Migrante holds 'zero remittance day' protest near Malacañang

Overseas Filipino workers on Friday gathered a few meters from Malacañang in Manila as part of the simultaneous "zero remittance day" protest on Friday.
 
Led by the group Migrante, overseas Filipino workers held placards condemning the Bureau of Customs' (BOC) plan to conduct random manual inspection of balikbayan boxes during their protest in Mendiola.
 
 
Migrante had said that OFW groups in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Italy will join the protests.
 
"Iba't-ibang bahagi ng mundo ay magkakaroon ng paglunsad ng zero remittance day," said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International, on Tuesday.
 
Regalado made the statement a day after President Benigno Aquino III ordered the BOC to drop the planned balikbayan box inspection.
 
"Ito ay isang political action, bilang pag-rehistro na ang mga OFWs ay patuloy na lalabanan kung anuman yung mga anti-migrante, anti-people na mga patakaran ng gobyernong Aquino," she added.
 
Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero has said that the zero-remittance protest may cost the country some P3.1 billion in personal remittances from OFWs.
 
However, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. claimed a similar initiative in 2013 did not have any negative impact on the economy. —ALG, GMA News

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