Migrants’ Group Pickets DFA, Launches Pre-SoNA Series of ‘Kanta-lampagin’ Protests

Published on June 12, 2008

Members of Migrante International, an organization of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, picketed last July 11 the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to launch a series of protest actions geared toward President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s delivery of her State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on July 28.

BY ANGIE DE LARA
MIGRANT WATCH
Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 23, July 13-19, 2008

Dubbed “Kanta-lampagin” (portmanteau for the Filipino words kanta (v., to sing) and kalampag (v., literally, to make noise; figuratively, to call attention to something), the series of protests will feature the song “Ang Sabi sa Sulat” (What is Said in the Letter), composed by Danny Fabella of Sining Bulosan. The song tackles government neglect amid the economic crisis.

“With the inflation rate at an all-time high, the wages of OFWs continue to shrink and are increasingly becoming insufficient in providing for the basic needs of our families,” said Garry Martinez, Migrante International spokesperson, in a statement distributed during the picket. “Tokens such as a P500 ($10.95) subsidy or the lessening of remittance charges are not enough. We join the rest of the Filipino people in demanding for immediate economic relief: Sahod itaas! Presyo ng bilihin, Ibaba! (Raise wages, reduce prices of commodities!) We add our own sectoral demands: Scrap Remittance charges! Scrap all government exactions!”

Martinez and his group condemned what they described as the DFA’s “criminal neglect” of OFWs.

“The DFA is guilty of so many sins against the OFWs,” Martinez said. “Only recently, it has shrugged its shoulders in the face of violent crackdowns against thousands of undocumented Filipino workers in Malaysia and South Korea. The DFA has not lifted a finger to help thousands of OFWs in distress. Thus, we are bringing our song of protest here.”

“Just like its head, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the DFA only seems interested in posturings and providing tokens of support for OFWs,” Martinez added. “What it is good at is to think up of ways to bleed our kababayans (compatriots) dry. We have received complaints from our hotline that the DFA is requiring passport applicants to also get a COMELEC voter’s certificate. That would mean another P75.00 on top of so many other government fees already being exacted.”

“The government seems bent on passing the buck to OFWs,” Martinez said. “Not content with the billions of dollars of remittances our kababayans are sending, it has thought up of a new parasitic scheme to keep it afloat. This is excessive and unjust taxation.”

Martinez cited a Migrante study showing that even before leaving for abroad, Filipinos who are applying for jobs abroad need to shell out more than P16,000 ($350.416) on government fees alone.

The Migrante International spokesperson also said that OFWs will declare a Zero Remittance Day as protest against Arroyo.(Bulatlat.com)