Press Release
18 April 2009
Arroyo initiated labor agreement with migrant receiving govt., not a guarantee to ensure protection of migrant workers’ rights and welfare – Migrante-ME
An alliance of overseas workers’ organizations based in the Middle East today said bilateral labor agreements between the sending and the receiving governments are observed to be ineffective, if not, non-functional at all in protecting migrant workers’ rights and welfare.
“Despite existing bilateral labor agreement between governments, sending and receiving, the rights and welfare of migrant workers as mandated in the United Nations Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families are not properly observe and abide by signatory states, much more those states that have not ratified the said international instrument,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
The following countries have ratified the Convention as of March 2007- Argentina, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda and Uruguay.
Monterona said the Philippine government, now represented by the Arroyo administration, for instance being one of those states that ratified the UN Convention on the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families are observed to be negligent and inefficient in terms of implementing its provisions especially on protecting OFWs rights and welfare.
“OFWs plight around the world is worsening characterized by numerous cases of abuses, maltreatment; many have been victims of labor malpractices, human trafficking, inhumane living and dangerous working conditions, racism and xenophobia are becoming severe,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said these cases of abuses and maltreatment, labor malpractices, and human trafficking are rampant in the Middle East- where until now no GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member state has ratified or just even signify its intent to ratify the said international instrument protecting rights of all migrant workers and members of their families.
“Middle East is the top destination of OFWs around the world. In Saudi Arabia for instance, there are an estimated 1.8-M OFWs deployed, and yet the Arroyo administration has been negligent on its responsibility of providing protection to the rights and welfare of OFWs,” Monterona averred.
Migrante-ME states the Arroyo administration, like previous administration and even any succeeding administrations, has the duty to urge and influence counterpart receiving and host governments to ratify the UN convention for the protection of migrant rights and members of their families.
“Sad to say, the Arroyo administration despite its repetitive previous pronouncements that it is working for OFWs rights and welfare seems to be contented pushing for bilateral labor agreements with migrant-receiving governments,” Monterona observed.
“Arroyo’s labor agreements with counterpart host governments still remain in paper and hardly being followed by the receiving host governments especially with regards to social and welfare mechanism and migrant rights’ protection,” Monterona lamented.
Monterona cited though the Philippines has an existing bilateral labor agreements with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, yet cases of abuses, maltreatment, various forms of labor malpractices are rampant on these countries.
The Arroyo regime is also pushing bilateral labor agreements with Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, respectively.
Monterona further said that one of the major blunders of the Arroyo administration’s existing policy of intensified labor exportation is that it practically neglected OFWs rights’ and welfare in exchange of the latter’s huge remittances sent home aside from the billions of pesos collected by the government through various forms of charges and fees impositions, that amounts are not properly used for sustainable developmental projects of the government that would generate jobs locally that would employ the millions of unemployed workers.
Migrante-ME said the Arroyo regime’s intensified human labor exportation is the most vicious of all labor export policies as it reached new height of neglect and abandonment of its responsibility protecting migrant workers’ rights and welfare.
“Expectedly, we are soon to records and to reports more cases of abuses, maltreatment, victims of human trafficking, labor malpractices, incidents of racism and xenophobia,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Showing posts with label LEP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LEP. Show all posts
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
POEA: now as full blast marketing arm
Press Release
5 March 2009
POEA’s function from regulatory now to full blast marketing efforts is inimical to OFWs safety, rights and welfare
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations based in the Middle East today said a major shift of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) function from regulatory to full blast marketing efforts is seen as inimical to OFWs safety, rights and welfare.
“The POEA’s main function shifting from regulatory to full blast marketing efforts now acting as a premier recruitment agency is inimical to OFWs security, safety, and protection of their rights and welfare. Having said that, there is no government agency now looking for the regulation of overseas employment,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona said overseas employment must be regulated, because what is stake on this lucrative business are the lives of OFWs and the future of their children, and their children’s children.
“OFWs are not commodities; they are humans with dignity and rights to be protected. Any sending government is duty-bound to uphold the dignity and protect the well-beings of its migrant workers,” Monterona averred.
Migrante-ME said Arroyo regime’s labor policy shift from local jobs generation, which it undeniably failed for the past years, to full blast marketing of Filipino workers abroad only spells out its desperation to sell out and continuously peddle Filipino workers cheap labor abroad to cover its own failure of generating decent jobs locally at the expense of OFWs lives and their struggling families.
The growing numbers of OFW victims, mostly women, seeking refuge at our RP posts abroad in the Middle East who were sent abroad of false job offers by unscrupulous and erring recruitment agencies is a clear failure of Arroyo regime and DoLE-POEA to regulate overseas employment.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East normally handles cases where recruitment agencies told aspiring OFWs to be working as nurse, waitresses , dishwashers, service crew in restaurants and hotels only to end up on a different job with lowered salary from what they’ve signed in the employment contract.
“The Arroyo regime failed to ensure that OFWs sent abroad would be protected from abuses, physical or mental, non-payment of wages, violations from employment contract and labor malpractices, and even excessive placement fees charged by recruitment agencies, much more now since it completely disregarded its regulatory function in exchange of its full blast sell out of OFWs abroad,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said this prompted his group to call the members of the Philippine Congress especially its respective concerned committees on labor and employment and OFWs concerns to look into this labor policy shift of the Arroyo regime in full blast marketing of OFWs that would lead to dehumanization OFWs as mere commodity for export.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East reiterates its call by joining the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to scrap Mrs. Arroyo’s Administrative Order no. 247 where she directly ordered the POEA and other government line agencies to full blast marketing efforts of OFWs abroad without any assurance their safety, security, rights and welfare will be upheld and protected.
Monterona said OFWs and their families are looking forward for a new administration that would seriously implement genuine agrarian reform program and support agricultural cooperatives and agricultural production, and employment in the provinces which could only be made possible through modernization of agricultural production and national industrialization.
“This new administration must be free from any foreign domination and impositions so that an independent and self-sustaining economy could be attained for the benefits of all Filipinos,” Monterona ended. # # #
Reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 978012
5 March 2009
POEA’s function from regulatory now to full blast marketing efforts is inimical to OFWs safety, rights and welfare
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations based in the Middle East today said a major shift of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) function from regulatory to full blast marketing efforts is seen as inimical to OFWs safety, rights and welfare.
“The POEA’s main function shifting from regulatory to full blast marketing efforts now acting as a premier recruitment agency is inimical to OFWs security, safety, and protection of their rights and welfare. Having said that, there is no government agency now looking for the regulation of overseas employment,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona said overseas employment must be regulated, because what is stake on this lucrative business are the lives of OFWs and the future of their children, and their children’s children.
“OFWs are not commodities; they are humans with dignity and rights to be protected. Any sending government is duty-bound to uphold the dignity and protect the well-beings of its migrant workers,” Monterona averred.
Migrante-ME said Arroyo regime’s labor policy shift from local jobs generation, which it undeniably failed for the past years, to full blast marketing of Filipino workers abroad only spells out its desperation to sell out and continuously peddle Filipino workers cheap labor abroad to cover its own failure of generating decent jobs locally at the expense of OFWs lives and their struggling families.
The growing numbers of OFW victims, mostly women, seeking refuge at our RP posts abroad in the Middle East who were sent abroad of false job offers by unscrupulous and erring recruitment agencies is a clear failure of Arroyo regime and DoLE-POEA to regulate overseas employment.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East normally handles cases where recruitment agencies told aspiring OFWs to be working as nurse, waitresses , dishwashers, service crew in restaurants and hotels only to end up on a different job with lowered salary from what they’ve signed in the employment contract.
“The Arroyo regime failed to ensure that OFWs sent abroad would be protected from abuses, physical or mental, non-payment of wages, violations from employment contract and labor malpractices, and even excessive placement fees charged by recruitment agencies, much more now since it completely disregarded its regulatory function in exchange of its full blast sell out of OFWs abroad,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said this prompted his group to call the members of the Philippine Congress especially its respective concerned committees on labor and employment and OFWs concerns to look into this labor policy shift of the Arroyo regime in full blast marketing of OFWs that would lead to dehumanization OFWs as mere commodity for export.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East reiterates its call by joining the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to scrap Mrs. Arroyo’s Administrative Order no. 247 where she directly ordered the POEA and other government line agencies to full blast marketing efforts of OFWs abroad without any assurance their safety, security, rights and welfare will be upheld and protected.
Monterona said OFWs and their families are looking forward for a new administration that would seriously implement genuine agrarian reform program and support agricultural cooperatives and agricultural production, and employment in the provinces which could only be made possible through modernization of agricultural production and national industrialization.
“This new administration must be free from any foreign domination and impositions so that an independent and self-sustaining economy could be attained for the benefits of all Filipinos,” Monterona ended. # # #
Reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 978012
Saturday, February 28, 2009
More victims to unscrupulous recruiters
28 February 2009
PRESS RELEASE:
Reference: Garry Martinez, Chairperson, 09217229740
Half a million job openings abroad spell more victims to unscrupulous recruiters
In a press conference held in Quezon city, Migrante International, a global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, warned aspiring OFWs about what it termed as “open season for crooked recruiters to abuse innocent applicants,” referring to President Arroyo’s announcement of government-negotiated half a million job openings abroad.
To prove this allegation, retrenched OFWs from Taiwan Alma Ang, Artess Diaz, Maryjane Javier and Evanessa Jalmadrid revealed how their recruiters overcharged them. The alleged recruitment agencies were MIP International Manpower Services, Fil-Sino Manpower Services Inc., Staffline Recruitment Agency and Forever Recruitment Agency.
According to Migrante, more than 25 retrenched OFWs from Taiwan have personally complained to DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque himself that the placement fee they paid their recruiters ranged from PHP85,000 to PHP135,000 when the legal amount approved by POEA is only about PHP27,000, three times more than what is allowed by law. To date, POEA has not even investigated any of the recruiters despite numerous demands.
“We have received reports that overcharging is actually an open secret in the industry; but government officials consider this as part of the “market reality”, especially in Taiwan,” disclosed Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.
Martinez further questioned why GMA totally ignored the Bureau of Immigration’s pronouncement that the POEA is engaging in large scale illegal recruitment and human trafficking; victimizing at least 10,000 OFWs monthly.
“In total disregard of such an alarming revelation by no less than the BI, the President even graced the POEA job fair, signaling her consent for such illegal practices to continue,” explained Martinez. “From the looks of it, it as if the government and these dishonest agencies are in cahoots together drooling over the big bucks they make from exorbitant fees and remittances.”
“For as long as the President, DOLE and POEA prioritize the selling of OFWs as commodities and turns a blind eye and deaf ear to the plea of these OFWs to prosecute unscrupulous recruiters, cases of overcharging and illegal recruitment will dramatically rise to alarming proportions this year,” added Martinez.
Migrante announced that, in their scheduled dialogue with POEA Administrator Jenifer Manalili on Monday, they will challenge Administrator Manalili to, once and for all, prosecute these recruiters or resign from her post. Delaying government’s action on these cases only means corruption is rampant and that connivance between government official and recruiters is well-entrenched in overseas employment,” Martinez concluded.###
PRESS RELEASE:
Reference: Garry Martinez, Chairperson, 09217229740
Half a million job openings abroad spell more victims to unscrupulous recruiters
In a press conference held in Quezon city, Migrante International, a global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, warned aspiring OFWs about what it termed as “open season for crooked recruiters to abuse innocent applicants,” referring to President Arroyo’s announcement of government-negotiated half a million job openings abroad.
To prove this allegation, retrenched OFWs from Taiwan Alma Ang, Artess Diaz, Maryjane Javier and Evanessa Jalmadrid revealed how their recruiters overcharged them. The alleged recruitment agencies were MIP International Manpower Services, Fil-Sino Manpower Services Inc., Staffline Recruitment Agency and Forever Recruitment Agency.
According to Migrante, more than 25 retrenched OFWs from Taiwan have personally complained to DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque himself that the placement fee they paid their recruiters ranged from PHP85,000 to PHP135,000 when the legal amount approved by POEA is only about PHP27,000, three times more than what is allowed by law. To date, POEA has not even investigated any of the recruiters despite numerous demands.
“We have received reports that overcharging is actually an open secret in the industry; but government officials consider this as part of the “market reality”, especially in Taiwan,” disclosed Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.
Martinez further questioned why GMA totally ignored the Bureau of Immigration’s pronouncement that the POEA is engaging in large scale illegal recruitment and human trafficking; victimizing at least 10,000 OFWs monthly.
“In total disregard of such an alarming revelation by no less than the BI, the President even graced the POEA job fair, signaling her consent for such illegal practices to continue,” explained Martinez. “From the looks of it, it as if the government and these dishonest agencies are in cahoots together drooling over the big bucks they make from exorbitant fees and remittances.”
“For as long as the President, DOLE and POEA prioritize the selling of OFWs as commodities and turns a blind eye and deaf ear to the plea of these OFWs to prosecute unscrupulous recruiters, cases of overcharging and illegal recruitment will dramatically rise to alarming proportions this year,” added Martinez.
Migrante announced that, in their scheduled dialogue with POEA Administrator Jenifer Manalili on Monday, they will challenge Administrator Manalili to, once and for all, prosecute these recruiters or resign from her post. Delaying government’s action on these cases only means corruption is rampant and that connivance between government official and recruiters is well-entrenched in overseas employment,” Martinez concluded.###
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Herding OFWs into the wolves lair
26 February 2009
PRESS RELEASE:
President Arroyo’s POEA job fair:
Herding OFWs into the wolves lair
Migrante International, a global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, accused President Arroyo of personally luring OFWs into the burrow of illegal recruiters, human traffickers and loan sharks when she graces a job fair which was held at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) last Wednesday.
The group claims that the President practically ignored reports of illegal recruitment and rampant overcharging cases in POEA when she graced the agencies job fair instead of attending the People Power ceremonies.
“Recruitment agencies gave the loudest cheer when President Arroyo arrived at the POEA’s job fair. For them it was the ultimate consent that illegal recruitment and overcharging OFWs are going to be continuously disregarded for the sake of the government’s intensified labor exportation program,” exclaims Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.
Martinez claim that no less than the Bureau of Immigration revealed recently that the POEA is engaging in large scale illegal recruitment and human trafficking victimizing at least 10,000 OFWs monthly yet this was allegedly ignored upon the visit of the president in the said agency.
“Retrenched OFWs from Taiwan, for example, filed formal complaints to the POEA and has even personally informed DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque and POEA Administrator Jenifer Manalili during a dialogue that most of them have paid licensed agencies three times more than what is allowed by law. Up to now their complaints remain unheeded and their recruiters continued to overcharge their new recruits up to the present,” Martinez added.
The group lauded Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz for blaming the Arroyo administration on the social cost being brought about by the present migration of Filipinos abroad. The Pilate recently denounced the administration for its aggressive marketing of OFWs abroad at the expense of their welfare.
“We certainly cannot compare the exodus of Filipinos abroad today to the Diaspora of the Israelites to the promise land during the time of Moses. On the contrary, capitalizing the desperation of the people to institutionalize labor trade is systemic exploitation equal to the slave trade during biblical times,” explains Martinez.
POEA data shows that 1.3 million OFWs were deployed last year and Administrator Manalili recently claim of having about 400,000 job orders from abroad at present. OFWs were able to remit more than US$18 billion last year, the highest ever recorded so far by the Central Bank of the Philippines.
Migrante International for their part announced that they will hold a picket in front of the office of Secretary Marianito Roque at the Department of Labor and Employment building tomorrow to protest the alleged inutility of government to protect women workers amidst the global financial and economic crisis. ####
PRESS RELEASE:
President Arroyo’s POEA job fair:
Herding OFWs into the wolves lair
Migrante International, a global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, accused President Arroyo of personally luring OFWs into the burrow of illegal recruiters, human traffickers and loan sharks when she graces a job fair which was held at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) last Wednesday.
The group claims that the President practically ignored reports of illegal recruitment and rampant overcharging cases in POEA when she graced the agencies job fair instead of attending the People Power ceremonies.
“Recruitment agencies gave the loudest cheer when President Arroyo arrived at the POEA’s job fair. For them it was the ultimate consent that illegal recruitment and overcharging OFWs are going to be continuously disregarded for the sake of the government’s intensified labor exportation program,” exclaims Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.
Martinez claim that no less than the Bureau of Immigration revealed recently that the POEA is engaging in large scale illegal recruitment and human trafficking victimizing at least 10,000 OFWs monthly yet this was allegedly ignored upon the visit of the president in the said agency.
“Retrenched OFWs from Taiwan, for example, filed formal complaints to the POEA and has even personally informed DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque and POEA Administrator Jenifer Manalili during a dialogue that most of them have paid licensed agencies three times more than what is allowed by law. Up to now their complaints remain unheeded and their recruiters continued to overcharge their new recruits up to the present,” Martinez added.
The group lauded Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz for blaming the Arroyo administration on the social cost being brought about by the present migration of Filipinos abroad. The Pilate recently denounced the administration for its aggressive marketing of OFWs abroad at the expense of their welfare.
“We certainly cannot compare the exodus of Filipinos abroad today to the Diaspora of the Israelites to the promise land during the time of Moses. On the contrary, capitalizing the desperation of the people to institutionalize labor trade is systemic exploitation equal to the slave trade during biblical times,” explains Martinez.
POEA data shows that 1.3 million OFWs were deployed last year and Administrator Manalili recently claim of having about 400,000 job orders from abroad at present. OFWs were able to remit more than US$18 billion last year, the highest ever recorded so far by the Central Bank of the Philippines.
Migrante International for their part announced that they will hold a picket in front of the office of Secretary Marianito Roque at the Department of Labor and Employment building tomorrow to protest the alleged inutility of government to protect women workers amidst the global financial and economic crisis. ####
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