After enduring contract-substitution and being underpaid, overworked, and intimidated by the company they were working for, 11 OFWs in Kuwait decided to file a complaint and fight for their rights. And what did Philippine Labor officials do? It tried to discourage them. Labor officials even tried to persuade them to sign a paper that effectively…
Category: OFWs & Migration
Stranded OFWs in Jeddah had to Camp Out Under Bridge to be Repatriated
The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah reported that 922 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were stranded in the Kingdom with no contracts and jobs have already been deported back to the Philippines. But this happened only after the OFWs have gone through a lot of hardships including living in tents under a bridge. BY AUBREY SC…
OFW Group Not Content with Suspension of POEA Memo, Demands for its Junking
Even as migrant workers rejoice over the suspension of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Memorandum Circular (MC)-04, a coalition opposing it reiterated their call for its scrapping as well as stricter regulation of the practices of recruitment agencies and a review of other policies oppressive to OFWs. BY AUBREY MAKILAN MIGRANT WATCH Bulatlat Vol.…
84 OFWs Still Stranded in Saudi Arabia
At least 84 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are still reportedly stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They are among the 100 OFWs who were forced to live under a bridge in Al-khandawa district after fleeing from their abusive employers. By ACE ALEGRE Posted by Bulatlat MIGRANT WATCH Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16, 2008 At least…
POEA Memo 04: Protecting OFWs or Avoiding Responsibility?
POEA Memorandum Circular 04 that is supposed to protect OFWs would only enable the government to pass on its responsibilities to employers who would, in turn, pass the additional costs to OFWs. Also it would discourage employers from directly hiring OFWs and thereby, leave OFWs to the mercy of exploitative recruitment agencies, said Migrante International.…
Charged Filipino Nurses Confident of Acquittal Despite Delays, Prejudice
After four suspensions and rescheduling of their case hearings and perceived partiality of the Suffolk Criminal Courthouse, the Filipino nurses charged with patient endangerment and their lawyer are confident that they will be cleared of what they called “malicious” charges filed against them by the SentosaCare LLC and its owner Bent Philipson. BY AUBREY SC…
Illegal Recruitment, Abuses, and Localization of Hiring Burden OFWs
BY AUBREY MAKILAN Bulatlat MIGRANT WATCH Vol. VII, No. 50, Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2008 Middle East-based migrant groups, led by Migrante Middle-East Regional Coordinator, Migrante-Jeddah chairperson, Migrante-Dubai spokesperson, and the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangang (KGS) chairperson, lambasted Labor Secretary Arturo Brion for allegedly lying on the real situation of overseas Filipino workers in the region.…
Sagada Folk Condemn Bombing That Killed Therapist in Afghanistan
Call for review of GMA’s labor export policy While residents of Sagada, Mountain Province (275 km north of Manila) mourn for the death of a community member in a suicide bombing incident in Afghanistan on Jan. 14, they condemn the bombing incident as inhuman and at the same time criticized the labor export policy of…
Due to Strong Peso: OFWs Lose P700 per $100 Remitted
The strengthening peso has resulted in a sharp cut in overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) incomes, costing them over P700 per $100 remitted. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 48, January 13-19, 2008 The strengthening peso has resulted in a sharp cut in overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) incomes, costing them over P700 per…
Congress Oversight of OWWA Funds Sought
Citing the overcharging of membership fees by the POEA, the disproportionate allocation of funds between services and operating expenses, and the neglect of cases of distressed OFWs, Senate President Manny Villar, supported by migrant groups, called for a “stringent oversight” of OWWA funds and stiffer penalties for negligent and incompetent embassy and consular officials. BY…
Maltreated OFWs Recount Ordeals, Feel the Pain of Those in Death Row
BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN MIGRANT WATCH Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 36, October 14-20, 2007 Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have experienced “hell” in host countries could very well identify with the plight of Marilou Ranario and other fellow OFWs who have resorted to harming their employers or have done unlawful acts in their host countries.…