Internet voting for overseas Filipinos?

By RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

Posted at 09/26/2011 4:07 PM | Updated as of 09/26/2011 4:07 PM

 

Congressmen mull changes to law to increase absentee voter turnout

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino expatriates from the United States, Australia and Jordan have apparently scored a key point in removing a legal impediment blamed for the low turnout in overseas absentee voting.

The Joint Congressional Committees on Foreign Affairs and Suffrage are now considering a substitute bill amending the Overseas Absentee Voting law, in order to do away with the requirement for Filipinos to submit an affidavit to return to the country 3 years after registration.

Other amendments include allowing Filipino expatriates to participate in national referenda and plebiscites aside from voting for president, vice president, senator and party-list; the creation of field and mobile registration offices in all Philippine posts; allowing voting by mail or other technologies that maybe determined by Comelec, the creation of a Department of Overseas Voting in Comelec and the allotment of 10% of the national budget yearly to an information campaign for overseas voting.

Elections Commissioner Armando Velasco, who heads the committee on overseas voting, expressed support for all the amendments, citing the need to encourage more overseas Filipino voters to participate.

Overseas absentee voting has implemented in the past 3 elections in 2004, 2007 and 2010.
However, foreign affairs committee chairman Al Francis Bichara says about 90% of Filipinos overseas have been disenfranchised because of the law’s provisions, making overseas absentee voting a failure.

Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe, who heads the technical working group who worked on the bill, said, they “scrapped restrictive provisions in the present law to enable Filipino residents abroad to participate in our election. these are substantial provisions we have included under new proposal we hope committees will  consider and move for approval.”

Internet voting proposed

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez noted latest figures showed only 300,000 of 9 million Filipinos overseas are registered, of which only about 200,000 actually vote.
Rodriguez also made a pitch for Internet voting, which was later echoed by some stakeholders in the hearing.

"We should go to Internet voting. Mailing ano pa yan eh. let's go international through internet voting," he said.

Filipino-American lawyer and businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis presented her research on the experience of other countries that gave their expatriates the right to vote and how these countries increased voter turnout. Lewis pointed out that Mexico allows registration and voting by registered mail.

Lewis pointed out the high voting rates for expatriates of the Dominicaon Republic and Spain. She pointed out that Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom have more relaxed rules on requiring citizens to return to their home countries. In Canada, voter registration can be done by fax and internet.

The commitment to return is the "biggest stumbling block," Lewis said.

Lewis also made a pitch for voting by registered mail in the US, since fraud committed over the US registered mail system is considered a federal crime and is more secure.

Regarding the creation of a department of overseas voting in the Comelec, Velasco said there maybe a legal impediment because the absentee voting law specifies the creation of a committee instead.

Velacso also welcomed the possibility of Internet registration provided there are adequate security measures.

Upon questioning though, Velasco said that if Internet voting is done for Filipino expatriates, it may also be done locally in the Philippines.

"If we can do that (Internet voting), I believe there’s no reason we can't do that in the Philippines," he said.

Velasco was instructed to present a study on these amendments within 30 days.

The committee also approved to remove the word absentee in the amendment bill, potentially renaming the law to overseas voting law.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/26/11/internet-voting-overseas-filipinos

 

Pinoy students in UK warn vs PH consultancy firms

by Rose Eclarinal, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Posted at 09/22/2011 2:54 PM | Updated as of 09/23/2011 4:27 PM

 

BIRMINGHAM, England - A surge in the number of students arriving in Birmingham has alarmed Filipino community groups in the city.

Students started to arrive in the first quarter of 2011, some in groups of 10 to 15 students. All of them came to the UK to seek the proverbial green pasture.

They came with student visas but most, if not all, came here with the intention to work as allowed by the UK law, and also to study. After all, they have been working as registered nurses in the Philippines for many years.
  
They were lured to work and study in the UK. Now, they feel trapped by the agreements they have signed, and are starting to realize that the consultancy agency that processed their visas took advantage of their naiveté and desperation to find work abroad.
 
“Ang ganda ng pangako. Sabi po 3 days may trabaho na. Yun po ang pinangako sa amin na taliwas sa experience namin ngayon. We are expecting a lot  na hanggang ngayon wala pa rin po (kaming trabaho),” said John, not his real name.

John approached ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, along with the other students, to warn Filipinos to be wary of these so-called consultancy agencies in Manila. He declined to be identified for fear of being harassed by the consultancy agency.

Consultancy agency in question 

Kirsten Student Development Incorporated facilitated the student visas of the Filipino students for a 3-year Level 3 National Certificate Care and Management course in the UK under Quality Care Solutions Ltd or Wave Training Ltd.

The students paid a total of $7,000, excluding the air fare to the UK and other miscellaneous fees.  To be granted a student visa in the UK, they also had to secure at least P700,000 or £9,150  in  the bank as show money. Before they could leave the Philippines, some of them were already buried in debt, spending up to a million pesos.

The longer they stayed with Kirsten to process their documents, the more they spent. In retrospect, it was a strategy by the consultancy company to milk money from the desperate students. From 3 to 4 months of processing documents, some of them waited up to 2 years before they boarded the plane bound for the UK.

“Kasi once na nakapag-apply ka na, mahirap ng mag withdraw ng pera na binigay mo. Katulad nung nag- apply ako, sinabi nila na 3-4 months makakaalis kami. In that period bayad na kami dapat. Kung mag-withdraw ka, 70 percent lang ang makukuha mo. So parang sa aming mga aplikante, dahil nag- invest ka na ng time, ayaw mo ng mag back-out kasi manghihinayang sa 30 percent,’ said ‘John.’

It was also their understanding that the $7,000 they paid Kirsten included a portion of payment for their tuition fee in the UK college. But when they reported to Wave Training Ltd., they were shocked to find out that nothing has been paid by Kirsten.

In the contract secured by ABS-CBN Europe between one of the students and Kirsten, it stipulates "the UK enrollment and administration fees of $4,000 have to be paid."  This amount is part of the total amount of $7,000.

Tuition fee is not stipulated in any part of the contract. But according to John, it was only verbally explained to them that tuition fee is under "the enrolment and admin fees" portion.

He also provided another copy of the contract agreement where the amount was reduced to $ 3,000, but that was only on paper since they had still paid the agreed amount of $7,000. He said the revised contract was given to him prior to his departure from Manila.

Promises divorced from reality 

Although it was explained to them that they need at least £600 per month to survive the student life in the UK, nothing prepared the students for the conditions that awaited them in Birmingham. Unable to work for months and with classes to attend, the pocket money they thought would be enough for them to get by, disappeared quickly.

With intense pressure from living in a new environment and decrepit accommodations, one of the students had a mental breakdown and was sent back to the Philippines.

“Dun sa previous batch, may nagkaroon ng nervous breakdown. Kasi di talaga kakayananin dun sa pinadala nila sa amin na pocket money na amounting to £1,000.  It’s not enough to sustain us for almost 2 months na wala kaming trabaho,” said Cathy, not her real name. ABS-CBN Europe is also withholding the real name of Cathy to protect her from any form of harassment.

“Marami silang di tinupad. Una di nila na mention na pagdating sa amin dito may agency na may magha-handle dito. Kumbaga wala na kaming ini-expect na third party,” added Cathy.

The third party is another company that secures work for the students. Cathy said this company placed their classmates in other cities where travelling to and from their classes would be physically inconceivable. 

ABS-CBN Europe, through its news arm in the Philippines, tried to get Kirsten to comment on the issues raised by the students but to no avail.  

Filcom Groups in Birmingham lend a hand 

The students are worried they will not be able to pay their tuition fees if they do not start to work immediately. For 36 months, they need to pay £300 a month to Wave Training Ltd. On top of the tuition fee, they also have to worry about living expenses, which average  £600 a month.

With the help of the Filipino priest in Corpus Christy Catholic Church, Fr. Edgar Dizon, the students are getting guidance emotionally. Dizon asked the Filipino community in his Parish to help the students. The Filcom groups in Birmingham are mostly composed of nurses working for the NHS and other private hospitals.

“Tayong mga Pilipino, mataas tayong mangarap. Gusto nating maayos ang bukas ng pamilya natin sa Pilipinas kaya gumagawa tayo ng paraan para pumunta sa ibang bansa at magtrabaho. Ang mga taong nagpo-proseso ng mga papers, sinasasamantala nila ang mga kabataang ito, sinisingil nila ng napakalaki, kung ano anong pangako na wala namang katotohanan pagdating nila sa UK,” explained Dizon.

He also called on the government to look into this problem.

“Sana yung mga mambabatas sa Pilipinas tingnan ang bagay na ito, ang gobyerno para ma resolve kung ano ang problema. Kung kailangang itigil na ang ganitong kalakaran sa Pilipinas, itigil na. Aksyon ang kailangan natin kaysa patuloy na nalololoko ang mga kababayan natin,” said Dizon. 

The crux of the problem 

Consultancy agencies in the Philippines prey on people who are anxious to leave Philippines for better job prospects abroad. Back home, the applicants are unaware of the real situation in the UK. So when consultancy firms present these job opportunities in the UK, they are taken as gospel truth.

Consultancy firms make money from the business of processing student documents but it has recently reached a point of greed where they charge enormous fees, as in the case of Kirsten.

There is no regulatory body in the Philippines to oversee these consultancy agencies. There is also no law that protects the students when confronted with this kind of problem.

“Hinihiling ko po na sana magkaroon ng batas at mapag-aralan kung ano ang patakaran at grounds para  pwedeng mabigyan ng lunas ang ‘sindikato’ na ito na gumagawa ng bagay ng magpapaalis pero napakaraming panloloko,” said John.

For the students, the UK college as well as the consultancy firms in the Philippines, are both guilty of duping them.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/22/11/pinoy-students-uk-warn-vs-ph-consultancy-firms
 

Filipino maid jailed in Saudi over dirty underwear

By Philip C. Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
5:59 pm | Saturday, September 17th, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—For allegedly stealing the unwashed underwear of her employer’s mother, a Filipina domestic helper was sentenced to up to one year in prison in Saudi Arabia, a migrant rights group said Saturday.

Migrante International called on the Philippine government to work for the release of domestic helper Melanie Cordon, adding that the theft case against her was false and that she was tried in absentia.

“This is quite disturbing, although this has been the usual treatment to our fellow OFWs who were falsely accused, OFW Cordon, like many other cases, was never given the opportunity to defend herself and never attended a hearing,” said Migrante Middle East coordinator John Leonard Monterona.

Citing an “urgent appeal” from the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, Monterona said Cordon was detained at the main prison of Ha’il City in the central part Saudi Arabia.

He said Cordon worked at her employer’s mother’s four-storey house in June 2011 and asked that she be allowed to go home after complaining of the heavy work she had to do.

Monterona said her employer’s mother asked her to stay on until her contract expired on August 7. But In July, she was transferred to the house of her employer’s brother.

OFW Cordon left her sponsor-employer’s house but did not take her luggage, only a few items in a plastic bag, Monterona said.

On August 14, which should have been the day of her flight from Jeddah to the Philippines, Cordon went to retrieve her luggage from her sponsor-employer’s house.

“However, when she arrived to collect her luggage she found that it had been opened.

There was a woman standing behind it and she identified herself as a policewoman.

Cordon was handcuffed and brought to a nearby police station because her sponsor-employer’s mother had accused her of theft,” Monterona quoted the AHRC as saying.

“In Cordon’s absence, they had examined her belongings and apparently ‘found’ unwashed underwear belonging to her sponsor-employer’s mother with a few strands of hair and a picture which Melanie did see,” he added.

The domestic worker was taken to the Ha’il main prison and was able to make a phone call to her brother only on August 24.

Monterona said her brother told AHRC that a judge had entered the cell where she and other prisoners were being held and read out the verdicts to all of the prisoners there.

The judge ruled that Cordon will be jailed for a period of four months to one year, Monterona said.

He urged the Philippine embassy in Riyadh to immediately dispatch a consular team to look into the her case.

“We will closely work with the PH embassy to secure her release so that she will be immediately repatriated,” Monterona said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/12769/filipino-maid-jailed-in-saudi-over-dirty-underwear

Filipino is British hospitals’ Nurse of the Year

By Madonna Virola
Inquirer Southern Luzon
12:30 am | Sunday, September 18th, 2011

The Philippine embassy cites Medran as a good
example for OFWs.

CALAPAN—A Filipino from this Oriental Mindoro city  was named Nurse of the Year during the 2011 Star Awards of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH).

Teodoro “Junjun” Medran Jr., 38, a clinical charge nurse at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in the United Kingdom, was chosen from over 60 nominees, mostly British, by patients, colleagues and a board of judges that included member of parliament Nicolas Soames, a grandson of the late prime minister Winston Churchill.

Following the award, Medran said in an e-mail that he was cited by the Philippine Embassy in London for being a good example for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and struggling parents.

Medran has also been nominated for the Blas Ople Bagong Bayani Award 2011, which recognizes the role of OFWs in fostering high standards of responsibility, efficiency and integrity among overseas workers; and in promoting the welfare of OFWs.

Now on its second year, the Nurse of the Year award is given by the BSUH National Health Services in cooperation with The Argus newspapers.  Last year’s awardee was a Briton.

The BSUH is described in its web site as the regional teaching hospital operating across two sites: the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Medran said the award was a recognition of the hard work and professionalism of Filipino nurses and OFWs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs estimates that 250,000 Filipinos live in the UK.

As clinical charge nurse, Medran said part of his job was to certify dead patients who, sometimes, did not have relatives. “I make sure I am with them (before they die), holding their hands, reciting prayers. I always whisper in their ears my wish that they be reunited with the Lord in heaven,” he said.

“I always make my patients happy by singing love and joyful songs to, at least, ease their anxiety.  There’s so much from within to share, like love-filled childhood,” he said.

Medran said he learned his empathy for others from his father, who would give away even the food he was about to eat if somebody asked for it. His father believed the giver was more blessed than the recipient.

A graduate of Arellano University at 18, Medran went to the UK in 1999, after working at the Lung Center of the Philippines for six years, then  the Philippine Heart Center for two years. He  was also a college lecturer while waiting for the board examination results.

“Almost half of my life was spent in the hospital so I said, ‘Why not treat everyone as a family member, too?’ It must really be a calling because I continue to be excited everyday in doing the same job,” he said.

He saw his work as more than just caring for the human body and saving lives.  “To touch the soul and emotion of another,  I always put myself in someone else’s shoes and always feel that I am a member of the families of my patients.  When they are lonely or without visitors, I like feeding them if they can’t feed themselves and making them look good by giving them a shave and cutting their hair.  I believe that if they look good they will feel good,” he said

Former patients who returned to the hospital would always ask for him upon admission. Medran would give them a hug, happy to see that they had recovered.

He said, though there were challenges, his courage and strong faith in God enabled  him to overcome the obstacles.

Medran is married to another nurse, Cindy Laroco of Baguio City, who works in the same hospital. They have three children: Michaela Argenta, 6; Thea Mikayla, 5; and Theodore, 3.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/12827/filipino-is-british-hospitals%e2%80%99-nurse-of-the-year

Certified as fit to work, OFW is sent back for medical reasons

Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:20 am | Sunday, September 18th, 2011 

The Qatar Medical Commission required Angelito Cabillon to undergo a new health assessment to get his Pataka (labor card).

After one month and two weeks as a barista, Qatar Immigration ordered Cabillon to leave the country within 48 hours because he was found to have a scar in his lung.

But Cabillon, who applied through Jobsmanila International Inc. (formerly Achica International Placement Agency) in January was given a “fit to work” clearance after several medical examinations conducted by the Physician’s Diagnostic Center to verify the initial “blurred” findings in his lungs.

He left for Qatar on May 19, 2011, eager to work for a foreign employer and give his family a better future. Cabillon considered it his destiny to be an OFW since several members of his family had worked abroad. Both his parents worked in Israel.

To cover the cost of his overseas employment application, his recruitment agency gave him a referral so he could get a loan from the PJH Group, a lending agency. Cabillon got  a P40,000 loan, payable in six months with interest amounting to P23,000.

With his brother as comaker for the loan, he  submitted a photocopy of the title to the family house and lot.

But after working for only over a month, he was ordered to return  to the Philippines in July because Qatar doctors found the lung scar. On the same day Cabillon arrived in Manila, his father, 72, passed away.

After the interment, he went to Jobsmanila International. He was offered a recompensation amounting to P10,000 only.  Jobsmanila also told him he should personally handle his problem with the lending agency.

Cabillon was advised by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to claim the unexpired portion of his 21 months indenture, which was equivalent to P392,000.

Bantay OCW is with Cabillon in his battle for justice. He is now preparing for his case to be heard by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) on Sept. 7 and 14.

Our collaborators from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) are demanding that Cabillon’s alleged “fit to work” medical certificate be released by Jobsmanila International.

Traumatic encounter 

Joseph Banaag applied as fire alarm technician at Al Mustaqbal International Inc. In April, after less than two months on the job, he came home.

Banaag’s first night at Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was traumatic. He was  awakened from his sleep by a feeling that somebody was touching sensitive parts of his body. When he woke up he saw his workmate, an Egyptian engineer, in his room. He told Banaag it was no big deal and he should go back to sleep.

Our kabayan went to Saudi with a bald head and no moustache, not realizing what effect his looks would have on other nationalities.

Banaag told the Egyptian to get out of his room. He locked the door as soon as he was alone.

The following weeks were very difficult for the OFW. The Philippine Embassy confirmed that he was a victim of contract substitution as evidenced by an indenture added just 15 minutes before Banaag’s departure.

The last minute addition meant he would work not as a fire alarm technician but a laborer. Also, his compensation, food and accommodation allowances were not what he expected.

He appealed for assistance from Al Mustaqbal International Inc. However, an employee told him that since he wanted to go home, they could not do anything to help him.

Fortunately, the Philippine Embassy and his employer helped and Banaag was able to come  home.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/12823/certified-as-fit-to-work-ofw-is-sent-back-for-medical-reasons

Jail or suicide: Caught in debt trap, some Pinoys make tough choices

09/16/2011 | 11:00 AM

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), many expatriates, including Filipinos, who are caught in a "debt trap" are forced to make a tough choice between jail and suicide, the news site Khaleej Times said on Friday.

According to Khaleej Times, "Caught in the whirlpool of recession, job and business losses, and mounting loan and credit card payments, many expatriates come to the conclusion that their only choice is jail or suicide."

The report cited Filipino expatriate "Lein F." who chose to go to jail and a certain "Anil Kumar" who chose to commit suicide.

Anil and his wife committed suicide after killing their daughter, the report said.

Lein, on the other hand, spent three-and-a-half months in jail due to bounced cheques, the report said.

Khaleej Times said many expatriates are harassed and subjected to mental torture as they are unable to find employment and settle their mounting bills.

Citing a report of Dr. Khalid Al Khazraji, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, the report said UAE's labor market comprises 202 nationalities, of whom almost 50 percent are Indians.

"Since 2009, when the global economic downturn was at its worst, many had staggering amounts of personal loans and credit card payments. They were further crippled as they lost jobs, delayed salaries, reduced pay and incessant threatening calls from the banks to settle their debts," Khaleej Times said.

The report cited statistics that "at least 53 Indian nationals committed suicide in the last nine months in Dubai and the Northern Emirates."

Afraid to compromise honor

In the Khaleej Times report, Dr. Raymond H. Hamden, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, said some "people commit suicide when they find no ways to solve their problems that compromise their honor, respect and trust of their families, community as well as creditors."

He noted that not all cultures put pressure on people to feel shame, guilt, and embarrassment.

However, those who are pressured to feel embarrassed may end up committing suicide, Hamden said in the report.

Khaleej Times said suicide "is a criminal act and it is against the teachings of the religion of Islam."

In the report, a police officer urged people with financial troubles to think of other solutions instead of committing suicide.

“Every problem in life has a solution. Killing oneself would never help in solving a problem. They have to be patient and seek advice from religious scholars whenever they have problems," the officer told Khaleej Times. - VVP, GMA News

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232562/pinoy-abroad/jail-or-suicide-caught-in-debt-trap-some-pinoys-make-tough-choices 

Pinoys bound for Bangkok face strict screening

By Helen Flores
The Philippine Star
Updated September 12, 2011 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration has tightened the screening of passengers bound for Bangkok following reports that the Thai capital is being used as transit point of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) going to countries covered by the government deployment ban, officials said yesterday.

BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. ordered BI airport operations division acting chief Lina Andaman Pelia to institute measures that will prevent human traffickers and illegal recruiters from skirting the deployment ban on OFWs by initially sending their victims to other places before flying them to their final destinations where the ban is in effect.

David issued the order after learning that many travelers offloaded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in recent months were bound for Bangkok and were identified to be “tourist workers.”

Tourist workers refer to undocumented OFWs who attempt to leave the country in the guise of being tourists.

BI spokesperson Maria Antonette Bucasas-Mangrobang said they received intelligence reports that undocumented OFWs have been using the Bangkok International Airport as a jump-off point before going to Middle East, especially to Jordan and Lebanon.

Mangrobang cited an incident at the NAIA last Aug. 22 when four passengers were offloaded from their Bangkok-bound flights after it was discovered that they were actually going to Amman, Jordan.

BI said one of the passengers turned out to be a courier for a syndicate that recruited his three female companions, who were going to work as domestic helpers in Amman.

Members of the BI travel control and enforcement unit, who intercepted the passengers, said the women all pointed to their male companion as the one who provided their plane tickets and hotel accommodation vouchers, the BI said.

Mangrobang refused to provide the names of the passengers, citing a provision in the anti-human trafficking act that forbids public disclosure of trafficking victims.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, and Nigeria are covered by the government deployment ban.   – With Rudy Santos

Filipinos in UAE caught in credit card trap

Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:04 am | Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates—Before she arrived in this mecca of migrant labor at age 48, Evelyn Naces, a Filipino nurse, had never owned a credit card. Soon she had 14 credit cards—and like thousands of other foreign workers here, a trip to debtors’ prison.

The Philippine Embassy held a financial literacy program in June. Some workers borrowed at rates of 50 percent or more.

“When they put me in shackles, that was the worst,” said Naces, who had $27,000 in unpaid bills, mostly from helping her grown son start a business back in the Philippines that later failed. “I felt so degraded.”

For years, banks all but threw credit cards at the foreigners who come here in droves to work the malls and fill the office towers. The workers, many of them raised in poor countries and new to easy credit, spent beyond their means.

Staggering losses followed, with jail terms common for those who could not pay.

Whether cast as reckless lending or heedless borrowing, the stories of these foreign workers offer an unusual glimpse of the hidden emotions—webs of pride, guilt and family obligation—that follow millions of migrants across the globe.

Some shopped for pleasure, but many ran up bills by answering pleas from poor relatives for needs as varied as livestock and medical care. The ability to say “no” seldom felt like an option.

Still others, feeling uprooted, built houses back home that they might never occupy. Some mothers who left their children behind tried to salve guilty feelings with expensive gifts.

Vicious cycle

“The family back home often thinks the migrant is earning a lot and raises its expectations,” said Grace Princesa, the Philippine ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who has made debt reduction a part of a government campaign to improve conditions for migrants.

“The poor migrant goes deeper into debt just to answer. It’s a vicious cycle,” Princesa said.

Such was the case with Naces, now 52, a single mother who left her infant son with her parents and went to Saudi Arabia to make money to support him. By the time she arrived in the UAE in 2007, he had already grown up without her.

Though she could not get a credit card in Saudi Arabia, she could scarcely avoid one in the UAE. Salesmen stalked nurses outside hospitals and worshipers after Mass at a Filipino church.

Naces bought furniture, clothes and meals for herself, but her biggest expenses involved her son, whose affection she feared she had lost. She built him a house in the Philippines and bought five cars with credit cards so he could start a rental business.

“I felt guilty for being away and not raising him,” she said. “I was trying to compensate.”

Both mother and son went to jail—he on drug charges and she for debt.

Debtors clog jails

While the government does not disclose how many debtors have been jailed, a legislative body several years ago estimated that 10,000 of them were in the courts or prison.

The Dubai police chief has complained that debtors needlessly clog the jails, and employers have warned the Ministry of Labor that debt problems distract employees.

About 85 percent of the UAE’s population—and 99 percent of the private workforce—consists of foreign workers, and local officials keep watch for signs of discontent.

“The employers were saying, ‘This is a priority to us,’” said Qassim Jamil, a senior official in the labor ministry.

The Central Bank tightened lending rules this year, and the labor ministry sponsored a financial literacy program for migrant leaders.

“What do we want? Freedom!” Ambassador Princesa chanted at a session for Filipinos. “Freedom from poverty! Freedom from credit card problems! Freedom from bank problems!”

Aggressive lending

If migrants spent heavily, lenders encouraged them. Traditionally, credit card use was low (in part because of Islamic strictures against charging interest), but banks spotted a new market and moved aggressively.

With foreign banks like HSBC and Citigroup fighting locals for market share, the number of cards leapt to four million in 2008, a fivefold increase in five years, according to the Lafferty Group, a London research firm.

But the UAE lacks a reliable credit bureau, so lenders could not tell how many cards or how much debt the borrowers carried.

“Banks were falling over themselves to lend, and they didn’t have proper credit checks,” said Andrew Neeson, a Lafferty analyst.

Courted with gifts and teaser rates, few borrowers understood the costs. The average interest rate in the Emirates last year, at 36 percent, was more than twice the global average, and banks routinely add another 10 percent for disability and death insurance.

With penalties, some workers were borrowing at rates of 50 percent or more.

Intoxicating

Anyone can be tempted by easy credit, but migrants raised in poverty can find the glittering malls here especially intoxicating.

“The first time I used my card, I felt amazed,” Naces said. “It’s a feeling of excitement, power—greatness even.”

Rex Arcenio, a Filipino optometrist, accepted a gold card because it came with a Montblanc pen and a limousine ride to the airport for his annual leave.

“It was like a status symbol,” Arcenio said.

He ran up $50,000 in debt—for his children’s education, his brother’s cancer treatment and a house in Manila—and was briefly jailed.

Bouncing check

Technically, debtors go to jail for bouncing the blank “security checks” they must sign when accepting a card. If borrowers fail to pay, banks can deposit the checks for the sum owed, and bouncing a check is a crime.

Whether foreign or Emirati, borrowers must repay the debt after leaving jail, though banks often accept reduced terms.

Skilled workers here are generally treated better than in neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia, which can make their debt travails a shock. Jail conditions in the UAE are described as comfortable, but the accused often appear in court in leg irons.

“My world collapsed,” said Arcenio, a proud man in a white lab coat.

Aisha Alambatang, 54, who served a month for one card in February, could be jailed again for others. A Filipino nurse with three grown children, Alambatang spent most of their childhood years abroad, supporting them from Saudi Arabia.

When she arrived in the UAE eight years ago, she got a raise and six credit cards.

‘My heart was broken’

Alambatang built houses for herself and her daughter, and helped the children start several failed businesses. Then she paid for two daughters to move to Abu Dhabi to job-hunt.

Soon she had a monthly salary of $2,200 and debt service of more than $3,000. When Alambatang arrived in court, her daughter was already there.

“When my daughter saw me with a chain on my foot, I felt like my heart was broken,” she said. Worried about returning to jail, Alambatang gets palpitations when she sees the police, and she sleeps with her daughter for comfort.

“I’m not in jail anymore, but here,” she said, hand over her heart, “I’m more in jail.” New York Times News Service

WikiLeaks: US sees Filipino migrant workers as social 'safety valve'

by Jojo Malig, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 08/30/2011 10:11 PM | Updated as of 08/31/2011 12:39 PM

Millions of Filipinos have left the country to find better-paying jobs abroad.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines would be a boiling cauldron of poverty and social unrest if it were not for the millions of Filipinos heading overseas to work in higher-paying jobs, according to a US embassy cable published by WikiLeaks.

Cable 05MANILA1808, titled "The 'Masa' as a Political Force," said social unrest in the country had yet to reach its tipping point.

"The export of OFWs provides an enormous political-economic safety valve for the Philippines; not only by providing needed hard currency for the domestic economy, but also by exporting large numbers of ambitious individuals from the 'masa' who might otherwise combine to force acute social-economic issues such as persistent poverty and unemployment to the political front burner and to take a pre-dominant political role against the entrenched elite," it explained.

The embassy memo, dated April 20 2005, is among the more than 3,000 cables on the Philippines that were released on the Internet last week by whistleblower group WikiLeaks.

The cable revealed how politicians, left-leaning groups, and even religious groups attempt to use the underprivileged and impoverished sector of Philippine society to promote various causes.

However, the poor "will likely remain politically marginal, especially with so many of its potential leaders heading off every year as overseas Filipino workers," it said.

The cable said the poor sector of society has "the numbers, but poverty and lack of education are constraints upon translating this into effective political representation and power."

"The extent of poverty and poor governance helps explain the enduring appeal of the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines] as well as newer leftist groups," it said.

It quoted Joel Rocamora from the Institute of Popular Democracy who noted, "until now, the masa has shown the capacity to bring down a government, but not to build up a government."

On 'brain drain'

Another cable,  07MANILA193, meanwhile, questioned the Philippine government's labor export policy as a development strategy.

"Though no one in the Philippines is talking about exporting labor as a development strategy, this is effectively what the country is doing," the cable said.

"Foreign remittances are the most dynamic sector of the Philippine economy, and have been for some years now," it stressed.

"As qualified airline pilots, engineers, mechanics, nurses, doctors, and teachers leave the Philippines for lucrative jobs abroad, it is crucial that a broadened, high-quality education system provide new, well-trained workers to take up their positions in the Philippines.  So far, that is not happening," it added, highlighting the "brain drain" in the country.

The cable, sent by then US Ambassador to Manila Kristey Kenney, said Washington should not be surprised that the Philippine government encourages Filipinos to work abroad and remit their earnings despite labor shortages affecting some sectors.

"The steady flow of remittances improves the country's balance of payments and international currency reserves and strengthens the peso.  Overseas work also mitigates the effects of one of the highest population growth rates (2%) in Southeast Asia.  With so many working overseas, there is less pressure to invest in infrastructure and services in order to keep up with the growing population," it said.

However, the diplomatic memo said continuing departure of experienced professionals and instructors places many sectors in the Philippines at risk.

"Basic education, particularly in math, science, and English, needs additional investment to increase the number of qualified workers and instructors in sectors at risk for brain drain and labor shortages.  Thus far, the GRP has not made the necessary investment in education to allow the country to benefit fully from its otherwise excellent workforce," it added.

New breed of OFWs

The cable said compared  to previous years when OFWs were low-paid service providers and unskilled workers, such as household helpers and construction workers, the Philippines is producing a new breed of OFWs.

"Professional and technical workers comprise almost 38% of OFWs, up from 31% in 2000. Production workers are now 22% of the overseas workforce, down from almost 37% in 2000.  The demand for OFW employment is at an all-time high," it said.

However, the decision of skilled professionals heading for greener pastures abroad has resulted in local sectors suffering manpower shortages.

These include the Philippine Air Force, which reported that 54 of its pilots resigned in 2006 to pursue work as commercial pilots.

"Air Force pilots, attracted by higher pay and better benefits are mostly leaving to work for the national carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), which offers senior pilots $4,000-$7,000 per month including benefits and productivity pay.  Other local carriers offer pilots only $2,000 to $3,000 per month.  However, foreign commercial airlines are offering experienced pilots up to $12,000 per month.  As a result of the pay disparity, more than 120 pilots out of the 700 qualified to serve as captains, have left the Philippines for overseas jobs since 2000," the cable said.

"The problem extends beyond pilots, though.  Over the past six years half of the 3,000 Filipino aircraft mechanics have left the country," it added.

"Demand from carriers in China and India is expected to continue growing. The demand for experienced Filipino pilots will increase even more following an International Civil Aviation Organization requirement that all international pilots, radio operators, and air traffic controllers pass English proficiency examinations," it said.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) tried to stem the tide by requiring pilots and aircraft mechanics to give their employers 6 months advance notice before leaving to work abroad.  The airline industry also lobbied heavily for more dramatic action, such as a 3- to 5-year ban on foreign contracting of these professionals.

Salary disparity

The healthcare sector is also affected by the labor migration, according to the embassy memo.

"Since 1994, over 100,000 nurses have left the Philippines to work abroad, about 50,000 in the last five years.  Because of this outflow of nurses, many government-funded rural hospitals have severely reduced midwife services," it said.

The cable revealed that salary disparity is driving Filipino nurses to head overseas.
In the Philippines, doctors in public hospitals are paid up to $800 per month while nurses receive up to $115 per month.  "By contrast, overseas salaries for nurses can exceed $5,000 per month," it said.

As a result, many Filipino doctors are seeking work overseas work as nurses, according to the memo.

The cable also predicted future labor shortages in the education sector, as many of the country's best and experienced teachers leaving to work abroad.

"Salaries of teachers in urban areas currently average $3,000 per year while salaries offered by US recruiters average $36,000 per year," it said.

"Many teachers are also leaving to work as nurses and domestic helpers," the cable added.
"Recognizing the potential negative effects of the loss of the country's most skilled teachers, the Government plans to upgrade the skills of math and science teachers remaining in the country through in-service training and mentoring.  However, this may increase the marketability of these teachers for overseas jobs and thus contribute as much to the outflow as to the quality of Philippine education," it said.