House olmys
creating lle[a]tment
of filininos 0uerseas
Jester
BY
Manalctas
TIIE House of Repres€n-
tatives yesterday ap-
proved on third and fi-
nal rcading a measute
that aims lo seate a De.
pa{menl of Filipinos
Overseas and Foreisn
Employment
With a vote of 173 -1 ,
the Lower Chamber ap-
proved House Bill 5832
or "An Act Creating the
Department of Filiiinos
Overseas and Foieisn
Employmentpefining"ie
Mandate, Powers ind
Functions,Appropriating
Frmds Theffor."-
The new deDarhrent
will become thi: cenrral
body *rat will handle all
cc'ncems of Filipine liv-
ingandworkingovemeas.
[ill
Among the main au-
thors of the bill are Soeak-
er Alan Peter Caydtano,
Deputy Speaker Paolo
DutertE/ Maiority i-eader
Martin Romualdez, Tin-
gog Party-list Rep. Yedda
Marie Romualde2, Depu-
ty Speakers Prospero
Pichay, Mikee Romero
and Vihla S€ntos-Recto;
Quezon City R€p. Altu
Vargas; Anakalqsugam,
Rep. Mike Defensor; and
ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Go
Yap.
The new deDarhnent
will abeorb thd powers
and functions of tfie Phil-
ippine Overseas Employ-
ment Adminishati<in is
well as the Commission
on Fiupino Overseas, the
Department of FoFign
Affai$ Office forMitpallt
Workere and Social Wel-
fare Depattrnent's Office
for International Social
Sergices.
Under *reproposal, the
Overseas Workirs Wel-
fare Administration be-
comes an attadred agmcy
ol the new departrnent.
The measure calls for
the creation of P5 billion
Assistance-to-Nationals
Frmd (ATN Fund) for Fil-
ipinos in dishess over-
seas,
The new depaitErent
is tasked to formulate,
recontmend and imple-
ment national policies,
plans, proglams and
guidelines that will en-
sure ihe plotection of Fil-
ipinos abroad.
It is also matdated to
proH, and promote the
welfare, welli-being, and
interest of the fam.ilies of
the overseas FiliDino
workers. F,ag j
J