Method of giving PDOS useless - migrants group

A group of migrant workers urged the government on Saturday to assess the system of conducting pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS) as most overseas Filipino workers couldn't even remember the basic things to do in times of distress.

Kakammpi, an organization of families of OFWs, told GMANews.TV that many of its members don’t know where to go for help if they are in trouble abroad.

“The three-hour schedule for the five modules of PDOS is inadequate to equip OFWs with the basic knowledge needed to face harsh realities abroad," said Ma. Fe Nicodemus, executive director of Kakammpi.

“Besides, PDOS is usually given a day before departure, the worst time for OFWs to sit and listen to lectures as numerous personal and family concerns snatch away the attention to lectures," she said.

She added that each of the five modules in the PDOS needs more time and focus, as the topics are big ones -- realities of migration, culture of receiving countries, where to go for help in times of distress, health and family concerns, and reintegration.In addition, some institutions that sponsor the venue for the seminar (such as banks) take a share of the time for the sessions to introduce their investment products and more.In the last few years, we in Kakammpi have observed a deterioration of the quality of PDOS, partly because the government has allowed recruitment agencies to conduct the seminar for their recruits.

“Recruitment agencies giving PDOS to their recruits is self-serving. Of course, agencies would not teach their recruits how to file a case against them [agencies] in case of contract violations," Nicodemus said.

“The ‘how-tos’ module is most important of all because it teaches OFWs what to do when they are abused, or discriminated against, or unfairly treated, or are forced to work under hazardous conditions and other unfair labor practices," she added.

Way back in the ‘80s, Nicodemus said, only 10 non-government organizations got accreditation to give the PDOS, and that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) prohibited recruitment agencies from doing so.

We have been making appeals to concerned government agencies to tighten the rules on accrediting agencies giving the PDOS. If possible, the POEA should revive the system used in the ‘80s, she said. During the ‘80s, the POEA allowed only 10 NGOs to give the PDOS and assigned seminar participants to nearest NGO training center where they would get the seminar. - GMANews.TV

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