OFW News
DOLE’s Assist WELL settles
through conciliation 8 OFW cases
L
abor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda
Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday praised the
convergence team under the DOLE’s Assist
WELL Program for OFWs for settling
through conciliation-mediation the cases of
eight OFWs brought before the Assist WELL
Processing Center.
“I am very pleased that the Assist WELL Processing
Center has settled through conciliation-mediation the
monetary claims of eight OFWs who asked the Center
for assistance. It shows that the Assist WELL Program
is really effective in providing relief and assistance to
our OFWs,” said Baldoz.
The Assist W.E.L.L. Program, adopted for
implementation by DOLE concerned agencies by virtue
of D.O. 139-14 s. 2014, is a component of the National
Reintegration Program for OFWs and intended to
ensure the successful reintegration of OFWs repatriated
22
from crisis or emergency situations.
To implement the provisions of D.O. 139-14, s.
2014, Baldoz issued A.O. No. 21 on 8 January 2016
setting up Assist W.E.L.L. Processing Centers in 15
DOLE regional offices and one each at the Philippine
Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration, and National
Reintegration Center for OFW. The processing centers
ensure a synchronized and systematic delivery of the
program’s package of assistance consisting of welfare,
employment, livelihood, and legal services, or W.E.L.L.
The settlement of the eight OFW cases fell under the
legal component of the Assist W.E.L.L., through which
POEA lawyers assisted the OFWs in preparing their
individual sworn statements which they used in their
filing of complaints with the National Labor Relations
Commission, on their money claims, and with the
POEA, on contract violation.