OFW group starts online petition vs deployment ban to Bahrain
A militant advocacy group for migrant workers started over the weekend an online petition asking the government to lift a deployment ban on overseas Filipino workers to Bahrain.
Migrante-Middle East said its petition stemmed from numerous requests for assistance from OFWs in Bahrain, especially the returning workers or "Balik Manggagawa."
"There are several new hires as well requesting us to make representation to the concerned Philippine authorities to allow them to travel in Bahrain so that they could report to their respective work amid high rate of unemployment in the Philippines and spiraling prices of goods and services," the group said in its blog Saturday.
As of 11:24 a.m. Saturday, at least 32 have signed the online petition, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.
Meanwhile, Migrante-Middle East asked Philippine ambassador to Bahrain Corazon Bahjin to consider scrapping the waiver requirement imposed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration by issuing a new travel advisory and lowering its alert level, thus allowing returning OFWs and new hire to be deployed without further delay.
"I have visited your PH embassy’s website and we found that indeed the PH embassy is requiring returning OFWs to submit a waiver. This is in effect will absolve the government from its accountability to returning OFWs who insist on returning to Bahrain. We could not think any other purpose for imposing such requirement," the group said in a letter to Bahjin.
Bahjin had removed the waiver form from the Embassy website last week, claiming it is the POEA's requirement.
Still, Migrante said the government cannot relinquish its primary responsibility of protecting its own Filipino workers abroad.
"We understand that the peace and order situation in Bahrain, like in Yemen, Syria, and Libya, is still fragile; but requiring our fellow OFWs to sign a waiver so that they’ll be allowed to go back to Bahrain smacks the government primary duty and sincerity of protecting its own working people," it said.
"Returning OFWs to Bahrain are not naïve enough not to see what’s is happening there, but on the other hand, they are much worried of their families’ daily survival, amid the price increases of basic commodities and services, and grinding poverty in the Philippines," it added.
The group suggested that the Philippine embassy in Bahrain arrange with the host government to escort arriving OFWs from the airport to their respective accommodations upon their arrival in Bahrain, just to secure their safety.
It also suggested that the embassy even talk to the OFWs employers that they’ll be escorted, back and forth, going to their job site and to their accommodations, again to ensure that our working OFWs will be safeguarded. — LBG, GMA News
Migrante-Middle East said its petition stemmed from numerous requests for assistance from OFWs in Bahrain, especially the returning workers or "Balik Manggagawa."
"There are several new hires as well requesting us to make representation to the concerned Philippine authorities to allow them to travel in Bahrain so that they could report to their respective work amid high rate of unemployment in the Philippines and spiraling prices of goods and services," the group said in its blog Saturday.
As of 11:24 a.m. Saturday, at least 32 have signed the online petition, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.
Meanwhile, Migrante-Middle East asked Philippine ambassador to Bahrain Corazon Bahjin to consider scrapping the waiver requirement imposed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration by issuing a new travel advisory and lowering its alert level, thus allowing returning OFWs and new hire to be deployed without further delay.
"I have visited your PH embassy’s website and we found that indeed the PH embassy is requiring returning OFWs to submit a waiver. This is in effect will absolve the government from its accountability to returning OFWs who insist on returning to Bahrain. We could not think any other purpose for imposing such requirement," the group said in a letter to Bahjin.
Bahjin had removed the waiver form from the Embassy website last week, claiming it is the POEA's requirement.
Still, Migrante said the government cannot relinquish its primary responsibility of protecting its own Filipino workers abroad.
"We understand that the peace and order situation in Bahrain, like in Yemen, Syria, and Libya, is still fragile; but requiring our fellow OFWs to sign a waiver so that they’ll be allowed to go back to Bahrain smacks the government primary duty and sincerity of protecting its own working people," it said.
"Returning OFWs to Bahrain are not naïve enough not to see what’s is happening there, but on the other hand, they are much worried of their families’ daily survival, amid the price increases of basic commodities and services, and grinding poverty in the Philippines," it added.
The group suggested that the Philippine embassy in Bahrain arrange with the host government to escort arriving OFWs from the airport to their respective accommodations upon their arrival in Bahrain, just to secure their safety.
It also suggested that the embassy even talk to the OFWs employers that they’ll be escorted, back and forth, going to their job site and to their accommodations, again to ensure that our working OFWs will be safeguarded. — LBG, GMA News
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