The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and other government agencies, including the House of Representatives and the Senate, will develop programs to cater to elderly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In a Radyo Pilipinas interview on Tuesday, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the government must prepare for elderly OFWs, who migrated about two decades ago, when they return to the Philippines.

“And we need to best prepare for that. Kasi sila’y uuwi, of course, mainam na meron silang na-impok, meron silang plano sa pag-uwi (because they are going home, of course, it is good that they have something saved or plans when they go home), but at the same time, with the length of service they’ve given to their families, to their communities and to our nation bilang (as) OFWs, we need to also help them mainstream themselves back into Philippine socioeconomic life,” Cacdac said.

“So ‘yan ang paghahandaan po natin, on a broader scale, ‘yung panunumbalik ng henerasyon na mga OFWs na umalis 20 to 30 years ago na pa-uwi na (So that’s what we’re preparing for, on a broader scale, the return of the generation of OFWs who left 20 to 30 years ago and are now returning home),” he added.

Cacdac said that between 2006 and 2007, OFW deployment reached one million for the first time.

He said that if those OFWs were between 25 and 30 years old at that time, they must be entering their 50s or mid-50s by now.

“In due time, maybe in four to five years’ time, pauwi na rin ‘yan sila. Kasi ang retirement age naman sa Saudi o sa Middle East, hindi tukoy na katulad natin na (they are also going home. Because the retirement age in Saudi or the Middle East is not exactly the same as ours which is) 60 to 65. Around 50 to 60, some of them or many of them already decide to come home,” he said.

Cacdac said the DMW has already coordinated with House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Francis Escudero for a law that will be the basis of assistance for elderly OFWs.

Moreover, he said that there are ongoing talks with party-lists at the House of Representatives, as well as with the National Commission of Senior Citizens under the Office of the President.

Cacdac added that the DMW is partnering with the Social Security System (SSS) for expanded coverage, especially for those OFWs who have been paying their contributions, amid the clamor for a pension system for OFWs.

“Maraming mga nagka-clamor na kasi walang pension system until noong 2019, noong inamyendahan ang Social Security Law, so marami sa kanila hindi na naabutan itong (There are clamors because there was no pension system until 2019, when the Social Security Law was amended, so many of them did not reach the) pension system under our Social Security System,” he said.

The policy on expanding the coverage of the Employees’ Compensation Program to land-based OFWs who are registered members of the SSS was promulgated in 2019.

Cacdac said the DMW is also starting to draft programs for elderly OFWs to help them with their medical expenses.

“So ito i-announce natin sa sapat ng panahon pero definitely ito isasagawa natin. Gusto natin tulungan ang mga nanumbalik na tumatanda na (So we will announce this in due time but we will definitely implement it. We want to help the returnees who are getting older),” he said. (PNA)