The Philippine Star 05/06/2007
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo has ordered the immediate repatriation of 45 Filipino workers of the Daewoo Engineering and Construction company in Nigeria.
The repatriation will take place even as government continues to work with the Nigerian government for the safe release of eight Filipinos abducted by armed group from their work site in
"Secretary Romulo has issued a directive to the Philippine Embassy in
He said that the remaining 45 OFWs were moved from the work site and moved to a hotel on the embassy’s instructions shortly after the abduction of eight Filipino workers from the same work area.
Meanwhile, Romulo, upon instructions of President Arroyo, has directed the Philippine embassies in
Daewoo’s remaining Filipino workers in
He added that these Filipino workers "do not have a choice anymore. The 45 Filipinos do not have jobs. They are staying in the hotel. Where would they go? This one is mandatory."
According to him, the DFA has established contact with the Daewoo management, which set up an emergency contact center in
However, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction of the eight Filipino workers, Conejos said: "At this time no group has come forward to own the abduction and (there is) no direct contact yet with them. We have already engaged the Nigerian government. Our standard procedure is to link up directly with them. They make direct negotiations with the armed group. We are putting up all instrumentalities there."
Conejos was scheduled to meet yesterday with representatives of the Korean embassy in
The deployment ban of workers to
Worried because of the security breach, the Daewoo management was forced to evacuate their workers to a safer area after the abduction.
The Filipinos were abducted along with three Koreans – including the project manager.
The armed men breached security perimeter power of the camp where the Daewoo power plant was under construction and abducted the 11 workers at 1:40 a.m. Nigerian time.
Vice Consul Randy Arquiza of the Philippine embassy in
The DFA instructed the Philippine embassy to send a consular mission to
A three-man consular team was expected to arrive in
Once he receives more information from the embassy, Conejos said he will write another assessment of the security situation in
Under the law, it is the labor secretary who decides when to impose or lift a full or partial worker deployment ban. Conejos said he had submitted an initial assessment report to Brion Monday based on ground reports from the Philippine embassy in
The ban on worker deployment to
Philippine embassy in Baghdad Charge d’Affaires Wilfredo Cuyugan said the employer of the slain Filipino in
The Philippine mission in
Four people, including a Filipino, were killed in a mortar attack on May 2 inside the Al Taji Army Airfield in the town of
Romulo said the total ban on OFW deployment and travel to
Saturday, May 02, 2009
050607: DFA to repatriate 45 OFWs in Nigeria
050607: Absentee voters in S'pore increase
The Philippine Star 05/06/2007
The Philippine Embassy in Singapore received the highest number of mailed ballots from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there allowed to vote by mail for the May 14 polls.
The Embassy in
As of last count, 2,228 ballots have been mailed to the Embassy, Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Belen Anota said in her report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.
Anota said current figures reflected a sharp increase from a trickle in the first few days of voting to as high as 330 ballots per day.
"The growing enthusiasm of voters is a reflection of the desire of Filipinos in
She said that although the number of ballots received so far represent only 8.3 percent of the total number of registered voters in
Anota said the upswing in ballot submissions became noticeable since they started their intensive and continuing information drive.
"We attribute the increase to our all-out information campaign that involved making announcements over the radio, Internet, newspapers, and in Filipino community events and activities, including religious services, and skills training classes of Filipino domestic workers," she added.
"However, we must be realistic in our expectations since a large number of people who registered four years ago in 2003 have changed address by moving overseas or within Singapore as a result of a change of employer or the expiration of their contract, particularly in the case of domestic helpers," Anota added.
Of the 26,835 overseas absentee voters who are registered in
051507: Literally, they were absentee voters-why?
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| By Estrella Torres |
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| THE Commission on Elections said it would investigate the very low turnout of absentee voters, counted at less than 14 percent. Commissioner Florentino Tuason Jr. said as of 3 p.m. (Manila time) Monday, only 71,668 out of the 504,000 registered Filipino voters abroad had cast their ballots. In contrast, in the first absentee voting in 2004, of the 359,297 registered voters, 65 percent, or 233,092, cast their ballots. The overseas absentee voters had one month from April 14 to May 14 this year to cast their votes through three different systems—personal voting, voting by mail and modified voting by mail. “We will have to evaluate the reasons why our countrymen abroad are so [unconcerned] in casting their votes despite the fact that the posts together with Comelec have saturated these areas with voter information regarding the elections,” said Tuason at a press briefing at the Comelec on Monday. The Department of Foreign Affairs reported that personal voting is the most favored among those who cast their ballots, especially in countries like Diplomatic and election officials agreed earlier that the low turnout was due to the provision in the absentee voting law that requires Filipinos to sign an affidavit signifying their intention to return to the Tuason also attributed the very low turnout to the movement of some 300,000 to 400,000 workers who had transferred to other countries than the one where they registered. He added that many may have also returned home. Local absentee voting has turned out well, said the Comelec, with a total turnout of 33,531 out of 39,000. Local absentee voting refers to the special voting for members of the military and police as well as government officials on duty during the election. |
051607: 1st-qtr OFW inflows grow 24%; March hits $1.3B
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| By Jun Vallecera |
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| THE number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sending back earnings to their families at home had actually contracted nearly 11 percent in the first three months, and yet the volume of dollars went up by 24 percent year-on-year to $3.5 billion. In March alone, the inflows hit $1.3 billion and approximated the level of the previous December, when millions of OFWs remitted more than the usual amount for the Christmas holidays. “Remittances of OFWs coursed through banks remained above $1 billion for the 11th straight month since May 2006,” said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Amando Tetangco Jr. on Tuesday. These first-quarter inflows, in addition to the relief investors felt over the relatively peaceful mid-term election, helped push the value of the peso to a six-year high of P46.95 per dollar at the Philippine Dealing System and eventually averaged P47.06 on transactions totaling $608.7 million. “I think the market believes that (Monday’s) generally peaceful exercise would further support the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals. The continued influx of OFW remittances and dollar inflows into the stock market buoyed the peso further,” said Tetangco. The downside is these foreign exchange inflows could push up inflation, thus, the BSP has put in place counterinflation measures that could dampen liquidity growth “to below 20 percent” a month or two from now. Domestic liquidity or M3 has been growing by 23 or 24 percent since December 2006, according to the BSP. |
052107: Use OFW funds for investment tool, government told
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| By Max V. de Leon |
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| THE Filipino-Chinese business community has proposed to government the formation of a team to study how to capture the $15-billion yearly overseas Filipino workers (OFW) remittances and turn them into a huge investment instrument. Francis Chua, honorary president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., said if this is successfully pursued, the workers will become the country’s biggest yearly investors, with a magnitude bigger than those considered by government as trophy investments, such as Texas Instruments Inc. with its $1-billion Clark expansion, and Shell consortium with its $4.5-billion Malampaya natural gas project. This, Chua added, will also help the country duplicate the situation in Chua said he has discussed this idea with Trade Secretary Peter Favila. Chua suggested that OFWs participating in this scheme should get a better exchange rate of at least 10 percent higher than prevailing and should be given tax-free. “We should give them several incentives and make this attractive enough.” The money to be invested by the OFWs, he said, can then be channeled to projects such as hotels, seaports, airports and other infrastructure needs. The OFW money captured by the scheme, he added, can also be used to buy part of the state assets or shares in some companies that are up for sale. He said that in Chua asked Favila to create an office within the department that would undertake this project, or put it in the care of an attached agency like the National Development Co. But he said it is important to assure the workers of the safety of their money; and for this, he suggested the invested funds be guaranteed by government. |
052107: OFW remittances fueling growth in real estate
May 20, 2007
Updated 17:28:25 (Mla time)
In an interview, Century Properties managing director John Victor Antonio said his firm noticed this trend as early as two years ago when dollar remittances sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) started to pick up.
"Our rule of thumb is that 30 percent of all remittances end up in spending for the real estate sector, whether it is used to buy or property or spent on housing improvement," he said.
More importantly, the trend marks a significant departure from the pattern established in previous decades where the bulk of OFW remittances was spent on consumer goods, with little left for savings and investments.
In 2006, OFWs sent back to their local beneficiaries $12.6 billion through the banking system alone. The central bank estimates that this amount is even understated by an average of 30 percent because of funds sent home through informal channels.
At the low end, this means that as much as $4.2 billion in OFW funds were spent on the real estate sector last year--a figure that will rise further, given the central bank's expectations of as much as $14 billion in remittances for 2007.
"OFWs are really the main factor driving up this market," said Antonio, whose firm has launched several projects aimed at this cash-rich sector. "In our case, at least 50 percent of our sales come from OFW [buyers]."
For other firms, this level could go to as high as 60 percent of all sales, he said.
The trend has not gone unnoticed.
Large and small real estate developers are now investing heavily in wooing expatriate Filipino buyers. These include property blue-chip Ayala Land Inc., Megaworld Corp. and Robinsons Land Corp.
These firms embark on periodic sales tours in Europe and the
Indeed, the latest data from the National Statistical Coordination Board revealed that the property sector had recorded the fastest growth rate among various monitored industries in recent months.
In the fourth quarter of 2006, for example, gross revenues of the real estate sector grew by 40 percent compared the same period in the previous year.
This marks the 15th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth for the sector since 2003
In contrast, the financial sector grew by only 17.3 percent, the trade sector by 12.3 percent and private services by 10.6 percent.
The manufacturing and the transportation and communication sector--the previous darling of the economy--grew by 8.5 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively.
According to Unicapital Securities analyst Ron Rodrigo, all these indicators point to a real estate boom that will last longer than the one experienced in the mid-1990s.
"This will last for some time," he said in an interview. "This could go [on] for another five to seven years."
He stressed, however, that the boom will be skewed in favor of firms which cater to the lower end of the property sector, in particular, those which invest heavily in affordable or mid-market developments.
"These are the properties that go from P500,000 to P1.5 million and from P1.5 million to P2.5 million or P3 million per unit," he said.
Rodrigo is confident that the present boom would sidestep the pitfalls of its 1990s version, mainly because present-day buyers acquire property for their actual use.
This contrasts with the white-hot speculation that contributed to the 1997 East Asian financial crisis, where buyers would acquire two or three units at a time as "investments" meant to be sold off at a better price.
Rodrigo said that strong market conditions are also supported by the profile of workers going abroad, many of whom are now highly paid professionals, compared to laborers and domestic helpers that were prevalent up to the late 1990s.
"Nowadays, you have high-earning professionals like nurses and information technology people who are highly valued by their employers abroad," he said. "As long as deployment numbers keep rising, this market will stay strong."
It is a fact that Century Properties' Antonio is counting on.
The firm will embark on an international roadshow in the next months for showcase its high-rise and subdivision projects to Filipinos abroad in the hopes of capturing a bigger slice of the pie.
"Up to 70 percent of all our online inquiries come from abroad," he said. "There are from overseas Filipinos with large investing capacities. They want to stretch the value of their dollar, so they buy properties here."
Despite the bullishness, Antonio keeps a close eye on indicators that may point to a repeat of the previous decade's property market crash.
"What we have now is different from 1997," he said, echoing Rodrigo's confidence.
Around the world, OFWs eager to buy homes are hoping they are right.
http://services.inquirer.net/express/07/05/21/html_output/xmlhtml/20070520-67002-xml.html
050908: Overseas Filipinos forming political party for 2010
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:01:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Overseas Filipinos are forming a national political party in preparation for the 2010 elections and beyond, it was revealed at the Global Filipino Nation (GFN) conference Friday.
Francisco “Jun” Aguilar, interim chairman of the Partido ng Pandaigdigang Pilipino (PPP or Party of the Global Filipino), said the party is in the process of complying with the requirements of the Commission on Elections.
“This is not a party-list group but a national political party at par with the LDP (Laban ng Demokritong Pilipino or Fight of the Democratic Filipino) or LP (Liberal Party) or NP (Nacionalista Party),” he said.
Aguilar, an engineer who worked in Saudi Arabia, said the PPP already has a constitution and by-laws, and has 13 chapters worldwide: Canada, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, California in the United States, Israel, The Netherlands, France, Morocco, Tanzania, Sudan, Australia, and New Zealand.
He added that they are in the process of organizing its regional, provincial, and municipal headquarters.
Alex Bello, PPP-Riyadh president, said the Absentee Voting Law has opened the door for the participation of overseas Filipinos in good governance, particularly in politics.
091908: Migrante dares new OWWA chief to prove she's no lackey
D’JAY LAZARO, GMANews.TV
09/19/2008 | 05:30 PM MANILA, Philippines — An alliance of overseas Filipino workers' organizations in the Middle East on Friday dared the new chief of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to prove she’s nobody’s lackey and that she can safeguard the welfare fund of overseas Filipino workers.
Migrante-Middle East said Carmelita Dimzon faces big challenges ahead, not just in ensuring the welfare and protection of her clientele — OFWs — but also in resisting politicians who might try to dip their fingers again into the OWWA cookie jar.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator, said that while the appointment of the OWWA administrator has become political, it is incumbent upon Dimzon to prove that her loyalty belongs to those who put up the welfare fund.
During her oath-taking on Thursday as head of the OWWA, Dimzon promised to be "judicious and transparent" in performing her duties, and to ensure that the welfare fund, variably estimated at P8 billion and P10 billion, would be used for non-political purposes and only for the welfare and protection of OFWs.
The welfare fund is from the $25 membership fee being paid by Filipinos every time they leave the country to work abroad.
Migrante-ME said Dimzon, a career official who was deputy administrator of the Philippine Overseas Welfare Office (POEA) for years until Thursday, could make a difference simply by not following what previous administrations had done in turning the OWWA into a “milking cow."
Migrante said its records of OWWA is replete with anomalous investments and misuse of OFW funds: Among these alleged anomalies were:
• Buyout of Frederick Hotel;
• Loan guarantee to Landoil Resources;
• Transfer of P4-billion 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 the OWWA Medicare fund transfer to PhilHealth;
• The unaudited US$293,500 for the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by retired General Roy Cimatu “during the US war of aggression to Iraq where the repatriation of OFWs never took place anyway."
Migrante-ME also urged Dimzon to avoid doing what her predecessors have done in implementing new policies, such as the OWWA Omnibus Policies, without doing consultations with OFW member organizations.
Moreover, it said, Dimzon should conduct a thorough review of the OWWA’s personnel abroad, especially in the Middle East, and yank out the non-performing assets who are not doing much to help distressed OFWs.
Migrante-ME said Dimzon needs to reinvigorate the agency, noting that it cannot even immediately provide the needed airfare tickets for those who are ready for repatriation because they are sick and for humanitarian considerations.
"Our OFWs are not beggars that every time they need assistance from OWWA, they would repeatedly send request but are simply ignored by OWWA welfare officers abroad," Monterona said. - GMANews.TV
090308: Overseas workers boost franchising business
Vol. XXII, No. 28
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
FREE PREVIEW
The Economy
Overseas workers boost franchising business
OVERSEAS FILIPINO workers (OFWs) are propping up the franchising industry as they and their relatives make up a bulk of franchise investors, an industry group said.
The entry of OFWs into the franchising business was responsible for the 29% increase in franchisor’s sales to P13.8 billion in 2007 from P10.7 billion the previous year, according to the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI).
"Theyhave enabled franchisors to grow by adding more branches," a press statement yesterday quoted AFFI president Rommel Juan as saying.
Around a fifth of new franchise branches this year were opened by OFWs and their families, AFFI chairman Ricardo Z. Cuna said in a mobile "text" message. They spend a range of P300,000-P800,000 and usually prefer food franchises, he noted.
102208: Adlib: The challenge of NaFFAA
Vol. XXII, No. 63
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Opinion
Ad Lib
By Greg B. Macabenta
The challenge of NaFFAA
In late August 1997 over 2,000 delegates from all over the United States converged at the Marriott Hotel in Washington DC for the 1st Filipino American Empowerment Conference. I was assigned to write the rationale for it. This is what I wrote:
"Why an Empowerment Conference? Major events are occurring and laws are being passed that affect the interests of Filipino Americans, such as those on immigration, affirmative action and social services. But our community is simply being swept by the tides of change and circumstance. We are not playing a significant role in shaping these events and enacting these laws, despite the fact that we make up the largest Asian ethnic group in this country.
"We appear to be impotent in the face of the adverse circumstances, not because we lack the numbers nor the social status nor the intellectual capacity, but because we, as a community, have not been able to harness our full potentials as a socioeconomic and political force.
"We have not struggled hard enough for empowerment. This is our challenge."
A united front was the goal of the conference. But gathering enough delegates for it was the first major challenge. Alex Esclamado vowed to literally drive across America to persuade people to attend — a promise he actually fulfilled.
Getting the delegates to agree on a common agenda was an even bigger challenge. In fact, it was considered an "Impossible Dream" — Quixotic. But Esclamado, still publisher-editor at the time of pioneering FilAm newspaper Philippine News, was an Impossible Dreamer. Decades earlier, he had convened a Unity Conference of FilAms of diverse social, professional, and political backgrounds in Anaheim. The result was an organization called the National Filipino American Council.
But while it was envisioned as a national organization, there continued to be active FilAm groups both on the East and West Coast that were not affiliated with NFAC. The most aggressive of them was led by Washington DC labor leader Gloria Caoile and journalist-activist Jon Melegrito. They insisted on a place at the table in the empowerment conference, since it would be held on their home turf.
Thus was the 1st Filipino American Empowerment Conference convened from August 22 to 24, 1997. The first part of the Impossible Dream was achieved. As a result of that, the following year, also in Washington DC, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) was officially organized with Alex Esclamado as national chair, Gloria Caoile as national vice chair and Jon Melegrito as executive director. I was among the charter board members, as national PR director.
The delegates to both the 1997 and 1998 conventions — more in number than at any other similar Filipino meeting in the past — agreed on a common but wide-ranging agenda that would meet the varied needs of the community. Education, health, housing and social services, immigration and human rights, issues concerning the youth, seniors, women and the disabled, the overall interests of minority communities, such as affirmative action, the struggle of Filipino World War II veterans for equitable treatment by the US government, and, of course, aid to the Philippines — all these would be addressed by NaFFAA.
NaFFAA was not intended to be a super body that would take on all of these. The various tasks would continue to be undertaken by the member organizations based on their expertise, capabilities, and spheres of influence. NaFFAA would be a coordinator, integrator, and motivator. And most importantly, NaFFAA would represent a common front and a common voice before the decision makers in the public and private sectors, especially on Capitol Hill and the White House.
The ultimate goal would be socioeconomic and political empowerment.
The most immediate issue at the time of the empowerment conference was veterans equity and the opportunity to generate a lot of media attention presented itself. The delegates to the convention marched to the White House and aging Filipino veterans chained themselves to its fence, thus inviting arrest by Washington DC policemen. The event landed in national media.
Perhaps that initial effort, and the reality of the rapid decline in the numbers of the veterans, caused the leaders of NaFFAA, including subsequent National Chairs Loida Nicolas-Lewis and Alma Kern, to concentrate on the equity issue early on. Esclamado attempted to initiate programs in other areas, particularly the youth and aid to the Philippines, but it was in pursuit of veterans equity that NaFFAA became proactive. In other areas, the organization was reactive.
But its reactions had impact because of NaFFAA’s newfound ability to harness its 12 regional chapters nationwide and create awareness of whatever issues it confronted.
In Texas, 10 Filipino airline workers were unjustly arrested by immigration officials, victims of the nationwide paranoia in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. NaFFAA Southwest Region Chair Gus Mercado organized a defense team for the hapless Filipinos and NaFFAA called on its members to contribute to the defense fund.
Still another case of 9/11 backlash was the lay-off of non-citizen Filipino airport security workers in San Francisco. NaFFAA Northern California Region Chair Rodel Rodis, a lawyer, filed suit against the government in an effort to help the workers retain their jobs. He gained a technical legal victory, but the workers had already been laid off.
Another reactive move was the nationwide protest initiated by NaFFAA when an episode of the ABC series, Desperate Housewives, insulted Filipino doctors. NaFFAA and FilAm medical practitioners pressed the network and the producers for an apology.
But these moves were reactive, precisely because of the lack of clout of the FilAm community in the eyes of the American mainstream. Nobody would dare cross the black community the way Filipinos were insulted in Desperate Housewives. In California, authorities are careful in their dealings with the Chinese and Korean communities. And nationwide, tangling with gays and lesbians is literally asking for trouble.
But like most minorities, Filipinos are taken for granted in America. However, unlike the other minorities, we have the educational and professional credentials, the buying power, and the potential voting power to rise above our second-class citizen status.
In the 2005 update of the 2000 US census, there are 2.9 million people of Filipino descent, of whom over three-fourths are either US-born or naturalized citizens. That translates into a huge voting bloc. But this does not show in the voting rolls. The community is not famous for political involvement. In other words, Filipinos have the voting potential — but it is underutilized.
The impressive demographics should also translate into empowerment in the socioeconomic fields. But appreciating the need for empowerment is the first hurdle that needs to be overcome. We are a smug and complacent community that generally sees no need to get involved. And yet, when we are taken for granted or wronged, we complain about our impotence.
The task of NaFFAA, through its affiliate organizations, is to awaken within us the importance of involvement — particularly by the FilAm youth who are more integrated into the American mainstream and are in a better position to compete.
The challenge of NaFFAA is enormous but well worth it. I have often been asked to rate the federation on a scale of 1 to 10. I have rated it a 5 — which may be disheartening until you realize that we used to be a 1 and a 2. NaFFAA has come a long way since 1997, but the journey is far from over. Empowerment is still not in our hands.
At the 8th National Empowerment Conference in Seattle in late September, I was elected national chair of NaFFAA. Bringing that elusive goal within our grasp is now my mandated task. It won’t be easy. But in a country built by pioneers and frontiersmen, what else is new?
103008: Migration a tool versus crisis
Vol. XXII, No. 69
Thursday, October 30, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Today’s Headlines
UN chief warns against curbs as sentiments worsen
MIGRATION HAS NOT BEEN SPARED by the global financial crisis, putting further strain on economies — especially those dependent on remittances — and necessitating the need for increased cooperation among countries, United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon yesterday said.
"Today, we face a cascade of national financial crises throughout the world. None of our economies are insulated," Mr. Ban told the Global Forum on Migration and Development being held in Manila.
With global growth slowing and countries slipping into recession, "it would be naive to think the current crisis will have no effect on the movement of people across borders, and on how publics perceive migration and the migrants in their midst," he said.
Mr. Ban said there was "mounting evidence" of a significant slowdown in remittance flows, while immigration had also increasingly become a political issue in many countries, "heightening the risk of discrimination."
"Already migration flows are reversing. In several instances, we are seeing a net outflow from countries facing economic crises," he said, noting that industries such as construction and tourism have been badly hit.
But instead of imposing measures to curtail migration, governments must intensify cooperation across borders, he said, adding that constraining legal migration could increase the number of illegal migrants.
"Migration will flow through unsafe and irregular channels. This will undermine confidence in our ability to govern — confidence that has already been damaged by the financial crisis."
Migration, the UN chief told a press conference, "can be a tool to offset the global financial crisis", and that it was "up to the policy makers to make sure that migration can work for development".
William Lacy Swing, the director general of the International Organization for Migration, said migration was not an obstacle to development, but was also not "a magic wand to achievement".
"We must work towards policies that are carefully shaped to boost the positive potential of migration for development, while reducing negative repercussions."
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who also spoke at the summit, called on governments to ratify international conventions assuring migrant worker rights.
"Development cannot occur in the economy without human development ... We urge all countries which have not yet done so to ratify the international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families," she said.
"It is essential that the major economies of the world, along with strong representation from emerging economies which are the source of migrant workers, be part of the global consultations to resolve challenges in the global financial system, particularly its negative impact on migrant workers."
There are around 200 million migrants around the world, eight million of which are Filipino overseas contract workers. The Philippines ranks fourth in terms of remittances received from overseas contract workers. Remittances, which represent around 10% of gross domestic product, are expected to reach $16.6 billion this year.
Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque, in a statement, said the Philippines was reaching out to destination countries to sign bilateral and multilateral labor agreements not to restrict migration flows and to protect worker rights.
Local labor officials denied that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were losing their jobs because of the financial crisis.
"There have been no terminations yet reported to us and there are countries that are booming like in the Middle East," Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Carmelita S. Dimzon said.
Several countries, she claimed, will soon be signing agreements with the Philippines for the deployment of OFWs, but noted that Spain had asked that a deal regarding a caregiver pilot project be shelved. Ms. Dimzon stressed that this did not mean Spain would be cutting down on workers sourced from the Philippines.
Meanwhile, hundreds of activists faced off with riot police in the metropolis. They branded the forum as an ineffective talking shop that promoted "modern-day slavery".
"We don’t see migration as a tool for development. It is a reflection of a country’s underdevelopment and is not a solution to poverty," said Sarah Maramag, a spokeswoman for the International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees, a parallel gathering of more than 140 groups from Asia to Latin America. — reports from AFP, Alexis Douglas B. Romero, and Emilia Narni J. David
112408: Australia needs 10,000 workers, says POEA
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Raymund F. Antonio Displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and those who will lose their jobs in host countries due to the global economic crisis may seek employment in South Australia which needs 10,000 workers in 2009, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported yesterday. POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili said Australia will hire thousands of Filipino construction workers, welders, and pipe-fitters for its road rehabilitation projects in the next 10 years. Manpower requirements of these projects are estimated to reach 133,000 until 2018. Another 206,000 workers would be required to replace those who would leave the workforce. "Australia is very reassuring that it will hire OFWs starting next year even in its export, manufacturing, and retail sectors adversely affected by the financial crisis," Manalili said in an interview. The country’s labor officials and Australian employers convened in a meeting last week to discuss the recruitment of Filipino workers in an effort to give them jobs in the host destination as they are adversely affected by the global economic slump. "They have assured us that they are coming over in January or February next year for the recruitment process. They went to the POEA because they wanted to know the procedures and they were advised what to do," she said. Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said Deputy Premier Kevin Folley will head the Australian delegates for the agreement signing with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) early next year. "South Australia is bent on recruiting Filipino skilled workers to address its perennial problem on skills shortage and subsequently ease the pressure on employers in this Australian state, struggling with the lack of essential skills," Roque said. He said the labor agreement with Australia would be similar to the deal entered into by the DoLE with the Canadian province of Manitoba. "The recruitment of OFWs to South Australia would also be orderly, ethical, and in line with laws and policies of the Philippines and those of Australia, providing for the protection and the development and skills upgrading of OFWs," he said. A DOLE technical team and Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship have been in consultations for the forging of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that would provide for the recruitment of skilled OFWs in Australia. In South Australia, nearly 1.6 million people live in the state that comprises less than 10 percent of the Australian population. Its economy relies on agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, mostly of automotive and component parts, pharmaceuticals, defense technology, and electronics systems. |
120508: Shipping slowdown expected to cut deployment of seafarers
Vol. XXII, No. 95
Friday, December 5, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The Economy
A SLOWDOWN in cargo shipping worldwide will likely cause a reduction in seafarer deployment in the first quarter next year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said, citing projections of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
WORKERS in cargo vessels to be the most affected by slower global business. — BW File Photo
"For seafarers, they [IMO] can see a little bit [of a downturn] in the first quarter, but they would recover in the third quarter," Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque told reporters at the sidelines of the department’s 75th year anniversary exhibit opening, without giving estimates.
United Filipino Seafarers president Nelson P. Ramirez said in a separate interview that there have already been signs of a slowdown in foreign ports. "There are 1,000ships that are laid off and anchored [in various ports abroad]. [Shipping firms in] Hong Kong, [South] Korea and Singapore are all saying that they will not hire right now," he said.
Mr. Roque also said seafarers already working in cargo and container vessels would be the ones most affected by the reduction in shipments expected by the IMO.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration last year estimated that there were around 226,900 Filipino seafarers deployed worldwide.
Of that number, 31,983 — about 14% — were employed in container vessels, and 10,754 — or 4.7% — in general cargo ships.
But Mr. Roque clarified that not all those manning cargo and container vessels would be affected, since there would still be shipping during the downturn and firms know that they have to have skilled crew when business eventually rebounds.
At the same time, the local shipping industry is advised to look beyond the momentary slump and address its weaknesses — particularly its chronic lack of ratings personnel who could qualify as officers — in order to position itself for a rebound later next year.
"[The IMO advised] us to upgrade skills and training of seafarers when the market is down because there would be an increase in the number of officers needed when the market goes upthat way, when the market is up, they can already be officers in the ships," Mr. Roque said.
Mr. Roque said the IMO has projected a lack of 34,000 officers until 2011.
But he stressed that officer training is costly. "It costs about P80,000 just to train to be an officer, and the many requirements of the [Professional Regulatory Commission] takes a long time. So, there aren’t many who train to become officers," he said in an interview.
The Philippines is one of the top four sources of seafarers in the world, together with China, India and Russia. —Emilia Narni J. David
121908: The OFWs amid the financial crisis
Vol. XXII, No. 105
Friday, December 19, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The Economy
BY ROXANNE KATE MAGTIBAY, Junior Researcher, and JENY TABIN, Senior Researcher
A DECADE's worth of experience should have prepared the country for the present financial slowdown. The Asian Crisis in 1997 took a significant toll on the employment of overseas workers and exposed the perils of a remittance-driven economy. Though not as highly reliant on international trade relations as other Asian countries in late 1990s, the Philippines trudged on shaky ground due to the growing number of Filipinos seeking jobs abroad.
Their remittances have been the economy's primary lifeline, driving consumption and, ultimately, growth. Yet, after ten years, it is difficult to ignore the déj� vu: with overseas employment held hostage by the global financial crisis, the domestic economy appears to be in for rough sailing ahead.
A lesson from history The belt-tightening of many Asian countries in the late 1990s resulted in a slump in demand for Filipino labor. According to reports from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), at least 2,300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Asian region lost their jobs in the first half of 1998 as a result of the financial crisis.
Salary reductions were also reported in some countries such as South Korea; including this country, OFWs were also affected most in Brunei, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
This illustrates that overseas jobs are not as "recession-proof" as one would like to believe. The current global financial slowdown has already claimed the jobs of workers, both migrants and nationals alike. As economies slip into recession, firms scamper to cut costs, and labor is among the first to get hit. Economic turmoil also heightens the possibility of protectionist stances; rising unemployment may push governments to adopt policies that prioritize their nationals for employment, effectively reducing the demand for migrant workers.
Still, analysts believe that not all OFWs will be hit by the slowdown. Some types of jobs are considered safer than others. Workers in the education and health care sector, for example, are relatively more stable since people avail educational and medical services regardless of economic conditions. On the other hand, professionals and skilled workers such as accountants, construction workers, and engineers appear more vulnerable as firms scale down their operations.
A helping hand In response to the perceived threat, the government extends a helping hand to OFWs and their households that may be affected by the global economic downturn. A reintegration program prepared by the Arroyo administration is founded on livelihood support and re-employment. A sum of P250 million—part of an expatriate livelihood facility under the program—shall be made available to returning migrant workers to aid them start a new business or provide for their family's needs.
In addition, the DoLE and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) shall coordinate with other government agencies and regional offices to track job openings here and abroad; information shall then be provided online to aid Filipinos, whether recently displaced or new migrants, in seeking out employment opportunities around the world.
These programs are quite reminiscent of the government's response in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. Back then, the OWWA initiated a Comprehensive Reintegration Program that comprised two approaches: self-employment, which included loan packages and livelihood seminars; and reemployment, which provided job referrals and retraining. The OWWA followed this effort with a Livelihood Development Program that offered loans as capital for small ventures.
These government projects, however, were far from sufficient. The loans could hardly support a business expected to support a household formerly dependent on an overseas worker. Worse, failed businesses piled up as repayments became more and more difficult.
Since then, OFWs have placed setting up a business at the bottom of their priority list. Consumption has eaten the bulk of remittances, with money from abroad spent on food and education, clothing, housing, and now, even electronic gadgets such as cellphones and digital cameras. Furthermore, the reemployment program for returning workers was basically a referral system that only facilitated the flow of information, as there was little to no assurance that a job vacancy could actually be filled by an applicant. These problems are again expected to afflict the current government's efforts.
A fundamental flaw Indeed, the current plight of Filipino migrant workers reveals a fundamental flaw in the country's plan towards development. While there is no doubt that OFWs play a huge role in propping up the economy, the country's reliance on remittances is also hardly sustainable; with the evident vulnerability of migrant labor, such a strategy holds the country hostage to overseas developments that are beyond the country's control.
Economics and labor experts have not been short of warnings and matching recommendations. University of the Philippines economics professor Ernesto M. Pernia warned that while OFW remittances buoy the economy in hard times, the flight of skilled workers negatively affects the economy. The exodus of health professionals, for instance, has left the country lagging behind its neighbors in terms of health care, regardless of the country's record of training large numbers of medical workers.
All in all, the situation remains visibly the same. OFWs are just as susceptible to the economic slowdown. The good news, perhaps, is that the government, through its contingency programs, has realized the need to encourage OFWs and their households to save and invest. Much still needs to be done to ensure the success of these government-led initiatives, but they are a viable start towards a more long-term strategy towards growth.
The Istitute for Development and Econometric Analysis, Inc. (IDEA) is an economic think-tank based in the University of the Philippines — Diliman. For inquiries on IDEA, please contact Eduard Robleza at edjrobleza@idea.org.ph.
Sources: Kanlungan Center Foundation, Inc. 2000. Fast Facts on Filipino Labor Migration. Quezon City: Kanlungan Center Foundation, Inc. and Evangelische Zentrallstelle FÜr Entwicklungshilfe e. V.
012209: Former OFW uses technology to take business to next level
LIKE MANY Filipino workers abroad, Eden de Castro Villa realized early the sacrifices she would be making and challenges she would be facing to earn a living in a foreign country.
Working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, not only did she have to deal with homesickness, she also endured the shabby treatment from her employers. "People look down on you if you are a domestic helper. It doesn’t matter if you are educated or not," she said.
Determined to find respect and a better way to support her family, Ms. De Castro Villa returned to La Union and pursued various business ventures, from opening a small school supply store to starting her own handicraft business, manufacturing hand-woven baskets.
As her family grew, she and her husband started looking for opportunities to expand their small company. She enroled in a technology-training program for Filipino workers abroad called Tulay, hoping to learn how to use a computer. After graduating from the program, she discovered that she could now do more than just operate a computer. She also realized the vast potential of technology to boost their family business.
Tulay is a Microsoft Unlimited Potential Community Skills program that provides Filipino workers abroad access to both technology and technology training. "Through Tulay, we are showing the real-world value of technology and how it changes the way people live," said Mae Rivera-Moreno, PR and community affairs manager of Microsoft Philippines.
"We Filipinos are very family-oriented and this program offers ways for families to remain in touch through E-mail or chat," Ms. Rivera-Moreno said. "Moreover, Tulay broadens career opportunities for [Filipino workers abroad]and helps reintegrate them into the economy upon their return, by empowering them with technology skills," she added.
Eden is one of many Tulay graduates who have successfully applied their newfound knowledge to explore economic opportunities. As a supplier of one of the country’s biggest chain of malls, Ms. De Castro Villa logs on to a Web site where she finds information such as job orders and exhibit venues.
"The site also allows us to collect payment online so I don’t have to travel for hours to claim payment in Manila," she said.
In addition to using the Internet to research and do business, Ms. De Castro Villa also uses Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations for the Trade department, where she occasionally delivers lectures on basket-making. Having learned a spreadsheet application, she now manages their inventory efficiently as well.
"The Tulay program helped me see how far we could take our business and how we could take advantage of the power of technology to improve our operations," Ms. De Castro Villa said.
Through Tulay, Microsoft provides grants to nongovern-mental organizations operating public centers, where people can gain IT skills and training to help themselves and their communities. The centers are equipped with Internet connection and Web cameras.
Tulay uses the Unlimited Potential curriculum — cus-tomizable training modules developed in the US and used in more than 100 countries — to train Filipino workers abroad and their families in basic computer, Internet, E-mail, and digital media fundamentals, as well as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database applications. The curriculum has also been translated into various languages.
Tulay Community Technology Learning Centers (CTLC) are located all over the world, with four new centers opened most recently in Rome, Bicol and Zamboanga. Local centers are also found in the offices of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Manila, Cebu, La Union, Cagayan de Oro, and at the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) in Ortigas.
Since its launch in 2004, OWWA has been a partner of Microsoft Philippines in implementing the Tulay program and other initiatives for workers abroad. "Our OFWs are modern-day heroes for the Philippine economy," Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said. "They contribute significantly to our economy and it is only proper that we are able to help them to stay in touch with their loved ones left here in the country."
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