Meeting with DoLE

I missed yesterday’s anti-charter change rally. I heard it was a blast! Rallies in Makati are festive affairs with different political tribes showing off their colors, witty placards, and streamers. I heard that yesterday’s inter-faith gathering was a peaceful though high-spirited event, with Senator Mar Roxas punctuating his remarks with a “malutong na mura.” 

While the human tide of discontent was galvanizing strength, I joined several non-government organizations and officials from the Department of Labor and Employment in discussing the results of the recent Global Forum on Migration and Development as well as the impact of the financial crisis on our OFWs.

It was a lengthy, fruitful and frank discussion and I thank Director Ciriaco “Akong” Lagunzad and  Deputy Director LIza Makinano for organizing this event. Special thanks to Assistant Secretary Rey Conferido for sharing his insights as well.

Though the discussion was supposed to center on post-GFMD activities, it inevitably led to what NGOs perceived as operational gaps not just within DoLE but in the entire government machinery as well. Mentioned prominently was the need to strengthen the DoLE’s regional offices and make sure that they are in sync with the initiatives at the national level. Of major concern to all was the more substantive and customer-oriented work of the newly-created National Reintegration Center for OFWs. Most of us in civil society organizations believe that the Center is still conceptually and operationally vague, leading to false or unfulfilled expectations.

The dialogue also tackled the idea of creating a National Migration Coordinating Council (or something to that effect), which was proposed during the inter-agency discussions in relation to the 2008 GFMD  Conference. The NGOs present said that perhaps the government side should look at the objectives for forming such a council, because there is already an existing mechanism for multi-sectoral coordination and consultations that only needs to be reactivated.

I broached the idea of forming technical working groups to formulate or develop immediate and urgent responses to the displacement of workers, victims of human trafficking, and agreements on operational procedures to avoid confusion at the ground level. The DoLE was particularly receptive to the idea of a casual, brainstorming session to draw out ideas for effective partnerships and direct service to workers in anticipation of more difficult times ahead.

The gesture of DoLE to reach out to civil society organizations was a good one. But it cannot be just a one-shot deal. Government must appreciate the role of NGOs in promoting development and filling in service gaps. But like I said during the meeting, NGOs like ours (the Blas F. Ople Policy Center) rely mainly on government to assist OFWs and their families who come to us for aid. If the policies and programs of government are not clear, specific, and functional - then we can only reflect that as NGOs. The devil is really in the details.

I am glad that thousands of Filipinos joined the anti-cha-cha rally yesterday. But I am just as enormously satisfied that the NGOs and DoLE executives are also keeping their eye on the ball on the matter of OFW protection, jobs preservation, and quick response strategies in anticipation of more challenging times ahead.