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Poverty, economic crisis forces Pinoys to risk life abroad

BAGUIO CITY (March 4) — Migrante-Cordillera Spokesperson Flora Belinan said the looming poverty that confronts Filipinos today forces many to risk their lives in other countries, adding that there is an increasing number of Filipinos who falls victims to illegal recruitment and human trafficking. Despite many dangers and drawbacks, many still choose to leave the country and try their luck abroad because they need to feed their families.

“Ang biktima desperadong makahanap ng trabaho, ang rekruter desperadong kumita ng pera,” (The victim desperately wants a job, while the recruiter desperately wants to earn) Belinan declared. She reiterated that the government should seriously address the chronic economic crisis and the lack of decent paying jobs to correct the problem on illegal recruitment and undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

Further Belinan urged the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) to extend help to undocumented OFWs.

“Kahit iligal dapat tulungan pa rin ng OWWA at huwag sisihin ang mga kababayan natin dahil hindi ambisyong yumaman ang dahilan ng pagpunta nila sa abroad. Malaki ang kasalanan dito ng gobyerno kung tutuusin,” (OWWA should assist even undocumented OFWs and stop blaming our compatriots because they are not working abroad just to get rich. In fact, it is the government’s fault) Belinan stressed. She added that even undocumented OFWs remit money to the country, “which is very helpful to our dying economy.”

Belinan warned all those who want to go abroad to be very careful. She advised applicants to consult the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) or any local Migrante chapter to find out the recruiter is legal and safe.

Belinan disclosed that recently Migrante-Cordillera received a complaint of illegal recruitment. She mentioned that the recruiter is a native of Tadian, Mountain Province but withheld identity. She added that at least 10 victims including the complainant Darcy (not her real name) already filed a case at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Malaysian ordeal

According to Darcy’s letter to Migrante-Cordillera, there are other victims suffering in Malaysia who could not come home because they do not have enough money.

Darcy said that her journey started on Nov. 9 last year when she reached Manila with 13 others and the recruiter. On November 30, they boarded a Cebu Pacific to Zamboanga. The following day MV Maryjoy took them to Sabah, Malaysia where they took an eight-hour ride to Kota Kinabalu and stayed at the recruiter’s house in Warison Lorong for a week. She met several others who were recruited earlier and were still jobless.

On the second week of Dec., they again traveled to Brunei and stayed in a house of a Filipina they called Elsie. Elsie told them that they would stay there until their employers fetched them. Meanwhile, the recruiter went back to Malaysia.

Darcy worked as a domestic helper in Brunei but because she could not stand her employer’s maltreatment she decided to go back to Malaysia. She said she was treated like an animal. She was not given food and had no enough sleep.

Darcy went back to the boarding house of the recruiter in Malaysia. She was quite lucky to find a part-time job. Most of her companions (recruited in different batches) did not have work. The boarding house was very crowded that some of them sleep on the table and near the comfort room.

Darcy worked as a part-time gardener for a Chinese politician where she earned P5,000 a month or roughly P161 a day in Malaysia.

Darcy decided to return to the Philippines on Dec. 21 without asking permission from her recruiter. A few days later one of her companions came home. Last Jan., eight others decided to come back home because they could no longer stand the situation in Malaysia.

The victims decided to sue their recruiter and filed a case at the NBI. The case is currently on hold because the recruiter bargained to return the money she collected from them. The victims gave the recruiter until March 15 to pay them back. If the recruiter fails to do so the victims vowed to put her behind bars. # Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

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