder session, the DMW chief called for sustained international cooperation across all stages of migration. He pointed to the Marcos administration’s social protection commitments as central to the country’s approach. “Under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we are ensuring that our migrants have guaranteed access to social security, including housing, healthcare, and pension schemes, while maintaining our steadfast commitment to their immediate welfare,” Cacdac said.
The Philippine delegation also co-hosted side events alongside the French G7 Presidency and Guatemala on remittances and rural development, and with the International Labour Organization, Spain, and Bangladesh on decent work standards. At the ILO event, Cacdac connected the DMW’s creation directly to the country’s human rights commitments. “The establishment of the DMW reflects the government’s resolve to recognize and protect migrant workers’ human rights, an essential foundation for decent work,” he said.
