30 March 2009
PRESS RELEASE
MIGRANTE SLAMS RACIAL SLUR
The largest umbrella alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) groups’ worldwide expressed outrage over a racist article published in the Hong Kong Magazine online on March 27 depicting the Philippines as a “nation of servants” and demanded a public apology for the racial slur from the writer and from the magazine where the article appeared.
Migrante also demanded for an immediate pull-out of the said magazine issue from the shelves and online and called for the government to declare Mr. Tsao “persona non grata.”
“The article written by Mr. Chip Tsao smacks of unqualified racial bias that vilifies the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Hong Kong and puts them in danger of persecution and harm. We demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao and from the Hong Kong Magazine for allowing this bigoted garbage to appear on its pages,” stated Gina Esguerra, Secretary-General of Migrante International.
On March 27, 2009, the article “War At Home” appeared on the pages of the Hong Kong Magazine and on its online site. Mr. Tsao wrote: “The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.”
Tsao, in his article, even went to the extent of suggesting holding Filipina domestic helpers in HK as “hostages” should RP-China hostilities break out over the Spratly issue and that a “state of emergency” has in fact been declared in some of HK homes. He said Filipinas under their employ are made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly every time they hear the word “Spratly.”
“Mr. Tsao’s diatribes is indeed a cause for alarm for overseas Filipinos and their families especially in this time of intensifying global financial crisis where bigotry and racial intolerance are customarily whipped up by host governments in a desperate attempt to evade responsibility on the crisis and to use the army of migrant workers as their convenient scapegoats,” stressed Esguerra.
“We are thus urging the Philippine government not to take this latest slap on our national dignity sitting down. We are also holding this government doubly accountable for its labor export policy that has sold our brightest minds as cheap commodities to foreign employers,” concluded Esguerra. ###
Reference:
Gina Esguerra,
Secretary General, 09058361412
Monday, March 30, 2009
Don’t waste taxpayer’s money
Press Release
30 March 2009
Migrant group to pro-charter change Congressmen:
“Don’t waste taxpayer’s money, spend time crafting sound laws”
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today convey their message to pro-administration Congressmen and proponents of Charter change not to waste their time and especially the tax payer’s money by using the resources of the government for pushing hard the amendment of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
“For now, any attempt to introduced amendment in the Philippine Constitution is an exercise in futility, just a waste of the government resources and a waste of time instead of spending it in crafting sound laws,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
The largest OFWs organizations’ alliance in the Middle East said the people and other sectors of the society have already spoken and registered their opposition in amending the Philippine Constitution just as what revealed in the recent survey conducted by IBON Research Foundation.
Monterona said the majority of the Filipinos are relatively aware of the issue, what are its pros and cons, who are the people behind the move, and the motives of these people who are actually pro-administration Congressmen.
“Even OFWs and their families abroad are likewise comparatively aware on local issues who are now keen on watching any development in the country through available tri-media outlets and access in the internets most especially in the political realm; and such awareness led them to create sound public opinion,” Monterona added.
Monterona said with just more than a year approaching the 2010 national and local elections, Migrante members and OFWs in the Middle East are of the opinion that those who are pushing hard to amend the Constitution- the pro-administration Congressmen, especially through Constituent Assembly have only one agenda in common –that is the lifting of term limits in facade of amending the economic provisions of the Constitution which their boss in Malacanang is luring for.
Migrante-ME said House Speaker Nograles is now feeling the pressure from Malacanang who is instrumental for his present occupancy as Speaker.
“House Speaker Nograles is obviously on the hot seat, which would explain why he is reported to file a resolution once session resumes calling for Constituent Assembly that would pave the way in amending the Constitution,” Monterona opined.
Monterona further said failure to do so would put Speaker Nograles political carrier at much risk like what happened to his predecessor, former Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr.
“Nograles and the rest of the pro-administration Congressmen are already marked by OFWs and their families among those with “tainted” public service records, thus they all don’t deserve a vote in the upcoming elections if they will run for re-election or other public office,” Monterona added.
“That’s why we are campaigning hard for the registration of fellow OFWs as absentee voters making OFWs vote as a powerful swing vote playing a big role in who will wins and loses in the elections, while the almost 10-M OFWs have strong influence over their families and relatives back home turning a commanding vote which could send a politician in office whether in national or local positions,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
30 March 2009
Migrant group to pro-charter change Congressmen:
“Don’t waste taxpayer’s money, spend time crafting sound laws”
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today convey their message to pro-administration Congressmen and proponents of Charter change not to waste their time and especially the tax payer’s money by using the resources of the government for pushing hard the amendment of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
“For now, any attempt to introduced amendment in the Philippine Constitution is an exercise in futility, just a waste of the government resources and a waste of time instead of spending it in crafting sound laws,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
The largest OFWs organizations’ alliance in the Middle East said the people and other sectors of the society have already spoken and registered their opposition in amending the Philippine Constitution just as what revealed in the recent survey conducted by IBON Research Foundation.
Monterona said the majority of the Filipinos are relatively aware of the issue, what are its pros and cons, who are the people behind the move, and the motives of these people who are actually pro-administration Congressmen.
“Even OFWs and their families abroad are likewise comparatively aware on local issues who are now keen on watching any development in the country through available tri-media outlets and access in the internets most especially in the political realm; and such awareness led them to create sound public opinion,” Monterona added.
Monterona said with just more than a year approaching the 2010 national and local elections, Migrante members and OFWs in the Middle East are of the opinion that those who are pushing hard to amend the Constitution- the pro-administration Congressmen, especially through Constituent Assembly have only one agenda in common –that is the lifting of term limits in facade of amending the economic provisions of the Constitution which their boss in Malacanang is luring for.
Migrante-ME said House Speaker Nograles is now feeling the pressure from Malacanang who is instrumental for his present occupancy as Speaker.
“House Speaker Nograles is obviously on the hot seat, which would explain why he is reported to file a resolution once session resumes calling for Constituent Assembly that would pave the way in amending the Constitution,” Monterona opined.
Monterona further said failure to do so would put Speaker Nograles political carrier at much risk like what happened to his predecessor, former Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr.
“Nograles and the rest of the pro-administration Congressmen are already marked by OFWs and their families among those with “tainted” public service records, thus they all don’t deserve a vote in the upcoming elections if they will run for re-election or other public office,” Monterona added.
“That’s why we are campaigning hard for the registration of fellow OFWs as absentee voters making OFWs vote as a powerful swing vote playing a big role in who will wins and loses in the elections, while the almost 10-M OFWs have strong influence over their families and relatives back home turning a commanding vote which could send a politician in office whether in national or local positions,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Free without assistance
Press Release
25 March 2009
Staying almost a year in Saudi jail without a crime committed,
accused OFW now a freeman sans any assistance from RP post
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said an accused OFW who has spent 8 months in jail in Abha, Saudi Arabia for a crime he did not actually committed was freed last Sunday, March 22.
“OFW Eddie C. Javier was released from prison last Sunday, March 22 as per the information we have received from our Migrante chapter in Jeddah,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
OFW Javier was sent to jail September of last year after the family of a Saudi national who has accidentally hit the company car driven by OFW Javier that is parking at the work site when the accident happened. The driver died but his family wrongly pointed Javier as the culprit, who is just standing besides the company car he used to drive.
On the day the accident occured, OFW Javier was sent to jail for investigation. Police officers said he would stay in jail until the investigation will be completed; but month had passed he remains still in prison prompting his employer to abandon him.
Monterona said Mary Jane Javier, the wife of Eddie, who is also a former OFW working in Taiwan, had sought Migrante’s assistance.
The family of driver asked a blood money from OFW Eddie Javier amounting to SR. 97,000 (more or less equivalent to PhP 1,260,000) so that OFW Javier could be freed from prison.
“Mrs. Javier along with Migrante staff in the Philippines went to DFA’s Assistance to the Nationals section to seek for assistance but was only told it will refer the case to the attention of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Monterona added.
Monterona said December of last year, Migrante chapter in Jeddah has endorsed and sought the assistance of PCG to provide lawyer for OFW Javier since he is innocent of the crime charged against him; until the family of the driver had asked OFW Javier for the blood money in exchange of his release from prison.
Monterona said OFW Javier is still fortunate because there is an Islamic organization that got knowledge of his predicament and believing that he is innocent, had raise and contributed an amount of SR. 75,000 to pay for the blood money asked by the driver’s family.
“Not only that, since the amount contributed by an Islamic Organization is still short of thousands more, Saudi Police officers of the prison where OFW Javier is jailed have initiated a solicitation among themselves and raised SR. 15,000 as their kind contribution to OFW Javier for the payment of the blood money,” Monterona added.
Last January 2009, the amount collected is SR. 90,000, which is short of SR. 7,000 from the amount of the blood money asked by the family.
“But again, generous people don’t want to see OFW Javier to remain in jail for 8 months already for a crime he did not commit, an additional contribution was raised initiated again by Saudi police officers that eventually reached the required amount of SR. 97,000,” Monterona added.
“Then, last Sunday we got the information that OFW Javier was released from prison as he had already paid the required blood money asked by the family of the Saudi national whose car accidentally hit the company car usually driven by OFW Javier,” Monterona added.
Monterona said like the police in Philippine action movies that usually arrived late for a rescue, Vice Consul Leo Ausan went to the jail of OFW Javier only to be surprised that he could not find the latter because it was already released in prison.
“This would explain how illogical and neglectful the Arroyo regime is-- that instead of sending more legal attaché to provide assistance to the like of OFW Javier and many innocent OFWs who are languishing in jails, two police officers were recently deployed by the Arroyo regime, to provide assistance or rescue OFWs only after the accident or incident had just happened? I doubt if the Police attaché deployed could rescue OFWs maltreated and abused by their employer.” Monterona added.
Migrante chapters in the Kingdom would like to extend its sincerest thanks to the Islamic organization and Police officers who have contributed said amount; without their generosity OFW Eddie Javier would not be released and would still be in prison.
Migrante officers in Jeddah have set to meet OFW Eddie Javier in the coming days.
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
25 March 2009
Staying almost a year in Saudi jail without a crime committed,
accused OFW now a freeman sans any assistance from RP post
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said an accused OFW who has spent 8 months in jail in Abha, Saudi Arabia for a crime he did not actually committed was freed last Sunday, March 22.
“OFW Eddie C. Javier was released from prison last Sunday, March 22 as per the information we have received from our Migrante chapter in Jeddah,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
OFW Javier was sent to jail September of last year after the family of a Saudi national who has accidentally hit the company car driven by OFW Javier that is parking at the work site when the accident happened. The driver died but his family wrongly pointed Javier as the culprit, who is just standing besides the company car he used to drive.
On the day the accident occured, OFW Javier was sent to jail for investigation. Police officers said he would stay in jail until the investigation will be completed; but month had passed he remains still in prison prompting his employer to abandon him.
Monterona said Mary Jane Javier, the wife of Eddie, who is also a former OFW working in Taiwan, had sought Migrante’s assistance.
The family of driver asked a blood money from OFW Eddie Javier amounting to SR. 97,000 (more or less equivalent to PhP 1,260,000) so that OFW Javier could be freed from prison.
“Mrs. Javier along with Migrante staff in the Philippines went to DFA’s Assistance to the Nationals section to seek for assistance but was only told it will refer the case to the attention of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Monterona added.
Monterona said December of last year, Migrante chapter in Jeddah has endorsed and sought the assistance of PCG to provide lawyer for OFW Javier since he is innocent of the crime charged against him; until the family of the driver had asked OFW Javier for the blood money in exchange of his release from prison.
Monterona said OFW Javier is still fortunate because there is an Islamic organization that got knowledge of his predicament and believing that he is innocent, had raise and contributed an amount of SR. 75,000 to pay for the blood money asked by the driver’s family.
“Not only that, since the amount contributed by an Islamic Organization is still short of thousands more, Saudi Police officers of the prison where OFW Javier is jailed have initiated a solicitation among themselves and raised SR. 15,000 as their kind contribution to OFW Javier for the payment of the blood money,” Monterona added.
Last January 2009, the amount collected is SR. 90,000, which is short of SR. 7,000 from the amount of the blood money asked by the family.
“But again, generous people don’t want to see OFW Javier to remain in jail for 8 months already for a crime he did not commit, an additional contribution was raised initiated again by Saudi police officers that eventually reached the required amount of SR. 97,000,” Monterona added.
“Then, last Sunday we got the information that OFW Javier was released from prison as he had already paid the required blood money asked by the family of the Saudi national whose car accidentally hit the company car usually driven by OFW Javier,” Monterona added.
Monterona said like the police in Philippine action movies that usually arrived late for a rescue, Vice Consul Leo Ausan went to the jail of OFW Javier only to be surprised that he could not find the latter because it was already released in prison.
“This would explain how illogical and neglectful the Arroyo regime is-- that instead of sending more legal attaché to provide assistance to the like of OFW Javier and many innocent OFWs who are languishing in jails, two police officers were recently deployed by the Arroyo regime, to provide assistance or rescue OFWs only after the accident or incident had just happened? I doubt if the Police attaché deployed could rescue OFWs maltreated and abused by their employer.” Monterona added.
Migrante chapters in the Kingdom would like to extend its sincerest thanks to the Islamic organization and Police officers who have contributed said amount; without their generosity OFW Eddie Javier would not be released and would still be in prison.
Migrante officers in Jeddah have set to meet OFW Eddie Javier in the coming days.
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Monday, March 23, 2009
Heavy Cross: Direct Hiring Ban
SAMAHAN LABAN SA KATIWALIAN NG MGA RECRUITMENT AGENCIES AT PATAKARANG BAN SA DIRECT HIRING (SKRAP)
PRESS RELEASE
22 March 2009
For reference: Dolores Balladares-Pelaez
Convenor
Tel. No.: (852) 97409406
Ban on Direct-Hiring,
a heavy cross on the shoulders of OFWs
HK maids march against pro-recruitment agency policies of Arroyo government
“As the Lenten season comes near, we ask the Arroyo government to unburden us of the heavy cross on our shoulders in the form of the ban on direct hiring and other anti-OFW policies.”
This was declared by Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chairperson of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK) and convenor of the SKRAP the Ban coalition*, as they trooped to the Philippine Consulate General office Sunday, 22nd of March this year.
Carrying a ten-meter cloth bearing signatures and calls from different leaders of many OFW groups, alliances, church organizations and individuals, the Filipino migrants marched displaying their disgruntlement with the Arroyo government’s pro-recruitment agency policies.“For a long time, the Arroyo administration has remained deaf and dumb to the cries of thousands of OFWs who have been victimized by recruitment agencies through overcharging and illegal fees. Instead of penalizing these unscrupulous recruiters, it rewarded them with the recent ban on direct hiring and the continuing implementation of the 2007 POEA Guidelines both of which license them to collect excessive fees through mandatory training and assessment,” she asserted.
More than 11,000 signatures against the ban on direct hiring have been gathered and submitted to the PCG on February 8 this year with no response since from either the DOLE or Malacanang. To make matters worse, HK Labour Attaché Salud publicly defended the memorandum and presented conflicting statements on this, according to the SKRAP convenors.
To stress the call for the scrapping of the said memorandum issued by DOLE at the start of this year, Balladares-Pelaez remarked, “Overcharging of recruitment fees and the lack of government protection and services are the widespread and serious problems we are facing, not direct hiring. Direct hiring is in fact the only recourse we have to get saved from overcharging of greedy recruiters.”
Balladares-Pelaez also lambasted the “conciliation” process that the PCG-HK uses to resolve disputes on overcharging by unscrupulous recruitment agencies.
“We also vehemently condemn the PCG hands-on conciliation policy which clearly favors crooked recruitment agencies. Promoting settlement with the recruitment agency through the conciliation process is tantamount to legalizing the extortion of fees by unscrupulous recruiters. In short, this scheme clears unscrupulous recruitment agencies from any crime and will not face any prosecution,” she added.
The SKRAP the Ban coalition also stated that the sins of the GMA administration to the Filipino overseas workers are endless.While being ensured of profits from recruitment agencies, GMA has no responsibility and accountability on the Filipinos she exports abroad, according to the group.
“Without doubt, this administration holds the worst record of criminal neglect and extortion to OFWs,” the group said.
They condemned the recent misallocation of 1 billion from OWWA and SSS funds as part of GMA’s stimulus package, the transfer of OWWA Medicare funds to the PhilHealth before the 2004 elections, and depriving OFWs of financial and livelihood assistance through the OWWA Omnibus Policies.
“It is so easy for this government to make funds available for their own agenda but when we ask for services and financial assistance, the usual response is ‘no funds available’,” the coalition members lamented.
Most ironic of all, while thousands of OFWs are being retrenched and sent home from countries around the world because of the global recession, the Arroyo administration remains apathetic to their miseries. Instead of providing economic relief, GMA stubbornly signed AO 247 to market Filipinos in 200 countries with a target of two million OFWs deployed, according to the group.
SKRAP vowed to make GMA pay for her criminal neglect, denial of services and lack of protection especially for OFWs urgently in need.
“We will intensify our efforts and strengthen our ranks while this criminally neglectful government enforces anti-migrant policies with impunity,” Balladares-Pelaez concluded.
* SKRAP the Ban coalition is Samahan Laban sa Katiwalian ng mge Recruitment Agencies at Patakarang Ban sa Direct Hiring. It is a broad coalition of OFW groups in HK which includes many OFW organizations, alliances and church congregations.
===========================================
The Secretariat
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
2/F., New Hall, St. John's Cathedral,
4 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong SAR
Tel. (852) 31562447 Fax. (852) 25262894
E-mail: http://us.mc584.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=secretariat@unifil.org.hk
Website: http://www.unifil.org.hk/
Blog: compatriots.blogspot.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/unifilhk
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Migrante raises alarm
Migrante raises alarm over deployment of Police Attache in KSA:
THE LONG ARM OF “STATE TERROR” EXTENDED TO MIGRANT WORKERS ABROAD?
The largest organization of Filipino migrants organization worldwide denounced the move of the Arroyo government to deploy police attaches to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The attaches, who allegedly belong to the Intelligence Unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP), were purportedly sent to combat transnational crimes.
“This deployment is of serious concern to us, especially in the light of escalating attacks against those raising human rights issues against the Arroyo government!,” exclaimed Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International. “We fear that this as an omen that migrant workers, critical of Malacanang’s intensified labor export policy, could be the next target of Arroyo’s brand of state terror.”
The Migrante leader cited the recent wave of extra-judicial killings in Mindanao where members of organizations tagged as “destabilizers of government” were targets.
Martinez continued, “We should bear in mind that Migrante has been labeled by the Arroyo regime, in their infamous video production of ‘Know your enemy’, as one of the “enemies” of the government. Organizations included in that specific video became targets of police brutality, forced disappearances, illegal arrests and torture and exta-judicial killings.”
“It is no secret that our Migrante chapters in the Middle East have been active in raising issues of migrants’ rights violations, not only in the KSA, but elsewhere in the Middle East. These chapters have also been relentless in engaging Philippine embassies and the Arroyo regime for its criminal neglect of OFWs in their part of the world.”
Other migrant advocates such as the Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants and Migrante’s Middle-East chapter in the KSA has also questioned the deployment.
“Why send police officers steeped in intelligence work to Saudi Arabia, when crimes in the Philippines remain unsolved; when OFWs in the KSA desperately need lawyers, not police officers?” Martinez queried.
Martinez called on its chapter in the Middle-East to be vigilant and immediately report any increased and untoward police activity committed against its members. Migrante also reiterated Migrante-ME’s call to have this deployment investigated by Congress, including the funds being used for this deployment. ###
THE LONG ARM OF “STATE TERROR” EXTENDED TO MIGRANT WORKERS ABROAD?
The largest organization of Filipino migrants organization worldwide denounced the move of the Arroyo government to deploy police attaches to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The attaches, who allegedly belong to the Intelligence Unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP), were purportedly sent to combat transnational crimes.
“This deployment is of serious concern to us, especially in the light of escalating attacks against those raising human rights issues against the Arroyo government!,” exclaimed Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International. “We fear that this as an omen that migrant workers, critical of Malacanang’s intensified labor export policy, could be the next target of Arroyo’s brand of state terror.”
The Migrante leader cited the recent wave of extra-judicial killings in Mindanao where members of organizations tagged as “destabilizers of government” were targets.
Martinez continued, “We should bear in mind that Migrante has been labeled by the Arroyo regime, in their infamous video production of ‘Know your enemy’, as one of the “enemies” of the government. Organizations included in that specific video became targets of police brutality, forced disappearances, illegal arrests and torture and exta-judicial killings.”
“It is no secret that our Migrante chapters in the Middle East have been active in raising issues of migrants’ rights violations, not only in the KSA, but elsewhere in the Middle East. These chapters have also been relentless in engaging Philippine embassies and the Arroyo regime for its criminal neglect of OFWs in their part of the world.”
Other migrant advocates such as the Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants and Migrante’s Middle-East chapter in the KSA has also questioned the deployment.
“Why send police officers steeped in intelligence work to Saudi Arabia, when crimes in the Philippines remain unsolved; when OFWs in the KSA desperately need lawyers, not police officers?” Martinez queried.
Martinez called on its chapter in the Middle-East to be vigilant and immediately report any increased and untoward police activity committed against its members. Migrante also reiterated Migrante-ME’s call to have this deployment investigated by Congress, including the funds being used for this deployment. ###
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Press Statement
19 March 2009
Migrante asks
What's a Police Officer and an assistant doing in Saudi Arabia?
Thus, asks today by an alliance of overseas Filipino Workers organizations in the Middle East upon learning that there are two (2) Police officers deployed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On March 4, 2009, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh had announced that the Philippine government had deployed two Police Attache in Saudi Arabia which was posted on its web site (www.philembassy-riyadh.org)
Its statement said “x x x the Philippine government officials to assign him in the Kingdom in order to represent the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on matters pertaining to police functions.”
Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is referring to P/SSupt. Jimmy L. Manabat, as Police Attache, and SPO4 Wendel D. Vergara, as administrative assistant to the former. The two Police officers arrived on 24 February 2009 and paid a courtesy call to Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor the following day, the statement said.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East along with OFWs and their families especially those charged and with pending cases in the Kingdom and neighboring countries are long calling for the deployment of Legal attaché to provide legal assistance they needed, but instead the Arroyo administration through the DILG and the PNP have sent two Police officers purportedly to perform its police functions.
Migrante-ME queried what police matters the 2 Police officers would perform. Is there a threat to national security or to Filipino community here in Saudi Arabia? We don’t see any reason why the Arroyo administration had sent police attaché in the Kingdom, instead of sending legal attaché that would be of assistance to OFWs with pending cases, it added.
Migrante-ME said the Kingdom is the most peaceful place to live in the Middle East considering that it recorded the least crimes occurred compared to other neighboring countries, and considering the tight internal security measures being implemented by the Saudi authorities, thus the deployment of Police attaché is uncalled for, unless the Arroyo regime is now treating progressive OFWs groups like Migrante and its member-organization as a ‘threat’ to national security.
If being active and at the forefront of defending and upholding OFWs rights and welfare is now considered a ‘threat’ to national security and now a matter of police concerns, the Arroyo administration and its national security officials are totally wrong and probably misinformed and misled.
The OFWs alliance said the deployment of Police attaché will only creates an alarm and unfavorable impressions among OFWs and the entire Filipino community as it does not have clear functions to perform and most of all it does not justify its presence in the most peaceful place in the Middle East.
OFWs don’t think that the DILG and the PNP, by deploying its two Police officers, could perform police functions in a foreign land, which is out of its jurisdiction. All they could do is gather intelligence information related to counter-insurgency; but there is no insurgency problem in the Kingdom, it added.
Migrante-ME said the deployment of Police attaché by the Arroyo regime only signifies throwing its iron hand of continued political repression and persecution even abroad aimed of vilifying progressive OFW organizations like Migrante and its member-organizations which are at the forefront and actively defending and upholding OFWs rights and welfare.
Migrante-ME is urging Philippine Embassy officials in Riyadh to deeply think the repercussions of the deployment of Police attaché to the entire Filipino community in the Kingdom.
Migrante-ME is also urging the members of the Senate and House of Representatives’ respective Committee on Labor and OFWs concerns to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, pertaining to said deployment of Police attaché instead of legal attaché that could provide legal assistance to OFWs with pending charges and in jail. (end)
19 March 2009
Migrante asks
What's a Police Officer and an assistant doing in Saudi Arabia?
Thus, asks today by an alliance of overseas Filipino Workers organizations in the Middle East upon learning that there are two (2) Police officers deployed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On March 4, 2009, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh had announced that the Philippine government had deployed two Police Attache in Saudi Arabia which was posted on its web site (www.philembassy-riyadh.org)
Its statement said “x x x the Philippine government officials to assign him in the Kingdom in order to represent the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on matters pertaining to police functions.”
Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is referring to P/SSupt. Jimmy L. Manabat, as Police Attache, and SPO4 Wendel D. Vergara, as administrative assistant to the former. The two Police officers arrived on 24 February 2009 and paid a courtesy call to Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor the following day, the statement said.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East along with OFWs and their families especially those charged and with pending cases in the Kingdom and neighboring countries are long calling for the deployment of Legal attaché to provide legal assistance they needed, but instead the Arroyo administration through the DILG and the PNP have sent two Police officers purportedly to perform its police functions.
Migrante-ME queried what police matters the 2 Police officers would perform. Is there a threat to national security or to Filipino community here in Saudi Arabia? We don’t see any reason why the Arroyo administration had sent police attaché in the Kingdom, instead of sending legal attaché that would be of assistance to OFWs with pending cases, it added.
Migrante-ME said the Kingdom is the most peaceful place to live in the Middle East considering that it recorded the least crimes occurred compared to other neighboring countries, and considering the tight internal security measures being implemented by the Saudi authorities, thus the deployment of Police attaché is uncalled for, unless the Arroyo regime is now treating progressive OFWs groups like Migrante and its member-organization as a ‘threat’ to national security.
If being active and at the forefront of defending and upholding OFWs rights and welfare is now considered a ‘threat’ to national security and now a matter of police concerns, the Arroyo administration and its national security officials are totally wrong and probably misinformed and misled.
The OFWs alliance said the deployment of Police attaché will only creates an alarm and unfavorable impressions among OFWs and the entire Filipino community as it does not have clear functions to perform and most of all it does not justify its presence in the most peaceful place in the Middle East.
OFWs don’t think that the DILG and the PNP, by deploying its two Police officers, could perform police functions in a foreign land, which is out of its jurisdiction. All they could do is gather intelligence information related to counter-insurgency; but there is no insurgency problem in the Kingdom, it added.
Migrante-ME said the deployment of Police attaché by the Arroyo regime only signifies throwing its iron hand of continued political repression and persecution even abroad aimed of vilifying progressive OFW organizations like Migrante and its member-organizations which are at the forefront and actively defending and upholding OFWs rights and welfare.
Migrante-ME is urging Philippine Embassy officials in Riyadh to deeply think the repercussions of the deployment of Police attaché to the entire Filipino community in the Kingdom.
Migrante-ME is also urging the members of the Senate and House of Representatives’ respective Committee on Labor and OFWs concerns to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, pertaining to said deployment of Police attaché instead of legal attaché that could provide legal assistance to OFWs with pending charges and in jail. (end)
Police Attaché in KSA
Statement
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
19 March 2009
Is Police Attaché in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
More Important then Legal Experts?
It was reported in the website of the Philippine Embassy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that the Philippine Government has recently deployed a Police Attaché there together with an Administrative Assistant to combat transnational crime. May we ask, is this more important than deploying more legal experts/lawyers to the KSA to assist the numerous cases of stranded workers, abuses and those imprisoned?
P/SSupt. Jimmy L. Manabat arrived in the Kingdom on February 24, together with SPO4 Wendel D. Vergara. The Intelligence Group of the PNP is the unit that posts and manages police attachés and staff for foreign intelligence operations. It defines its mission as performing intelligence and counter-intelligence operations directed against individuals or organized groups engaged in subversion, insurgency and other forms of activities that are considered threats to national security. It builds intelligence networks against security threat groups and criminally.
Earlier on February 3, Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo filed House Bill 5657 that would want to expand the scope and upgrade the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) program to provide full legal assistance to migrant workers and overseas Filipinos in distress especially in the Middle East. One of the provisions of the bill is to deploy Legal Attachés to all Middle Eastern countries. Apparently this bill has not yet been acted upon.
From any angle legal attachés are more important than a police attaché especially in KSA. The government should also be taken to task and explain why there is a police attaché there given that this is directly under the guidance of the Intelligence Group of the PNP.
We are thus urging the Senate and Congress especially its labor and OFWs committees respectively to conduct in aid of investigation, if there is really a need to deploy a Police attaché, instead of Legal Experts to the KSA. It is a known fact that there are OFWs charged with crimes in the Kingdom but the government failed to provide any legal assistance to them like hiring a lawyer for their defense.
This investigation will challenge as to what will be the functions of a deployed Police attaché, and why only it has deployed them in Saudi, not in other Middle Eastern countries? Is Saudi now a haven for transnational criminals?
==============================
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
G/F, No.2 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Tel. no.: (852) 2723-7536
Fax no.: (852) 2735-4559
General E-mail: apmm@hknet.com
Other Email Addresses:
Managing Director : director@apmigrants.org / rbultron@gmail.com
Advocacy Program : advocacy@apmigrants.org / rbultron@gmail.com
Research and Publication: publications@apmigrants.org / ahc@hknet.com
Women's Program : women@apmigrants.org / ecbuhay@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.apmigrants.org
"We dream of a society where families are not broken up by the urgent need for survival.
We dream and will actively work for a homeland where there is opportunity for everyone to live a decent and humane life."
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
19 March 2009
Is Police Attaché in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
More Important then Legal Experts?
It was reported in the website of the Philippine Embassy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that the Philippine Government has recently deployed a Police Attaché there together with an Administrative Assistant to combat transnational crime. May we ask, is this more important than deploying more legal experts/lawyers to the KSA to assist the numerous cases of stranded workers, abuses and those imprisoned?
P/SSupt. Jimmy L. Manabat arrived in the Kingdom on February 24, together with SPO4 Wendel D. Vergara. The Intelligence Group of the PNP is the unit that posts and manages police attachés and staff for foreign intelligence operations. It defines its mission as performing intelligence and counter-intelligence operations directed against individuals or organized groups engaged in subversion, insurgency and other forms of activities that are considered threats to national security. It builds intelligence networks against security threat groups and criminally.
Earlier on February 3, Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo filed House Bill 5657 that would want to expand the scope and upgrade the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) program to provide full legal assistance to migrant workers and overseas Filipinos in distress especially in the Middle East. One of the provisions of the bill is to deploy Legal Attachés to all Middle Eastern countries. Apparently this bill has not yet been acted upon.
From any angle legal attachés are more important than a police attaché especially in KSA. The government should also be taken to task and explain why there is a police attaché there given that this is directly under the guidance of the Intelligence Group of the PNP.
We are thus urging the Senate and Congress especially its labor and OFWs committees respectively to conduct in aid of investigation, if there is really a need to deploy a Police attaché, instead of Legal Experts to the KSA. It is a known fact that there are OFWs charged with crimes in the Kingdom but the government failed to provide any legal assistance to them like hiring a lawyer for their defense.
This investigation will challenge as to what will be the functions of a deployed Police attaché, and why only it has deployed them in Saudi, not in other Middle Eastern countries? Is Saudi now a haven for transnational criminals?
==============================
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
G/F, No.2 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Tel. no.: (852) 2723-7536
Fax no.: (852) 2735-4559
General E-mail: apmm@hknet.com
Other Email Addresses:
Managing Director : director@apmigrants.org / rbultron@gmail.com
Advocacy Program : advocacy@apmigrants.org / rbultron@gmail.com
Research and Publication: publications@apmigrants.org / ahc@hknet.com
Women's Program : women@apmigrants.org / ecbuhay@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.apmigrants.org
"We dream of a society where families are not broken up by the urgent need for survival.
We dream and will actively work for a homeland where there is opportunity for everyone to live a decent and humane life."
Monday, March 16, 2009
14 Years since Flor Contemplacion
Press Statement
March 16, 2009
14 Years since Flor Contemplacion’s Death
OFWs remain marginalized and neglected despite hail as ‘Modern Heroes’;
OFWs vow to resolutely advance, defend migrant workers rights and welfare
(A Joint Statement by Migrante Chapters and member-organization s in the Middle East commemorating the 14th year death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, a domestic helper from Laguna who was hanged to death in Singapore)
Migrante, OFWs and their families are aptly commemorating every 17th of March every year the death of Flor Contemplacion. March 17 is considered a significant historical event depicting the real plight of overseas Filipino workers that undeniably continue to worsen due to Arroyo’s administration’ s neglect and unparalleled disservice to OFWs despite being hailed as ‘Modern Heroes’.
Migrant workers’ contribution in keeping the local economy afloat can’t be denied as their remittances keep on hitting new record of US$ 16.8-B last year that greatly contributed to our country’s dollar reserves; that makes OFWs ‘Modern Heroes’ into the eyes and minds of the past administrations including the present most-corrupt and most anti-OFW Arroyo administration.
Calling OFWs as “Modern Heroes” does not make sense to OFWs and families where the present Arroyo administration continuously neglecting and committing disservice to OFWs by not formulating genuine policies and programs that would advance and protect OFWs rights and welfare.
What OFWs and their families got from the Arroyo administration are anti-OFW policies such as the implementation of a codified OWWA Omnibus policies that phased out almost all welfare programs previously availed by OFWs and families including the Family loan assistance; the MC-04 prescribing rules on direct hiring that was challenged by Migrante, OFWs and families; the guidelines on Land-based recruitment and Household service Workers (HSWs) placing OFWs and aspiring alike at the hands of unscrupulous recruitment agencies collecting from OFWs higher fees amounting to P35thousand – P45 thousand each and other additional payments.”
The Arroyo administration failed to develop our local economy that would absorb the increasing numbers of unemployed whose only option now is to find work abroad; it has intensified its labor export program sending some 3,300 daily Filipino workers abroad and is targeting to send 2-M OFWs yearly; and to ensure intensified labor export, it issued Administrative Order No. 247 ordering POEA to focus on marketing and finding markets for OFWs and have allotted an increased budget of nearly P500,000for its marketing activities in its effort to boost exporting cheap labor abroad.
Intensified Labor Export at OFWs Expense
So long as this present administration remains to be subservient to the US-dictated policies of globalization, liberalization, and privatization as opposed to Nationalization of basic Industries and implementation of genuine agrarian reform, it will miserably fail to develop our local economy and can’t get out of this vicious cycle of economic reliance on foreign loans and labor export at the expense of our Overseas Filipino Workers.
We kept on saying that migrant workers are not commodities but humans whose rights should be respected and guarded and our welfare should be given foremost importance and consideration by our own government first, setting an example to the host receiving governments.
But the numerous cases of distressed OFWs due to maltreatment, unfair labor practices, and sexual abuses; the recorded 10 mysterious deaths of OFWs in the Middle East early this year, the increasing numbers of runaways at Khandera Bridge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Philippine Consulate now numbering to more than 250; the reported 300 OFWs in Libya living and working under harsh conditions; the increasing numbers of jailed OFWs including the 7 OFWs jailed in Maldives and the 26 OFWs facing death in the Middle East; all these tell us one thing: Arroyo administration’s gross disregard to protect OFWs, and this is tantamount to criminal neglect!
Misuse of OWWA Fund
OWWA fund is a trust fund, the Arroyo administration has attempted and it succeeded to a few to divert the use of these funds in a form of investments and creation of task forces presumably to help distressed OFWs abroad during emergency situation and war for OFWs immediate evacuations.
Migrante’s records revealed some of the alleged anomalous investments and misuse of OFW funds under Arroyo administration:
OFWs and families at the forefront of defending their rights and welfare Migrante’s file of the Arroyo administration ‘sins’ to OFWs and families are becoming populated; but OFWs and families will not allow to inflict more injustice and disservice by the Arroyo regime.
We will also intensify our campaign urging fellow OFWs to join us in various forms of protests to show our disgusts and discontent to the most anti-OFW Arroyo regime.
As we commemorate the 14th year death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion who symbolizes OFWs persistent struggle to advance forward its welfare and protect OFWs rights, Migrante chapters and member-organization s in the Middle East vow to reach out more OFWs and families for them to be organized and closely join with the other sectors-- farmers, workers, professionals, government employees, students, laymen and Church workers, and all together will be persistent in calling for Mrs. Arroyo resignation so that a more democratic, with genuine people’s representation, pro-people post-Arroyo government could be immediately established.
# # #
This Joint statement is issued by Migrante Middle East Chapters and Member-Organizations, namely:
Migrante-Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Migrante- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Migrante-United Arab Emirates
Migrante-Kuwait
Migrante-Qatar
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Migrante- Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia
Migrante-Dawadmi (KSA) organizing committee
Migrante-Eastern Region (KSA) organizing committee
March 16, 2009
14 Years since Flor Contemplacion’s Death
OFWs remain marginalized and neglected despite hail as ‘Modern Heroes’;
OFWs vow to resolutely advance, defend migrant workers rights and welfare
(A Joint Statement by Migrante Chapters and member-organization s in the Middle East commemorating the 14th year death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, a domestic helper from Laguna who was hanged to death in Singapore)
Migrante, OFWs and their families are aptly commemorating every 17th of March every year the death of Flor Contemplacion. March 17 is considered a significant historical event depicting the real plight of overseas Filipino workers that undeniably continue to worsen due to Arroyo’s administration’ s neglect and unparalleled disservice to OFWs despite being hailed as ‘Modern Heroes’.
Migrant workers’ contribution in keeping the local economy afloat can’t be denied as their remittances keep on hitting new record of US$ 16.8-B last year that greatly contributed to our country’s dollar reserves; that makes OFWs ‘Modern Heroes’ into the eyes and minds of the past administrations including the present most-corrupt and most anti-OFW Arroyo administration.
Calling OFWs as “Modern Heroes” does not make sense to OFWs and families where the present Arroyo administration continuously neglecting and committing disservice to OFWs by not formulating genuine policies and programs that would advance and protect OFWs rights and welfare.
What OFWs and their families got from the Arroyo administration are anti-OFW policies such as the implementation of a codified OWWA Omnibus policies that phased out almost all welfare programs previously availed by OFWs and families including the Family loan assistance; the MC-04 prescribing rules on direct hiring that was challenged by Migrante, OFWs and families; the guidelines on Land-based recruitment and Household service Workers (HSWs) placing OFWs and aspiring alike at the hands of unscrupulous recruitment agencies collecting from OFWs higher fees amounting to P35thousand – P45 thousand each and other additional payments.”
The Arroyo administration failed to develop our local economy that would absorb the increasing numbers of unemployed whose only option now is to find work abroad; it has intensified its labor export program sending some 3,300 daily Filipino workers abroad and is targeting to send 2-M OFWs yearly; and to ensure intensified labor export, it issued Administrative Order No. 247 ordering POEA to focus on marketing and finding markets for OFWs and have allotted an increased budget of nearly P500,000for its marketing activities in its effort to boost exporting cheap labor abroad.
Intensified Labor Export at OFWs Expense
So long as this present administration remains to be subservient to the US-dictated policies of globalization, liberalization, and privatization as opposed to Nationalization of basic Industries and implementation of genuine agrarian reform, it will miserably fail to develop our local economy and can’t get out of this vicious cycle of economic reliance on foreign loans and labor export at the expense of our Overseas Filipino Workers.
We kept on saying that migrant workers are not commodities but humans whose rights should be respected and guarded and our welfare should be given foremost importance and consideration by our own government first, setting an example to the host receiving governments.
But the numerous cases of distressed OFWs due to maltreatment, unfair labor practices, and sexual abuses; the recorded 10 mysterious deaths of OFWs in the Middle East early this year, the increasing numbers of runaways at Khandera Bridge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Philippine Consulate now numbering to more than 250; the reported 300 OFWs in Libya living and working under harsh conditions; the increasing numbers of jailed OFWs including the 7 OFWs jailed in Maldives and the 26 OFWs facing death in the Middle East; all these tell us one thing: Arroyo administration’s gross disregard to protect OFWs, and this is tantamount to criminal neglect!
Misuse of OWWA Fund
OWWA fund is a trust fund, the Arroyo administration has attempted and it succeeded to a few to divert the use of these funds in a form of investments and creation of task forces presumably to help distressed OFWs abroad during emergency situation and war for OFWs immediate evacuations.
Migrante’s records revealed some of the alleged anomalous investments and misuse of OFW funds under Arroyo administration:
- Transfer of P4B OFW Medicare Fund from OWWA to Philippine Health and Insurance Corporation by virtue of a secret issuance of Executive Order 182 devoid of consultations from OFWs as stakeholders of these funds
- The P260M bogus claims exposed by then OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo himself just to justify OWWA Medicare fund transfer to Philhealth under the present Arroyo Administration
- The un-audited US$293,500 for the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by General Roy Cimatu during the US war of aggression to Iraq where repatriation of OFWs never took placed anyway under the present Arroyo administration.
- POEA’s alleged illegally granting of P40 million incentives and allowances to its officials and employees for the past three years since 2002 and allowing its Executives and employees who were issued mobile phones to download about P796,000.00 worth of games, tones and picture messages and other unauthorized items.
- Misallocation of P1-B OWWA funds to its bogus Filipino Expatriate livelihood support program through the issuance of Administrative Order No. 248
OFWs and families at the forefront of defending their rights and welfare Migrante’s file of the Arroyo administration ‘sins’ to OFWs and families are becoming populated; but OFWs and families will not allow to inflict more injustice and disservice by the Arroyo regime.
We will also intensify our campaign urging fellow OFWs to join us in various forms of protests to show our disgusts and discontent to the most anti-OFW Arroyo regime.
As we commemorate the 14th year death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion who symbolizes OFWs persistent struggle to advance forward its welfare and protect OFWs rights, Migrante chapters and member-organization s in the Middle East vow to reach out more OFWs and families for them to be organized and closely join with the other sectors-- farmers, workers, professionals, government employees, students, laymen and Church workers, and all together will be persistent in calling for Mrs. Arroyo resignation so that a more democratic, with genuine people’s representation, pro-people post-Arroyo government could be immediately established.
# # #
This Joint statement is issued by Migrante Middle East Chapters and Member-Organizations, namely:
Migrante-Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Migrante- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Migrante-United Arab Emirates
Migrante-Kuwait
Migrante-Qatar
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Migrante- Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia
Migrante-Dawadmi (KSA) organizing committee
Migrante-Eastern Region (KSA) organizing committee
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Job Fairs: useless, misleading
ANAKPAWIS NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
NEWS RELEASE
Mar 15, 2009
Job Fairs are useless and only mislead hapless workers
Anakpawis members held a “Jobless Fair” this morning at the busy Commonwealth Avenue and Litex Road in Quezon City to slam what they call “useless and misleading” job fairs spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment and local government units to earn “pogi points” rather than resolving the issues of illegal retrenchments, contractualization and equitable job opportunities.
“DOLE should stop fooling thousands of already miserable job seekers from fresh graduates, retrenched workers and returning OFWs through its public relations gimmick called Job Fairs,” said Anakpawis Secretary-General Cherry Clemente.
“Results of these job fairs are dismal. Only an average of less than 200 jobs is filled up vis-a-vis thousands of applicants queuing for long hours and has even come from far provinces only to be told that they are not qualified.”
Malacañang earlier reasoned that there is a “job mismatch” which means that the labor force do not qualify to available job opportunities. Clemente said that this is a fashionable scapegoat concocted by DOLE and other so-called experts to cover the incompetence of Malacañang in addressing the roots of the problem. To illustrate this, Anakpawis brought a matching type visual, showcasing a mismatch on the persons working as MMDA chief, ombudsman, DOJ secretary and most especially the President.
Anakpawis cited that the high unemployment rate is caused by the dependent, neo-colonial, export-oriented and import dependent character of our economy. This rising and continuing unemployment, they said, is further intensified due to the global economic crisis experienced by the major economies where the country is hooked-up for centuries. “Our dependence tied us to perennial rising unemployment, trade and budgetary deficits, indebtedness and backwardness”
What should be our economic goals?
“Left and right job fairs will not solve the problem. This will only aggravate the suffering of the masses who are most hit by the onslaught of the crisis of the world capitalist system. Nor will exportation of labor or entry of foreign direct investments absorb the huge joblessness in the country. What the country needs now is a radical policy shift. It is time to define our own national goal and establish a self-sufficient economy that is based on meeting the needs of the people not the profiteering of a powerful few.”
“We must build our national industries to create millions of internally generated jobs. We must free our lands from the control of a handfull of big landowners and foreign big business to liberate our landless peasants and address social inequalities. These should be our national goals in order to affect lasting change.” # # #
NEWS RELEASE
Mar 15, 2009
Job Fairs are useless and only mislead hapless workers
Anakpawis members held a “Jobless Fair” this morning at the busy Commonwealth Avenue and Litex Road in Quezon City to slam what they call “useless and misleading” job fairs spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment and local government units to earn “pogi points” rather than resolving the issues of illegal retrenchments, contractualization and equitable job opportunities.
“DOLE should stop fooling thousands of already miserable job seekers from fresh graduates, retrenched workers and returning OFWs through its public relations gimmick called Job Fairs,” said Anakpawis Secretary-General Cherry Clemente.
“Results of these job fairs are dismal. Only an average of less than 200 jobs is filled up vis-a-vis thousands of applicants queuing for long hours and has even come from far provinces only to be told that they are not qualified.”
Malacañang earlier reasoned that there is a “job mismatch” which means that the labor force do not qualify to available job opportunities. Clemente said that this is a fashionable scapegoat concocted by DOLE and other so-called experts to cover the incompetence of Malacañang in addressing the roots of the problem. To illustrate this, Anakpawis brought a matching type visual, showcasing a mismatch on the persons working as MMDA chief, ombudsman, DOJ secretary and most especially the President.
Anakpawis cited that the high unemployment rate is caused by the dependent, neo-colonial, export-oriented and import dependent character of our economy. This rising and continuing unemployment, they said, is further intensified due to the global economic crisis experienced by the major economies where the country is hooked-up for centuries. “Our dependence tied us to perennial rising unemployment, trade and budgetary deficits, indebtedness and backwardness”
What should be our economic goals?
“Left and right job fairs will not solve the problem. This will only aggravate the suffering of the masses who are most hit by the onslaught of the crisis of the world capitalist system. Nor will exportation of labor or entry of foreign direct investments absorb the huge joblessness in the country. What the country needs now is a radical policy shift. It is time to define our own national goal and establish a self-sufficient economy that is based on meeting the needs of the people not the profiteering of a powerful few.”
“We must build our national industries to create millions of internally generated jobs. We must free our lands from the control of a handfull of big landowners and foreign big business to liberate our landless peasants and address social inequalities. These should be our national goals in order to affect lasting change.” # # #
OAV registration in Mideast
Press Release
15 March 2009
Delayed and unfavorable registration timings hampering OAV registration
in some RP posts in the Middle East
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers organizations in the Middle East today said the delayed and unfavorable registration timings set out by some RP posts in the Middle East are reasons for the low turnout of OAV registrants.
“How could we expect the OAV registration would result to be good in the Middle East when in fact some of RP posts have just open up the registration few week backs and set up an unfavorable registration timings,?” thus queried by John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona said they have known that only 1,649 new Filipinos have so far registered in the oil-rich region as at March 13, 2009.
“There are nearly 1.5-M OFWs in the entire Middle East region, and yet there are only a thousand more who have registered for the OAV so far; but it’s no surprise to us for the reason that some RP posts have just open up the registration few weeks back,” Monterona said.
Monterona cited for instance the Philippine Embassy in Qatar had just announced the start of registration on March 5, 2009, while the Philippine Consulate office in Dubai-UAE had started only last February 17; few weeks delayed from the re-scheduled start of OAV registration on 1st February by virtue of COMELEC resolution.
“The OAV registration was shortened by virtue of COMELEC Resolution issued last year; it is originally schedule to start on December 2008 but was re-scheduled to start on February 1, 2009 to end on August 2009; meaning from the original duration of nine (9) months, OAV registration was shortened to seven (7) months; then again some RP posts delayed its actual opening of registration,” Monterona explained.
“The late opening of registration by some RP posts in the Middle East is coupled with registration timings which are not favorable to OFWs who are working 6 days a week, with only Fridays as their day off,” Monterona added.
Monterona said both RP posts in Doha and in Dubai announced the OAV registration would start at 8a.m. to 5p.m. from Sundays to Thursdays to end on 31st August 2009.
“These posts failed to take into consideration that Fridays, as the official non-working holiday in most of Middle Eastern countries, when fellow OFWs normally have a freer time as this is their day off, thus they could go to their respective embassies and consular offices for registration,” Monterona said.
Monterona averred if RP Consular mission in Jeddah and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh were able to extend the OAV registration during Fridays, we could see no reason as well for the Philippine Embassy in Doha and PCG in Dubai not to do the same.
“We are urging the Philippine Embassy in Doha and PCG in Dubai to reconsider to extend the OAV registration timings from Sundays to Fridays, 8a.m. to 5p.m. considering during Fridays fellow OFWs are normally have freer time to come to the designated registration centers,” Monterona added.
Migrante-ME reiterates its call to all RP posts to consider putting up additional mobile registration centers, not only limited to the offices of Philippine Embassy, but as well as to POLO-OWWA offices where many have been observed to visit during Fridays, and in areas where there are large concentration of OFWs.
“We are urging the Philippine Embassy staff to conduct series of dialog, forum, and consultation among OFWs and their organizations during Fridays to intensify information dissemination about the on-going OAV registration,” Monterona added.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East, since the start of OAV registration, are continuously conducting dialog, forum and consultation among OFWs and their organizations, and distributing leaflets to encourage fellow OFWs to register.
“The conduct of OAV registration during Fridays and extending it until November 2009 is worth compensating so that millions of OFWs could not be disenfranchised and could exercise their right and obligation to vote. The OAV Secretariat, the DFA, and the COMELEC must consider these valid proposals,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator,
Migrante Sectoral Party Vice-Chairperson
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012
15 March 2009
Delayed and unfavorable registration timings hampering OAV registration
in some RP posts in the Middle East
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers organizations in the Middle East today said the delayed and unfavorable registration timings set out by some RP posts in the Middle East are reasons for the low turnout of OAV registrants.
“How could we expect the OAV registration would result to be good in the Middle East when in fact some of RP posts have just open up the registration few week backs and set up an unfavorable registration timings,?” thus queried by John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona said they have known that only 1,649 new Filipinos have so far registered in the oil-rich region as at March 13, 2009.
“There are nearly 1.5-M OFWs in the entire Middle East region, and yet there are only a thousand more who have registered for the OAV so far; but it’s no surprise to us for the reason that some RP posts have just open up the registration few weeks back,” Monterona said.
Monterona cited for instance the Philippine Embassy in Qatar had just announced the start of registration on March 5, 2009, while the Philippine Consulate office in Dubai-UAE had started only last February 17; few weeks delayed from the re-scheduled start of OAV registration on 1st February by virtue of COMELEC resolution.
“The OAV registration was shortened by virtue of COMELEC Resolution issued last year; it is originally schedule to start on December 2008 but was re-scheduled to start on February 1, 2009 to end on August 2009; meaning from the original duration of nine (9) months, OAV registration was shortened to seven (7) months; then again some RP posts delayed its actual opening of registration,” Monterona explained.
“The late opening of registration by some RP posts in the Middle East is coupled with registration timings which are not favorable to OFWs who are working 6 days a week, with only Fridays as their day off,” Monterona added.
Monterona said both RP posts in Doha and in Dubai announced the OAV registration would start at 8a.m. to 5p.m. from Sundays to Thursdays to end on 31st August 2009.
“These posts failed to take into consideration that Fridays, as the official non-working holiday in most of Middle Eastern countries, when fellow OFWs normally have a freer time as this is their day off, thus they could go to their respective embassies and consular offices for registration,” Monterona said.
Monterona averred if RP Consular mission in Jeddah and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh were able to extend the OAV registration during Fridays, we could see no reason as well for the Philippine Embassy in Doha and PCG in Dubai not to do the same.
“We are urging the Philippine Embassy in Doha and PCG in Dubai to reconsider to extend the OAV registration timings from Sundays to Fridays, 8a.m. to 5p.m. considering during Fridays fellow OFWs are normally have freer time to come to the designated registration centers,” Monterona added.
Migrante-ME reiterates its call to all RP posts to consider putting up additional mobile registration centers, not only limited to the offices of Philippine Embassy, but as well as to POLO-OWWA offices where many have been observed to visit during Fridays, and in areas where there are large concentration of OFWs.
“We are urging the Philippine Embassy staff to conduct series of dialog, forum, and consultation among OFWs and their organizations during Fridays to intensify information dissemination about the on-going OAV registration,” Monterona added.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East, since the start of OAV registration, are continuously conducting dialog, forum and consultation among OFWs and their organizations, and distributing leaflets to encourage fellow OFWs to register.
“The conduct of OAV registration during Fridays and extending it until November 2009 is worth compensating so that millions of OFWs could not be disenfranchised and could exercise their right and obligation to vote. The OAV Secretariat, the DFA, and the COMELEC must consider these valid proposals,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator,
Migrante Sectoral Party Vice-Chairperson
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012
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