Migrante-Ontario
Statement on International Women's Day
March 8, 2008
For Reference: Sol Pajadura: migrante.ontario@gmail.com
 
Philippine Woman President is Anti-Woman and Anti-Migrant!
 
 
In the spirit of the 100 years of the International Women's Day, Migrante-Ontario and its member organizations urge Filipino women and Canadian sisters to fight the enemy of Filipino women - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
 
March 8th embodies the struggle and the fight for the rights of Filipino migrant women.  This is especially because 70% of Filipino migrant workers around the world are women.
 
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has become the biggest disgrace to Filipino womankind. She has brought Filipino women nothing but economic hardships and grave violations of our civil and political rights.  The Arroyo government has done nothing concrete to uplift the status of Filipino women especially women migrant workers, and instead has even instituted policies that worsen the "commodification and exploitation of overseas Filipino women workers."
 
The Philippine Labour Export Program (LEP) intensifies the global sale of Filipino women to the world's labour market. Last year, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has even implemented a 'training' scheme for Filipino domestic workers that should have supposedly addressed the serious violation of their rights but has, instead, led to the worsening of overcharging of recruitment agencies, more fees to the government and has not made a dent in the number of cases of abused women migrants.
 
Meanwhile, Philippine government officials in their embassies and consulates provide lack or no services and assistance to these Filipino women. Government only acts on welfare cases if concerned organizations drumbeat the issues. Oftentimes these actions are too little or too late such as on the cases of Elenita Pailanan and Jocelyn Dulnuan - two caregivers in Toronto who died last year.
 
The campaign of Migrante International for a Zero Remittance Day is one that we gladly embrace to see Arroyo out of office. This is a call to all Filipino migrants around the world not to send money back on March 8, and subsequently in every designated day each month until Gloria resigned or is ousted from office. With the $30 million dollar remittances that Filipinos send everyday, the Zero Remittance Day is a symbol of protest against the widespread corruption of the irresponsible administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who has sporadically sabotaged the nation's economy and our lives.

Migrante-Ontario along with the Filipino women in Canada stands firmly with the whole nation in demanding for the immediate resignation or ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
 
Resist and fight the abuse of migrant women!
Service, Not Business! Protection Not Corruption!
Filipino Migrant Women Unite, Oust Gloria Now!