Originally published 20 Dec. 2009 at Bulatlat.com
Hundreds of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) on Friday
marched to Mendiola Bridge to demand that the Arroyo
government exhort all efforts to reunite more than 300
stranded OFWs with their families this Christmas season.
stranded OFWs with their families this Christmas season.
Families of stranded OFWs, together with OFWs from the
Middle East, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and
Australia held the protest action in commemoration of the
9th International Migrants Day. “Today marks the ninth year
of the United Nations Convention on Migrant Workers and
Their Families. While President Arroyo signed this convention,
in reality, the plight of Filipino migrant workers did not improve
and in fact worsened under the government’s relentless labor
export program.Nine years under the Arroyo regime saw the
unprecedented rise in human rights violations of OFWs,” said
Garry Martinez,Migrante International chairman.
Middle East, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and
Australia held the protest action in commemoration of the
9th International Migrants Day. “Today marks the ninth year
of the United Nations Convention on Migrant Workers and
Their Families. While President Arroyo signed this convention,
in reality, the plight of Filipino migrant workers did not improve
and in fact worsened under the government’s relentless labor
export program.Nine years under the Arroyo regime saw the
unprecedented rise in human rights violations of OFWs,” said
Garry Martinez,Migrante International chairman.
He said that Arroyo’s non-adherence to the UN Convention
is proven by the fact that more than 300 OFWs, mostly
victims of abuse and exploitation, are in need of immediate
repatriation, according to the records of Migrante
International alone. These include 89 caregivers who are
victims of gross contract violations in Saudi Arabia; 51
female runaway domestic helpers at the Doha eportation
center; 50 male detainees at the Jeddah deportation center;
and 17 OFWs languishing in jail for crimes that they did not
commit.
“It breaks our heart to think that these OFWs would spend
another Christmas away from their families, when all it takes is
the President’s political will to send them home. The Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration have all the power and
hard-earned OFW funds at their disposal. And yet the
government refuses to fulfill its duty to citizens whom it
pushes to virtual slavery overseas because of its failure to
provide jobs at home and keep the economy afloat without
the need for remittances,” said Martinez.
Migrante International’s records show that in almost all of the
cases of stranded OFWs, Philippine consulate and overseas
labor officials neglected the plight of OFWs, and were even the
ones defending abusive employers and companies.The Filipino
migrant protesters, in a symbolic display of anger at the Arroyo
regime, threw paint bombs at a picture of the President, as
well as OWWA and Department of Foreign Affairs officials.
“Instead of celebrating what is supposed to be the day for us
so-called ‘modern-day heroes,’ here we are, still being
reduced to begging for Arroyo to hear our cries of despair. If
she will not heed us our cry to bring home stranded OFWs for
Christmas, then let the world know: this government has done
nothing to protect migrants. It is migrants that must be
protected from this government who systematically milk
OFWs of their hard-earned money and have nothing to show
for in return,” Martinez concluded.
(Photos courtesy of Migrante International)
(Reprinted with permission from Bulatlat.com)
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