Rappler Talk: Hans Cacdac on taking the lead in OFW welfare

Source: Rappler
Author: Michelle Abad

MANILA, Philippines - On April 25, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed longtime labor and migration official Hans Leo Cacdac as his second migrant workers secretary. After serving as officer-in-charge of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for eight months, he succeeds the late Susan "Toots" Ople, who died in August 2023.

Michelle Abad, Rappler reporter covering Filipino migrants, sits down with Cacdac in this episode of Rappler Talk to discuss his plans for the DMW, and the events in his life that led to this point of his career, including growing up with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as parents.

Cacdac also responds to criticisms against the establishment of the DMW flagged by analysts as institutionalizing labor export, and a question on how he will deal with countries that have had cases of repeated OFW rights abuses.