By Susan K
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:03 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
The 7th Interfaith Dialogue of the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM-IFD7) was held last Oct. 13-14 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
with the theme “Harnessing the Benefits and Addressing the Challenges of
Migration through Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue.”
It ended with the issuance of The Manila Statement on ASEM Interfaith Dialogue on Migration.
The statement called on ASEM member countries to promote
understanding, tolerance and respect for diversity of cultures, and for
freedom of religion and beliefs in the context of increased mobility and
people-to-people interaction.
Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration, the country’s representative in the event, defined
interfaith dialogue as “cooperative, constructive and positive
interaction between or among people of different religious traditions
and spiritual or humanistic beliefs.”
According to Dimzon, respect for religious, non-religious and
cultural diversity is integral for our well-being, prosperity and peace.
International migration, by bringing people of different beliefs together, can promote cultural and religious harmony.
Filipino migrants—over eight million of them in about 190
countries—bring with them their values, traditional beliefs, ethical
standards and norms, and even ideologies. Yet they are able to mix and
blend easily with other nationals. Dimson attributes this to the
predeparture orientation programs conducted by the government that remind Filipino migrants to be sensitive to the behavior and culture of other people.
Over the years, host governments have also become more open and
tolerant of foreign migrants. Religious discrimination against has has
diminished, she said.
In Macau or Hong Kong, where there are over 130,000 Filipino
migrants, a Catholic mass is celebrated by a Filipino priest in Filipino
for Filipino mass-goers. Overseas Filipinos workers say the freedom
to express themselves through their faith helps them cope with the
pressure, stress and loneliness they face while being away from home,
Dimson said.
Truly, OFWs can become catalysts for inter-faith harmony in the world today.
Dimzon lamented that some societies have stayed restrictive,
repressive and intolerant of other people’s humanistic and religious
beliefs. To her, these societies have not yet realize the benefits they
receive from the presence of migrants in their country. She expressed
hope that in due time and through continued and sustained interfaith and
inter-cultural dialogues, they will become part of one, big, open world
whose people have come together despite differing beliefs.
Susan Andes, a.k.a. Susan K is on board at RADYO INQUIRER 990 DZIQ AM, Mon to Fri, 7:00-8: 30 p.m.
http://bit.ly/ttTFK8
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Interests of OFWs paramount, says bishop
By Philip C. Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:33 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
A ranking Catholic prelate on Saturday urged the government to implement the deployment ban on 41 countries found to be lacking in protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who once headed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI), urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to prioritize the “interests of OFWs.”
The DFA, facing protests from some labor-receiving countries, had urged the Department of Labor and Employment to defer the implementation of the deployment ban.
“Please tell the DFA not to close their eyes or minds. Money is not enough. Human dignity is worth more than the dollars these heroes remit,” Arguelles said.
“The adverse effects (of a deployment ban) would be less than the inhuman treatment (of OFWs) in problematic countries,” he said.
Arguelles said that even when he headed ECMI, his stand was for “a total ban on countries whose cultural mindset is discriminatory to women and strangers like in most Arab lands.”
The labor department earlier announced that it was banning the deployment of OFWs to 41 countries because the DFA had certified that they did not meet the safety requirements for Filipino workers set by the Migrant Workers Act.
That law states that countries where OFWs work should have “existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers; are a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers; and have concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs.”
The countries on the list are Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chad, Croatia, Cuba, North Korea, Dominica, East Timor, Eritrea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are well known to have few laws protecting domestic labor, are not on the list.
Ople said the recruitment industry and millions of OFWs were waiting for the next and final list that would include several Gulf countries with a high concentration of Filipino workers.
Migrant labor organizations have yet to question the new law’s impact on their basic freedom of mobility and employment.
http://bit.ly/tGDLDB
Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:33 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
 |
| Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles. Photo taken from http://sois.census.gov.ph |
Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who once headed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI), urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to prioritize the “interests of OFWs.”
The DFA, facing protests from some labor-receiving countries, had urged the Department of Labor and Employment to defer the implementation of the deployment ban.
“Please tell the DFA not to close their eyes or minds. Money is not enough. Human dignity is worth more than the dollars these heroes remit,” Arguelles said.
“The adverse effects (of a deployment ban) would be less than the inhuman treatment (of OFWs) in problematic countries,” he said.
Arguelles said that even when he headed ECMI, his stand was for “a total ban on countries whose cultural mindset is discriminatory to women and strangers like in most Arab lands.”
The labor department earlier announced that it was banning the deployment of OFWs to 41 countries because the DFA had certified that they did not meet the safety requirements for Filipino workers set by the Migrant Workers Act.
That law states that countries where OFWs work should have “existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers; are a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers; and have concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs.”
The countries on the list are Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chad, Croatia, Cuba, North Korea, Dominica, East Timor, Eritrea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are well known to have few laws protecting domestic labor, are not on the list.
Ople said the recruitment industry and millions of OFWs were waiting for the next and final list that would include several Gulf countries with a high concentration of Filipino workers.
Migrant labor organizations have yet to question the new law’s impact on their basic freedom of mobility and employment.
http://bit.ly/tGDLDB
Friday, November 04, 2011
PNoy's ultimate goal: Bring OFWs back to PH
Posted at 11/04/2011 6:44 PM | Updated as of 11/04/2011 6:44 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino government is finding ways
to bring back overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and encourage potential
ones to stay in the country.
“That is the ultimate goal--that we have 10 million OFWs and we want them to be back here and the way to be able to do that is with the jobs that are available here,” President Benigno Aquino III said in the live interview on the YouTube Worldview series Friday.
The first question raised in the interview was by Rey Ambler. He asked, “Mr. President, what can you do so that Filipinos will start to work here and for our country instead of migrating and working abroad?”
“We’re trying to attract investors both domestic and international,” Aquino said, adding that his government is likewise tapping the outsourcing industry as one of its sources to be able to create more local jobs.
“Every time I go abroad, for instance, perhaps two-thirds of the entire mission is spent trying to get investors to come in. And we have had successes,” Aquino said.
China visit windfall
Among the accomplishments that Aquino cited was his recent trip to China, where he got billions of dollars in investments for the Philippines.
“The most recent is the state visit to China wherein we got about 1.2 or 1.8 billion dollars worth of new investments that conceivably can become about 11 to 12 billion,” he said.
The president said he was able to secure pledges from Chinese businessmen. “US$1.2 [billion] that are finished items already; $3.2 [billion] that need one or two details that have to be tackled; and $7.9 billion that is forthcoming. They are really, seriously, interested in investing and they are at the exploratory stage,” he said.
“The BPO industry will reach about 640,000 direct jobs this year, produces between 2-and-a-half to 5 jobs for every direct job, and they are venturing into areas in the countryside which have schools, which have the talent that they do need. It’s not a dream, but rather something that is already a reality. Areas are opening up because of these industries that we’re hoping to nurture,” he said.
Skills mismatch
At the same time, the government is also instituting reforms in the educational system and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Our DOLE has a website called phil-job.net that has something like 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available but are not being met because of skills mismatch.
Aquino said he already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DOLE to coordinate in order to prepare students for jobs that would be available upon graduation.
He explained that the trend is that students aim for jobs that are currently hot but are no longer in demand when they graduate.
“So we want to end that mismatch between the skills and job opportunities,” he said.
Aquino said there are other industries that can be a source of future growth for jobs aside from the outsourcing industry.
“One thing that has been a dream is also the manufacturing side and we're hoping to get that back. Again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country.
http://bit.ly/uTGDxt
“That is the ultimate goal--that we have 10 million OFWs and we want them to be back here and the way to be able to do that is with the jobs that are available here,” President Benigno Aquino III said in the live interview on the YouTube Worldview series Friday.
The first question raised in the interview was by Rey Ambler. He asked, “Mr. President, what can you do so that Filipinos will start to work here and for our country instead of migrating and working abroad?”
“We’re trying to attract investors both domestic and international,” Aquino said, adding that his government is likewise tapping the outsourcing industry as one of its sources to be able to create more local jobs.
“Every time I go abroad, for instance, perhaps two-thirds of the entire mission is spent trying to get investors to come in. And we have had successes,” Aquino said.
China visit windfall
Among the accomplishments that Aquino cited was his recent trip to China, where he got billions of dollars in investments for the Philippines.
“The most recent is the state visit to China wherein we got about 1.2 or 1.8 billion dollars worth of new investments that conceivably can become about 11 to 12 billion,” he said.
The president said he was able to secure pledges from Chinese businessmen. “US$1.2 [billion] that are finished items already; $3.2 [billion] that need one or two details that have to be tackled; and $7.9 billion that is forthcoming. They are really, seriously, interested in investing and they are at the exploratory stage,” he said.
“The BPO industry will reach about 640,000 direct jobs this year, produces between 2-and-a-half to 5 jobs for every direct job, and they are venturing into areas in the countryside which have schools, which have the talent that they do need. It’s not a dream, but rather something that is already a reality. Areas are opening up because of these industries that we’re hoping to nurture,” he said.
Skills mismatch
At the same time, the government is also instituting reforms in the educational system and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Our DOLE has a website called phil-job.net that has something like 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available but are not being met because of skills mismatch.
Aquino said he already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DOLE to coordinate in order to prepare students for jobs that would be available upon graduation.
He explained that the trend is that students aim for jobs that are currently hot but are no longer in demand when they graduate.
“So we want to end that mismatch between the skills and job opportunities,” he said.
Aquino said there are other industries that can be a source of future growth for jobs aside from the outsourcing industry.
“One thing that has been a dream is also the manufacturing side and we're hoping to get that back. Again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country.
http://bit.ly/uTGDxt
Thursday, November 03, 2011
DTI, DOLE tie up in training OFWs become entrepreneurs
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio
(The Philippine Star) Updated August 01, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA,
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are collaborating in training
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to become entrepreneurs which will hopefully help strengthen the Philippines’ exporting capability.
“Export-driven economies such as the Philippines would need to build
the capacity of entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs to enhance our
exporting activities and boost the local economy,” said Trade and
Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo.
The DOLE, through the National Reintegration Center for OFWs has
tapped the DTI through the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) to
organize a training package for overseas workers and encourage them to
venture into business.
These free training sessions, which began this July, consist of key
topics on how to start a business, entrepreneurial education activities
where they learn the business cycle, market supply and demand, and
selling as well as preparing the business plan.
A study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) noted that overseas
remittances could spur local development through entrepreneurship. The
study also cited the role of government
to provide support mechanisms to overseas workers and
remittance-receiving families who are self-employed or who have entered
into enterprises.
In 2010, the DTI, through the PTTC, has organized similar trainings
for some 300 overseas workers in cooperation with the Overseas Workers
Welfare Administration (OWWA).
For this year, the PTTC training targets some 2,000 overseas workers
as participants. The sessions will culminate with an activity on
preparing the business plan. The best business plans will qualify for a start-up loan package from the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.
There are about two million Filipinos
working abroad, majority of whom are based in the Middle East. The
training sessions will assist returning OFWs affected by the recent
political unrest in the region and reintegrate them into the economy.
The government is likewise readying several other programs.
A study by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) showed
that the Philippines is one of the world’s largest labor exporters
since the 1980s and one of the largest recipients of overseas workers’
remittances. In 2010, international remittances from abroad reached
$18.8 billion, according to recent Bangko Sentral data.
Shipping ‘balikbayan’ boxes
It’s
this time of the year that Filipinos around the world send parcels and
packages to their loved ones to and from the Philippines and other
countries. Filipinos are known to have the longest
Christmas season celebration and a way to express their love for their
families and friends is through sending of gifts in balikbayan boxes.
The
anticipation of loved ones is high when they know that they will
receive gifts from their families and friends from distant places. That’s why one can only imagine their frustration when the much-awaited balikbayan box was delayed or not received at all.
For
the past several months, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
received quite a number of complaints on the delay, nondelivery and
damage of balikbayan boxes. The DTI, through its Philippine Shippers’ Bureau (PSB), assisted many of the complainants who were able to acquire their balikbayan boxes but after a long wait.
Thus, the DTI-PSB provides a list of frequently asked questions to properly guide the consumers on shipping their balikbayan boxes especially this Christmas season.
FAQs:
Q. How much are the shipping rates of balikbayan boxes? How long is the transit time from origin to destination?
A. There are various rates for shipping of different sizes of balikbayan boxes. Below is a sample rate for a standard size balikbayan box (24”x24”x24”) and transit time from origin to destination.
Q. Where are most balikbayan boxes coming from?
A. OFWs and other Filipinos living abroad from these countries have the large number of packages sent through balikbayan boxes.
- Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar)
- the USA
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
- Singapore
- Italy
- UK
- Korea
Q. What are the common complaints received by the DTI-PSB regarding balikbayan boxes?
A. Most of the complaints on balikbayan boxes are:
- nondelivery or failure to deliver balikbayan boxes
- pilferage of balikbayan box
- overcharging
- damaged cargo
Q. How does one file a complaint with the DTI-PSB?
A. Complainants
should submit a written complaint with documentary evidences such as
official receipts, cargo receipts, bills of lading, shippers’
declaration, way bills, etc.
Q. How does the DTI-PSB handle these complaints?
A. The DTI-PSB has a mediation and arbitration unit which handles/resolves the above complaints.
Q. What are the tips in shipping balikbayan boxes?
A. The following are few tips to ensure that your balikbayan boxes reach its destination.
- Organize all the things you want to send through a balikbayan box. This would give you an idea on the size of box you would need to use. Check out how much shipping would cost per box size (door-to-door charges, other fees, if any).
- Book your boxes only with PSB-accredited sea cargo consolidator/freight forwarder companies. These companies normally have Philippine counterparts which must have an accreditation from the DTI-PSB if by sea, or from Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines (Caap) if by air. Senders may verify the company name of Philippine seafreight forwarder counterpart at www.dti.gov.ph under the Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation section or thru our Philippine Consulate Office abroad.
- Beware of exceptionally very low rates. Most complaints for non-delivery involve cargo shipments that usually charge very low door-to-door rates. In these cases, the foreign principals do not have enough funds to bear the cost of transporting the cargoes, compounded by their failure to remit releasing and delivery funds to their Philippine breakbulk agent, causing the shipments to be abandoned at the ports.
- Declare your shipment by accomplishing a detailed packing list stating all the contents of your box and value of shipment, per item if possible as well as your preferred shipping date. Inquire for proper or standard (or extraordinary, if needed) packing, wrapping, strapping, sealing and labelling requirements of your box.
- Secure transport documents such as cargo receipt (or Official Receipt) for fees paid, and Bill of Lading—a document issued by a transportation carrier to the shipper as proof that they have received the cargo shipment and have placed them on board a particular vessel for delivery to a particular destination. It also states the transport terms in which the received cargo shipments are to be carried and delivered.
- Get the name and contact details of the forwarder’s agent in the Philippines. Be sure that these information are clearly indicated in the transport document and/or receipt.
- Monitor the movement of your cargo from origin to destination to make sure it is being shipped and delivered. You may inquire for a tracking scheme or continuously contact the forwarding company. You may ask them to provide you details such as the name of shipping line, vessel’s name, voyage number, container number, and expected time of departure and arrival of your cargo/package.
- Inform your consignee to check your cargo with the Philippine freight forwarding agent even before it arrives. When it does, make sure to inspect the seal and wrapping of the box before signing the delivery receipt. If you observe that has been tampered with, do not receive the cargo/package and ask the delivery agent to have it double-checked.
- If you encounter pilferage or lost item, or nondelivery, file an immediate claim or complaint with the freight forwarder’s customer service. You may also lodge your complaint directly to the Philippine Shippers’ Bureau at 2nd Floor, DTI Building, 361 Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, or call the DTI-Direct (02) 751-3330 for assistance.
Q. What items that should not be sent through balikbayan boxes?
A. The following items are not allowed to be included in the box:
- Currencies, checks, money orders and traveler’s checks;
- Jewelries;
- Firearms, ammunitions and explosives;
- Prohibited drugs and other substances;
- Pornographic materials, gambling cards and toy guns; and
- Pirated products i.e., dvd, cd, tapes, etc.
Q. What sanctions/penalties may PSB impose on freight forwarders violating PSB policies on balikbayan boxes?
A. PSB may impose monetary fines, suspension or cancellation of accreditation pursuant to Administrative Order 6 Series of 2005.
For more information, call DTI Direct 751-3330 or visit www.dti.gov.ph
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
PH urged to bolster ties with Saudi
Posted at 11/02/2011 10:06 AM | Updated as of 11/02/2011 11:37 AM
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines needs to reinvigorate
bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia to maintain its edge over other
labor-sending countries.
“At a time when all of these reforms in Saudi Arabia are taking
place, we need a more vibrant economic diplomacy to maintain our
competitive advantage over other labor-sending countries,” said Susan
Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center.
Ople said the Philippine government needs to do this, following the
Kingdom's new policies aimed at regulating the number of foreign
workers and their remittances.
The Ministry of Labor in Saudi Arabia had announced that it is
planning to launch a “salary protection” program to encourage foreign
workers to keep the bulk of their wages within the Kingdom.
Ople said the Philippines will be affected by loss of jobs and
reduced incomes arising from Saudi Arabia’s NITAQAT policy and a
forthcoming plan to limit the outflow of foreign remittances. The OFW
advocate noted that other Gulf states are also keenly observing the
effects of Saudi Arabia's nationalization policy.
“We need to expand our bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia to include
trade and tourism agreements. This would strengthen our diplomatic hand
and reinforce our competitive advantage over other labor-sending
countries,” Ople said.
The former labor undersecretary also called on the Philippine
Embassy in Saudi Arabia, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Department of Labor and Employment, to step up its information
campaign about NITAQAT (“Ranges”), the Ministry of Labor’s implementing
program under its Saudization policy.
Ople noted that the Saudization program is now in full swing with its third phase to be implemented on November 26.
“In phase 3 of NITAQAT, employees of companies in noncompliant or
those in the so-called 'red' category would have to transfer to ‘green’
or compliant companies by November 26 which is but a few weeks from
now,” she said.
The Blas F. Ople Center urged workers in Saudi Arabia who are
affected by the Saudization policy to immediately get in touch with the
Philippine Embassy or to write to the Ople Center via blasoplecenter@hotmail.com. Families of affected workers can also contact the Ople Center via its hotline: 8335337.
OAV registration starts November 2
Posted at 11/02/2011 11:31 AM | Updated as of 11/02/2011 11:31 AM
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) originally scheduled the
registration period on October 31, but it was declared as a special
non-working holiday to give the public more time to visit their departed
loved ones.
COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez earlier said applications for
registration shall be filed before authorized COMELEC representatives at
embassies and consulates that have jurisdiction over the places where
they temporarily reside in.
“Applicants need only present their valid Philippine passports or
seaman’s book for seafarers when they register,” Jimenez earlier said in
a press statement.
List of 'OFW-friendly' countries bared
Posted at 11/02/2011 7:19 AM | Updated as of 11/02/2011 11:01 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) issued the list of 125 countries where Filipino
workers can be deployed and 41 countries where sending of workers will
have to be reconsidered owing to their failure to adopt domestic laws
that protect migrant workers.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the POEA governing board issued two more resolutions on deployment of OFWs to compliant, noncompliant countries based on the requirements of Republic Act (RA) 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
The decision of the POEA will take effect in 15 days from the date of publication in major newspapers.
She said as of May this year, the POEA, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, listed a total of 125 countries where overseas Filipino workers can be continuously deployed.
“On the other hand, the third resolution, GB Resolution 7, specifies a list of 41 countries where OFWs cannot be deployed for noncompliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022,” said Baldoz in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The passage of RA 10022 requires Philippine diplomatic posts to review all host countries whether they have existing laws that protect migrant workers, a move to prevent the rampant sexual and physical abuses being committed against Filipino migrant workers.
She said a host country will be certified as compliant to the law if its government has any of the following requirements that protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers.
(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers, including migrant workers;
(b) It is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers, including migrant workers; and
(c) It has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers;
Secretary Baldoz said the government can reconsider the assessment to “compliant” category if the receiving country is taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers based on the provisions of RA 10022.
The labor chief said the new law shall be strictly enforced and the state “shall allow the deployment of overseas workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.”
However, she said countries assessed as noncompliant can initiate negotiation and push for bilateral agreements with the Philippines to address the noncompliances.
She also assured that companies and contractors with international operations in non-compliant countries can still deploy Filipino workers “unless there is an existing ban to that country.”
The Philippines has existing deployment ban to conflict-affected countries like Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and partial ban to Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://bit.ly/vUxH1m
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the POEA governing board issued two more resolutions on deployment of OFWs to compliant, noncompliant countries based on the requirements of Republic Act (RA) 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
The decision of the POEA will take effect in 15 days from the date of publication in major newspapers.
She said as of May this year, the POEA, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, listed a total of 125 countries where overseas Filipino workers can be continuously deployed.
“On the other hand, the third resolution, GB Resolution 7, specifies a list of 41 countries where OFWs cannot be deployed for noncompliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022,” said Baldoz in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The passage of RA 10022 requires Philippine diplomatic posts to review all host countries whether they have existing laws that protect migrant workers, a move to prevent the rampant sexual and physical abuses being committed against Filipino migrant workers.
She said a host country will be certified as compliant to the law if its government has any of the following requirements that protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers.
(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers, including migrant workers;
(b) It is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers, including migrant workers; and
(c) It has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers;
Secretary Baldoz said the government can reconsider the assessment to “compliant” category if the receiving country is taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers based on the provisions of RA 10022.
The labor chief said the new law shall be strictly enforced and the state “shall allow the deployment of overseas workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.”
However, she said countries assessed as noncompliant can initiate negotiation and push for bilateral agreements with the Philippines to address the noncompliances.
She also assured that companies and contractors with international operations in non-compliant countries can still deploy Filipino workers “unless there is an existing ban to that country.”
The Philippines has existing deployment ban to conflict-affected countries like Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and partial ban to Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://bit.ly/vUxH1m
EDITORIAL - Protecting OFWs
(The Philippine Star) Updated November 02, 2011 12:00 AM
The government is correct in its efforts to stop
human trafficking and the use of Filipinos as drug couriers.
But the efforts must be fine-tuned to protect legitimate overseas Filipino workers from harassment. Recruiters are complaining that employers overseas, annoyed by the inability of OFWs to report for work on the date agreed upon, have started turning to other countries for workers.
The recruiters said many of the prospective OFWs were offloaded from their flights on suspicion that they might be victims of human trafficking. Other OFWs were victims of extortion by immigration agents, the recruiters claimed, with amounts demanded allegedly ranging from P30,000 to P50,000. The amounts were highest for prospective workers believed headed for countries where the Philippines had banned OFW deployment, such as Afghanistan. Even with the ban partly lifted, recruiters said the extortion continues. Workers bound for the Middle East are favorite targets, even if they have valid Overseas Employment Certificates.
Philippine authorities tightened requirements for departing OFWs following numerous cases of Filipinos with irregular working papers who were abused by their employers. Teenagers who were given spurious working papers were among the most vulnerable to abuse.
Preventing human trafficking must be given priority, but authorities must also help those who have found legitimate employment overseas, and protect them from harassment prior to their departure. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reopened this year the Labor and Assistance Center to validate all travel documents of OFWs who have already completed processing by the POEA. If a worker has gone through this validation process, there must be a simple system of verification at the airport that will prevent immigration authorities from harassing or extorting money from the OFW.
The campaign against human trafficking should not open workers to harassment and extortion. Hardships drive Filipinos to leave their own country for better opportunities overseas. Their sendoff must not add to those hardships.
http://bit.ly/uYFicR
But the efforts must be fine-tuned to protect legitimate overseas Filipino workers from harassment. Recruiters are complaining that employers overseas, annoyed by the inability of OFWs to report for work on the date agreed upon, have started turning to other countries for workers.
The recruiters said many of the prospective OFWs were offloaded from their flights on suspicion that they might be victims of human trafficking. Other OFWs were victims of extortion by immigration agents, the recruiters claimed, with amounts demanded allegedly ranging from P30,000 to P50,000. The amounts were highest for prospective workers believed headed for countries where the Philippines had banned OFW deployment, such as Afghanistan. Even with the ban partly lifted, recruiters said the extortion continues. Workers bound for the Middle East are favorite targets, even if they have valid Overseas Employment Certificates.
Philippine authorities tightened requirements for departing OFWs following numerous cases of Filipinos with irregular working papers who were abused by their employers. Teenagers who were given spurious working papers were among the most vulnerable to abuse.
Preventing human trafficking must be given priority, but authorities must also help those who have found legitimate employment overseas, and protect them from harassment prior to their departure. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reopened this year the Labor and Assistance Center to validate all travel documents of OFWs who have already completed processing by the POEA. If a worker has gone through this validation process, there must be a simple system of verification at the airport that will prevent immigration authorities from harassing or extorting money from the OFW.
The campaign against human trafficking should not open workers to harassment and extortion. Hardships drive Filipinos to leave their own country for better opportunities overseas. Their sendoff must not add to those hardships.
http://bit.ly/uYFicR
Recruiters hit OFW offloading at Philippine airports
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
3:07 am | Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
The frequent offloading at the country’s airports of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) suspected of being undocumented recruits or trafficking victims is turning off foreign employers to the point that they have stopped hiring Filipinos and have turned to other countries for their labor needs, according to a recruitment consultant.
Outbound legitimate OFWs have complained about being unable to leave after being offloaded on mere suspicion that they were illegal by “unscrupulous” immigration agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and the country’s other international airports, said Emmanuel Geslani.
He said the latest incident involved a domestic helper working at the household of the Sultan of Johore in Malaysia. The sultan, who visited Manila last April, is a friend of President Benigno Aquino III and his family.
“Despite the overseas employment certificate issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) main office, the household service worker was offloaded and not allowed to board her flight for Singapore,” Geslani said.
Berated
The case of the domestic helper, who was identified only as “Lilibeth,” was reported to the POEA home office by the Philippine labor attache to Malaysia, Rey Sto. Domingo.
According to Geslani, Sto. Domingo was berated by the Sultan’s wife for the failure of her Filipino helper to return and for her “unjustified offloading.”
He said various recruitment agencies have reported similar cases of domestics with valid overseas employment certificates (OECs) bound for the Middle East but offloaded “for various flimsy reasons or simply profiled to be victims of human trafficking by BI [Bureau of Immigration] agents.”
“It’s economic losses for the passengers since they have to pay the travel tax of P1,620 and airport fees of P750 every time they leave for their destinations,” Geslani said.
He pointed out that the Labor and Assistance Center was re-established by POEA at the Naia early this year to validate all travel documents of OFWs processed by the agency and who are holding OECs.
“So there is no valid or justifiable reason for the BI to withhold the departure of OFWs except to harass or extort money,” he said.
The consultant said OFWs bound for United States military facilities in Afghanistan and Iraq were also victims of “unscrupulous” BI agents who allegedly forced the OFWs to shell out amounts ranging from P30,000 to P50,000.
According to Geslani, with the lifting of the labor deployment ban to US facilities in Afghanistan, OFWs from there are coming home in droves to take overdue vacations, only to be victimized by airport immigration agents on their return.
“The BI has not stopped harassing the OFWs even if they are allowed to come back to the country and be processed at the POEA as legitimate workers,” he said.
Geslani explained that when the OFWs return to Afghanistan, they have to go by way of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. However, some of the OFWs are not allowed to board their flights at Naia because they did not have visas for Dubai.
No visa needed
He said the workers do not need a Dubai visa as they are just transiting through the Dubai airport to take commercial flights for the Kandahar and Bagram airfields in Afghanistan.
“Their maximum stay inside [Dubai airport’s] Terminal 2 is anywhere from three to four hours while waiting for their flights to Afghanistan,” said Geslani.
Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, a former immigration commissioner, has filed a resolution to look into the mounting complaints of abuses by immigration agents. The hearing is set to be held this month.
http://bit.ly/uor2NG
Philippine Daily Inquirer
3:07 am | Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
The frequent offloading at the country’s airports of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) suspected of being undocumented recruits or trafficking victims is turning off foreign employers to the point that they have stopped hiring Filipinos and have turned to other countries for their labor needs, according to a recruitment consultant.
Outbound legitimate OFWs have complained about being unable to leave after being offloaded on mere suspicion that they were illegal by “unscrupulous” immigration agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and the country’s other international airports, said Emmanuel Geslani.
He said the latest incident involved a domestic helper working at the household of the Sultan of Johore in Malaysia. The sultan, who visited Manila last April, is a friend of President Benigno Aquino III and his family.
“Despite the overseas employment certificate issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) main office, the household service worker was offloaded and not allowed to board her flight for Singapore,” Geslani said.
Berated
The case of the domestic helper, who was identified only as “Lilibeth,” was reported to the POEA home office by the Philippine labor attache to Malaysia, Rey Sto. Domingo.
According to Geslani, Sto. Domingo was berated by the Sultan’s wife for the failure of her Filipino helper to return and for her “unjustified offloading.”
He said various recruitment agencies have reported similar cases of domestics with valid overseas employment certificates (OECs) bound for the Middle East but offloaded “for various flimsy reasons or simply profiled to be victims of human trafficking by BI [Bureau of Immigration] agents.”
“It’s economic losses for the passengers since they have to pay the travel tax of P1,620 and airport fees of P750 every time they leave for their destinations,” Geslani said.
He pointed out that the Labor and Assistance Center was re-established by POEA at the Naia early this year to validate all travel documents of OFWs processed by the agency and who are holding OECs.
“So there is no valid or justifiable reason for the BI to withhold the departure of OFWs except to harass or extort money,” he said.
The consultant said OFWs bound for United States military facilities in Afghanistan and Iraq were also victims of “unscrupulous” BI agents who allegedly forced the OFWs to shell out amounts ranging from P30,000 to P50,000.
According to Geslani, with the lifting of the labor deployment ban to US facilities in Afghanistan, OFWs from there are coming home in droves to take overdue vacations, only to be victimized by airport immigration agents on their return.
“The BI has not stopped harassing the OFWs even if they are allowed to come back to the country and be processed at the POEA as legitimate workers,” he said.
Geslani explained that when the OFWs return to Afghanistan, they have to go by way of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. However, some of the OFWs are not allowed to board their flights at Naia because they did not have visas for Dubai.
No visa needed
He said the workers do not need a Dubai visa as they are just transiting through the Dubai airport to take commercial flights for the Kandahar and Bagram airfields in Afghanistan.
“Their maximum stay inside [Dubai airport’s] Terminal 2 is anywhere from three to four hours while waiting for their flights to Afghanistan,” said Geslani.
Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, a former immigration commissioner, has filed a resolution to look into the mounting complaints of abuses by immigration agents. The hearing is set to be held this month.
http://bit.ly/uor2NG
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