AnaKalusugan party-list (No. 51) has pushed for the protection and equitable access of overseas Filipino workers to quality health services by filing four measures in Congress, one of which became a law and created the Department of Migrant Workers.
“We in AnaKalusugan party-list believe that our OFWs are really our modern-day heroes. We thank them for their sacrifices and efforts not by paying them lip service but by pushing for concrete measures that will protect and promote their health and well-being,” said AnaKalusugan nominee Ray Reyes.
AnaKalusugan has principally authored the House bill that led to the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers.
The new department consolidates all relevant agencies under one office to make it easier for OFWs to get their documents and seek help from the government.
The party-list also filed measures to establish an OFW hospital, to institute the Magna Carta of Filipino seafarers, and to prottect the remittances of OFWs.
AnaKalusugan also actively campaigned for better protection for OFWs diagnosed with HIV, which has reached over 8,000 as of the last quarter of 2021.
“For the past years that we have worked in Congress, AnaKalusugan has become the reliable health partner of OFWs – consistently working for better health access and protection for our kababayans. We hope to continue pushing for our advocacies that will benefit all Filipinos, whether here in the country or working abroad,” Reyes said.
OFWs are considered modern-day heroes not only for providing for their families but also for contributing to economic growth with their remittances.
In a recent survey conducted by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the common health problems of OFWs are as follows: diseases related to cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, and urinary/ excretory systems.
Hypertension, arthritis, and hepatitis are the highest ones recorded among OFWs.
