BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental has led its local government units (LGUs) to collaborate with state labor agencies for the campaign against illegal recruitment.
A ceremonial memorandum of agreement signing on the convergence of illegal recruitment-free (IR-free) LGUs kicked off Thursday and was attended by the mayors, vice mayors and representatives of the province’s 19 municipalities and 13 cities, including the capital Bacolod, at the Capitol Social Hall here.
Provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz, who represented Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, acknowledged the participants, saying it signifies their commitment to an IR-free Negros.
Present in the activity were labor agency representatives including Director Francis de Guzman of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Connie Binarao of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Negros Occidental Field Office head Agnes Capigon of the Department of Labor and Employment and Director Gaspar Gayona of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 6.
The activity also included the conduct of a seminar on anti-illegal recruitment.
Under the agreement, the signatories agreed to cooperate in the capability building of LGU-partners and local stakeholders, public information and worker education on overseas employment, the establishment of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) help desks, IR-free LGU campaign, data collection and management on OFWs and their families, and employment and livelihood programs.
Government labor agencies, meanwhile, said they are partnering with the LGUs “in consideration of their respective mandates and in the spirit of cooperation to promote the rights and welfare of the public, migrant workers and their families.”
The labor agencies say they are partnering with the LGUs “in consideration of their respective mandates and in the spirit of cooperation to promote the rights and welfare of the public, migrant workers and their families.” B. HAJAN
The agreement also stated 30 days after signing, a Technical Working Group (TWG) will be created, composed of not more than three representatives from the LGUs and one representative from each of the other parties.
“The TWG (will) develop and finalize a work plan and monitor its implementation, and it shall periodically meet or as it may deem necessary in the place and on the date agreed upon by the parties,” it added. (PNA)
