Stranded OFWs appeal

22 September 2009

Stranded OFWs in Saudi deportation center appeal for food, medicines, and immediate repatriation;
OFW group presses visiting Gloria to bring them all home

An alliance of overseas Filipino workers organizations in the Middle East today said the remaining more than a 100 OFWs inside the Hajj Airport deportation center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is loosing hope as their appeal for supply of food, medicines, and their immediate repatraition just fall short to the deaf ears of visiting Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“The 31 stranded OFWs at cell no.1 of the Hajj Airport deportation center keep on calling and sending us short messages praying that they will be attended and be given regular supply of food, medicines, and be repatraited home especailly when they have heared the news that Mrs. Arroyo arrived in Jeddah yesterday,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator.

Monterona said he regularly received an SMS from certain Ryan who have manifested from his one SMS sent to him saying “nagsurender kami pra maka-uwi sa Pinas, bakit kami ikukulong ng matagal? Hindi kmi pumatay o nagnakaw? Yan ang tanong namin? Hindi kami nag-murder na ikukulong. (We surendered so that we be sent back in the Philippines, why we are being held for so long? We never killed or stolen? That’s our question? We never murdered someone to be put in jail.)

“Yesterday, another stranded OFW who introduced himself as Roland manifested that they need foods, medicines, and appeal that they be repatriated soonest. He and his fellow stranded in cell no.1 manifested that they never received any assitance from the Philippine Consulate General office in Jeddah,” Monterona added.

Monterona said one of the objectives of Mrs. Arroyo’s visit to Saudi is to work for the “protection of OFWs” in Saudi Arabia, but she never mentioned it during her speech in front of a “hakot” crowd giving her applause everytime she mentioned her “accomplishments” for OFWs and their families.

“Their is nothing new to what she has been said during her supposed meeting with the Filipino Community in MoveNPick Hotel in Al Khobar the other day. There is no dialogue held and practically she evades to answer legitimate demands and concerns of our fellow OFWs,” Monterona added.

Monterona said he and other Migrante officers attempted to attend on the scheduled meeting of Mrs. Arroyo with the Filipino Community, but they were stop to enter at the entrance of the Hotel’s function roon where she delivered her well rehearsed, uninteresting, non-sense speech because according to an Embassy official they were not invited despite recognition from the Embassy itself that Migrante is a legitimate OFW organization in Saudi Arabia.

“Even the issue of stopping the “Embassy on Wheels” program allegedly due to lack of funds is just pure poor gimmick where Mrs. Arroyo mentioned on her speech that it will continue anyway because she will put additional funds for its continued operation but in fact the “Embassy on Wheels” program’s budget is already included in the yearly budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),” Monterona averred.

Monterona further said that Mrs. Arroyo is also trying to impress the Saudi government so that it could ask funds for her “peace initiative” in Mindanao.

“But with the continued militarization in Mindanao, even during Eid El Ftir, that is causing havoc to the lives of our Muslim brothers and sisters, we doubt if she could get the support or funds for her bogus peace initiative in Mindanao; after all Mrs. Arroyo is not interested in establishing a peaceful country as her militarist-minded government peace negotiators are sabotaging to derail the peace negotions with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and with the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Monterona opined.

Monterona said Muslim OFWs in Saudi Arabia could not accept and are dismayed on Arroyo government’s continued and intense militarization in Mindanao where OFWs families are greatly affected, homes and jobs devastated, and could not live a normal life, thus forcing them to accept jobs abroad.

“In fact, there are Muslim brothers and sisters inside the Jedahh deportation center now wishing to be back home only to be re-united with their displaced loved ones due to continued militarization in their own land,” Monterona added.

“We reiterate our demands to the Arroyo government to provide regular supply of food, medicines, and work for the immediate repatration of the remaining stranded OFWs in Saudi Arabia, especially those in jail and the 26 OFWs in death row,” Monterona added.

Monterona ended saying “Mrs. Arroyo is cleverly grabbing the credit of repatriating the 120 stranded OFWs from the Saudi government which is actually has a yearly program of sending thousands stranded migrants workers including OFWs to be back home as part of the Saudi government goodwill gesture right after the Holy Month of Ramadan.”
* * *

Reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012

On Arroyo’s forthcoming trip to Saudi

Press Release
25 August 2009

On Arroyo’s forthcoming trip to Saudi
Is but another junket trip unless… she forge OFW protection agreement, legalization of undocumented, bring home the thousands distress and ran away OFWs in Saudi –Migrante-ME

Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said the forthcoming trip of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Saudi Arabia is just another junket trip which expenses are being charged from the public coffer without gain for the Filipino people and OFWs in particular.

“The ‘Queen of Junketeers’ is coming to Saudi Arabia only to sell cheap Filipino labor. As expected, her economic advisers will be drumming up that her visit is to lure investors and expand market for Philippine products, foremost is peddling OFWs in the Middle East sans concrete protection to OFWs,” said John Leonard Monterona Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo told local media yesterday that the President has accepted the invitation to make a state visit to Saudi Arabia as well as an invitation to speak before an international forum organized by the London-based magazine The Economist.

“Mrs. Arroyo’s scheduled visit to Saudi will coincide Eid Holidays after Ramadan expected to start on 19 – 25 of September. But we noticed her administration has been most brutal to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao with direct supervision of US military operatives in blatant violation of Philippine sovereignty and Constitution instead of pursuing peace talk with Muslim rebel groups,” Monterona added.

Monterona said after milking overseas-bound Filipino workers, her administration continue to neglect OFWs when victimized by cruel employers.

“While being laugh at her boasting that her government is a model for other labor-exporting countries in the protection of migrant workers, we challenge her to sign an agreement with the Saudi government to provide a free shelter for distressed migrant workers and to work and develop a mechanism that would legitimize so called undocumented migrant workers who have run away from their employers due to abuse and maltreatment,” Monterona added.

Migrante’s Monterona dares Mrs. Arroyo to ask the host government to develop a mechanism that would eradicate if not punish those employers that exploit migrant workers with contract substitution that result to salary reduction and requires long working hours.

“Instead of ordering her labor vendors headed by DoLE Sec. Marianito Roque to review work contracts of OFWs that is only targeted to exact fees from employers per contract reviews, why can’t she sign a contract with the host government that would protect Filipino workers from unscrupulous employers who substitute OFWs employment contract that are disadvantageous to OFWs,” Monterona averred.

“The Philippine president should stop claiming international relations as the centerpiece of her political and economic reforms when she could not even forge agreements to protect and eliminate exploitation and discrimination of Filipino migrant workers whose billions of remittances keeping the economy afloat,” Monterona added.

The OFW leader said the next most important task of Mrs. Arroyo during her scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia is to work for the legalization of all undocumented and run away OFWs mostly victims of abuses and maltreatment, not only in Saudi but entire Middle East where an estimated 2-M OFWs have been deployed.

“To our conservative estimate there are about nearly 26,000 undocumented and run away OFWs in the Middle East mostly in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon,” Monterona ended. # # #

Migrants' gift for GMA

4 April 2009
PRESS RELEASE:

Migrants birthday presents on the 62nd day of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

For the 62nd birthday of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Migrante International, the largest alliance of Filipino migrant organizations worldwide, gave rotten eggs as a symbol of their contempt for her labor export policy.

“No President has been as determined to sell our migrant workers as cheap commodities,” said Migrante Secretary General Gina Esguerra. “The rotten eggs signify how foul the stench of her corrupt government is and it has reached all 190 countries where OFWs are.”

The Migrante leader said that with the deepening financial and global crisis, government has done nothing for OFWs who have even become more vulnerable to exploitation and abuses. She went on to cite the new batch of retrenched workers from Taiwan, all 50 of them, who have the same complaints as the former batches of retrenched workers: non-payment of the unexpired portion of their contract and overcharging of placement fees.

“What happened to the much-touted ‘assistance teams’ that the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) has been boasting about? We have been receiving reports that these teams are nothing but spokespersons of companies and agencies to convince retrenched workers to accept even more exploitative conditions.”

Esguerra also reported that the number of cases of overcharging, trafficked workers and runaways are being documented daily by Migrante’s Middle East chapters.

“Government’s response to all these is to send a police attache, not a lawyer or an additional welfare officer who can truly help,” continued Esguerra. “We fear that this police attache is to sow fear especially because OFWs are increasingly becoming more vocal about their disgust over this regime.”

“Meanwhile, in Hongkong, domestic workers are up in arms not only against the racial slur of HK magazine columnist Chip Tsao but also against the Arroyo government whose ruthless marketing campaign to sell OFWs as the cheapest commodity around.”

Around the world, migrant workers are restive. Let these rotten eggs be a warning to Arroyo that this social volcano might soon erupt! ###

Reference:
Gina Esguerra, Secretary General, 09058361412
Ailyn Abdula, Media Liaison, 09212708994

Mrs. Arroyo trying hard to sell out millions of unemployed

Press Release
3 February 2009

Mrs. Arroyo trying hard to sell out millions of unemployed in pretense of OFWs rights and welfare – Migrante-ME

An alliance of Overseas Filipino workers' organizations based in the Middle East today said Mrs. Arroyo is trying hard to sell out millions of unemployed Filipino workers abroad in pretense of protecting OFWs rights and welfare.

"We deplore Mrs. Arroyo pretending to be protecting the rights of OFWs abroad while at the same time selling out millions of unemployed workers abroad but in fact have not concluded any genuine labor rights pact with any host government in the Middle East that would protect the rights and welfare of OFWs," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

Monterona said Mrs. Arroyo's today's visit to Bahrain reportedly to discuss rights and at the same time looking for job opportunities for Filipinos is naught and just a waste of tax payers' money, which should be better used to bail out thousands of terminated OFWs and local workers back home.

"OFWs, who are contributing much to the Philippine economy through their billions of remittances, are unfortunate enough to have a leader who is not at all concerned to their deplorable plight, but who is only good looking after their remittances, thus it keeps on peddling OFWs even if it knows it is to the detriment of OFWs and their families," Monterona added.

Monterona cited the case of OFW Ryan Anievas who was accused of distributing fake money in Saudi Arabia. Anievas sought assistance to Philippine Consul General Ezzadin Tago in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia only to be told that it cannot hire a lawyer for him.

"Even a simple request of an OFW who was accused of distributing fake money in Saudi Arabia to provide him a lawyer was rejected by the Philippine Consulate General in Saudi Arabia simply saying that it can't hire a lawyer in defense of the beleaguered OFW. OFWs and their families deserve a better government than the Arroyo administration," Monterona averred.

Monterona added the employer of OFW Anievas did not renew his employment contract that ended on 31 January 2009.

The Filipino community in Saudi Arabia through their organizations and Migrante-Saudi Arabia chapter spearheaded an on-line signature campaign dubbed '"Saving Kabayan Ryan" to press hard Mrs. Arroyo to instruct the DFA to hire a lawyer for OFW Anievas.

Monterona said OFW Anievas trial is schedule on February 17, 2009. He is temporarily seeking refuge on her friend's house. Anievas decided to send back his wife and baby to the Philippines last week because of his predicament.

Migrante-ME said the many unattended cases of distress OFWs in the Middle East and other countries is a manifestation that the Arroyo administration is remiss on its responsibility to the sector keeping the economy afloat.

"This led us to conclude that Mrs. Arroyo has no moral authority to discuss OFWs rights and welfare on her visit to Bahrain because the government under her administration is not actually providing mechanism for OFWs right protection and welfare," Monterona added.

Migrante-ME said they are in solidarity of OFWs in Bahrain in condemning the Arroyo administration.

"We do hope that no OFW would throw its shoes to the president during her naught visit in Bahrain today. Just a silent protest to show OFWs disgust to her administration would be fine" Monterona added. # # #

For reference:

John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012

Impeachment case "killed" by pro-Arroyo Congressmen for P.5M

Press Release
26 November 2008

Impeachment case "killed" by pro-Arroyo Congressmen in exchange of alleged P.5M
A turning point for the people to again contemplate to exercise 'People power'

An alliance of overseas Filipino workers' organizations in the Middle East today said the impeachment case that was "killed" by pro-Arroyo Congressmen in exchange of P.5M to vote against it is a turning point for the Filipino people to once again exercise "People Power" with prudence against the anti-people, fascist, and oppressive Arroyo administration.

"Elected Congressmen, as they are legally called 'Representatives' of the populace they represents must be the voice of the people's sentiment. For so many times, allied Congressmen of the Arroyo administration demonstrated their greed and selfishness more than above the interests of the people they represent," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator.

The migrant workers' organizations based in the Middle East are reacting to the junking of the new impeachment case filed against Mrs. Arroyo by the pro-Arroyo Congressmen and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice where the impeachment case was referred to.

Migrante-ME said the Arroyo administration demonstrated again its invisible vicious hand maneuvering the outcome of the impeachment on its early stage; ensuring that it will be killed on the HOR justice committee dominated by her own allies and party-mates.

"The best way to hook a fish is to offer him food pellets; this is what Mrs. Arroyo's political spin-doctors have done on the alleged distribution of P.5-M at Linden Suites as reported by The Daily Tribune newspaper article titled "Gloria allies line up for P.5M impeach kill prize" (11/26/2008) a day before the HOR Justice Committee hearing on the impeachment," Monterona averred.

Migrante-ME said the Filipino people and OFWs and their families abroad are closely watching; the 42 votes from pro-Arroyo Congressmen that "killed" the impeachment case against Mrs. Arroyo allegedly in exchange of an amount did not clear anything the tainted name and negative perception by the people towards the anti-people, fascist, and pro-imperialist Arroyo regime.

Migrante-ME said the millions of OFWs abroad along with their families from their respective provinces and congressional districts will put an X on the name of their respective Congressman.

"Those 42 Congressmen and other members of the Congress who will succumb to the ill-wishes of the Arroyo regime do not anymore deserve another term of office in Congress. Migrante, OFWs and their families vow to vote-out them on the 2010 elections so that they will become X-Congressmen of their districts, while those Congressmen who will righteously stand for the impeachment to proceed will certainly get the explicit support from its constituents," the migrant leader continued.

"Migrante, OFWs and their families will campaign hard to frustrate the Arroyo regime self-engineered Cha-cha with vicious intent of extending her term beyond 2010 and take out 'protectionist' provisions of the Philippine Constitution to completely sell out our natural resources to the exploit of foreign monopoly-capitalist firms," Monterona added.

Migrante-ME ended saying "a fake, corrupt, fascist, and oppressive Arroyo regime has no business to remain in office and even beyond its term; the people must unite and with prudence exercise once again "People Power" as an effective collective efforts by the people." # # #

For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012

Bagong Bayani Ayaw kay Gloria!

You may participate in this Petition by sending your name, organization or at least the country where you're at to this email: migrante_ksa@yahoo.com or by signing the online petition at http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ GloriaResign. You may also print the said petition, ask your friends to sign it then send us the signatories with their email address and location/country or a scanned copy at our email: migrante_ksa@yahoo.com Subj: BaBAY Gloria!

BaBAY GLORIA!
(BAgong Bayani AYaw kay Gloria)

Gloria Resign Now!
Petition signing in Support
of the People’s call for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Resign

(Initiated by Migrante Chapters - member organizations of Migrante International,
in the Middle East)

We cannot stand two more years of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Instead of addressing the concerns of the Filipino people and of Filipino migrant workers, GMA’s crimes have piled up higher. Diverse sectors in the country have stepped up the call for GMA’s resignation and even the Catholic bishops have branded the GMA administration as morally-bankrupt.

Among the crimes of Mrs. Arroyo and her government are:

Corruption and Bribery

The mulit-million dollar expose on the National Broadband Network deal involving GMA and her husband has shown that corruption in the government continues to brew up to the top executive office. Bribery to serve the interest of the GMA administration has also become so open and blatant as exposed by Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran and local government officials such as Pampanga Governor Fr. Ed
Panlilio.

Gross human rights violations

Of the more than 886 cases of extrajudicial killings and more than 170 cases of enforced disappearances that include activists and government critics, not a single conviction has been made. Worse, majority of the cases have not even managed to get into courts because of the government’s failure to investigate on the cases. With the counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya II and the Human Security Act of 2007 in place, human rights violations will remain unabated and will even get worse.

Election fraud

The legitimacy of the GMA government is still very much suspect. While the “Hello Garci” scandal has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, electoral fraud especially of the administration camp has again smeared the elections in order to ensure an administration majority in the Philippine Congress to quash future moves for GMA’s impeachment.

Artificial “economic development” and “strengthening of the peso”

With lots of embellishments, the GMA government has touted the so-called recovery of the economy as shown, according to them, by the continued strengthening of the Philippine peso.

However, such a “development” remains an illusion to majority of the people as prices soar even higher, wages remain depressed and job scarcity is still widespread.

Neglect of migrant workers

Many Filipino migrant workers die, suffer from abuses, were incarcerated or have been given the death penalty. Despite these, government response and assistance to Filipino workers abroad who are in distress are very limited if not nil in many of the cases. While forever branding Filipino migrant workers as heroes, migrant workers are always hard pressed to get government officials abroad to assist them in their situation.

The unconcern of the GMA government to the plight of migrant workers is shown in policies such as the OWWA Omnibus Policy, that effectively made OWWA services to OFWs even more inaccessible, as well as the POEA Guidelines that made overcharging legal.

GMA’s ineptitude and irresponsibility can be seen in the following
cases:

· Implementation of MC-04 Guidelines on Direct Hiring
· 198 Stranded OFWs in Jeddah
· Inept Consular Officials including labor attaches’ and OWWA Welfare Officers in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates , Kuwait , Qatar and Bahrain .

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has no more integrity or the political and moral ascendancy to rule. With her in power, there can be no let up in the deterioration of the Philippines ‘ economic, political and social situation because GMA and her allies are the ones who are the masterminds of policies that impoverish and repress us.

Only through the removal of GMA and her minions can these crimes be ended and a relief can be given to the people.

With her mountain of crimes against the Filipino people, GMA - and her lackeys in Malacañang and Philippine Posts abroad- must step down. Else, the Filipino people and the migrant workers will be the ones to show her government the way out.

Your signature is a significant contribution for the establishment of a new democratic and pro-people post-Arroyo government.

Kindly include your name and/or organizations below:

SIGNATORIES

1. John L.C. Monterona - Regional Coordinator, Migrante Middle East
2. Mario Ben - Secretary-General, Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Migrante- Riyadh (KSA)
3. Andrew M. Ociones - Chairperson, Migrante-Saudi Arabia. (KSA)
4. Roberto Fajarito - Chairperson, Migrante-Jeddah (KSA)
5. Nhel Morona - Secretary General, Migrante-UAE
6. Jhon De Jesus - Coordinator, Migrante-Qatar
7. Gil Lebria - Secretary-General, Migrante Kuwait
8. Richard Bautista - KGS/MIGRANTE, Riyadh
9. Marcelino Damiar - Migrante-Jeddah (KSA)
10. Lhouie Chua - Migrante-Jeddah (KSA)
11. Samuel Nacario Jr. - Migrants Association in Saudi Arabia (MASA, KSA)
12. Hawthorne T. Valera Jr. - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
13. Arnel C. Lorenzo - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
14. Ruben L. Nacario - Migrante-Jeddah (KSA)
15. Irin F. Fajarito - romblon@ksa Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
16. Rhey G. Artango, Al Khobar - Saudi Arabia

On Lozada Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon Investigation

Press Statement
08 February 2008

On Lozada Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon Investigation
Divulge All, Tell Everything, OFWs & Families and the Filipino People are all behind you – Migrante Middle East

“Tell all, divulge everything you knew,” said Migrante Middle East Regional Coordinator John L.C. Monterona to Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. who is appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on the anomalous ZTE Broadband deal.

“Telling the truth and nothing but the truth is an act of heroism especially if what is at stake is the people’s money,” Monterona added.

Migrante Middle East Chapters are asking local media in the Philippines to convey their message of support & solidarity to Mr. Lozada and to let him know that OFWs & their families are supporting him and the Filipino people will never allow this time that the truth will be concealed again by the most corrupt and most-anti OFW Arroyo government.

“Malacanang’s lackey made mistake by offering bribe, which he has rejected, to an honest & noble man like Mr. Lozada,” Monterona added.

Migrante said that in between Abalos, who is a traditional politician, Mike Arroyo, who is being linked to several corruptions, and Jun Lozada, who is a principled person, all testifying in the Senate Blue Ribbon, the Filipino people is most certain who will be telling the truth about the controversial ZTE broadband deal.

Conjugal Crimes

Migrante further that Mr. Arroyo, like her wife, has a mischievous record to OFWs and families when Mr. Arroyo has been appointed by her wife as OFW envoy giving her husband a hand in the overseas workers legal assistance fund allegedly to be used for her 2004 presidential campaign which was opposed by Migrante.

“Due to Migrante’s campaigns & criticism, the First Gentleman voluntarily resigned,” Monterona added.

Monterona said that before the 2004 Presidential elections, Mrs. Arroyo directed and succeeded the transfer of P4-B from OWWA fund to Philhealth in connivance with now Health Sec. Francisco Duque by virtue of Executive Order No. 182 without OWWA’s Board of Trustees concurrence and consultations amongst OFWs who are OWWA members themselves.

“Two months before the elections, Mrs. Arroyo along with Sec. Duque, were seen distributing Philhealth cards free of charge to sway voters and was later confirmed that the said health cards are not being honored by Philhealth-accredit ed hospitals,” Monterona said.

OWWA fund is a trust fund where each OFW-member is asked to pay an amount of P1,050.
OWWA fund now is estimated to reach P8-B.

Monterona further revealed that more anomalies have been discovered in OWWA such as the P260-M bogus claims, the un-audited US$293,500 allotted to Middle East Preparedness Team headed by Gen. Roy Cimatu during the U.S. aggression on Iraq, and the impending plan by the Arroyo government to transfer an amount of P1-B from OWWA fund to save the Philippine Postal Saving Banks and thereby converting it to be an OFW Bank.

“We are seeing a pattern of conjugal crimes here, both husband & wife are being linked to several corruptions,” Monterona said.

“Not only that, the Arroyo government is also being held criminally negligible for it’s inaction to the worsening plight of thousands of distressed OFWs, sexually harassed, maltreated, unpaid, victims of labor malpractices, who are either in jail or under the bridges of Saudi Arabia who managed to escape from their unscrupulous employers,” Monterona lamented.

Monterona said that these are the very reasons why OFWs and their families are calling for her immediate resignation. If she insists to stay in power, then once again the Filipino people will be obliged to oust her from office.

“In support to our people’s demand, Migrante members in the Middle East will be writing their respective Congressmen, Governors, and Mayors in the Philippines urging them to withdraw their support to the most- fraudulent and most anti-OFW Arroyo government,” Monterona ended. ###

Reference:
John L.C. Monterona
Migrante Middle East Regional Coordinator
Mobile No.:0966 564 97 8012

RP maids in HK list down GMA’s 7 unluckiest acts against OFWs

Press Release
19 January 2008

For reference:
Dolores Balladares, Chairperson
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL - Migrante HK)
Tel. No.: 97472986

GMA is the bringer of bad luck to Pinoys abroad
RP maids in HK list down GMA’s 7 unluckiest acts against OFWs

If there is an unlucky seven for OFWs, it will be the seven years of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This was declared today by Dolores Balladares, chairperson of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK) on the eve of the seventh year in office of GMA.

“GMA, of the recent presidents, now officially holds the longest running record of bringing the worst of luck to Filipino migrant workers and our families,” she said. As GMA’s seventh year commences, the group listed down the “seven unluckiest deeds” of her government against OFWs that included:

• the rising exchange rate of the peso that has cost Filipino migrants in Hong Kong more than P6,000 per month while prices of commodities in the Philippine soar even higher;
• implementation of the POEA Guidelines for Filipino domestic workers abroad that paved the way for worse overcharging of recruitment agencies ;
• implementation of the OWWA Omnibus Policies that took away many of the already limited assistance of the said agency to OFWs and family while giving a freer rein for GMA to plunder the fund;
• criminal neglect of distressed OFWs as shown by the cases of Marilou Ranario, Jocelyn Dunluan and scores of others who are on death row in the Middle East;
• keeping OFWs milking cows through various government fees charged in the Philippines and even more charges paid in Philippine posts abroad;
• inaction in issues that will at least alleviate the situation of Filipinos abroad including the call for wage increase, improvement of labor situation and protection of the rights of undocumented migrants;
• plunging the country into worse poverty while corruption intensifies, bribery gets more widespread and human rights violations increase.

“If the six years of GMA is a yardstick of her seventh year in power, then migrant workers, our families back home and the Filipinos in general are again facing an even bleaker year,”

Balladares added. Balladares remarked that their group shall further advance their participation in the campaign to remove GMA from office. “We want our luck to change and bringing down GMA– the bringer of bad luck – is the way to do it,” she concluded.

Migrante slams Gloria's inaction over effects of rising peso

News Release by Migrante International
07 December 2007

Reference:
Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson
Tel. No.: 0927-215-7392


An alliance of organizations composed of overseas Filipinos and their families today slammed Gloria's inaction over the devastating effect of the rising peso on their sector. At the same time, Migrante International explained that lower prices for basic goods and services can help alleviate the plight of their sector.

“It's the height of inutility for her to stand idly by while OFWs and their families are in a state of calamity from the blows of the rising peso to their stomachs. This is like an intensifying wage cut for OFWs because the value of their remittances keeps dwindling,” says Connie Bragas-Regalado, Migrante International Chairperson.

“It's also a big lie for Gloria to proclaim that the 'strong peso' means a 'strong economy'. If that were the case, why aren't the prices of food and other items going down? The real problem here is the fact that while their earnings are dwindling, the prices of goods and services keep increasing,” she added.

"The price of oil increases almost weekly and as we approach Christmas, everything else also keeps getting more expensive. For starters, the Arroyo administration can scrap the oil deregulation law to stem the succesive oil price hikes,” says Bragas-Regalado.

Migrante estimates OFWs are losing about 20% of their earnings monthly. As such, an OFW's US$200 monthly remittance went down from about P10,000 to P8,000.

“The P2000 difference is equivalent to one cavan of rice or maybe even the utility bill for an entire month,” noted Bragas-Regalado.

The Migrante leader added that to compensate for their diminishing remittances, OFWs are forced to take loans at high interest rates, work overtime or find second jobs to ensure they are sending home the same amount of pesos.

Unity Statement vs Morally Bankrupt Government

Sawa na ba sa kakareklamo sa hindi mapigilang pagbagsak ng halaga ng kita dahil sa pagtaas ng halaga ng piso kontra sa dolyar na kakambal ng tuluy-tuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin sa Pilipinas? Sawa ka na ba sa paulit-ulit na pahayag ng gobyerno na gumaganda ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas pero naghihigpit naman ng naghihigpit ng sinturon ng iyong pamilya? Sawa ka na ba sa mga balita ng korapsyon, kasinungalingan, pagtatakipan at kutsabahan sa gobyerno ni GMA? Pwes, sali na dito...

WE REJECT A MORALLY BANKRUPT GOVERNMENT!

Unity Statement

We are gathered in the midst of crisis to unite and help overcome the grave challenges the nation faces.

When Gloria Macapagal Arroyotook office as President in January 200l, she proclaimed that she would usher in good governance, that she would show honest leadership by example, and ensure transparency in public transactions for public welfare.

We are now in the seventh year of that presidency - and that presidency has instead reaped pain and ruin for our nation and people.

We are pained by the extrajudicial killings; by the forced disappearances which have heightened despite the fact that this pattern of abuse was brought to the attention of the President early on, long before the outcry of concerned international officials and organizations condemned them before the world.

We are pained when billions of pesos are shamelessly diverted to serve personal political interests - such as the abrasive diversion in the fertilizer scam of public funds meant for farmers to ensure victory in the tainted presidential elections of 2004.

We are pained when demonstrators are bludgeoned by police and military men misled and emboldened by an erroneous "calibrated preemptive response" policy, a distorted policy already declared illegal by the Supreme Court but still enforced in the Parliament of the Streets.

Worse, our values have been degraded, our collective integrity blighted by the wanton examples of bribery, graft and corruption. Parents cannot adequately answer the questions of their own children - about the ZTE, how much bribes were involved, why? They cannot answer how come Congressmen and Governors receive so much money. Who are guilty? Why do they go unpunished?

What kind of justice do we have?

Neither can they answer adequately what kind of future lies ahead for their children. For they themselves see no real future. There exists no vision, no real production, no genuine development - only self serving assertions of a "strong republic" -- whose doctors want to become nurses in order to go abroad, whose teachers are diminishing, whose farmers' and workers' future continues to slide dismally.

We cannot allow the pain and ruin of the Filipino. We cannot have a nation without a soul, governance without morality. We must unite! We must struggle for Truth! For Justice! For Meaningful and Fundamental Change!

SIGNATORIES:

▪ Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo D.D., Diocese of Jaro
▪ Archbishop Oscar Cruz D.D., Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan
▪ Vice President Teofisto T. Guingona Jr.
▪ Fr. Jose Dizon, Solidarity Philippines
▪ Sharon Joy Ruiz Duremdez, National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP)
▪ Father Rudy Abao, MSC (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
▪ Mo. Mary John Mananzan, OSB (Benedictine Sisters)
▪ Sr. Maureen Catabian, RGS, Chair, W-JPIC Committee of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
▪ Bro. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC (De La Salle Brothers)
▪ Sr. Teresa Mueda, DC (Daughters of Charity)
▪ Ma. Luz Mijares, OSA (Order of St. Augustine)
▪ Fr. Jesus Maliit, SSS (Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament)
▪ Sr. Elen Belardo, RGS
▪ Pastor Rey Geloagan, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)
▪ Mayor Jojo Binay, United Opposition (UNO)
▪ Betina Legarda, Concerned Citizens Group
▪ Teresita Quintos Deles, Black and White Movement
▪ Dr. Carol P. Araullo, BAYAN
▪ Ver Eustaquio, United Movement for Democracy and Justice
▪ Paco Alcuaz, Kubol Pag-asa
▪ Manjette Manalo, Laban ng Masa
▪ RC Constantino
▪ Horacio ‘Boy’ Morales
▪ Linggoy Alcuaz
▪ Oscar Orbos
▪ including signatories from Migrante - Saudi Arabia

Maari kang pumirma sa pahayag na ito. Kopyahin lang ang Pahayag, ilagay ang iyong pangalan, organisasyon at email address, at ipadala sa carola@tri-isys.com. Ipinalalaganap din ng Migrante Saudi Arabia ang Pahayag upang makakalap ng mas maraming pirma.

(You may sign this Unity Statement by copying this statement, signing it with your name, organization you belong to and email address and sending it to carola@tri-isys.com. Migrante Saudi Arabia is also distributing the Statements and soliciting signatures manually.)

Sali na! (Join!)