A series of forums organized by IOM Philippines and the country's
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and its attached agency,
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, aims to empower
Filipinos seeking work abroad and local government in protecting
migrant workers' welfare and rights.

The forums, which are part of IOM Philippines' Campaign Against
Illegal Recruitment, Trafficking and Irregular Migration are being
held in large migrant-sending provinces such as Cotabato, Agusan
del Sur, Antique and Masbate under the Joint Programme on Youth,
Employment, and Migration, which is supported by the Spanish-funded
Millennium Development Goals Fund.

DOLE Regional Director for Western Visayas Crispin D. Dannug Jr.
and IOM National Programme Officer Ricardo Casco facilitated the
most recent forum in Antique province on 18 September.

The forum also addressed the plight of sugar cane workers in
Negros Occidental and young domestic helpers who travel to Manila
and other urban centres in the country in search of employment.

"IOM remains committed to help in raising the awareness of local
officials, other stakeholders and migrant workers themselves so
that they will not fall in the hands of illegal recruiters,
traffickers or become irregular migrants," says Casco.

Dannug said insights gained from the forum will be used to
bolster government agencies' programmes on pre-employment
orientation, anti-illegal recruitment, anti-irregular migration and
anti-trafficking campaigns. Also in attendance were representatives
of the Antique provincial government, regional government agencies,
and civil society.

Since July, forums have already been held in Cotabato and Agusan
del Sur in the southern Philippines. The last forum in the series
will be held in Masbate on 4 October 2011.

The Philippines is one of the world's largest sources of migrant
labour, with many Filipinos seeking employment abroad as domestic
helpers, seafarers, skilled workers, nurses and caregivers among
others.

IOM has over 30 years of experience working with the Philippine
government and civil society to uphold the rights and welfare of
Filipino migrants.

For more information, please contact:

Ricardo Casco

IOM Philippines

Tel: + 63 2 230 1752

E-mail: "mailto:rcasco@iom.int">rcasco@iom.int