More than 450 members of the Filipino community in Cambodia availed of frontline government services at the 6th edition of the Multi-Agency Service Mission (MASM) organized by the Philippine Embassy on 05-06 November 2016 in Phnom Penh.
Initiated by the Embassy since 2013, the MASM provides frontline services to the growing number of OFWs in Cambodia. For the 6th edition, the services rendered ranged from passport and notarial processing, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) membership renewal, registration in the Balik-Manggagawa Online system, issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates, membership services from the Social Security Services (SSS), issuance of free ATM cards by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), to one-on-one consultations with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), particularly on business and investment opportunities for OFWs in the Philippines.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Christopher B. Montero cited that "the one-stop shop approach offered by the MASM is fully aligned with the priorities of the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to streamline the provision of government services by significantly reducing transaction time and cost."
The MASM is held twice a year and is normally scheduled before major Cambodian and Philippine holidays during which many Filipinos usually go home to visit their hometown and their families.
During the two-day event, high officials of Cambodia's Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training also gave a presentation to the Filipino community on the legal and technical aspects of Cambodia's updated work permits system for foreign workers, including a live demonstration of the Ministry's online work permit registration and application.
In addition to frontline services, audio-visual presentations on the programs and services of the participating government agencies were streamed on a wide screen throughout the event for the attendees to watch.
An OFW who attended the event expressed appreciation for the MASM citing that the one-stop shop service will allow him to spend the entirety of his seven-day Christmas holiday with his loved ones in the Philippines, without losing one or two precious vacation days to apply at various government offices in Manila. "Dito isang pila na lang, at isang pamasahe lang din. Dahil Linggo ngayon, wala akong pasok kaya naasikaso ko lahat. Pati passport ko, maganda ang picture kasi relaxed ako," he said. END
