In his first official stint in the Philippines, the top official of the International Labor Organization (ILO) visited the Quezon City government’s Migrants Resource Center (MRC) at the Quezon City Hall on Tuesday to personally witness the local government’s efforts on local migration governance.
Gilbert Houngbo, ILO Director General, was in the country in connection with the 75th Anniversary of the country’s membership to the United Nations (UN) agency, which is mandated to advance social and economic justice by setting international labor standards.
The field visit also gave Houngbo a chance to see first-hand the accomplishments of the MRC, which has been further strengthened by the partnership between the Quezon City government and the ILO last year.
“We are privileged to have you here on your first official visit to the Philippines. Your extensive experience and track record in advocating for the rights of workers inspire us all,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Established through the enactment of Ordinance SP-2500, the Quezon City Migrants Resource Center (QCMRC) started its operation in 2019 during Belmonte’s first term as Mayor, serving more than 181,000 migrant workers who call Quezon City home.
In 2022, QCMRC was strengthened by a partnership with the International Labour Organization through BRIDGE and Safe and Fair Programmes, funded by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund and the European Union, respectively.
Supervised by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), the QC Migrants Resource Center is a one-stop-shop, serving as the city government’s vehicle for delivering programs and services to overseas Filipinos, migrant workers and most especially, their families.
“The center has become a bridge that introduced the international frameworks to the grassroots level by providing vital training to hundreds of OFWs and their families on social protection and labor for safe, regular and orderly migration,” the Mayor said.
“Through the Cross Borders Training, almost 300 reintegration providers and representatives of Filipino Communities in leading countries of destination of QC OFWs availed of various services and programs,” she added.
In addition, Belmonte said the MRC has helped mitigate the social costs of migration, especially towards the children left behind by their overseas working parents.
“To provide support and protection for the children, we launched the SMARt Child project called “E-Habilin,” she said, adding the MRC has organized 48 OFW Chapters as part of empowering communities and strengthening advocacy campaigns on local migration governance.
“We regularly conduct our online program OFW Kumustahan sessions, which allows us to connect with our migrant workers through digital channels and serves as our cross-border reintegration program,” she said.
Through the city government’s partnership with ILO, Belmonte is confident that the MRC can further expand its services and reach more migrant workers and their families.
“Together, we push forward with our unwavering commitment to advance social justice and decent working conditions for our overseas workers and care for the well-being of their children and their families,” she said.
Aside from Houngbo, ILO Country Director Khalid Hassan, ILO Senior Adviser for Asia Hitomi Nakagome ILO Philippine Country Office Senior Programme Officer Ma. Concepcion Sardana and ILO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific Senior Communication Officer Steve Needham joined the visit together with ILO Philippine Country Office staff.
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