11/07/2011
I translated this letter from a Nigeria-based OFW, with some parts retaining the original.
“Pinoy, paano ka na ngayon?, by Lito Nucum: ‘NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA
(Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) governing board
resolves… to stop the deployment of OFWs to the above-mentioned
countries for non-compliance with the guarantees required under RA
10022.” The POEA issued GB Resolution No. 7, Series 2011, which named
41 countries that have not complied with Rule III of RA 10022. Is this
the appropriate response to help Filipinos who take their chances to
work in other countries? Be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon,
Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia, why do Pinoys still persist in leaving their
homeland and face the perils awaiting them in these and/or other
countries that are non-compliant still with Rule III of RA 10022?
“What
I do know is that it is the right of every Filipino to seek a means of
livelihood wherever in the world. When the state fails to provide its
own people with sustainable employment, tutunganga na lang ba si Itay at
Inay at titignang nakangiti ang isang katerbang mga anak habang tirik
ang mata at nakanganga ang bibig sa gutom? ‘Survival,’ the life of the
entire Filipino family, is at stake and we want to stir up the
conscience of our government ‘not to impose’ a ‘deployment ban’ on
whatever country. I know our government realizes the lack of
opportunities in our country. That is why, despite violation of Section 5
of RA 10022 which ‘shall allow the deployment only of skilled Filipino
workers,’ thousands upon thousands of inengs, ates, nanays, titas and
lolas still force themselves into countries abounding with abuses. Ano
sa palagay ng gobyerno natin, makiki-chismis sila doon,
makikipag-karaoke lang? Gising… kailangan nilang mabuhay nang marangal.
“Many
of those in government ride around in luxurious cars, have nice homes
in Forbes, Dasma, or maybe Alabang, and send their children to Ateneo,
UP, La Salle, sporting signature clothes, smartphones, and pa-Belo-Belo
pa. Well, after all, madali lang naman sabihing, ‘Lord, I am not worthy
to receive you but (I) only (need) to say the word and I shall be
healed. Until next kumpisal ulit.’ Anyway, here are some parts of the
report as seen on GMA News: ‘DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment)
Secretary Baldoz said the ban will affect a little over 200 OFWs, who
she said can avail of the government’s integration program if they wish
to return home. Earlier Wednesday the POEA ordered a deployment ban on
41 countries for the lack of guarantees ensuring the welfare of overseas
Filipino workers. She said many of the OFWs deployed to the 41
countries are employed by globally operated companies and are not
covered by the deployment ban.’
“Nagtatanong lang ako kung saan
nakuha ng kagalang-galang na DoLE secretary yung ‘a little over 200.’
Maybe, I thought, this was just a typo error and two zeros got lost.
According to my research on POEA data, there are 21,948 land-based OFWs
that are legally working in the countries cited. First is Libya where
there are 11,000 heroic fellow Filipinos who, despite the war, choose
not to return home yet. I would be grateful if only a little over 200
are affected by the ban in 41 countries, which means 21,700 of our
countrymen working in globally operated companies are not covered by the
deployment ban. But will this be the view of the BI (Bureau of
Immigration)? E, walang hinihintay ang mga kapatid diyan sa BI kung
hindi ang mga ganitong Resolution at iba pang government orders na
siyang nagiging sanhi ng lalong pasakit sa Pinoy na gustong
mag-hanap-buhay sa abroad. For the BI, those countries affected by the
ban will become gold when GB R#7 comes into effect.
“I am certain
that many of our countrymen working in countries affected by the ban
will hesitate to take their vacations to the homeland, fearing they will
not be able to return to the foreign countries giving them livelihood.
What do they say to their families? ‘Inday, sorry Ma, i-explain mo na
lang sa mga bata kung bakit hindi tayo magkakasama sa Paskong ito. Merry
Christmas. I love you all very much at God bless; ingat.’ Like us here
in Nigeria… many have fallen victim to that deployment ban; and I am one
of them. That is why I took the nerve to express my innermost feelings,
and cry out loud, ‘remove the deployment ban,’ or else another huge
question shall face us all: ‘Pinoy paano ka na ngayon?’…
“About
the partial deployment ban here in Nigeria, it should not be so. It is
clearly stated in Section 6 RA 10022, ‘termination or ban on
deployment,’ which states ‘notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 1
and 5 of this Rule, in pursuit of the national interest or when public
welfare so requires, the POEA governing board, after consultation with
the Department of Foreign Affairs, at any time, (may) terminate or
impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers.’ But what national
interest and public welfare is affected for a certain country that is
already compliant but still faces the ban, like Nigeria, that has given
life to our hopes that our own country has not been able to give? Then
they will impose the ban? Is this what the country that took us in gets
in return — shamed before the whole world? Our government in the
Philippines is ungrateful and treacherous.”
The letter speaks
volumes about the plight of our OFWs under the present government of
incompetence and naiveté that was brought in by the “civil socialites”
of the Yellow and Akbayan charlatans. With P-Noy, they have all done
huge damage, instead of good, to “the people” whose name they woefully
invoke to claw to politics and plunder.
(Tune in to Sulo ng
Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk
News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on
GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com
for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL:
http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111107com5.html
