Ilang taon ding ipinaglaban ng mga manggagawang Pilipino sa ibayong dagat (OFW) ang mabigyan ng karapatan na makilahok sa pagpili ng mga mamumuno sa ating pamahalaan.
Noong taong 2004, sa pamamagitan ng Overseas Voting Law na ipinasa ng kamara, sa kaunaunahang pagkakataon ay naranasan ng mga OFW ang bumoto kahit pa malayo sila sa Pilipinas.
Ngunit ang iniaasahang malaking magagawa ng mga OFW tungo sa pagbabago ng direksyon ng halalan sa ating bansa, sa pamagitan ng tinatawag na OFW Vote, ay naunsiyami dahil sa napakababang bilang ng mga OFW na nagtiyagang marating ang tatatlong itinalagang voting centers para makilahok sa naturang halalan.
Itinuturong pangunahing dahilan sa mababang bilang ng mga OFW na nakilahok sa nakaraang halalan ang kakulangan ng kakayahan ng karaminhan sa mga OFW dito sa Suadi Arabia na mapuntahan ang tatlong itinalagang voting centers sa Riyadh, Jeddah at Dammam. Sa Riyadh halimbawa, ang itinalagang voting center ay ang Philippine Embassy compound. Alam ng lahat na bukod sa napakalayo nito sa kinalalagyan ng karamihan sa mga OFW, hindi ito nadadaanan ng mga pangpublikong sasakyan. Ang mga OFW na may mga sariling sasakyan o kaya’y may mga shuttle buses ang kompanya lamang ang makakapasok doon.
Ito rin ang naging dahilan kung bakit sa taong ito, pinahintulutan ng Comelec ang committee on continuing overseas absentee voters registration na gawin ang registration on site.
Kamakailan lang ay napabalita na sumasangayon na ang Comelec na pahintulutan ang postal voting sa darating na halalan sa ilang piling bansa. Isa itong napakagandang balita sa mga OFW sa iba’t ibang panig ng daigdig tulad ng Hongkong at United Arab Emirates. Ngunit hindi kabilang sa mga napiling bansa kung saan hahayaan ang postal voting ang Saudi Arabia.
Ano nga ba ang postal voting o voting by mail na tinatawag? Ang postal voting ay isang paraan ng pagboto kung saan ang botante na wala sa sariling bansa ay papadalhan ng Comelec ng balota sa pamamagitan ng koreo, sa address na nakatala sa overseas absentee voters register. Pagkatanggap ng balota, isusulat ng botante ang mga gusto niyang ihalal at pagkatapos ang balota ay ibabalik niya sa Comelec sa pamamagitan din ng koreo. Maglalaan ang Comelec ng sapat na bilang ng araw para isagawa ang postal voting.
Kung pahihintulutan ang postal voting dito sa Saudi Arabia, mas maraming bilang ng mga registered OFW voters ang makakabuto sa darating na halalan dahil hindi na nila kakailanganin ang bumiyahe patungong embahada o consolada para bomoto. Bagkus ang balota ay darating sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng koreo. Alam naman natin na lahat ng mga kompanya dito ay may kanya kanyang postal box number (P.O. Box) kaya napakadaling makaabot sa botanteng OFW ang kanyang balota.
Dahil nga sa hindi kabilang ang Saudi Arabia sa listahan ng mga bansa na papayagan ang postal voting, inilunsad ng ilang samahan sa Riyadh ang isang panawagan sa chairman ng Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting ng Comelec, Hon. Commissioner Faustino Tuazon, Jr., na isama ng naturang ahensya ang Saudi Arabia sa mga bansa na kung saan ipatutupad ang postal voting sa darating na halalan.
Ngunit interesado pa ba ang mga OFW na makialam at makilahok sa pagbuo ng hinaharap ng ating bansa sa pamamagitan ng pag boto sa darating na halalan, o sawa na ba sila sa nakikitang kinahihinatnan ng Pilipinas, at tuluyan ng tinalikuran ang napakatagal ding ipinaglabang karapatan?
Ganito nga ba talaga ang Pinoy?
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
SSS and OWWA
It is about two months ago when I read from the papers of the administration’s plan to make the SSS coverage for overseas Filipino workers mandatory. I thought then that probably this again is one of those ideas which the administration would usually float to test the waters, so to speak. They did it very recently when they floated the idea of using the OWWA funds to rescue the ailing Philippine Postal Savings bank, in the guise of converting it into an OFW bank. When on the first instance they got a flood of negative reactions both from OFW communities and migrant organizations, the idea, seemingly, was shelved.
But I think the GMA think tank is adopting a new strategy.
A few days ago, I was told that representatives from government agencies, including the SSS, were in Hong Kong selling the idea of a mandatory SSS coverage among the overseas Filipinos there. As expected, the GMA technocrats met a lot of objections from their target audience. That was no surprise at all, and the government officials who went there should have known that well in advance.
The argument of those who favor this proposal is that majority of overseas Filipino workers do not have a retirement or pension fund to look up to as a source of additional income when they finally go back home for good. This is true especially for those who are under domestic employ, or those whose contracts are for short period of time and are non-renewable, like those deployed in Taiwan.
Those who oppose the idea argue that there are some host countries that already require mandatory provision of retirement benefits. They point out that Saudi Arabia’s labor law, for example, already require companies to provide for their employees end of service benefits, which an employee can avail of after serving a company for at least two years. And for most, that is on top of medical insurance.
From where I sit here at Pitstop, I believe what the government should do is to make each departing overseas Filipino worker be aware of the savings and retirement vehicles available for him to choose from. One of the options of course is through membership in SSS, another is membership with Pag-Ibig Fund, and other options are buying one’s own retirement insurance or pension plan, or simply adopting a personal savings program.
Speaking of savings, retirement and insurance brings to mind the outstanding clamor from various OFW groups for an increase in OWWA benefits. Perhaps this is the right time to look again closely on the merits of those suggestions.
It is a known fact that with the implementation of the OWWA Omnibus Policies in September 2003, OWWA has become a subscriber-based institution catering primarily to the life and disability insurance and loan guarantee needs of its captive clients – the overseas Filipino workers. The insurance premium is USD 25 or Php 1,300 for two years coverage. Just like any term insurance, the insured, in this case the OFW, loses the benefits stated in his insurance policy when he fails to pay the renewal premium when the expiry date is reached.
It is this term-based characteristic of the OWWA membership that OFW complain about. While the annual premium of Php 650 is not really that expensive for a Php 100,000 life insurance (double in case of accidental death) plus other benefits, or compared to the Php 900 annual premium charged by PhilHealth, many OFW wants OWWA to provide them benefits which they can avail of even after retiring as an OFW. At present many OFW complain that they have to die or be incapacitated first before they could benefit from OWWA.
If the real reason why government is pushing for the mandatory SSS coverage of OFW is to provide them with a vehicle for their savings and retirement plan needs, why not just expand the services of and benefits from OWWA to cover what are supposedly to be provided for by SSS? This will not only be in consonance with what have long been suggested by many OFWs, but will also limit the number of agencies OFWs will have to transact with.
A savings program, a retirement plan, and a medical and life insurance roll up into one package will surely be more attractive to OFWs even if the annual or monthly contributions is increased a bit.
But I think the GMA think tank is adopting a new strategy.
A few days ago, I was told that representatives from government agencies, including the SSS, were in Hong Kong selling the idea of a mandatory SSS coverage among the overseas Filipinos there. As expected, the GMA technocrats met a lot of objections from their target audience. That was no surprise at all, and the government officials who went there should have known that well in advance.
The argument of those who favor this proposal is that majority of overseas Filipino workers do not have a retirement or pension fund to look up to as a source of additional income when they finally go back home for good. This is true especially for those who are under domestic employ, or those whose contracts are for short period of time and are non-renewable, like those deployed in Taiwan.
Those who oppose the idea argue that there are some host countries that already require mandatory provision of retirement benefits. They point out that Saudi Arabia’s labor law, for example, already require companies to provide for their employees end of service benefits, which an employee can avail of after serving a company for at least two years. And for most, that is on top of medical insurance.
From where I sit here at Pitstop, I believe what the government should do is to make each departing overseas Filipino worker be aware of the savings and retirement vehicles available for him to choose from. One of the options of course is through membership in SSS, another is membership with Pag-Ibig Fund, and other options are buying one’s own retirement insurance or pension plan, or simply adopting a personal savings program.
Speaking of savings, retirement and insurance brings to mind the outstanding clamor from various OFW groups for an increase in OWWA benefits. Perhaps this is the right time to look again closely on the merits of those suggestions.
It is a known fact that with the implementation of the OWWA Omnibus Policies in September 2003, OWWA has become a subscriber-based institution catering primarily to the life and disability insurance and loan guarantee needs of its captive clients – the overseas Filipino workers. The insurance premium is USD 25 or Php 1,300 for two years coverage. Just like any term insurance, the insured, in this case the OFW, loses the benefits stated in his insurance policy when he fails to pay the renewal premium when the expiry date is reached.
It is this term-based characteristic of the OWWA membership that OFW complain about. While the annual premium of Php 650 is not really that expensive for a Php 100,000 life insurance (double in case of accidental death) plus other benefits, or compared to the Php 900 annual premium charged by PhilHealth, many OFW wants OWWA to provide them benefits which they can avail of even after retiring as an OFW. At present many OFW complain that they have to die or be incapacitated first before they could benefit from OWWA.
If the real reason why government is pushing for the mandatory SSS coverage of OFW is to provide them with a vehicle for their savings and retirement plan needs, why not just expand the services of and benefits from OWWA to cover what are supposedly to be provided for by SSS? This will not only be in consonance with what have long been suggested by many OFWs, but will also limit the number of agencies OFWs will have to transact with.
A savings program, a retirement plan, and a medical and life insurance roll up into one package will surely be more attractive to OFWs even if the annual or monthly contributions is increased a bit.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Repatriation, OWWA, and the OFW
It did not surprise me at all when Secretary Ermita said that Malacanang was not insulted with the comment of the Lebanese ambassador to the Philippines. The Lebanese ambassador said the representatives of various government agencies charge with the evacuation of overseas Filipinos in war-torn Lebanon should stop bickering and quarreling about funds, but should concentrate on their job. Ermita was right, why should Malacanang be insulted with that simple statement of fact when it has ignored more serious accusations before?
What surprised me was Ermita’s admission that there was really some problem in the availability of funds for the evacuation. That admission plus the comment made by Ambassador Al Francis Bichara that his office is running out of funds caused the Senate and several cause oriented groups and individuals to call for an investigation into the use and status of the OWWA funds.
The Senate for its part called its own hearing on the matter which, as usual was snubbed by Malacanang. Senator Miriam Santiago ended filing a resolution calling for the filing of plunder case against former President Fidel Ramos, for having directed the investment of Five Hundred Million pesos in OWWA funds in the Smokey Mountain Project which up to now is has not yet been fully recovered. Atty. Frank Chavez also filed with the Office of the Ombudsman charges against several government officials, including GMA, for the unauthorized transfer of OWWA funds to the PhilHealth. The transfer enabled GMA to distribute PhilHelalth insurance cards to thousands of Filipinos in the rural areas before the 2004 elections.
All the charges filed are premised on the fact that the OWWA fund is a trust fund. As such it cannot be used for purposes other than those mandated by law. The same principle was also the premise of a case filed by a group of migrant and OFW oriented groups headed by the Philippines Migrants Rights Watch, against the Board of OWWA seeking to nullify the OWWA Omnibus Policy which said Board adopted in 2004. Among the most contested provision of said policy was the requirement for every overseas worker to pay $25 every two years. This provision, the petitioners said, shifted the burden in the payment of contribution from the employer to the worker. It also made access to benefits from the Fund member-based, as those who do not renew their membership contribution, by paying $25 every two years, will not get any benefit from the Fund, other than burial expense.
With the OWWA Fund now being used in the evacuation of OFW in Lebanon (including non-OFW Filipinos who are married to Lebanese nationals), most of whom are undocumented, meaning they did not go through the POEA, and therefore did not pay the mandatory contribution, it is ironic that some OFW as well as non-OFW organizations are questioning whether the use of said Fund, which is now supposed to be member-based is not against the OWWA omnibus policy. Why should those who did not contribute to the Fund be first to benefit from it? was the singular question being asked.
While the law provides that OWWA leads the repatriation efforts in case of emergency, it did not say that OWWA Funds will be used. What the law provided is the establishment of an Emergency Repatriation fund coming from a yearly appropriation of at least 100 million pesos by Congress. But Congress, while taking care of their annual “country side development fund” failed to provide for the emergency need of those it loves to call modern day heroes.
Overseas Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, it is high time to think of establishing your own emergency repatriation fund. You have seen that our government is not ready to provide the required assistance in the event of an emergency. Many of you will have died before they will be able to make a decision. Decide for yourselves, now.
What surprised me was Ermita’s admission that there was really some problem in the availability of funds for the evacuation. That admission plus the comment made by Ambassador Al Francis Bichara that his office is running out of funds caused the Senate and several cause oriented groups and individuals to call for an investigation into the use and status of the OWWA funds.
The Senate for its part called its own hearing on the matter which, as usual was snubbed by Malacanang. Senator Miriam Santiago ended filing a resolution calling for the filing of plunder case against former President Fidel Ramos, for having directed the investment of Five Hundred Million pesos in OWWA funds in the Smokey Mountain Project which up to now is has not yet been fully recovered. Atty. Frank Chavez also filed with the Office of the Ombudsman charges against several government officials, including GMA, for the unauthorized transfer of OWWA funds to the PhilHealth. The transfer enabled GMA to distribute PhilHelalth insurance cards to thousands of Filipinos in the rural areas before the 2004 elections.
All the charges filed are premised on the fact that the OWWA fund is a trust fund. As such it cannot be used for purposes other than those mandated by law. The same principle was also the premise of a case filed by a group of migrant and OFW oriented groups headed by the Philippines Migrants Rights Watch, against the Board of OWWA seeking to nullify the OWWA Omnibus Policy which said Board adopted in 2004. Among the most contested provision of said policy was the requirement for every overseas worker to pay $25 every two years. This provision, the petitioners said, shifted the burden in the payment of contribution from the employer to the worker. It also made access to benefits from the Fund member-based, as those who do not renew their membership contribution, by paying $25 every two years, will not get any benefit from the Fund, other than burial expense.
With the OWWA Fund now being used in the evacuation of OFW in Lebanon (including non-OFW Filipinos who are married to Lebanese nationals), most of whom are undocumented, meaning they did not go through the POEA, and therefore did not pay the mandatory contribution, it is ironic that some OFW as well as non-OFW organizations are questioning whether the use of said Fund, which is now supposed to be member-based is not against the OWWA omnibus policy. Why should those who did not contribute to the Fund be first to benefit from it? was the singular question being asked.
While the law provides that OWWA leads the repatriation efforts in case of emergency, it did not say that OWWA Funds will be used. What the law provided is the establishment of an Emergency Repatriation fund coming from a yearly appropriation of at least 100 million pesos by Congress. But Congress, while taking care of their annual “country side development fund” failed to provide for the emergency need of those it loves to call modern day heroes.
Overseas Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, it is high time to think of establishing your own emergency repatriation fund. You have seen that our government is not ready to provide the required assistance in the event of an emergency. Many of you will have died before they will be able to make a decision. Decide for yourselves, now.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Sona and the Modern Day Heroes
When GMA proudly announced during her State of the Nation Address the arrival of 200 Filipino overseas workers from war torn Lebanon, she was given a warm applause by her eager supporters. What GMA did not tell those present at the Batasan, and the millions of Filipinos watching her on TV, is that out of those 200 ‘modern day heroes’, 78 were victims of rape and maltreatment, while 36 others faced various immigration problems.
‘Modern day heroes’, is indeed a fitting tribute to those 78 Filipinas who left their homes, and face the uncertainties of life in a foreign land, in search of a better source of income which their government cannot provide. Their adventures are indeed heroic, and one can not imagine the trauma which one of those ‘heroes’ had experienced when she was raped by her employer’s son on the first night of her arrival in Lebanon, followed by more rapes by both father and son. While GMA delivers her SONA to the untiring applauses of her supporters, this modern day heroine, who is five months pregnant, arrives at Villamor airbase.
Back at Batasan, GMA said to his detractors, ‘… what a waste of time’. And her audience gave her another round of applause. What a waste of time, indeed. But what could she have said to those 78 ‘modern day heroines’ if she had learned before hand that they were victims of rape and maltreatment; that they could not have freed themselves from their abductors had it not been for the war? What a waste of life? Yes, what a waste of life, indeed!
To contain the negative impact of the snail-paced evacuation of overseas Filipinos in Lebanon on the colorful picture painted by her future of the nation’s address, GMA and her handlers promised that her administration will do everything to keep all Filipinos in the area from harms way. But that, to say the least, was reactive - for harm was already done on at least 40% of the first 200 evacuees.
In the first place, is it not one of the mandates of government to ensure that its nationals are kept from harms way where ever they may be? Is that not one of the responsibilities of our heads of missions, our labor attaches, our welfare officers, and other embassy officials? How did it happen then that nothing was heard of about the sufferings of those 78 Filipinas (and many more of them, perhaps) before the evacuation begun? Were all those embassy officials sleeping on their posts? If the GMA administration is sincere in its promise to keep the overseas Filipinos from harms way, it should immediately recall all those embassy officials in Lebanon. The recall should be followed by an investigation to determine why the mission was not able to do its job.
To quote one of the victims, ‘thanks to the war’. For if not for the ongoing crisis, we would not have known the kind of sacrifices our mothers, sisters, and daughters were giving away in exchange for the extra comfort that they are able to provide to their families.
Again this put in the lime light the long questioned wisdom of the government’s policy on the deployment of overseas Filipinas as domestic helpers, especially in countries where this type of employment is not protected by labor or other laws.
How many more Filipinas should be raped and maltreated in a foreign land, before GMA finally decides to put a stop in the deployment of domestic helpers? There will perhaps be a hundred or thousands more – because if you are an overseas Filipino, being raped and maltreated by your employer is an act of heroism.
‘Modern day heroes’, is indeed a fitting tribute to those 78 Filipinas who left their homes, and face the uncertainties of life in a foreign land, in search of a better source of income which their government cannot provide. Their adventures are indeed heroic, and one can not imagine the trauma which one of those ‘heroes’ had experienced when she was raped by her employer’s son on the first night of her arrival in Lebanon, followed by more rapes by both father and son. While GMA delivers her SONA to the untiring applauses of her supporters, this modern day heroine, who is five months pregnant, arrives at Villamor airbase.
Back at Batasan, GMA said to his detractors, ‘… what a waste of time’. And her audience gave her another round of applause. What a waste of time, indeed. But what could she have said to those 78 ‘modern day heroines’ if she had learned before hand that they were victims of rape and maltreatment; that they could not have freed themselves from their abductors had it not been for the war? What a waste of life? Yes, what a waste of life, indeed!
To contain the negative impact of the snail-paced evacuation of overseas Filipinos in Lebanon on the colorful picture painted by her future of the nation’s address, GMA and her handlers promised that her administration will do everything to keep all Filipinos in the area from harms way. But that, to say the least, was reactive - for harm was already done on at least 40% of the first 200 evacuees.
In the first place, is it not one of the mandates of government to ensure that its nationals are kept from harms way where ever they may be? Is that not one of the responsibilities of our heads of missions, our labor attaches, our welfare officers, and other embassy officials? How did it happen then that nothing was heard of about the sufferings of those 78 Filipinas (and many more of them, perhaps) before the evacuation begun? Were all those embassy officials sleeping on their posts? If the GMA administration is sincere in its promise to keep the overseas Filipinos from harms way, it should immediately recall all those embassy officials in Lebanon. The recall should be followed by an investigation to determine why the mission was not able to do its job.
To quote one of the victims, ‘thanks to the war’. For if not for the ongoing crisis, we would not have known the kind of sacrifices our mothers, sisters, and daughters were giving away in exchange for the extra comfort that they are able to provide to their families.
Again this put in the lime light the long questioned wisdom of the government’s policy on the deployment of overseas Filipinas as domestic helpers, especially in countries where this type of employment is not protected by labor or other laws.
How many more Filipinas should be raped and maltreated in a foreign land, before GMA finally decides to put a stop in the deployment of domestic helpers? There will perhaps be a hundred or thousands more – because if you are an overseas Filipino, being raped and maltreated by your employer is an act of heroism.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Simple Thoughts
It took me some time to write this piece, and do justice to this blog which was created by my son. Not that I do not have any idea on what to write, but I just can not find time to start the ball rolling. I hope then that after this first piece, I will be able to continue writing regularly.
Last night my friend read to me a text message from his wife, back in the Philippines. My friend's wife was relating how happy the birthday celebration of their daughter was. For a moment I asked myself: How many birthdays and such other occasions have I missed since I started working in a land so far away from home? I can not count them by my fingers anymore.
But missing birthdays and such other celebrations is not the only price overseas Filipinos pay in return for the better future they are able to provide to their families. For me the highest price is that of not witnessing my children grow; not being there to coach them in their math and science subjects, or to guide them through their teen years.
As I look back to the years gone, the more I realize how much valuable time I have lost; precious time which I could have shared with my family. And so I asked myself: If I have to go back in time, will I still opt to leave the Philippines, and my family, to work in a foreign land? I am very much tempted to say, 'no way'. Yet look at those young graduates who leave the Philippines everyday.
Yesterday we assisted in the registration of overseas absentee voters inside a medical housing complex. At about 5 in the afternoon, three ladies entered the registration room to ask for the forms they have to fill up. I thought one of the three is a daughter of one of the older nurses because she look so young and would easily fit the height of a high school student. When we went out of the hall, I was surprised to see this young girl filling up the registration form. So I went to the table where they are seated, and asked: 'Nurse ka ba talaga?' The young girl just looked at me with a smile, as if wanting to say, 'Naligaw lang po.'
My youngest daughter will in a few months time be a nurse, too. Will I tell her not to follow in my footsteps and stay home?
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