Davao City – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has drawn up livelihood programs for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who may have to come home because of the brewing crisis in the Middle East.
In the first staff meeting for 2020 which I presided today, I asked key officials of MinDA to prepare for the huge numbers of OFWs who.may be repatriated by the Philippine Government.
The preparations for the returning OFWs from the Middle East was one of the major issues discussed in the staff meeting today.
Also tackled during the meeting was the launching of the Livelihood Orientation Program for the Bangsamoro Provinces in Lanao del Sur next week.
The MinDA move came in the heels of public statements made by President Rody Duterte expressing concern for the safety of Filipino workers in the Middle East as Iran and its allies prepare for an armed confrontation with the United States of America.
On Wednesday, MinDA will join a crisis management meeting called by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
Other agencies expected to attend the crisis management meeting are the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, the Dept. of National Defense and the Dept. of Interior and Lical Government.
During the meeting, MinDA will present its preparations for the crisis which would mainly focus on livelihood and income earning projects which will be offered to the returning OFWs.
The MinDA initiative to contribute to the preparations for the crisis was mainly because of the fact that many of the OFWs in Islamic countries in the Middle East come from Mindanao, including the Bangamoro Provinces.
With proper preparation, the feared crisis could yet become a window of opportunity for the agricultural and economic development of Mindanao with the involvement of thousands of OFWs.
(Photos of the MinDA staff meeting today by Mayette Tudlas, MinDA OC)
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