TACLOBAN CITY — The city government of Ormoc City has established a dedicated help desk for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), seeking to provide faster assistance and stronger protection for thousands of Ormocanons working abroad.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod recently approved Ordinance No. 211 creating an OFW Help Desk under the city’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO). The facility will serve as a one-stop center offering welfare assistance, legal referrals, and coordination for repatriation and reintegration services.
Authored by Councilor Krizea Caessandra Mercadal, the ordinance was crafted in response to the growing number of Ormocanon OFWs, now estimated at over 7,500 as of late 2025. Despite their economic contributions, many migrant workers continue to encounter problems such as contract substitution, unpaid salaries, and other forms of abuse.
Under the measure, the local help desk will coordinate closely with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to access national databases and strengthen the campaign against illegal recruitment. The initiative also mandates regular pre-employment orientation seminars and dissemination of updated lists of licensed recruitment agencies.
City officials said the creation of the OFW Help Desk ensures that migrant workers and their families have easier access to government support services at the local level, from pre-departure assistance to reintegration upon their return home.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
