Groups unaware of orientation for OFW employers
MANILA, Philippines - Recruitment agencies and a migrant group on Wednesday said they were unaware of the orientation supposedly being provided by Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) to employers of overseas Filipino domestics.
According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the orientation launched last year was supposed to teach prospective foreign employers about Filipino culture and character.
However, the Philippine Association of Service Exporters Inc (Pasei) and the Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino (Kakammpi) said they were unaware of such requirement.
“Hindi ko alam na may ganyan at kung paano nila ginagawa ‘yan (I didn’t know of its existence and how it was implemented)," said Pasei President Victor E. Fernandez Jr in an interview with GMANews.TV.
“Wala kaming alam na ganyan (We are not aware of anything like that)," said Fe Nicodemus, Kakammpi executive director said.
Only for direct hires
Stella Banawis, director of the POEA Pre-Employment Service Office, told GMANews.TV in a separate interview that the orientation were only for direct hire employees and not for those who went through recruitment agencies.
She said the employer orientation was supposed to be implemented before the government verifies the contracts of Filipino household service workers.
POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili earlier told GMANews.TV that she didn't know if the project had been implemented on a massive scale but said the agency was still trying to institute it.
The groups were also doubtful on how the employer orientation was being conducted.
“Madaling sabihin na ini-implement ‘yan pero mahirap gawin (It’s easy to say that it is being implemented but it’s really hard to do)," said Fernandez, whose agency deploys workers to Saudi Arabia.
Nicodemus added: “Maganda sana pero ang problema, ang migrant workers hindi pumupunta sa POLOs (It would be good but the problem is, migrant workers don’t go to the POLOs)."
Nonetheless, the POEA chief still stressed the importance of the orientation.
“Importante din ‘yun, para maintindihan nila kung bakit ganun tayo (That is important so that they would understand why we are like that)," Manalili said.
“Kasi dalawang bansa ang magiging magkaugnayan diyan (Because two countries would be involved in the orientation)," she added.
Orientation module
A module titled “Understanding the Filipino Household Service Worker" is being used to orient prospective employers.
Included in the course outline of the orientation module are about Philippine culture, how to relate with Filipinos, the role of foreign principals or employers, and pertinent rules and regulations on hiring Filipinos. A copy of which was furnished by the POEA to GMANews.TV.
The discussion on Philippine culture includes an introduction to Philippine history, the structure of Philippine society and Filipino traits, customs, traditions and ethical, and normative behavior.
At the end of the session, the employer is asked to write an essay, effectively assessing how much he or she has understood the Filipino worker through the orientation.
However, Fernandez said the module could not effectively discuss or cover the entire subject matter. “How effective is that session?" he said.
Meanwhile, on the part of Filipino workers, the POEA said it would give culture and language courses to them.
Manalili said that to address communication problems, the POEA would ask Filipino workers to study the culture and language of the countries where they would be deployed.
“So we are moving toward that direction and we’re trying to implement ang ating attendance doon sa (our attendance to the) language and culture courses," she said.
'Useful requirement'
For his part, Joseph Espiritu of the Riyadh-based OFW-SOS and Patnubay.com advocacy groups was also unaware of the supposed orientation for foreign employers but welcomed it as a useful requirement, especially in countries where Filipino domestics are prone to abuses.
“Kung maraming proseso ang pagdadaanan ng employer at hindi na lang s’ya kukuha ng katulong dahil sa abala, ayos ‘yan sa atin. In that way matigil na ang pagpapadala ng mga katulong dito (If the requirement becomes a hassle to employers and discourages them from hiring Filipino domestics, that’s something good.In that way, the deployment of Filipino domestics here will stop)," he said.
And in the same manner that OFWs go through a process like the pre-departure orientation seminar or PDOS, “employers must also go through the same process or they should be informed that we are aware of the abuses that maids are subjected to," he added.
Espiritu, however, doubted whether POLOs have enough personnel who can handle the orientation program.
“There are a lot of complaints that some POLO personnel especially in Jeddah are not working properly because they are so busy playing around with their girl friends — runaway maids — from the OWWA shelter," he said.
On the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) proposal to make it mandatory for domestic helpers to undergo psychological or psychiatric examinations, Espiritu said the DFA should also require that to foreign employers of Pinay maids. “That is just fair," he said. - GMANews.TV
According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the orientation launched last year was supposed to teach prospective foreign employers about Filipino culture and character.
However, the Philippine Association of Service Exporters Inc (Pasei) and the Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino (Kakammpi) said they were unaware of such requirement.
“Hindi ko alam na may ganyan at kung paano nila ginagawa ‘yan (I didn’t know of its existence and how it was implemented)," said Pasei President Victor E. Fernandez Jr in an interview with GMANews.TV.
“Wala kaming alam na ganyan (We are not aware of anything like that)," said Fe Nicodemus, Kakammpi executive director said.
Only for direct hires
Stella Banawis, director of the POEA Pre-Employment Service Office, told GMANews.TV in a separate interview that the orientation were only for direct hire employees and not for those who went through recruitment agencies.
She said the employer orientation was supposed to be implemented before the government verifies the contracts of Filipino household service workers.
POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili earlier told GMANews.TV that she didn't know if the project had been implemented on a massive scale but said the agency was still trying to institute it.
The groups were also doubtful on how the employer orientation was being conducted.
“Madaling sabihin na ini-implement ‘yan pero mahirap gawin (It’s easy to say that it is being implemented but it’s really hard to do)," said Fernandez, whose agency deploys workers to Saudi Arabia.
Nicodemus added: “Maganda sana pero ang problema, ang migrant workers hindi pumupunta sa POLOs (It would be good but the problem is, migrant workers don’t go to the POLOs)."
Nonetheless, the POEA chief still stressed the importance of the orientation.
“Importante din ‘yun, para maintindihan nila kung bakit ganun tayo (That is important so that they would understand why we are like that)," Manalili said.
“Kasi dalawang bansa ang magiging magkaugnayan diyan (Because two countries would be involved in the orientation)," she added.
Orientation module
A module titled “Understanding the Filipino Household Service Worker" is being used to orient prospective employers.
Included in the course outline of the orientation module are about Philippine culture, how to relate with Filipinos, the role of foreign principals or employers, and pertinent rules and regulations on hiring Filipinos. A copy of which was furnished by the POEA to GMANews.TV.
The discussion on Philippine culture includes an introduction to Philippine history, the structure of Philippine society and Filipino traits, customs, traditions and ethical, and normative behavior.
At the end of the session, the employer is asked to write an essay, effectively assessing how much he or she has understood the Filipino worker through the orientation.
However, Fernandez said the module could not effectively discuss or cover the entire subject matter. “How effective is that session?" he said.
Meanwhile, on the part of Filipino workers, the POEA said it would give culture and language courses to them.
Manalili said that to address communication problems, the POEA would ask Filipino workers to study the culture and language of the countries where they would be deployed.
“So we are moving toward that direction and we’re trying to implement ang ating attendance doon sa (our attendance to the) language and culture courses," she said.
'Useful requirement'
For his part, Joseph Espiritu of the Riyadh-based OFW-SOS and Patnubay.com advocacy groups was also unaware of the supposed orientation for foreign employers but welcomed it as a useful requirement, especially in countries where Filipino domestics are prone to abuses.
“Kung maraming proseso ang pagdadaanan ng employer at hindi na lang s’ya kukuha ng katulong dahil sa abala, ayos ‘yan sa atin. In that way matigil na ang pagpapadala ng mga katulong dito (If the requirement becomes a hassle to employers and discourages them from hiring Filipino domestics, that’s something good.In that way, the deployment of Filipino domestics here will stop)," he said.
And in the same manner that OFWs go through a process like the pre-departure orientation seminar or PDOS, “employers must also go through the same process or they should be informed that we are aware of the abuses that maids are subjected to," he added.
Espiritu, however, doubted whether POLOs have enough personnel who can handle the orientation program.
“There are a lot of complaints that some POLO personnel especially in Jeddah are not working properly because they are so busy playing around with their girl friends — runaway maids — from the OWWA shelter," he said.
On the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) proposal to make it mandatory for domestic helpers to undergo psychological or psychiatric examinations, Espiritu said the DFA should also require that to foreign employers of Pinay maids. “That is just fair," he said. - GMANews.TV
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