PHL urges ASEAN to protect migrant workers

BALI – The Philippines on Thursday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to adopt a legally-binding agreement on the protection of migrant workers.

Communications and Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang, delivered the Philippine statements at the plenary session of the ASEAN summit, said the regional bloc should consider a rules-based accord that will protect the rights of migrant workers.

The Philippines wants to see "more binding set of rules" on the treatment of migrant workers, Carandang said.

“There should be certain standards between the receiving country and the deploying country," he said.

“There is a need for greater protection for migrant workers and we want something that is more binding with regard to how we treat and assist migrant workers," Carandang added. “We want action on it sooner rather than later."

However, getting the consensus of all ASEAN states may be a tough task.

Carandang noted that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was the only one who supported the Philippine initiative.

The Philippines and Indonesia are the largest contributors of workers in the ASEAN region, mainly in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

Aside from the Philippines, other members of the ASEAN include: Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

In the Philippines, about 1.5 million of its more that eight million Filipino workers abroad are deployed in the ASEAN region.

Non-binding agreement

ASEAN signed a similar but non-binding agreement on the protection of migrant workers in 2007.

The document was seen as an important accord to prevent labor abuses.

However, its non-compelling nature and lack of provision to sanction misbehaving members, renders it useless against violations.

Carandang said the Philippines hopes members would soon find merit and importance in adopting a more forceful agreement.

“We want it as soon as possible," he said. - VVP, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POPCOM, gagamit ng ‘digital platforms’ para pagtibayin ang mga ugnayang pampamilya

Mas pinalalawig ng Komisyon sa Populasyon at Pagpapaunlad (POPCOM) ang adhikain nitong pagpapalaganap at pagpapabuti ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng mga nakakatandang Pilipino sa kanilang mga anak na nagdadalaga at nagbibinata. Nitong Setyembre 21, ang POPCOM ay nagsagawa ng isang “parent-teen talk webinar” gamit ang Zoom, kung saan ang isang “interactive program” ang nagbigay ng naaayon na kaalaman at kasanayan sa mga magulang, habang tumulong ito sa mga anak na teenager na maabot ang kanilang buong potensyal. Hinikayat din nito ang mga nanay at tatay na sumali sa malayang usapan, lalo na sa mga usapin ukol sa sex at sekswalidad, na nakikitang makakatulong upang bumaba ang mga bilang ng mga pagbubuntis sa hanay ng mga kabataan. Maaaring mapanood ang webinar sa https://youtu.be/lZ9jrJCjYas. Ayon kay Ikalawang Kalihim (Undersecretary) Juan Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH, “ang webinar ay naging isang tagapag-simula at ‘padaluyan’ ng pag-uu
Read more

Biden said set to make push for demilitarized Palestinian state as part of new doctrine ---By LAZAR BERMAN

New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, who’s close to the US administration, says emerging doctrine would include Saudi-Israeli normalization, 2-state solution, and campaign against Iran US President Joe Biden’s administration is homing in on a new doctrine involving an unprecedented push to immediately advance the creation of a demilitarized but viable Palestinian state, The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman reported on Thursday. The plan, Friedman wrote, “would involve some form of US recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that would come into being only once Palestinians had developed a set of defined, credible institutions and security capabilities to ensure that this state was viable and that it could never threaten Israel.” White House officials “have been consulting experts inside and outside the US government about different forms this recognition of Palestinian statehood might take,” revealed Friedman. What he termed the new “Biden Doctrin
Read more

In Cairo, senior Hamas officials discuss hostage deal with Egyptian intelligence chief ---By TOI STAFF, AGENCIES and LAZAR BERMAN

Delegation said led by terror group’s Qatar-based political leader Ismail Haniyeh; Wall Street Journal reports Hamas demanding 150 security prisoners for each female soldier A delegation of senior Hamas officials arrived in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials on a possible deal that would see the release of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza. The delegation was led by Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar, and included senior members Mousa Abu Marzook and Khalil al-Hayya, the Qatar-based Al-Araby news outlet reported, citing an unnamed Egyptian source. The Hamas officials met with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel, to discuss the details of a hostage deal proposal that was presented to the Gaza terror group earlier this week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The outline of the deal was drawn up during a meeting in Paris last week in the presence of Israeli and US officials, as well as Qatari and Egyptian negotiators, a
Read more