National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers
(NRCO) (Added June 24 2007)
Welcome to the National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino
Workers (NRCO), a one-stop shop for all reintegration programs and
services of the government. This is the Department of Labor and Employment’s
strategic response to the various issues on migration and development,
particularly those concerning brain drain and social costs of overseas
employment. Each of the streams of reintegration—personal, community
and economic—is addressed by a corresponding organizational
unit of the Center, manned by specialists of the DOLE’s various
organization units and attached agencies operating under the Single
Agency Approach.
ABOUT
Background
For many years, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have endured being
away from their families, living under different cultures and legal
systems, so they could earn enough to live decently and send their
children to school. The foreign currencies they remit, which in 2006
reached almost $13 B, have uplifted many families, as well as helped
stabilize our economic relations with the rest of the world.
Yet many OFWs still find it difficult to return for good. Many are
ambivalent about settling back in the Philippines. And while some
have managed to distinguish themselves and are raring to contribute
to their communities, not too many have found meaningful opportunities
to give back to their source community.
It is time to take the Philippine overseas employment program to
a higher level. While we have one of the best overseas employment
programs, we still need to maximize the benefits of overseas employment
for the worker, his family, community and country. Building on past
reintegration efforts, we should systematically gain more from the
new attitude, skills, knowledge, assets and technologies of our migrant
workers to promote brain gain and drive the economy forward to a higher
plane.
Thus, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs shall work to optimize
the benefits of overseas employment for OFWs, their families, communities
and country. With the help of the Center, their investible assets,
skills and goodwill for communities could be channeled to better uses.
It shall be a one-stop shop and networking hub of reintegration services
for OFWs.
The three-fold thrust of the center’s reintegration programs
and services are: personal, community and economic. Each thrust seeks
to re-establish OFW’s ties – with his own values, family,
community and country. Organizational units of the Center shall spearhead
their pursuit. Yet servicing shall follow the DOLE - adopted Single
Agency Approach, which requires agencies and bureaus represented at
the Center to deliver a unified package of reintegration services
to OFWs and their families. The Center may likewise link up the OFW
to other government agencies and private cooperating stakeholders
based on the same approach.
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Personal Reintegration Unit
Labor Secretary Art BrionThis unit shall assist returning OFWs adapt
to life in the country, taking advantage of their richer experience
and qualifications. Consistent with Brain Gain Initiatives, they will
be helped with local or overseas job search; technical assistance
for self-employment or entre-preneurship; access to credit/micro-finance;
assessment of need for additional techno-skills training; counseling
on business or savings mobilization schemes; and psycho-social counseling
for those with personal or family issues and challenges, preferably
with support and cooperation of Family Circles.
Community Reintegration Unit
3 pictures showing a successful Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)Complementary
to the “Brain Gain” thrust, this unit of the Reintegration
Center shall offer OFWs opportunities to help accelerate the progress
of their communities. This will be done by cooperating with other
government agencies, particularly the Department of Tourism, the Philippine
Retirement Authority, and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)to encourage OFW returnees, OFWs
who are still abroad, as well as Filipino immigrants, to share or
contribute their expertise, skills and investible funds with communities
or local government units (LGUs) in developing Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) and/or high impact community projects.Partnership with NGOs
will especially be encouraged by the Unit to build more bridges of
cooperation and services between OFWs and their communities.
Economic Reintegration Unit
A picture of a high rise buildingThis unit of the Reintegration Center
shall network with financial institutions and other entities to identify
or develop entrepreneurial opportunities or investments portfolios
that will encourage higher savings and earnings for OFWs towards better
and more secured future. The Reintegration Center shall likewise tap
existing and potential service providers to develop and offer faster,
safer and price - competitive remittance schemes to motivate more
OFWs to transfer funds to the Philippines using formal channels. This
unit shall also coordinate with our financial community to develop
investment portfolios that would help OFW savings to grow into something
that migrant workers can look forward to when they return.
Assistance Desk
Personnel as Assistance Facilitators/Client Officers at the Assitance
Desk To deliver our services efficiently, the Reintegration Center
will have an Assistance Desk to provide face-to-face as well as on-line
answers to queries of OFWs. After evaluating their needs, the Assistance
Desk shall refer them to the appropriate Unit or service provider
which shall assure delivery of needed assistance, based on the following
menu of services:
* Job Search Assistance
* Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
* Training and Re-tooling Assistance
* Psycho-social Services
* Brain Gain Movement Initiatives
* LGU, Community, and NGO Linkages
* Special Retirement Program
* Special Remittance Package
* Investment Portfolios
* Advocacy and Information Programs as a Stepping Stone to Family
Circles
For more visit the official website at
http://www.nrco.dole.gov.ph
ofw info hub 