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Philippine government still ignores OFW issues — Migrante

BAGUIO CITY (Mar. 18) — In a forum this week, Migrante International maintained that the Philippine government remains remiss of overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) plight abroad despite their large contribution to the country’s economy and the growing number of OFW issues.

Migrante International Secretary General Maita Santiago said that the policies and programs of the present government failed to address the plight of OFWs abroad.

Santiago said that her group handled 300 cases in 2004, 228 of which are women involved mostly in cases of repatriation from the Middle East, illegal recruitment and trafficking. There are also documented cases of unfair labor practice, contract violations, illegal recruitment, discrimination, physical, verbal and sexual abuses; and mysterious deaths.

Santiago added that the implementation of repressive migrant polices like wage cuts are an added burden to OFWs. She also mentioned that the crackdown of undocumented OFWs in several countries is another problem.

In Malaysia, some 560,000 local volunteers are paid to hunt down undocumented OFWs. Santiago said these volunteers are paid P1,144 per undocumented Filipino they catch. There are 500,000 undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia, which include 10,000 children.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) reported that in the first quarter of 2003 there were 936 recorded OFW cases. Out of the said number, 120 are human remains, 638 are in distress, 88 are physically ill, and 45 mentally ill.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that in 2004 there are 3,000 OFWs imprisoned abroad, 673 of which are women and 50 are minors. DFA also reported that at least 14 are in death row in Saudi Arabia.

In a research done in Oct. 2002 to Mar. 2003, the Cordillera Women’s Education and Resource Center (CWERC) documented more problems than gains of OFWs in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

CWERC Board Member Cynthia Dacanay said that most of these OFWs incurred loans which remain unpaid. She explained that most of these OFWs had to borrow money from lending institutions or sell properties in order to pay for their placement fees. Unfortunately, what they earn abroad is not even enough to pay for their loans. She added that there are cases of illegal recruitment and overcharging.

Dacanay added that aside from these, majority of respondents were faced with strained family relationships or broken families. She mentioned that there are cases of infidelity of spouses and of children hooked on drugs.

CWERC’s research covered 28 communities in CAR’s 6 provinces. Most of the communities covered are considered as the poorest communities in the country.

Gov’t response

OWWA-CAR Officer-in-charge Dina Ponciano said during the said forum that for this year, there are scheduled consultations to discuss and amendment of the omnibus policies if necessary. The said forum is open to all OFWs and family.

Ponciano added that OWWA offers other benefits and services that include insurance and health care, loan guarantee, education and training, social services and family welfare assistance and workers assistance on site services. She however, admitted that a small percentage know and avail of the said benefits here in CAR.

Further, Ponciano said that OWWA can still assist distressed undocumented OFWs but they can not give monetary benefits and claims. She admitted that this applies to former members whose membership expired. She explained that membership is now valid only for a maximum of a 2 year contract after which, the member must pay another US$25 to renew his membership.

Ponciano also disclosed that even undocumented OFWs can pay membership to OWWA and be accredited as members. She said that the OFW can personally pay the membership dues abroad. She even mentioned relatives can also pay in behalf of undocumented OFWs in OWWA offices here; the only requirement is a copy of the existing contract of the OFW.

Meanwhile, Santiago said that the present government is bent on intensifying its labor export instead of giving concrete solutions to the pressing problems of OFWs. She said that the Labor Export Program already limits the government’s ability to protect OFWs. She explained that the government is bound to conform with the policies of the host country in order to be able to send more workers.

Some manifestations according to Santiago, is the government’s agreement to wage cuts, denial of benefits and policies that violate OFW human rights in exchange of an open labor market to ensure continuous dollar remittances.

Migrante-Cordillera Spokesperson Flora Belinan criticized the new policy wherein undocumented OFWs can pay for OWWA membership. The new policy shows that OFWs have to pay for welfare services that are supposed to be free. She reiterated that documented or undocumented, it is the government’s responsibility to provide OFWs with welfare assistance.

Belinan expressed disappointment over the failure of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA)-CAR and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to send representatives to the said forum. They should have come so that they can personally answer the questions concerning OFWs, she said.

Belinan disclosed that Migrante invited representatives from POEA and DOLE to the forum but POEA declined because of an out of town schedule. She added that DOLE confirmed to send Atty. Rodriguez but did not make it to forum for still unknown reasons.

Gov’t earnings from OFWs

Santiago said that OFWs contribute billions through remittances and various fees collected from the processing of travel documents. The said documents include passports, NBI and medical clearances, and other administrative fees and forced contributions.

Santiago added that in 2004 alone, $ 8.5 billion was sent through official bank channels, which is 20% of the country’s total export earnings. She added that the estimated total remittance is between $ 8 billion to $ 12 billion.

Moreover, Santiago said that the government earns P43.9 million daily from processing fees of passports, POEA , OWWA and Medicare fees.

According to Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) records, from 1997 to 2002 the remittances of OFWs amounts to $ 39.2 billion. # Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

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