Charles R. Pepito (Business Mirror)
CEBU is hosting the Visayas-wide “Consultation on Enhancing the Reintegration Program for OFWs” (Erpo) on Tuesday at the Cebu Grand Hotel in Cebu City.
This is the last leg of the series of cluster consultation dialogues held this year participated by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and representatives from the private business sector, civil-society organizations, national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs).
Dexter F. Paro, regional coordinator of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO-7), said sectoral dialogues are sequels of the same activity conducted last year in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
“This consultation dialogue will be in line with the Migration Development and Crisis Management Frameworks in the country, a project, whose forefront implementers include the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and NRCO in partnership with the International Organization for Migration.
Apart from host Region 7, other participating regions include Region 6, Region 8 and the Negros Island Region, who are sending participants, including non-governmental organizations and church-based organizations, to the event.
“With this activity, we hope to be able to validate the main and significant action points raised and tackled in the previous consultation dialogues conducted,” Paro said.
The consultation session would center on reintegration opportunities; policy and program reforms and service systems delivery improvement; and the competitive program commitments on reintegration.
Also to be given premium during the event would be the validation session of the National Reintegration Summit Declaration, expected to be signed during the National Reintegration Summit in June 2017.
“We hope to get substantial inputs from our social partners during the activity, which are instrumental in strengthening the reintegration services provided by the DOLE, OWWA and NRCO,” DOLE 7 Director Elias A. Cayanong said.
The OWWA and NRCO will be presenting the current National Reintegration Policy, Program and Structure; while the National Economic Development Authority shall be presenting in detail the general economic outlook in the Visayas, as well as the Philippine Development Plan for 2017 to 2022.
“With all inputs and ideas shared and concerns discussed during the event, we hope we will be able to craft a more effective reintegration program that engages the strategic roles of local government, the business community, civil society and other executive agencies of the government,” he said.