Press Release
17 May 2009
Migrant group calls DoLE Chief to investigate inaction of labor official in Kuwait on distress OFWs’ complaints, request for assistance
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East today calls the attention of Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Marianito Roque to investigate the reported inaction of Labor Attache Josephus Jimenez on the request for assistance and complaints of the 39 OFWs employed in M/s. Medco against their employer.
“We are calling the attention of DoLE Sec. Roque to conduct an investigation on the alleged inaction of Labatt Jimenez on the legitimate complaints of the 39 OFWs employed in M/s. Medco as they were not paid of their salaries for 3 months,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
The 39 unpaid OFWs, employed by M/s. Medco, a factory based in the middle of the Kabd dessert in Kuwait, have manifested that since they were not paid of their salaries, they were forced to catch fish and monitor lizard for their daily sustenance.
Monterona said what is alarming despite that the 39 OFW-victims of labor malpractices by their employer have already lodge a formal complaints to the Philippine Embassy in several occasions, their complaint was not given due importance and swift action by the RP posts in Kuwait by the labor attaché who has the duty to provide assistance and protect our OFWs labor rights.
“We certainly did not understand why the complaints of the 39 OFWs as it was already lodged at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait did not go through the information of the Labor attaché for his immediate action and swift intervention,” Monterona averred.
Edgar Basilio, one of the 39 OFWs, confronted Labatt Jimenez about the update of their complaint; the former only replied that no such complaint reached his office based on the reports relayed to Migrante-ME.
“Labatt Jimenez is only too good to make excuses but he is observed to be remised on his duty as labor attaché; we have been receiving several complaints mostly labor related from domestic helpers and construction workers. In fact there are more than 200 OFWs in distress now seeking refuge at the Philippine Labor office in Kuwait,” Monterona added.
Monterona said the surge on the numbers of OFW-victims of labor malpractices and abuses could be partly attributed on the failure of RP officials in Kuwait to come up with pro-active measures that would protect the labor rights and welfare of our fellow OFWs in Kuwait and in other Middle Eastern countries.
“It is sad to hear complaints and reports that our fellow OFWs who are victims of labor malpractices and abuses of their employers will be forced to beg for food or eat lizards for their daily sustenance just because of the inaction of our RP officials,” Monterona averred.
“We are calling the attention of DoLE Sec. Roque and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to seriously look into this matter and investigate Labatt Jimenez on his alleged inaction to the complaints and request for assistance of the 39 OFW-victims,” Monterona added.
“Unless the Arroyo administration stops sending OFWs abroad in large scale especially in countries without clear protection and safeguard of OFWs rights and welfare, cases of labor malpractices and abuses will increase and swamp into the very face of this administration which is pursuing intensified labor exportation,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Email address: migranteme@gmail.com
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Press Release
17 May 2009
Migrant group to lobby against the passage of bill promoting intensified labor exportation
“The passage of HB 387 by the pro-administration dominated House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs is at the very height of the Mrs. Arroyo’s hypocrisy and continued criminal neglect for the well being, rights and welfare of our millions of OFWs abroad and their families in the homeland,” declared today by John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Migrante, the largest alliance of overseas Filipino workers, maintained that the intensified human labor exportation which the Arroyo administration is doing right now is basically exploitation of OFWs – exploiting its well being and huge remittances that resulted from the continued failure of the Arroyo administration to create decent jobs locally with rightful benefits due to our workers.
“If not due to the wrong economic policies of this administration in blind adherence to the “neo-liberal” policies of globalization causing havoc to our people’s jobs and lives, no one will be forced to leave our country for 3D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) jobs abroad just to survive the daily subsistence of their families back home,” Monterona added.
Monterona said promoting human labor exportation is a band aid solution to the cancerous disease afflicting the country’s worsening economic crisis; “Thus intensified human labor exportation is not a solution; rather it is like pushing our OFWs into their own detriment as there is no clear protection on their well being, rights and welfare working on a foreign land,” he continued.
“The US$12.8 billions of OFWs remittances last year in which the government is earning a lot has not been used properly to alleviate the deplorable plight of million unemployed Filipinos; albeit left and right allegation of corruptions in Mrs. Arroyo’s administration had reached in an unparalleled dimension the latest is the alleged Balikatan fund mess,” Monterona averred.
Monterona opined the government’s intensified labor exportation which spells out commodification of human labor could not be reconciled with our OFWs’ human dignity, well being and exercise of their rights; “These have been proven many times by the numerous cases of abuses, maltreatment, labor malpractices, illegal trafficking and termination, contract violation and substitution, in which the present administration and previous ones failed to solve and make up despite repeated policy rhetoric from the present and previous administrations,” Monterona continued.
“Rep. Roilo Golez and other Congressmen who have endorsed HB 387 shortsightedly failed to recognized that these numerous cases of abuses, maltreatment, labor malpractices, victims of illegal trafficking and human smuggling is dehumanization and exploitation of our workers abroad,” Monterona added.
Monterona said it is sad to know that we have members of the Congress who would think like a businessman rather than a real statesman protecting the well being, rights and welfare of our OFWs.
“We could not anymore afford to have elected officials who would run the government like their own personal business or a big corporation who would only after for big profits at the expense of our OFWs and their families,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said instead of passing laws that would ensure protection of OFWs’ well being, full guarantee in the exercise of their rights in the host governments, the like of Rep. Golez and “Way Kurat” Zamora are hell bent to export and exploit our OFWs. “The like of them should not be voted again come 2010 elections by the OFWs and their families,” Monterona added.
Monterona said the Arroyo administration has a lot of options to shun sending OFWs in large scale abroad. “First things first is to do away from the “neo-liberal” policies of globalization, instead implement genuine agrarian reform program and then nationalize our basic industries to give the local economy a breath and take the cudgels to economic development where decent jobs will be created enough for our working population. She could only do this if she would leave personal interests behind the interest of the Filipino people,” Monterona ended.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East would lobby to the members of the Congress not to pass HB 387 by sending lobby letters, emails and text barrage.
“We urge our fellow OFWs to send lobby letters, emails or send SMS text to their respective Congressman to oppose HB 387 as it will further treat human labor as commodity for export; and it is detrimental to OFWs to be working abroad without clear rights protection mechanism,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Email address: migranteme@gmail.com
17 May 2009
Migrant group to lobby against the passage of bill promoting intensified labor exportation
“The passage of HB 387 by the pro-administration dominated House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs is at the very height of the Mrs. Arroyo’s hypocrisy and continued criminal neglect for the well being, rights and welfare of our millions of OFWs abroad and their families in the homeland,” declared today by John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Migrante, the largest alliance of overseas Filipino workers, maintained that the intensified human labor exportation which the Arroyo administration is doing right now is basically exploitation of OFWs – exploiting its well being and huge remittances that resulted from the continued failure of the Arroyo administration to create decent jobs locally with rightful benefits due to our workers.
“If not due to the wrong economic policies of this administration in blind adherence to the “neo-liberal” policies of globalization causing havoc to our people’s jobs and lives, no one will be forced to leave our country for 3D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) jobs abroad just to survive the daily subsistence of their families back home,” Monterona added.
Monterona said promoting human labor exportation is a band aid solution to the cancerous disease afflicting the country’s worsening economic crisis; “Thus intensified human labor exportation is not a solution; rather it is like pushing our OFWs into their own detriment as there is no clear protection on their well being, rights and welfare working on a foreign land,” he continued.
“The US$12.8 billions of OFWs remittances last year in which the government is earning a lot has not been used properly to alleviate the deplorable plight of million unemployed Filipinos; albeit left and right allegation of corruptions in Mrs. Arroyo’s administration had reached in an unparalleled dimension the latest is the alleged Balikatan fund mess,” Monterona averred.
Monterona opined the government’s intensified labor exportation which spells out commodification of human labor could not be reconciled with our OFWs’ human dignity, well being and exercise of their rights; “These have been proven many times by the numerous cases of abuses, maltreatment, labor malpractices, illegal trafficking and termination, contract violation and substitution, in which the present administration and previous ones failed to solve and make up despite repeated policy rhetoric from the present and previous administrations,” Monterona continued.
“Rep. Roilo Golez and other Congressmen who have endorsed HB 387 shortsightedly failed to recognized that these numerous cases of abuses, maltreatment, labor malpractices, victims of illegal trafficking and human smuggling is dehumanization and exploitation of our workers abroad,” Monterona added.
Monterona said it is sad to know that we have members of the Congress who would think like a businessman rather than a real statesman protecting the well being, rights and welfare of our OFWs.
“We could not anymore afford to have elected officials who would run the government like their own personal business or a big corporation who would only after for big profits at the expense of our OFWs and their families,” Monterona averred.
Monterona said instead of passing laws that would ensure protection of OFWs’ well being, full guarantee in the exercise of their rights in the host governments, the like of Rep. Golez and “Way Kurat” Zamora are hell bent to export and exploit our OFWs. “The like of them should not be voted again come 2010 elections by the OFWs and their families,” Monterona added.
Monterona said the Arroyo administration has a lot of options to shun sending OFWs in large scale abroad. “First things first is to do away from the “neo-liberal” policies of globalization, instead implement genuine agrarian reform program and then nationalize our basic industries to give the local economy a breath and take the cudgels to economic development where decent jobs will be created enough for our working population. She could only do this if she would leave personal interests behind the interest of the Filipino people,” Monterona ended.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East would lobby to the members of the Congress not to pass HB 387 by sending lobby letters, emails and text barrage.
“We urge our fellow OFWs to send lobby letters, emails or send SMS text to their respective Congressman to oppose HB 387 as it will further treat human labor as commodity for export; and it is detrimental to OFWs to be working abroad without clear rights protection mechanism,” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Email address: migranteme@gmail.com
Press Release
16 May 2009
Labor pact with Lebanon not enough basis to lift the deployment ban – OFW group
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said inking a labor agreement with receiving and host government is not enough basis to lift the deployment ban in countries with existing deployment ban imposed by the RP government.
“Concluding a bilateral agreement or arrange with the government protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers is only one of the paramount requirements, among many others, that should be adhered by both, the RP government and receiving governments, in sending OFWs abroad,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Migrante-Middle East is reacting to the reports that Philippine and Lebanese labor officials are set to ink a labor pact protecting OFWs rights that would eventually lead to the lifting of the deployment ban imposed by the RP government.
“The Migrant workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 (R.A. 8042) Sec. 4 clearly states that the government shall only deploy OFWs in countries where the rights of Filipino workers are protected,” Monterona averred.
Monterona continued the Philippine Labor department must also see to it that host-receiving governments or the Lebanese government for instance has an existing labor or social laws protecting the rights of migrant workers.
“The Arroyo administration has the duty to see to it that the Lebanese government is also taking positive concrete measures to protect the rights of our overseas Filipino workers,” Monterona added.
Monterona continued it must be for the safety and security of our OFWs if the RP government could urge and secure migrant-receiving governments to be a signatory to the UN Convention for the protection on the rights of Migrants and members of their families before sending our OFWs.
“This would apply to almost all Middle Eastern countries where many governments have not been a signatory to the UN Convention on the protection of the rights of Migrants, which the RP government is now sending most of its OFWs,” Monterona lamented.
The following countries have ratified the Convention as of March 2007- Argentina, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda and Uruguay.
“Sad to say, the Arroyo administration despite its repetitive previous pronouncements that it is working for OFWs rights and welfare seems to be contented pushing for bilateral labor agreements with migrant-receiving governments,” Monterona observed.
“Arroyo’s labor agreements with counterpart host governments still remain in paper and hardly being followed by the receiving host governments especially with regards to social and welfare mechanism and migrant rights’ protection,” Monterona lamented.
Monterona cited though the Philippines has an existing bilateral labor agreements with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, yet cases of abuses, maltreatment, various forms of labor malpractices are rampant on these countries.
The Arroyo administration is also pushing bilateral labor agreements with Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, respectively.
Monterona further said that one of the major blunders of the Arroyo administration’s existing policy of intensified labor exportation is that it practically neglected OFWs rights’ and welfare in exchange of the latter’s huge remittances sent home aside from the billions of pesos collected by the government through various forms of charges and fees impositions, that amounts are not properly used for sustainable developmental projects of the government that would generate jobs locally that would employ the millions of unemployed workers.
Migrante-ME said the Arroyo regime’s intensified human labor exportation is the most vicious of all labor export policies as it reached new height of neglect and abandonment of its responsibility protecting migrant workers’ rights and welfare.
“Expectedly, we are now recording and reporting more cases of abuses, maltreatment, victims of human trafficking, labor malpractices, incidents of racism and xenophobia, to the Arroyo administration that only pays lip service to OFW victims and their families.” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Email address: migranteme@gmail.com
16 May 2009
Labor pact with Lebanon not enough basis to lift the deployment ban – OFW group
An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East today said inking a labor agreement with receiving and host government is not enough basis to lift the deployment ban in countries with existing deployment ban imposed by the RP government.
“Concluding a bilateral agreement or arrange with the government protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers is only one of the paramount requirements, among many others, that should be adhered by both, the RP government and receiving governments, in sending OFWs abroad,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Migrante-Middle East is reacting to the reports that Philippine and Lebanese labor officials are set to ink a labor pact protecting OFWs rights that would eventually lead to the lifting of the deployment ban imposed by the RP government.
“The Migrant workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 (R.A. 8042) Sec. 4 clearly states that the government shall only deploy OFWs in countries where the rights of Filipino workers are protected,” Monterona averred.
Monterona continued the Philippine Labor department must also see to it that host-receiving governments or the Lebanese government for instance has an existing labor or social laws protecting the rights of migrant workers.
“The Arroyo administration has the duty to see to it that the Lebanese government is also taking positive concrete measures to protect the rights of our overseas Filipino workers,” Monterona added.
Monterona continued it must be for the safety and security of our OFWs if the RP government could urge and secure migrant-receiving governments to be a signatory to the UN Convention for the protection on the rights of Migrants and members of their families before sending our OFWs.
“This would apply to almost all Middle Eastern countries where many governments have not been a signatory to the UN Convention on the protection of the rights of Migrants, which the RP government is now sending most of its OFWs,” Monterona lamented.
The following countries have ratified the Convention as of March 2007- Argentina, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda and Uruguay.
“Sad to say, the Arroyo administration despite its repetitive previous pronouncements that it is working for OFWs rights and welfare seems to be contented pushing for bilateral labor agreements with migrant-receiving governments,” Monterona observed.
“Arroyo’s labor agreements with counterpart host governments still remain in paper and hardly being followed by the receiving host governments especially with regards to social and welfare mechanism and migrant rights’ protection,” Monterona lamented.
Monterona cited though the Philippines has an existing bilateral labor agreements with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, yet cases of abuses, maltreatment, various forms of labor malpractices are rampant on these countries.
The Arroyo administration is also pushing bilateral labor agreements with Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, respectively.
Monterona further said that one of the major blunders of the Arroyo administration’s existing policy of intensified labor exportation is that it practically neglected OFWs rights’ and welfare in exchange of the latter’s huge remittances sent home aside from the billions of pesos collected by the government through various forms of charges and fees impositions, that amounts are not properly used for sustainable developmental projects of the government that would generate jobs locally that would employ the millions of unemployed workers.
Migrante-ME said the Arroyo regime’s intensified human labor exportation is the most vicious of all labor export policies as it reached new height of neglect and abandonment of its responsibility protecting migrant workers’ rights and welfare.
“Expectedly, we are now recording and reporting more cases of abuses, maltreatment, victims of human trafficking, labor malpractices, incidents of racism and xenophobia, to the Arroyo administration that only pays lip service to OFW victims and their families.” Monterona ended. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-ME regional coordinator
Mobile Phone: 00966 564 978 012
Email address: migranteme@gmail.com
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