Senator Raffy Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on migrant workers, met with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Paris during a visit to the Philippine embassy, where he outlined several measures aimed at strengthening support for Filipinos abroad.
Speaking before the Filipino community, Tulfo announced three bills he plans to file in the Senate that focus on faster services, expanded benefits, and stronger legal protection for OFWs and their families.
One proposal seeks to form a Migrant Workers Relations Commission under the Department of Migrant Workers. The commission would set up a special court dedicated to handling OFW labor cases, aiming to speed up complaint resolutions and avoid long processes at the National Labor Relations Commission.
The senator is also pushing the creation of one-stop service centers for OFWs in every municipality in the Philippines. These hubs would streamline government services related to deployment, reintegration, and family assistance so workers and their dependents would not have to visit multiple offices.
A third measure aims to grow the OFW Dependent Scholarship Program from 5,000 to 10,000 beneficiaries and widen coverage from elementary up to college support.
“I believe every Filipino abroad deserves access to public service. That is why I will be filing several bills that directly respond to the needs of our OFWs and their families,” Tulfo told the crowd.
He also floated the idea of establishing a social hall for Filipinos in France, a community space where OFWs can gather on rest days, celebrate milestones, and connect with fellow kababayans.
