By Ellson Quismorio
Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Timothy Joseph “Tim” Cayton has filed House Bill No. 9228, or the proposed “OFW Crisis Protection and Assistance Act,” to strengthen government mechanisms for protecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during wars, disasters, pandemics, and other crises abroad.
The measure aims to establish a faster, automatic system of aid and repatriation for OFWs at risk, ensuring they are not burdened by lengthy and complicated processes in emergency situations.
“Kapag may krisis, dapat mabilis at direkta ang tugon ng gobyerno. Hindi dapat napapabayaan ang ating mga OFW na matagal nang nagsasakripisyo para sa kanilang pamilya at para sa ekonomiya ng bansa,” Cayton said.
Under the bill, assistance programs would be automatically activated in cases of armed conflict, mandatory evacuation, civil unrest, pandemics, or other serious threats to OFWs’ safety.
These include immediate financial aid, evacuation support, medical and psychosocial services, and reintegration assistance upon return.
Cayton emphasized that OFWs should feel the government’s readiness to act swiftly for their protection.
“Ang mga OFW natin ay hindi dapat iniiwan sa panahon ng panganib. Dapat ramdam nila na may gobyernong handang umalalay at kumilos agad para sa kanilang kaligtasan,” he added.
The proposal comes amid heightened concerns over the safety of more than two million Filipinos in the Middle East, following the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
