Comprehensive framework for the protection of migrant workers. There are major laws, policies and programs in the Philippines that are potentially significant for protecting the rights of rnigrants. In part these have been refined through time by relatively successful national and international efforts to promote rnigrant rights as a development issue. The national system for protecting rnigrant workers consists of the overall regulatory system of rules, regulations and standards. There are also the country's associated irnplementing structures and mechanisms. The POEA is the main agency responsible for protecting overseas workers relative to their employment, including regulating private sector recruitment and placement. The OWWA in turn was set up to deliver welfare programs and services to migrants and their families although funded primarily through contributions from the migrants themselves. The CFO under the Offrce of the President also confirms the high-level engagement on migrant issues and is tasked to among others define national migration policies, aside from assisting migrants in need. The OUMWA of the DFA in turn is tasked with providing legal assistance and gives particular attention to undouumented workers and to arranging repatriation. Unfortunately policies drawn up and programs developed in theory tend to have limited coverage in practice and are unable to reach the vast and grou.ing numbers of migrants in need. Worse, this body of legislation - unimplemented ii'r many important respects as it is * is even facing a concerted effort to be modified to become more labor export-fiiendly. This threatens to further widen the gap between the declared intent and the practice of protecting migrant workers. POEA regulatory body. A major area pertaining to POEA regulation is its mandate to monitor private recruitment agencies and employers which is among the most essential efforts to protect migrant workers. Among the most important aspects of government regulation of migration is the licensing and monitoring of agencies according to government rules and minimum standards - and the shutting dou n of erant agencies as warranted. Various task forces against illegal recruitment have also been created up to the presidential level. Minimum standards include ensuring that foreign employers are verified and accredited as well as willing to comply with standard ernployment conditions. Aggrieved migrants, or even the government, can file cornplaints and subject the licensed agency to administrative sanctions ranging from a reprirnand to licence suspension or cancellation. Foreign employers can likewise be sanctioned up to disqualification from any more recruiting and hiring of Filipino uorkers. Holding local recruitment agencies jointly and severally liable rvith its partner foreign employer potentially creates the opportunity to resolve conflicts between migrant workers and their employers regarding the implementation of employment terms and conditions. These are vital practices that unfortunately are still sometimes perforrned in a piecemeal fashion or subverted by non-compliant agencies or employers. The issue is how 48