Binay leads launching of Pag-IBIG OFW center

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay led Wednesday the launch of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) OFW Center, which is envisioned to be a one-stop shop for migrant workers-related services and transactions.

The center, he said, will serve as a venue for Pre-departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) and Financial Literacy briefings, as well as the issuance of the Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) for returning overseas Filipino workers.

“The establishment of the center aims to increase the level of appreciation among OFWs, and to institutionalize Pag-IBIG as an ‘OFW agency’ alongside OWWA and POEA,” Binay said.

Since Pag-IBIG has a current membership base of almost 2.7 million overseas Filipino workers, Binay said,  they saw the need to strengthen its operations by providing an integrated, aligned and seamless delivery of services and benefits to OFWs across all Pag-IBIG offices.

“Despite the regional distribution of OFWs and the decentralized functions of partner-government agencies, about 80 percent of them still conduct their deployment-related transactions at the National Capital Region,” Binay said.