Manila, Philippines – Isinusulong ng House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs ang agarang pagsasabatas ng Bagong Balikbayan Act, na naglalayong magtatag ng isang kumprehensibong “reintegration framework” para sa mga nagbabalik na Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Ayon kay AGIMAT Party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla, ang panukala ay isa sa mga priority bills ng House of Representatives at ng Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Saklaw ng standardized reintegration system ang lahat ng OFW returnees—land-based o sea-based, documented o undocumented, repatriated, distressed, displaced, retiring, o voluntarily returning.
“Reintegration is the true test of government support. Many of our OFWs come home exhausted, stressed, sometimes even traumatized, and without a clear direction on where to begin. When they return to the country, that is when government support should be felt most strongly,” paliwanag ni Revilla.
Kapag naipasa ang batas, agad na matutulungan ang mga returnees sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon, psychosocial support, entrepreneurship, at lokal na trabaho. Ayon kay Revilla, itatatag din ng panukala ang digital system na Returnee-OFWs Management Information System (ROMIS) para sa job matching, profiling, at coordinated service delivery. Kasama rito ang access sa financial literacy programs, livelihood assistance, business start-up services, at government-backed MSME loans.
Palalakasin din ng batas ang Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) at Overseas Workers Offices (OWOs) upang magbigay ng on-site support, kabilang ang edukasyon para sa mga kuwalipikadong returning OFWs na maaaring pumasok sa kolehiyo o sa TESDA training centers.
Giniit ni Revilla na napanahon na para bigyang prayoridad ng pamahalaan ang mga nagbabalik na OFWs.
“These are not mere programs—they are investments in the dignity and future of every Filipino who sacrificed years away from home. After years of sacrifice and separation, our OFWs deserve more than salubong banners. They deserve a real pathway home—one that gives them stability, dignity, and opportunity,” pagtatapos pa ni Revilla. Gail Mendoza
