Seminars alone won’t help retrenched OFWs, RP mission in Korea told
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino workers in South Korea urged Philippine Embassy officials to make use of legal injunction and diplomatic processes to get maximum compensation and benefits for OFWs who are retrenched and facing retrenchment.
The Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (Kasammako) said embassy officials should put more concern for the protection of labor and human rights of migrant workers “instead providing palliatives which are proven to be ineffective social welfare practices."
Pol Par, Kasammako chaiperson, said seminars on money management, bookkeeping, entrepreneurship and feasibility studies that the embassy is conducting won’t be of much help to those who lose their jobs.
Migrante International data showed that there are 74 OFWs retrenched since October 2008 from 12 companies in South Korea. Migrante warned that some 50,000 OFWs could be affected in the “shaky economic climate" in South Korea.
"It is within the legal boundaries to ask for a full-year payment of migrant workers’ salaries, as their contract would assume in the event they are retrenched prior to completion of contract as in cases of some migrant workers in Taiwan. This, the Philippine Labor Office (POLO) hesitates to do," Kasammako disclosed.
The group said the reintegration program for OFWs and their families introduced by the composite team from National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), DOLE, OWWA, POEA and TESDA visiting Seoul mainly focused among others, on Micro Enterprise Development where OFWs can apply for 50,000 pesos loan from TESDA at 5% interest rate.
"The program is a good idea but does not take into consideration the national and global economic situation, especially in terms of market viability. He further said that talking about OFWs engaging in business is good, but who will buy or patronize their products with the present crisis?" the group asked.
Kasammako claimed that the Arroyo government is not willing to overhaul the national economy to provide a better life for the majority of the Filipino people. The government continues to assert its labor export policy even if countries of destination are no longer hiring OFWs.
The group warned that the contraction of the South Korean economy will result in job losses for more than 200,000 workers because there are more than 8 million Korean irregular workers.
" In this situation, the South Korean government will first serve the interest of their laborers and the need for migrant workers will eventually diminish. This is the reason why OFWs under the Employment Permit System are retrenched and the undocumented ones are arrested and deported," the group said.
‘Indifferent’
He said the Philippine Embassy officials in Seoul have been indifferent to the plight of estimated 20,000 undocumented OFWs and no substantial social services were given to them aside from the token issuance of travel documents for them to be allowed passage back to the Philippines.
The Philippine Embassy reported that the number of OFWs retrenched is only 12 cases, adding that "several (cases) may have gone unreported".
Par said several retrenched OFWs in Korea have opted not to seek the assistance of the Philippine Embassy especially at the POLO and managed their own situation on the thought that they will not be fully assisted anyway.
“The responsibility is not just establishing the actual number but to assist distressed and retrenched OFWs from the very beginning up to the time when they get a new job in South Korea," Migrante sermoned.
The group also slammed the inadequate provision of shelter for retrenched and distressed migrant workers.
"Distressed OFWs need a place where they can be housed until they land new jobs. The justification that POLO lack the necessary funds to provide adequate shelter for retrenched and distressed OFWs is unacceptable. There were many occasions that OWWA used the OFWs funds for purposes that do not serve their interests and welfare but for the business ventures of those in government," the group said. - D’Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV
The Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (Kasammako) said embassy officials should put more concern for the protection of labor and human rights of migrant workers “instead providing palliatives which are proven to be ineffective social welfare practices."
Pol Par, Kasammako chaiperson, said seminars on money management, bookkeeping, entrepreneurship and feasibility studies that the embassy is conducting won’t be of much help to those who lose their jobs.
Migrante International data showed that there are 74 OFWs retrenched since October 2008 from 12 companies in South Korea. Migrante warned that some 50,000 OFWs could be affected in the “shaky economic climate" in South Korea.
"It is within the legal boundaries to ask for a full-year payment of migrant workers’ salaries, as their contract would assume in the event they are retrenched prior to completion of contract as in cases of some migrant workers in Taiwan. This, the Philippine Labor Office (POLO) hesitates to do," Kasammako disclosed.
The group said the reintegration program for OFWs and their families introduced by the composite team from National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), DOLE, OWWA, POEA and TESDA visiting Seoul mainly focused among others, on Micro Enterprise Development where OFWs can apply for 50,000 pesos loan from TESDA at 5% interest rate.
"The program is a good idea but does not take into consideration the national and global economic situation, especially in terms of market viability. He further said that talking about OFWs engaging in business is good, but who will buy or patronize their products with the present crisis?" the group asked.
Kasammako claimed that the Arroyo government is not willing to overhaul the national economy to provide a better life for the majority of the Filipino people. The government continues to assert its labor export policy even if countries of destination are no longer hiring OFWs.
The group warned that the contraction of the South Korean economy will result in job losses for more than 200,000 workers because there are more than 8 million Korean irregular workers.
" In this situation, the South Korean government will first serve the interest of their laborers and the need for migrant workers will eventually diminish. This is the reason why OFWs under the Employment Permit System are retrenched and the undocumented ones are arrested and deported," the group said.
‘Indifferent’
He said the Philippine Embassy officials in Seoul have been indifferent to the plight of estimated 20,000 undocumented OFWs and no substantial social services were given to them aside from the token issuance of travel documents for them to be allowed passage back to the Philippines.
The Philippine Embassy reported that the number of OFWs retrenched is only 12 cases, adding that "several (cases) may have gone unreported".
Par said several retrenched OFWs in Korea have opted not to seek the assistance of the Philippine Embassy especially at the POLO and managed their own situation on the thought that they will not be fully assisted anyway.
“The responsibility is not just establishing the actual number but to assist distressed and retrenched OFWs from the very beginning up to the time when they get a new job in South Korea," Migrante sermoned.
The group also slammed the inadequate provision of shelter for retrenched and distressed migrant workers.
"Distressed OFWs need a place where they can be housed until they land new jobs. The justification that POLO lack the necessary funds to provide adequate shelter for retrenched and distressed OFWs is unacceptable. There were many occasions that OWWA used the OFWs funds for purposes that do not serve their interests and welfare but for the business ventures of those in government," the group said. - D’Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV
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