Marcos Jr. appoints Caunan as new OWWA administrator

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. appointed Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan as the new administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), replacing Arnell Ignacio.

Caunan took her oath of office before DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on May 16.

Prior to this, she served as DMW Undersecretary for Policy and International Cooperation, where she helped negotiate and facilitate 15 bilateral labor migration agreements.

These agreements aim to strengthen the protection and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in partner countries, including Canada, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Finland, Denmark, Singapore, Croatia, Slovenia, and Kuwait.

Caunan is also a seasoned lawyer with expertise in labor, civil, administrative, and criminal law.

She has also advocated for migrant workers' rights by providing free legal assistance and counsel.