Senator Erwin Tulfo has renewed his call for the establishment of a dedicated pension fund for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), separate from the existing Social Security System (SSS), as he visited Filipino communities in Italy this week.

Tulfo appealed the “Bagong Bayani ng Mundo: OFW Serbisyo Caravan,” a multi-agency initiative aimed at bringing essential government services directly to OFWs abroad. 

The event was held in Rome and Milan and was attended by top Philippine officials, including First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan.

“Our OFWs are hailed as modern-day heroes, but most of them do not receive the protection they deserve,” Tulfo said. 

He added that the “Current government programs for our migrant workers should not be limited to legal assistance and medical aid; they should also ensure protection for their future once they retire.”

Tulfo earlier filed Senate Bill No. 252, or the proposed OFW Pension Act, which seeks to grant a P5,000 monthly pension to eligible OFWs, especially those in manual, skilled, or technical occupations. Filed on July 8, the bill is among the senator’s Top 20 priority measures in the Senate.

Humanizing the cause

During his trip, Tulfo visited a 50-year-old Filipina in Milan who remains in a vegetative state following a road accident in October 2024. Deeply moved by her condition, he urged DMW officials to develop sustainable welfare interventions for OFWs facing similar long-term challenges. He vowed to personally visit the family of the patient to extend additional support.

Further, Tulfo also held a meeting with Studio Legale Parenti, a legal aid firm assisting Filipinos in Italy who have been victims of crimes, scams, abuse, and illegal recruitment. 

Together with officials from the Philippine Consular Office in Milan, he reviewed ongoing cases involving distressed OFWs.

As the Senate sponsor for the DMW’s 2026 budget, Tulfo pledged to raise these issues during deliberations on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, emphasizing the need for increased government funding to cover legal and medical services for OFWs.

“We will raise these cases so the government can provide sufficient funding for the protection programs and assistance of the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration,” Tulfo said.

The OFW Serbisyo Caravan government’s effort to institutionalize a more accessible and proactive approach to migrant worker services.