OFWs still waiting for govt's promise of assistance
“Gusto po ata ng government binubugbog kami ng mga amo namin. Gusto ata nila nakakulong kami bago pa kami pansinin. Paano naman kami na naghirap din?”
Bernadette Corcas, was was among the 105 OFWs laid off in Taiwan who returned to the country last December 3. She and her cousin, Christina de Borja, 30, signed a two-year contract with the same company as semi-conductor factory workers in Taiwan.
They did not finish their contract and worked in Taiwan for only eight months.
The two were also among the Filipino workers shown on television receiving cash gifts and gift certificates from President Arroyo during their trip to Malacañang a few days upon their arrival.
“Actually maraming promises. Tulad ng livelihood. Isang ka-batch namin nag-try mag avail ng livelihood. Ngayon ang sabi ng OWWA nakahold daw po ang fund para doon. Yung sinasabing P50,000 wala naman. Hinahabol na kami ng mga taong pinagkakautangan namin, yung mga lending company,” de Borja told abs-cbnNEWS.com.
They said that they are just among the many OFWs who borrowed from money lenders to pay for their placement fees. Now, the monthly interest is accumulating and they have no means to pay the money back.
“Walang natatanggap. Sa 126 na nagpunta ng Malacañang lahat sila nag-hysterical kasi talagang bayong lang ang dala,” Corcas said.
“Yung tseke totoong binawi yun pagkaabot. Di ba inabot yung tseke sa apat na provinces na binigyan nila. Pagka-abot na pagkaabot pinaupo yung mga taong inabutan na representative ng bawat provinces tapos binawi na. Binawi na isa-isa yung tseke,” De Borja said. “Ang problema ko yung mga utang ko kasi nakasanla kasi ang lupa ng lola ko ginamit ko collateral lupa ng lola ko.”
What hurts them more was the thought that they have been used by Malacañang for photo opportunities.
“Ginamit lang kami sa Malacañang para magpabango sa mga tao pero wala talagang nangyari,” said Corcas.
The group is now pursuing their case before the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and are still pinning their hopes on the promises of assistance by the government.
They stressed that their agencies, which charged them exorbitant amount, should be banned from sending workers abroad.
“Sa government, sana yung sinabi nilang promises sa amin, hindi naman namin sinasabing lahat matupad. Sana doon man lang sa livelihood na sinasabi nila mabigyan ng justice. Sa mga OFWs na padating pa sana maasikaso din nila. Marami na ang humingin ng tulong sa Taiwan. Sa placement fee, sana ma-refund namin hindi man buo pero yung dapat lang Pati plane ticket kami ang sumagot,” De Borja said.
The group is being assisted by Migrante International, an alliance of migrant organizations here and abroad.
Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said their hotlines are still busy answering calls for help from OFWs laid off from Taiwan.
“Sa batas kasi kapag ikaw ay male-lay off o pauuwiin dapat ang sasagot dyan yung employer or agency. Kung hindi sasagutin ng dalawa, OWWA. Mayroon namang pondo ang OWWA na P11.2 billion,” Martinez said Friday.
He added: “Pangalawa, alam nila sa simula nang i-report namin sa POEA na excessive fee ang na-charge. Sa batas po natin dapat isang buwan lang po ang babayarang placement fee. Sinigil sila ng P97,000 mayroong P105,000. Yung kagabing nag-text sa akin umabot ng P165,000 at ang nire-refund na lang dito ay P10,000.”
For his part, Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque reassured the OFWs that his department and other concerned government agencies are doing everything it can for the migrant workers displaced by the global economic crisis.
“Yung issue sa kanila tungkol sa refund sa placement fee, yan naman ay nahawakan ng POEA at inatasan ko si Deputy Administrator Cacdac ng POEA na sila ay harapin kahapon. So far 252 sa mga nagsiuwi sa Taiwan ang ating nabigyan ng refund ng placement fee na nanggaling sa kanilang mga binayad sa mga recruitment agencies,” Roque said.
Roque has ordered the labor attaché in Taiwan to verify who among the OFWs have paid for their own ticket back home.
“Sabi ko nga kung talagang ang ating OFW ang nagbayad ng kanilang pamasahe pauwi ay hindi nararapat kaya aking inorder ang OWWA na isauli sa kanila ang kanilang ibinayad na pamasahe pauwi at OWWA na ang mangungulekta sa kanilang mga recruitment agencies or employers sa Taiwan,” explained Roque.
For Martinez, his only appeal is for the government not to use labor export as the solution to the growing number of jobless returning OFWs affected by the economic crisis. With a report from ABS-CBN News
Bernadette Corcas, was was among the 105 OFWs laid off in Taiwan who returned to the country last December 3. She and her cousin, Christina de Borja, 30, signed a two-year contract with the same company as semi-conductor factory workers in Taiwan.
They did not finish their contract and worked in Taiwan for only eight months.
The two were also among the Filipino workers shown on television receiving cash gifts and gift certificates from President Arroyo during their trip to Malacañang a few days upon their arrival.
“Actually maraming promises. Tulad ng livelihood. Isang ka-batch namin nag-try mag avail ng livelihood. Ngayon ang sabi ng OWWA nakahold daw po ang fund para doon. Yung sinasabing P50,000 wala naman. Hinahabol na kami ng mga taong pinagkakautangan namin, yung mga lending company,” de Borja told abs-cbnNEWS.com.
They said that they are just among the many OFWs who borrowed from money lenders to pay for their placement fees. Now, the monthly interest is accumulating and they have no means to pay the money back.
“Walang natatanggap. Sa 126 na nagpunta ng Malacañang lahat sila nag-hysterical kasi talagang bayong lang ang dala,” Corcas said.
“Yung tseke totoong binawi yun pagkaabot. Di ba inabot yung tseke sa apat na provinces na binigyan nila. Pagka-abot na pagkaabot pinaupo yung mga taong inabutan na representative ng bawat provinces tapos binawi na. Binawi na isa-isa yung tseke,” De Borja said. “Ang problema ko yung mga utang ko kasi nakasanla kasi ang lupa ng lola ko ginamit ko collateral lupa ng lola ko.”
What hurts them more was the thought that they have been used by Malacañang for photo opportunities.
“Ginamit lang kami sa Malacañang para magpabango sa mga tao pero wala talagang nangyari,” said Corcas.
The group is now pursuing their case before the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and are still pinning their hopes on the promises of assistance by the government.
They stressed that their agencies, which charged them exorbitant amount, should be banned from sending workers abroad.
“Sa government, sana yung sinabi nilang promises sa amin, hindi naman namin sinasabing lahat matupad. Sana doon man lang sa livelihood na sinasabi nila mabigyan ng justice. Sa mga OFWs na padating pa sana maasikaso din nila. Marami na ang humingin ng tulong sa Taiwan. Sa placement fee, sana ma-refund namin hindi man buo pero yung dapat lang Pati plane ticket kami ang sumagot,” De Borja said.
The group is being assisted by Migrante International, an alliance of migrant organizations here and abroad.
Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said their hotlines are still busy answering calls for help from OFWs laid off from Taiwan.
“Sa batas kasi kapag ikaw ay male-lay off o pauuwiin dapat ang sasagot dyan yung employer or agency. Kung hindi sasagutin ng dalawa, OWWA. Mayroon namang pondo ang OWWA na P11.2 billion,” Martinez said Friday.
He added: “Pangalawa, alam nila sa simula nang i-report namin sa POEA na excessive fee ang na-charge. Sa batas po natin dapat isang buwan lang po ang babayarang placement fee. Sinigil sila ng P97,000 mayroong P105,000. Yung kagabing nag-text sa akin umabot ng P165,000 at ang nire-refund na lang dito ay P10,000.”
For his part, Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque reassured the OFWs that his department and other concerned government agencies are doing everything it can for the migrant workers displaced by the global economic crisis.
“Yung issue sa kanila tungkol sa refund sa placement fee, yan naman ay nahawakan ng POEA at inatasan ko si Deputy Administrator Cacdac ng POEA na sila ay harapin kahapon. So far 252 sa mga nagsiuwi sa Taiwan ang ating nabigyan ng refund ng placement fee na nanggaling sa kanilang mga binayad sa mga recruitment agencies,” Roque said.
Roque has ordered the labor attaché in Taiwan to verify who among the OFWs have paid for their own ticket back home.
“Sabi ko nga kung talagang ang ating OFW ang nagbayad ng kanilang pamasahe pauwi ay hindi nararapat kaya aking inorder ang OWWA na isauli sa kanila ang kanilang ibinayad na pamasahe pauwi at OWWA na ang mangungulekta sa kanilang mga recruitment agencies or employers sa Taiwan,” explained Roque.
For Martinez, his only appeal is for the government not to use labor export as the solution to the growing number of jobless returning OFWs affected by the economic crisis. With a report from ABS-CBN News
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