Additional burden to OFWs

For Immediate Release:
8 July 2009

On the recently issued POEA Memo No. 5 & 6 Series of 2009
Only an additional burden to OFWs and their families;
a mere money-making venture by the most corrupt, most anti-OFW Arroyo admin. -Migrante-Middle East

(POEA's Memorandum Circular No. 5 which added 44 more overseas jobs to the low and semi-skilled category “to strengthen the protection mechanism for overseas Filipino workers." And Memorandum Circular No. 6 requiring the issuance of exit clearances, individual employment contracts, processing requests, accomplished information sheets, employment visas or work permits; pre-departure orientation seminar certificates from the POEA, language orientation certificates from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and national certificates from the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda).)


POEA's MC No.5 & 6 is not really intended to protect OFWs especially those clasified as low and semi-skilled workers as it will only add burden of paying formalities mentioned in MC No.6. These are in fact a way or means to siphoned OFWs money through additonal impositions of fees and charges. Already an out-bound OFW is paying more than Php.20,000 for procesing of deployment formalities not to include the placement fee which is equivalent to 1-mo. salary.

Abuses and maltreatment of OFWs happened at the work sites and that the Arroyo regime through its line agencies like DFA, DoLE-POEA.OWWA have been proven inutile in protecting OFWs well being and rights abroad, the mere fact that daily we have been assisting lots of OFWs who ran away from their employers due to abuses and maltreatment.

Thus, for us POEA MC no. 5 & 6 are just mere part of the govt. continued imposition of fees and charges burdenning them a lot amid economic crisis.

We demand that it will be revoked as it is only a facade to the continued criminal neglect of the Arroyo regime to OFWs and their families. We will map out plans to show our opposition against these another money-making venture of the POEA under the most corrupt, most anti-OFWs Arroyo regime to struggling OFWs and their families.

OFWs around the world will participate on our "No Remittance" day campaign if "con-ass" convenes on 27th July as we are recieving pledges of support from various OFWs organizations. (end)

for reference:
John Leonard
Migrante-ME regional coordinator.