New Seafarers’ Welfare Center opens as ‘one-stop shop’

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) inaugurated a dedicated welfare center recently to provide a centralized support hub for Filipino seafarers and their families.

The Seafarers’ Welfare Center, located at the Monarch Parksuites in the Aseana Business Park, was established to streamline the delivery of government services.

OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said the facility is designed to bring essential resources closer to maritime workers while addressing their overall well-being and empowerment.

Meantime, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac expressed gratitude to maritime sector stakeholders for their advocacy, citing that the center’s opening aligns with the priorities of both the President and Congress regarding the protection of the seafaring community.

The center serves as a comprehensive one-stop shop, offering integrated services from the Social Security System, Pag-Ibig, and PhilHealth. Legal assistance is available through the Public Attorney’s Office, while medical needs are addressed by the OWWA YAKAP Clinic and Botika.

In addition to administrative and medical support, the facility features training areas for capacity-building programs and a “Love Yourself” booth dedicated to sexual health and HIV awareness.

The center also incorporates recreational amenities such as “Migrants’ Brew” and an “OWWAoke” area to serve seafarers and their visiting kin.

The project was completed in accordance with Republic Act 12021, the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers. The landmark legislation mandates the creation of better mechanisms to promote the rights and welfare of the nation’s maritime workers.