President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Labor and Employment, and the Commission on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to draft a contingency plan to cushion the impact of possible recession in developed economies where there are Filipino workers.
The President issued the order at the launching of the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development Forum (GFMD2).
The President said that there is an urgent need “to work on all fronts to manage inflationary pressures and provide a safety net for those who were hardest hit by these global developments.”
The contingency plan for OFWs, which the President preferred to call “expatriates” is the government’s way of caring for them as well as honoring them as they play a critical role in the country’s economic and social stability.
Government is working hard to improve the country’s economy so that the day will come when Filipinos do not have to go abroad to earn a living but rather as a career choice, the president added. (PIA/Bohol)