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OFWs commemorate Flor Contemplacion’s 17th death anniversary;

Call to stop US wars of aggression, deployment of US troops
Posted by admin on 3/17/12 • Categorized as News Releases

On the event of Flor Contemplacion’s 17th death anniversary, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) led by Migrante International held a rally at the Mendiola Bridge to protest US wars of aggression and deployment of troops in the Asia Pacific region, including the Philippines.

Migrante International, a global alliance of overseas Filipinos and families, also condemned the Aquino government’s puppetry and subservience to US dictates on the country’s political and economic affairs, imperiling migrant workers and the Filipino people.

With them were returned women OFWs who were recently repatriated from Syria. The OFWs, who recently formed an alliance called “OFW Survivors from Syria”, recounted their traumatic experiences in war-torn Syria and their criticisms of the Philippine government’s slow action and lack of system in its repatriation efforts in Syria.

They called on US-NATO forces to get out of Syria, fearing for the lives of OFWs who are still there. Last February 24, an OFW was killed in Homs during an ambush attack. Twenty-three-year-old Meran Prieira Montezor, a native of Camarines Sur, died along with her employer’s child when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the car they were riding.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of our fellow Filipino in Syria. We condemn the escalating violence being instigated and aggravated by US-NATO troops and rebels funded by imperialist forces. It is high time that the Aquino regime reviews it foreign policy of staunch support of US wars of aggression and deployment of US troops,” said Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson.

“Kailangang magkaisa ang mga migrante at pamilya laban sa panghihimasok ng mga tropang Kano saanman sa mundo. Kung hindi mga abuso, karahasan at gera ang dulot ng mga ito – at laging nanganganib ang buhay ng ating mga migranteng Pilipino saanman sa mundo,” he said.

Martinez said that as they continue to call for more active and systematic repatriation efforts, they are also calling on the Aquino administration to take a position condemning the impending US-NATO military intervention in Syria. “Our government’s support for US wars of aggression and deployment of US troops continues to endanger the lives of thousands and thousands of Filipinos in Syria, in Afghanistan, in Iraq and wherever else they wound want to strike,” he said.

Martinez further criticized the Aquino administration’s continuous intensification of its labor export policy despite escalating violence and conflicts in the Middle East-North Africa region and the worsening global economic crisis.

“Nothing short of the reversal of the present system will put an end to forced migration. Past and present experiences have revealed the bankruptcy of the labor export policy. What the Aquino administration needs to address is genuine land reform and national industrialization so that Filipinos do not have to leave their families and homeland at great risks and difficulties abroad,” Martinez said. There are already some 12 million overseas Filipino workers around the world. An estimated 4,500 OFWs leave daily to work abroad.

“For as long as there is landlessness, no domestic jobs are available, and prices continue to soar sky-high, Filipinos will be forced to seek employment abroad despite the ongoing global economic crisis that continues to displace thousands of OFWs or place them in imminent danger or war. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle that will only end if fundamental reforms are in place,” Martinez said. ###

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5 cases of “Noynoying” on OFW issues
Posted by admin on 3/19/12 • Categorized as News Releases

Global alliance of overseas Filipinos and families Migrante International enumerated at least five instances that prove how Pres. Benigno Aquino III has been “Noynoying big time” on issues beleaguering OFWs.

1. Noynoying on OFWs on death row

In a span of less than two years in office, four (4) Filipinos were executed in China because the Aquino administration’s “best efforts were merely last ditch attempts” to save their lives. Their deaths were results of lack of legal assistance and support from the Philippine government on the onset of their arrests. At the time of their appeals, budget for OFWs’ legal assistance fund (LAF) were slashed by 50 percent – from P50 million LAF in 2010 to P27 million LAF in 2011, when it is clearly stated in the law that the LAF should be at least P100 million.

In the Middle East, for instance, an estimated $20,000 is needed to hire a Sharia lawyer for OFWs in jail or on death row. According to data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are at least 27 OFWs on death row in the Middle East, six in Malaysia, one in Indonesia and 78 in China, all mostly on murder and drug charges.

2. Diplomatic boo-boos

Aquino also did a “Noynoying” when he earned the ire of the Hong Kong government during the Manila hostage tragedy in 2010. Aquino’s lack of political savvy and insensitivity caused a diplomatic row with the Hong Kong government after he failed to immediately release a sympathetic statement for the victims of the massacre and, instead, defended lapses by the Manila police and Philippine government. Throughout the negotiations with the hostage-taker, and even after the tragedy when the president was expected to issue a statement, Aquino was a no-show.

3. Slow repatriation efforts in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) crisis

The Aquino administration was caught off-guard and unprepared when conflicts erupted in the MENA region – particularly in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria.

Of the estimated 32,000 OFWs in Libya, for instance, only 14,000 were evacuated and repatriated back to the Philippines, not by the Philippine government but by their employers and agencies. Returned OFWs from Libya complained that the Philippine government was “invisible” in exit points and borders and that they were left to tend for themselves.

In Syria where the conflict continues to escalate, the government still has no clear response on criticisms of slow and passive repatriation efforts. Of the 17,000 OFWs in Syria, only 1,000 have been repatriated. The DFA and Philippine government, in some forums and statements in the media, attribute the low number to “helplessness, lack of funds and a deadlock on negotiations with Syrian employers”. Aquino, on the other hand, gives no categorical position on US-NATO plans to conduct air strikes on Syria which will greatly endanger OFWs.

4. Closure of PH embassies for austerity measures

Despite the growing number of OFWs in distress and corresponding lack of action by Philippine officials, the Aquino administration had the gall to announce the closure of at least 12 Philippine posts all over the world as part of its “austerity measures”. Malacanang continues to ignore growing clamor from Filipino communities in Barcelona, Sweden, Palau, Saipan and Frankfurt to retain PH posts.

5. Still no jobs at home and no genuine reintegration program

In his inaugural speech, Aquino explicitly stated that his administration’s thrust was to “create more jobs at home so that OFWs will not have to seek employment abroad.” However, statistics belie this claim.

The recent rise in local unemployment will push the Aquino government to further intensify and implement a more aggressive labor export policy. According to the 2011 Social Weather Survey, unemployment rose to 24 percent, or an estimated 9.7 million, signifying an additional 1.5 million jobless Filipinos by the fourth quarter of 2011. This figure is expected to rise as millions are expected to join the labor force come graduation season this March.

There are already some 12 million overseas Filipino workers around the world. An estimated 4,500 OFWs leave daily to work abroad. Of late, all the Aquino government, through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), has to offer are job openings for more nurses and doctors in Saudi Arabia, while no genuine and sustainable reintegration program is in place for returned and displaced OFWs. The Aquino administration’s so-called reintegration program consists mainly of loan packages and livelihood trainings that are still at the expense of returned OFWs.

“For as long as no domestic jobs are available, the government’s main recourse is to once again seek markets abroad despite the ongoing global economic crisis that continues to displace thousands of OFWs or place them in imminent danger or war. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle that will only end if fundamental reforms are in place,” said Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson. ###

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OFWs triumph over proposed Philhealth premium hike
Posted by admin on 3/19/12 • Categorized as News Releases

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can have a breather for now as the Philhealth Board recently released a memorandum circular deferring the proposed implementation of a 160% hike in Philhealth premium fees.

Last February 21, the Philhealth Board release Memorandum Circular No. 007, series of 2012, declaring its postponement of the implementation of the premium increase to January 1, 2013 “in consideration of the request of civil society and non-government organizations to defer implementation of said premium in light of the global crisis resulting in the repatriation of a number of OFWs”.

The Philhealth Board issued Circular No. 022 in January imposing a 160% hike in premium fees to the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP). The hike was set to be effective on July 2012 and will affect all members and enrollees of Philhealth, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

For OFWs, the health premium would have increased from P900 to P2,400 annually and was expected to cover all agency-new hires as the Philhealth is a requirement for the issuance of the Overseas Employment Contract (OEC).

“This latest Philhealth memo is a victory for all OFWs who made their protest heard. This is proof that through OFWs’ unity against unjust state exactions and other forms of legalized kotong concrete tactical results can be achieved,” said Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson.

Martinez, however, said that the “fight is far from over.” “This is just a deferment, not a cancellation of the fee hike. We were able to stop the planned implementation but we vow to continue to be vigilant against all forms of legalized kotong,” he said.

He said that Migrante International will still continue to gather as many signatures for their petition campaign against the Philhealth premium fee increase. He also said that they will continue to coordinate with other sectors who will still be affected by the Philhealth premium increase, including government employees, trade union and health workers.

Pandora’s Box

“The campaign against the Philhealth premium hike also served as the Pandora’s Box on numerous complaints of inefficiencies in Philheath’s services to OFWs and their families. We will continue to gather accounts and reports from OFWs all over the world and will bring these to the attention of concerned agencies,” Martinez said.

Martinez refuted claims by the government that the recent Philhealth premium hike is for the thrust to “attain Universal Health Care”. “Health care should be free. This most recent hike only illustrates how greedy for profit the government is. Meanwhile, Philhealth services for OFWs have been dismal, unreliable, and in some cases, non-existent for our OFWs.” ###

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Why OFWs will join the People’s Protest vs. oil price hikes
Posted by admin on 3/14/12 • Categorized as News Releases

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) support calls to stop oil price hikes because the unending spate of increases are taking a heavy toll on OFWs and their families, especially in light of the dwindling dollar caused by the recent global economic crisis, according to global alliance for OFWs and families Migrante International.

Remittance-dependent families are in a very vulnerable and dangerous place. OFWs send an average of P8,000 per month to their families to cover expenses for rent, food and other utilities. The dollar depreciation combined with oil price hikes and the continuously swelling inflation rate poses an ominous impact on OFWs and their families. This is the main reason why Migrante International fully-supports and will participate in the People’s Protest against oil price hikes on March 15.

Migrante International believes that the Aquino government could actually do something to stop oil price hikes if only it had political will and the welfare of its citizens in mind. The same goes for how Migrante International perceives the government’s slow response and inaction during the height of the crises in Libya, and now Syria where a Pinay OFW was the most recent casualty in the conflict.

Migrante International will join other people’s organizations in the People’s Protest to bring to the public’s and legislators’ attention the issues of overpricing, the onerous VAT on oil and the need to review and repeal the Oil Deregulation Law. We hope that the People’s Protest will serve as an eye-opener and gather broader support from the Filipinos here and abroad against oil price hikes. ###

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Rise in unemployment will push PH to intensify labor export, says group
Posted by admin on 2/24/12 • Categorized as News Releases

Global alliance of overseas Filipinos and families Migrante International today said that the rise in local unemployment will push the Philippine government to further intensify and implement a more aggressive labor export policy.

According to the 2011 Social Weather Survey, unemployment rose to 24 percent, or an estimated 9.7 million, signifying an additional 1.5 million jobless Filipinos by the fourth quarter of 2011.

“This figure is still expected to rise as graduation season sets in and more new graduates will be joining the work force,” said Garry Martinez, Migrate International chairperson.

There are already some 12 million overseas Filipino workers around the world. An estimated 4,500 OFWs leave daily to work abroad.

“For as long as no domestic jobs are available, the government’s main recourse is to once again seek markets abroad despite the ongoing global economic crisis that continues to displace thousands of OFWs or place them in imminent danger or war. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle that will only end if fundamental reforms are in place,” Martinez said.

The migrant leader also criticized the government’s so-called reintegration program characterized by loan packages that do nothing to address unemployment and job generation.

“Nothing short of the reversal of the present system will put an end to forced migration. Past and present experiences have revealed the bankruptcy of the labor export policy. What we need to address unemployment is genuine land reform and national industrialization so that Filipinos do not have to leave their families and homeland at great risks and difficulties abroad,” Martinez said. ###

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“Institutionalized kotong” in P13M overcharged POEA fees slammed
Posted by admin on 1/18/12 • Categorized as News Releases

Migrante International slammed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s (POEA) practice of overcharging OFWs from the “Balik Manggagawa Program”, as released by a recent Commission on Audit (COA) report.

“We welcome the report, it validates our claims that the government has been implementing ‘institutionalized kotong’ on OFWs for several years now. The COA report further affirms what many of our chapters abroad have been complaining about,” said Garry Martinez, chairperson of the largest alliance of Filipino migrants’ organizations.

Migrante said that in Hongkong alone, POLO charges HK$ 20 or its peso equivalent of P110 (HKS1=P5), overcharged by P10. The MECO in Taiwan charges P150-P250 for processing fees of the OEC. The OEC fee should not exceed P100, as mandated by POEA guidelines.

Martinez said, “The P13 million is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only millions but billions of pesos have been extorted by various state exactions imposed by government. Government has been bleeding OFWs dry, not only from overcharging processing fees, but also in exorbitant rates in passport fees and translation fees charged by other government agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs.”

In Japan, for instance, the Philippine Embassy has been overcharging passport renewal fees five-fold. Meanwhile, in Hongkong, the Philippine Consulate has been charging US$65, a whopping P2,795, in passport fees. “This is P1,845 more than what is required by law.”

“Government budget for services for OFWs has been decreased but various schemes such as increasing the contributions for the mandatory Philhealth premium continue to be hatched, all for the purpose of extorting more money from migrant Filipinos. The least government should do to rectify this is to immediately return this money to the OFWs by increasing the budget for services and benefits.”

Migrante International calls on the COA and Congress to look into the matter more deeply. The organization has demanded the full disclosure of OWWA funds and a full blown investigation of all state exactions of government on OFWs. ###