The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is anticipating a decline in the number of abused overseas Filipino workers (OFW) with the full implementation of the National Action Plan for Fair and Ethical Recruitment (NAP-FER).
Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III issued the assessment last Thursday with the virtual launch of the NAP-FER of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center (BFOPC).
During the event, Bello expressed his support to the NAP-FER and lauded its timely launch, which coincides with the reopening of the traditional labor markets for OFWs amid the pandemic.
Likewise, he said they would be using the provisions of the NAP-FER as inputs for the forthcoming review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration of the United Nations.
“This will further enhance and strengthen the measures and the policies in place on the deployment of OFWs through ethical recruitment processes,” Bello said in his brief speech.
NAP-FER focuses on the following strategic objectives: creating a code of ethical standards for the so-called ethical recruiters; creation of self-assessment tools and capacity building for the ethical recruiters; promote ethical recruitment practice through information dissemination; setting up reporting, monitoring and redress mechanism for abused OFWs; and creating incentives for ethical recruiters.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard Olalia said the incentives would complement their enforcement of regulation for Philippine recruitment agencies (PRA).
He noted the proposed incentives include the automatic extension of the validity of the license of PRAs with good track records.
BFOPC head Susan Ople said the measures, which focuses on respecting the dignity of workers, was a result of their consultations with private recruitment agencies, nongovernment organizations, and concerned government agencies.
“By mainstreaming fair and ethical recruitment standards, we believe that more agencies would be encouraged to take on the role as guardians of our workers’ rights and dignity from Day 1 of the recruitment process,” Ople said.
Ople said it might take three to five years before the NAP-FER is fully realized since it will still need to go through regular private sector consultations as well as amendment on some policies of POEA.