However, the response of the previous Arroyo administration to the needs of OFWs has been described by Migrante International, the biggest organization of OFWs and their families, as “criminal neglect” so there is nothing much to intensify. Furthermore, according to Migrante, in order for the government to be more responsive to their needs, it is necessary to repeal the policies and laws that are disadvantageous to OFWs, which were passed and implemented by the previous administration.

“We challenge Noynoy to, during his first 100 days in office, take action in litigating Arroyo for corruption for misusing OFW funds, criminal neglect of OFWs in distress and continuous deployment to high-risk countries,” Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said, adding that he will be no better than Arroyo if he does not do anything to reverse the former administration’s treatment of OFWs as mere milking cows.

“Establish a monitoring system on the conduct of government officials in exercising their functions as mandated by the law and other related memoranda, circulars, executive and department orders,” the Migrante agenda read. This is in response to the incompetence and apathy of some Philippine embassy officials. Recently, an OFW in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was seeking the help of the welfare officer in the embassy. But instead of coming up with a plan to rescue her from the company villa, the OFW was advised to jump from the third floor of the building.

Migrante also challenged the Aquino administration to establish a special court that could accommodate complaints filed against abusive employers, recruitment agencies, and embassy officials .

Protection and Bilateral Agreements

The Aquino administration should also work for the legalization and protection of the rights of undocumented Filipino migrant workers. Migrante said this has become urgent because of the enactment of tougher and harsher immigrant laws in receiving countries, especially in the aftermath of the economic crisis.

Special protection should also be given to migrant women and minors, Migrante said, because of the numerous cases of abuse, rape and maltreatment of women and minors, especially in the Middle East. Migrante is also proposing for the establishment of additional safe shelters for women and minors with in-house social workers, doctors, psychiatrists to cater to the needs of victim-OFWs.

Not only do these victims need to be repatriated, but their cases must also be investigated by an independent body, Migrante said. The investigation should not only look into the culpability of erring recruitment agencies but government officials as well.

To ensure the institution of laws and policies protecting OFWs, Migrante challenged Aquino to forge bilateral agreements with receiving countries. They cited in their 10-Point Migrants Challenge that Saudi Arabia remains to be the top destination for OFWs over the years but there is still no bilateral agreement that could protect and help OFWs in distress. As a result, Saudi has the most number of reported cases of abuse, contract substitution and even rape.

If the Aquino government is able to forge a bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it would give protection to roughly 1.5 million Filipinos working in the Kingdom.

Lastly, there is a need to to have a genuine migrants’ representation in decision-making bodies of the government. Such migrants representation will work closely with people’s organizations that advocate for pro-migrant policies.

Cases of neglect marked Arroyo’s presidency, leaving 41 Filipinos in death row, some 23 who have died under mysterious circumstances and thousands waiting to be repatriated. Thus, Migrante came up with a list of specific and concrete demands that must be addressed immediately if the Aquino government is sincere in responding to the needs of OFWs.

Corruption and Anti-OFW policies

Martinez said it is high time to prove that the country is on the right track to genuine change by holding Arroyo accountable for misuse of public funds. “Those funds could have saved hundreds of thousands of OFWs in distress,” he said.

(Photo by Janess Ann J. Ellao / bulatlat.com)

This include the $293,500 for the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by General Roy Cimatu during the United States war of aggression in Iraq, where no OFW was repatriated. As of this writing, the fund has never been audited.

The welfare fund of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration also remains unaudited despite reports of corruption cases. A case in point is the alleged re-channeling of the P530 million ($11,400,301 at an exchange rate of P46.49) Medicare fund of OWWA to Arroyo’s presidential bid in 2004. The OWWA welfare fund is taken from the mandatory $25 membership fee every OFW leaving for work abroad has to pay.

Migrante said the policies and laws that were passed under Arroyo, which must be repealed included the OWWA Omnibus Policy, and the POEA Guidelines on the Deployment of Household Service Workers under Arroyo’s “Supermaid” training scheme. United Filipinos in Hong Kong chairperson Dolores Balladares said despite waiving placement fees for Filipinos applying as domestic helpers, recruitment agencies still profits a lot from the expensive trainings that they have to take.

Exorbitant and excessive state exactions should also be repealed such as the mandatory contribution to the Pag-ibig Fund and the welfare fund of OWWA.

In its stead, Migrante called on Aquino to reinstate the Legal Assistance program, Medicare Program, General Financial Assistance Program and on-site migrant services.

Needed Services for OFWs and their Families

In recognition of the substantial contributions of OFWs in keeping the economy afloat, despite the economic crisis, Migrante said, there is a need to ensure that direct services are received not only by OFWs but their families as well.

To be able to do this, there is a need to review the annual OWWA budget because 70 percent is allocated to administrative expenses and only 11 percent goes to services for OFWs. The 10-Point Migrants Challenge also asks Aquino to work on the annual P1M ($21,510) increase in the budget for services for OFWs as mandated by the Magna Carta for Overseas Filipinos and Migrant Workers Act of 1995.

Aside from these, the newly-installed administration should scrap the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) policy that only Filipinos who are sentenced to death will receive legal services from them. The OFW group urged Aquino to immediately provide legal assistance to Filipinos in death row such as Dondon Lanuza, Eduardo Arcilla, Joselito Zapanta, Jakatia Pawa among others.

“Establish a monitoring system on the conduct of government officials in exercising their functions as mandated by the law and other related memoranda, circulars, executive and department orders,” the Migrante agenda read. This is in response to the incompetence and apathy of some Philippine embassy officials. Recently, an OFW in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was seeking the help of the welfare officer in the embassy. But instead of coming up with a plan to rescue her from the company villa, the OFW was advised to jump from the third floor of the building.

Migrante also challenged the Aquino administration to establish a special court that could accommodate complaints filed against abusive employers, recruitment agencies, and embassy officials .

Protection and Bilateral Agreements

The Aquino administration should also work for the legalization and protection of the rights of undocumented Filipino migrant workers. Migrante said this has become urgent because of the enactment of tougher and harsher immigrant laws in receiving countries, especially in the aftermath of the economic crisis.

Special protection should also be given to migrant women and minors, Migrante said, because of the numerous cases of abuse, rape and maltreatment of women and minors, especially in the Middle East. Migrante is also proposing for the establishment of additional safe shelters for women and minors with in-house social workers, doctors, psychiatrists to cater to the needs of victim-OFWs.

Not only do these victims need to be repatriated, but their cases must also be investigated by an independent body, Migrante said. The investigation should not only look into the culpability of erring recruitment agencies but government officials as well.

To ensure the institution of laws and policies protecting OFWs, Migrante challenged Aquino to forge bilateral agreements with receiving countries. They cited in their 10-Point Migrants Challenge that Saudi Arabia remains to be the top destination for OFWs over the years but there is still no bilateral agreement that could protect and help OFWs in distress. As a result, Saudi has the most number of reported cases of abuse, contract substitution and even rape.

If the Aquino government is able to forge a bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it would give protection to roughly 1.5 million Filipinos working in the Kingdom.

Lastly, there is a need to to have a genuine migrants’ representation in decision-making bodies of the government. Such migrants representation will work closely with people’s organizations that advocate for pro-migrant policies.

“Now is the time for him to prove his electoral campaign propaganda of ending corruption,” Martinez said. (Bulatlat.com) <

MANILA – President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III promised, during his campaign, he would make sure that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)would no longer need to work abroad by generating enough local jobs. In the meantime, Aquino said during his inaugural address, “inaatasan ko ang mga kawani ng DFA, POEA, OWWA at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensiya na mas lalo pang paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating mga overseas Filipino workers.” (I am ordering the officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and other pertinent agencies to intensify its response to the needs of our overseas Filipino workers.)

However, the response of the previous Arroyo administration to the needs of OFWs has been described by Migrante International, the biggest organization of OFWs and their families, as “criminal neglect” so there is nothing much to intensify. Furthermore, according to Migrante, in order for the government to be more responsive to their needs, it is necessary to repeal the policies and laws that are disadvantageous to OFWs, which were passed and implemented by the previous administration.

“We challenge Noynoy to, during his first 100 days in office, take action in litigating Arroyo for corruption for misusing OFW funds, criminal neglect of OFWs in distress and continuous deployment to high-risk countries,” Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said, adding that he will be no better than Arroyo if he does not do anything to reverse the former administration’s treatment of OFWs as mere milking cows.

Cases of neglect marked Arroyo’s presidency, leaving 41 Filipinos in death row, some 23 who have died under mysterious circumstances and thousands waiting to be repatriated. Thus, Migrante came up with a list of specific and concrete demands that must be addressed immediately if the Aquino government is sincere in responding to the needs of OFWs.

Corruption and Anti-OFW policies

Martinez said it is high time to prove that the country is on the right track to genuine change by holding Arroyo accountable for misuse of public funds. “Those funds could have saved hundreds of thousands of OFWs in distress,” he said.

(Photo by Janess Ann J. Ellao / bulatlat.com)

This include the $293,500 for the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by General Roy Cimatu during the United States war of aggression in Iraq, where no OFW was repatriated. As of this writing, the fund has never been audited.

The welfare fund of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration also remains unaudited despite reports of corruption cases. A case in point is the alleged re-channeling of the P530 million ($11,400,301 at an exchange rate of P46.49) Medicare fund of OWWA to Arroyo’s presidential bid in 2004. The OWWA welfare fund is taken from the mandatory $25 membership fee every OFW leaving for work abroad has to pay.

Migrante said the policies and laws that were passed under Arroyo, which must be repealed included the OWWA Omnibus Policy, and the POEA Guidelines on the Deployment of Household Service Workers under Arroyo’s “Supermaid” training scheme. United Filipinos in Hong Kong chairperson Dolores Balladares said despite waiving placement fees for Filipinos applying as domestic helpers, recruitment agencies still profits a lot from the expensive trainings that they have to take.

Exorbitant and excessive state exactions should also be repealed such as the mandatory contribution to the Pag-ibig Fund and the welfare fund of OWWA.

In its stead, Migrante called on Aquino to reinstate the Legal Assistance program, Medicare Program, General Financial Assistance Program and on-site migrant services.

Needed Services for OFWs and their Families

In recognition of the substantial contributions of OFWs in keeping the economy afloat, despite the economic crisis, Migrante said, there is a need to ensure that direct services are received not only by OFWs but their families as well.

To be able to do this, there is a need to review the annual OWWA budget because 70 percent is allocated to administrative expenses and only 11 percent goes to services for OFWs. The 10-Point Migrants Challenge also asks Aquino to work on the annual P1M ($21,510) increase in the budget for services for OFWs as mandated by the Magna Carta for Overseas Filipinos and Migrant Workers Act of 1995.

Aside from these, the newly-installed administration should scrap the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) policy that only Filipinos who are sentenced to death will receive legal services from them. The OFW group urged Aquino to immediately provide legal assistance to Filipinos in death row such as Dondon Lanuza, Eduardo Arcilla, Joselito Zapanta, Jakatia Pawa among others.

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2 Responses to “Migrants’ Group Poses 10-Point Migrant Challenge to Aquino Administration”

1. OFWNation Says:
   July 13th, 2010 at 5:56 pm

   Kawawa naman sila, nangarap lang makapagtrabaho sa ibang bansa para sa pamilya pero ganyan naman ang dinanas. Sana may magawa agad ang ating gobyerno.

2. Migrants’ Group Poses 10-Point Migrant Challenge to Aquino Administration : The Philippine Reporter - Toronto Filipino Newspaper Serving the Greater Toronto Area Says:
   July 17th, 2010 at 12:50 am

   [...] (Read story…) Filed Under News, Philippines  [...]

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