OFW Awareness: a blog by the Government group

Video: "Buhay Pinoy Abroad, Buhay OFW" by Ercof

2010-04-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

"This video depicts the typical life of an overseas Filipino and an overseas Filipino family searching for a gainful family life through remittances from abroad. This will enlighten the public about who are the country's major economic saviors and what sacrifices do they face."

Contact Ercof Philippines (www.ercof.org) at dbagasao.ercof@gmail.com, and at +63-02-9203610 (telefax)

(from jopiniano's YouTube channel)

Some guidelines for OFWs

2010-04-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

The following are some guidelines for OFWs:

1) Literacy in the English language is very helpful.

2) The agencies that recruit OFWs and deport them must be reliable and the OFW must be assured that the agency is operating on legal terms.

3) As a precaution, the Filipino who vies for a specific job must have the proper skills necessary to excel in it. This is to avoid possible negative consequences.

4) These are the government offices that are responsible to provide help and assistance to OFWs:

a) Department of Foreign Affairs –protects the rights of migrant workers and other overseas Filipinos.

b) Department of Labor and Employment –grants legal assistance and the referral to proper medical centers or hospitals. They must also make sure that OFWs benefit from the labor and social welfare laws in foreign countries.

c) Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)—they set up the licensing and registration system in the recruitment and overseas placement of workers.

d) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)–they provide assistance to the migrant worker and his family by enforcing the obligations of the agencies responsible for recruiting the OFWs. The Welfare officer is the one who handles the complaints and problems brought to attention.

5) These are the Non-Government Organizations that help OFWs in their time of need and distress:

a) Migrante International (International Alliance of Filipino Migrant Organizations) –they seek justice for exploited OFWs. They provide services such as counseling, monitoring, shelter, advocate for OFWs’ welfare, among others.

Their website is at http://migrante.tripod.com/# and they can be contacted through the following telephone numbers: (632)926-2838,(632)259-5314, (632) 433-2136 (Telefax) and their email addresses: migranteintl@edsamail.com.ph, migrante@nsclub.net. Their office address is 49 Mayaman corner Matahimik Streets, UP Village, Quezon City.

b) KAKAMMPI (Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc.) –they are an organization of families of Overseas Filipino Workers. “Kakammpi is engaged in organizing, advocacy, case documentation and institutional networking. It responds to the problems and needs of migrant families by implementing an integrated program to strengthen family support system and facilitate their empowerment.” Moreover, they can organize demonstrations for OFWs who are victimized and they also write news about OFWs for the rest of the Philippines and the world to know.

Their website is http://kakammpi.tripod.com/. Their office address is 70-B Matahimik Street Teacher’s Village, Diliman Quezon City, Philippines. Their postal address is P.O. Box SM 193 1008 Sta. Mesa Manila, Philippines. Their email address kakammpi@skyinet.net and their telephone numbers (632) 435-4584; Telefax (632) 921-5810.

6) The Republic Act No. 8042 or Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 is designed to promote the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers. It states the measures that should be taken in order to protect the security of OFWs including the penalties that await illegal agencies that recruit them. Parts of its objectives is to establish a “Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center” in countries that have a large number of Filipino workers; and to provide a Legal Assistance Fund that should provide legal services to distressed Filipino workers, including payment “for the fees of the foreign lawyers to be hired,” “bail bonds, court fees and other litigation expenses,” among others. To learn more about this law, open this site, http://www.poea.gov.ph/rules/ra8042.html and to learn about the recent revisions, visit http://erbl.pids.gov.ph/listbills.phtml?id=30

However, the question about this law is, is it still being properly implemented? Organizations continuously fight for the reinforcement of this law. Under the new government after the May 2010 elections, we hope that proper attention would be given to the “modern day heroes’ ” protection, welfare and the justice that is rightfully theirs. More importantly, we advocate for the reimplementation/reinforcement of The Republic Act No. 8042 or Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 and hope that the new president would not neglect the law and consequently his people outside of the Philippines.

Overseas Filipino Workers: Who are they

2010-04-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

They used to be called Overseas Contract Workers. But the Ramos administration changed ‘Contract’ to ‘Filipino’ ironically as a homage to the Filipinos’ sacrifice of working in other countries to be able to earn the much sought after dollar. The dollars, once sent to their loved ones in the Philippines, become foreign remittances that feed the country’s economy. In fact, “Remittances sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) reached $17.3 billion stronger than the expected growth in 2009” according to pinoyoverseas.net. (Read the full article on http://pinoyoverseas.net/news/uncategorized/ofw-remittances-hits-17-3-b-in-2009/)

There are around eight million Overseas Filipino Workers. They are deployed to countries all over the globe. The top five countries where OFWs are employed are The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Italy.

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Modules/Modules/PhilippineEconomy/ofws.htm

Indeed, because of the sacrifices and risks they are taking, and because of the dollars they are sending, the Arroyo administration has pronounced OFWs as the modern day Filipino heroes.

However, there are a lot of possible dangers that await an OFW:

1) There are the possibilities of unlawful labor practices of employers that can induce over 200 OFWs to form a protest group against their employer in Saudi Arabia. Complaints include: violations of the Saudi labor law, such as withholding of their 2-month salaries, non-payment of overtime pay, non-compliance with the kingdom’s standard salary rates, unsafe working environment and discrimination. (Read the full article on http://pinoyoverseas.net/news/middle-east/saudi-arabia/100-foreign-workers-join-protesting-ofws-in-saudi/)

2) Workers can be stranded in the foreign country for weeks and many months while the Philippine government negotiates for their clearances with their employers. This can happen if, for example, an OFW breaks his/her contract by running away from his/her employer. (Read the full article on http://pinoyoverseas.net/news/middle-east/saudi-arabia/rp-repatriates-37-workers-from-kuwait-jeddah/)

3) Many migrant workers can be physically, emotionally and sexually abused like in South Korea where “human rights abuses and many of the exploitative practices…still persist.” Indeed, the Employment Permit System (EPS) which commands host countries to recognize the rights of migrant workers was implemented on August, 2004. However, implementation issues are still prevalent. (Read the full article on http://www.filipinosworld.net/search/label/South%20Korea ABS-CBN News October 2009)

4) Remember Flor Contemplacion after 15 years after her death, “OFWs and domestic helpers are still going through the same nightmare that Flor Contemplacion suffered. Many rot in jail. Several have been sentenced to death. Thousands suffer abuse from their employers and neglected by their government. To these OFWs, the Arroyo regime is “chief executioner of the rights and welfare of OFWs.”” (Taken from Janess Ann J. Ellao’s article 15 Years After Death of Flor Contemplacion, OFWs Remain Vulnerable as Ever. March 21, 2010. Read the full article on http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/03/21/15-years-after-death-of-flor-contemplacion-ofws-remain-vulnerable-as-ever/)

We are not discouraging aspiring OFWs. We are simply warning them of the possible dangers that await them. Besides this, we are also encouraging professionals and workers to practice their expertise in the Philippines. Filipinos serving other countries means brain-drain to our country. We lose our professionals that could make the Philippines a first-world country. Also, many of our professionals only become underemployed in foreign countries. What happened to the education, to the degree, they worked hard for?