Senator Alan Peter Cayetano vowed to step up his support for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the second half of his Senate term, not only through legislation but also through direct public service.
In a recent episode of his nightly livestream “CIA 365 with Kuya Alan”, Cayetano responded to a comment from an OFW viewer expressing support for him.
“Pabalik, I am hoping to do more for OFWs this term, this next three years,” the veteran legislator said.
The seasoned lawmaker who served as Foreign Affairs Secretary from 2017 to 2018, credited OFWs with keeping the Philippine economy afloat “through crisis after crisis.”
“Ang bumuhay talaga sa Pilipinas ay ‘yung remittances ng Pilipino, especially nung may crisis after crisis tayo.”
“Ang bumuhay talaga sa Pilipinas ay ‘yung remittances ng Pilipino, especially nung may crisis after crisis tayo,” the senator stressed.
In his nightly livestreams, Cayetano regularly greets and checks on OFWs tuning in from around the world.
“Wherever you go – to Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi – mataas tingin nila sa mga Pilipino.”
“Wherever you go – to Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi – mataas tingin nila sa mga Pilipino. Grabe ang pagmamahal ng mga locals doon sa Pilipino,” he added.
During his stint as Foreign Affairs chief, Cayetano spearheaded measures to speed up passport processing for OFWs and expanded legal aid for distressed workers by increasing the Assistance to Nationals Fund to P1 billion.
In his nightly livestream, Cayetano urged the government to go beyond symbolic gestures when honoring OFWs.
“Paulit-ulit mong tinatawag na heroes, tapos wala ka namang ginagawa. Hindi puwedeng salita [lang] – dapat isabuhay,” he concluded.
