Binay vows to create pension plan, road map for OFWs

DAGUPAN CITY—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sunday said his administration would help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by providing them pension plans and legal assistance.

During the presidential debate at University of Pangasinan, Binay was asked by OFW Cristy Guinto what he planned to do to help workers like her.

An OFW in Dubai, Guinto shared her struggles in being unable to take care of her youngest child as well as coping with a thyroid ailment without anyone to take care of her.

“I want to go home; I’m tired of working in Dubai. If I go home, will I be able to get work? What help can we get?” Guinto said.

“For the new heroes, the OFWs, under my leadership, there will be a pension plan,” Binay said.

He also promised to remove “fix membership fees at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).”

The Vice President, vowing to create a roadmap to ensure permanent jobs for OFWs, lamented that the current administration failed to release a P100-million legal assistance for the migrant workers.

“The legal assistance worth P100 million has not been approved,” the Vice President said. “I hope OFWs no longer have to leave because of necessity, kapit-patalim (out of desperation), but as a matter of choice,” he added. RC