TO prevent a repeat of the tug-of-war seen in the final days of the Duterte administration, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) are set to come out with a clear-cut division of their mandates and responsibilities during the transition period for the newly-created agency.
In a press conference last Friday, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said he and DMW Secretary Susan Ople are set to issue a joint advisory on the specific responsibilities and accountabilities of the two agencies.
“We have agreed that we will be sitting down and finalize by next week the joint advisory for the clarity and guidance of the affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),” said Laguesma.
“We must clarify which will need the services of the DOLE, and which will fall under the DMW,” he added.
In particular, the labor chief said they need to deliberate on the use of the national budget allocation.
“With regards to the funds, remember that the funds are identified with DOLE. We are accountable for it. So we have to sort this out with the Department of Budget and Management also for a smooth transfer,” said Laguesma.
He said they also need to properly determine issues on personnel and mandates of both the DOLE and the DMW.
“What we want is a smooth and seamless transition,” said Laguesma.
Former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and ex-DMW chief Abdullah Mama-o had engaged in a word war over who has jurisdiction over the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the mandate on OFW matters.
This after Mama-o issued numerous policies and guidelines involving the POEA and OFW deployment as head of the DMW.
