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OFW’s trip to UK ended in Macau

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 13) — Thousands of Filipinos leave the country daily due to the absence of decent and good paying jobs but unfortunately not all of them succeed. Ella’s (not her real name) story, according to Migrante-Cordillera is one of the many tales of unfortunate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) the party-list encountered.

Flora Belinan, regional coordinator of Migrante disclosed in an interview with Nordis that Ella’s case is actually a common experience of illegal recruitment. Belinan said that illegal recruitment is one of the leading cases in the region.

She narrated that Ella applied for a travel package to the United Kingdom (UK) at the GenStar Tours and Travel hoping to land a good job there. Unfortunately she ended up stranded in Macau, she added. She said that Ella learned about GenStar from Bright Star Travel Agency, a sub-agent here.

Belinan further said that a certain Sofia Lancita of GenStar originally offered P320,000 but Ella bargained for P250,000 and paid P230,000. She added that while in Macau, Ella was able to get back P50,400 from GenStar in three installments of P16,800.

Belinan stressed that the agency still owes her P179,600. “The agency should return the whole amount because it failed to do its part of the agreement,” she declared.

At present Ella does not plan to file formal charges against GenStar, Belinan confirmed. She added that Ella wanted her story publicized to warn other hopeful Filipinos about the said travel agency.

An affidavit Ella subscribed before Hong Kong Philippine Consulate General Consul Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega stated the amount would cover for the cost of airfare and other expenses such as hotel and lodging.

The affidavit also mentioned that Sofia told Ella the trip would take her a month since she has to pass through Hong Kong and Central America before reaching UK. She boarded a plane bound for Hong Kong (HK) holding a Manila-HK-Manila roundtrip tickets together with two other clients of the said travel agency on May 5.

Further Ella mentioned that upon reaching Hong Kong, Virginia Lancita, Sofia’s sister met them and brought them to a flat in HK’s Wanchai District. She said her two companions were charged HK$35 per night for staying at the said flat. She was not charged since she stayed with a friend.

On May 8, Ella along with 10 other Filipinos all recruited by GenStar proceeded by train to Beijing where Sofia met them after a week. Sofia told them that her group is securing their visas to Europe. The said group stayed in Beijing for two months, while there the Lancita sisters held their Philippine passports.

In a letter of Esther Bangcawayan, Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) area coordinator in Macau, to Consul De Vega asking assistance for Ella, she mentioned that about 60 Filipinos were victimized by the Lancita sisters of GenStar.

Bangcawayan said that on July 21 Ella and 11 others were transferred to Macau since their visas for China were about to expire. She furthered that 10 of Ella’s companions departed for Thailand or Vietnam and one went back to the Philippines on August 19, while Ella stayed in Avenida Ovidor Arriaga, in Macau.

According to Bangcawayan, Ella decided not to proceed to other countries since she was about to give birth at the time.

Ella was able to return to the Philippines sometime in September through the help of APMM and the Philippine Consulate.

Ella did not pursue criminal charges against GenStar because she is still hopeful that the agency would give back her money through installment. # Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

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