department bill Voting 17&11 with no absten- The bill is among the mea- tions, the House of Representa- sures prioritized bv the lead- tives yesterday approved on ership of Speaker 'rl1an Peter third and final reading a bill that Cayetano. seeks to s€ate a new agency Under the measure, the P5- for overseas Filipino workers billion assistance fund currentlv (OFWs). under the purviepv o(the D6- Lawmakers passed House partrnent of Forcign Affairs will Bill 5832 or the DeDartment go to the OFw-Department. 6f Filipinos overieas and The bill also plaZes the Over- Foreign Employment, which seas Wofiers Welfare Admin- ' would address the c6ncerns istration r.rnder ihe jurisdiction of around 10 million OFWs, of the Depar.hnent bf Filipinos including seafarers and house- Overseas and Foreign Employ- hold service workers. ment. - Delon Porcalla wE \0