OFW remittance fees will go to corruption, says group

Hayna nga talaga. While overseas contract workers have to sacrifice and leave their families in order to earn money to send a child to school or build a nice house, exorbitant fees from their remittances are being collected from them. Read the following article:

MANILA, Philippines - A migrant workers advocacy group on Wednesday said that the exorbitant fees being collected from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) will not go to the national budget but to the pockets of corrupt politicians.

Migrante International chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado told GMANews.TV in an interview that the government is intensifying its collection tactics to earn more from our workers overseas. Private cash transfer firm Western Union Co. has already begun collecting documentary stamp tax from money sent home by OFWs.

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• OFWs remitting more through formal channels, less on ‘padala’ (0)
• OFWs’ ‘padala’ sank to seven-year low in 2007 (0)
• Channels for pooled remittances urged (0)
• Filipino workers’ remittance surges 30 percent in June (0)
• Overseas remittances soar 17% to $ 8.2 billion in first semester (0)
• Western Union now collecting stamp tax on remittances (0)

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SOUTH KOREA: Migrant Workers' Rights Clouded by Race, Class

By Alex Jong Lee

SEOUL, Dec 19 (IPS) - Since August, rights activists in South Korea have been fighting a crackdown on illegal migrant workers. But South Asian and South-east Asians are resentful that Westerners, particularly those in the country’s booming English language teaching industry, are seen differently.

"I guess the perspective of the Korean left (how they focus on migrant exploitation) is okay but that can be problematic if they are not talking about ‘white migrants,’" said Bonojit Hussain, a member of the Progressive Students’ Union in India and a graduate student at Song Kong Hoe University.

Most "progressives" in S. Korea, he suggested, highlight the "plight" of migrant workers and push for legal reforms, but downplay issues of race, class, and nationality, particularly where it concerns English language-teaching foreign workers from the richer Western countries.

Moreover, he said, popular discourse on migration has become more politicised and the word, "migrant" itself usually evokes negative sentiment.

"If you bring the element of class into it, not their class background in their own country but after coming to Korea -- white or brown or yellow or whatever -- then if you add the dynamics of class, then I think we should qualify it this way: ‘working class migrant’ and ‘elite migrant,’" Hussain argued. "There is a distinction --all white migrants are elite."

MORE HERE

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Help-institutions for migrant workers in Korea

Korea’s Migrant Workers Find Voice on Air

The Korean Community TV Channel RTV launched the Migrant Worker’s Television (MWTV) in 2005.Presenters include migrants who run the gauntlet of Korea’s Immigration Bureau. MWTV broadcasts weekly news programs in nine languages (Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, English, Indonesian, Mongolian, Nepali, Russian and Tagalog), focusing on issues of importance to migrant workers, news from home countries and explanations of Korean news for foreign residents.

Migrant workers offered free interpretation and counseling

……Overseas workers suffer more than just homesickness, misunderstanding and improper treatment due to lack of communication and cultural differences at their workplaces or in course of daily living. Having grown aware of overseas workers' difficulties living in Korea, the Korea International Labor Foundation (KOILAF) Interpretation Service Center has been helping migrant workers to understand Korea better, including labor-related legal issues and cultural understanding, by providing language assistance service in seven languages -- English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Russian, Indonesian and Thai.

KASAMMAKO or Unity of Filipino Migrant Workers in Korea is an alliance of Filipino migrant organizations in Korea. It was originally composed of the following migrant groups:

1. Association of Filipino Migrant Workers in Korea (AFILMWOK)
2. Bicol Association
3. Federation of Filipino Workers in Korea (FFWK)
4. New Era Foundation
5. Sama-sama sa Korea (SSK)

Migrante International
Alliance of Filipino Migrant Organizations

Migrant Workers Health Association in Korea

Cordillera Brotherhood Association

Sagada Migrant Workers Association

Guri Pastoral Center ... 031-566-1141
Ansan Galilea Center ... 031-494-8411
Suwon Emmaus Center ... 031-257-8501
Friends Without Borders Counseling Office ... 032-345-6734/5
Gasan, Song-uri Int'l. Community ... 031-543-5296
Uijungbu, Nokyandong Migrant Center ... 031-878-6926
Masok Chonmasan Migrant Center ... 031-593-6542
Bomun, Seoul Foreign Labor Counseling Office ... 02-928-2049/ 924-2706

RELATED LINKS

Asia Pacific Forum on Law, Women, and Development

The Church Intervention on Filipino Migration International Catholic Migration Commission

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Study reveals problems OFWs face in S. Korea

Long hours of work, poor working conditions, delayed or unpaid salaries, and misunderstanding due to language and cultural differences are the most common problems Filipinos working under the Employment Permit System are facing in South Korea, a study has revealed.

The study entitled, “Issues and Challenges under the Employment Permit System (EPS)" conducted by Joyce Ann O. Dela Cruz in 2007, aimed to describe issues and challenges confronting Filipino workers in South Korea.

“The findings in the study could be of help in assessing EPS for future policy review," Dela Cruz said in an interview with GMANews.TV on Friday.

Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS) is a government-to-government hiring scheme intended to curb the problem over illegal recruitment. South Korea’s labor ministry has increased by 20 percent the job roster quota of the Philippines in 2007 to 12,000, from 10,000 in 2006.

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RELATED LINKS

Crackdown of migrant workers in South Korea

South Korea: Migrant workers protest

Labor migration in Asia

Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery in Korea.

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OFWs reach out

News of ka-ilian Robert Degawan hit with stroke while in Korea comes in trying times to the life of an overseas contract worker and people around. Being a migrant worker, one gets out from the confines of home and be vulnerable to risks and uncertainties. That is, risks of being alone in a far away place when tragedy strikes as getting sick, abused, helpless, lonely, or in extremely unfortunate cases, death.

With no one familiar except one’s face in a strange land, the migrant worker first relies for help on friends and ka-ilian (townmate) within the immediate vicinity in times of distress.

I came to know of Robert’s case through a chat with an aunt who works in Korea as a factory worker. She also happens to be a relative by affinity of Robert. She attends the same Catholic church with Robert and other OFW - Cordillerans.

Below are some information which she shared to me which is relevant to any other migrant worker elsewhere in this world. Together with Roland ‘Balanza’ Bosaing who heads the Korea-based Sagada Migrant Workers Organization, they approached the help of another kailian who gave initial support for the patient’s hospital fees. Just like most hospitals today in the Philippines and elsewhere, this certain hospital in Korea apparently does not do the necessary operation until initial amount is given but that’s another story.

Back to migrant work.

In almost all places where migrant workers are found, the presence of an OFW organization helps. This is where immediate support in one way or another comes in. Robert is a member of the Sagada migrant workers organization and a former officer. The organization is now soliciting funds to help defray his hospital costs. Being a church member also helps. The Catholic priest in charge of the pastoral center, Fr Paul Cho, visits the patient and helps out in any which way he can. Also, ka-ilian find ways in how to reach out to their own relatives and ka-ilian.

Lynette, a Korea-based kailian migrant worker informed her uncle based in the US about Robert’s situation. The information found its way to the Saint Marys egroups to the desk of the Social Concerns office of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. ECP now coordinates with Shalom Center of the Anglican church based in Korea. First things first done, migrant workers now await support from relatives back home and institutions supposed to be attentive to migrant workers’ woes. Immediate relatives who most of the time are away from the victim, now have basic information how to respond to the situation. And so with institutions including the church and the respective Philippine Embassy.

With over eight million Filipino migrant workers who are abroad working as domestic helpers, construction workers, drivers, care givers, English teachers, and other low paid menial jobs in order to support their families, vulnerability to exploitation, distress, sickness and untimely death are close. This include other professional jobs such as nurses, dentists and engineers who are better located yet are still vulnerable to related migrant workers’ issues.

Such that the presence of support systems like a close circle of friends, an organization, the church, are immediate sources of support. In most cases, the employer is a source of problem thus had not been a support system to turn to.

It is at trying and difficult times that the Philippine Embassy located in each country have their responsibility to attend to the needs of migrant workers immediately.

Indeed, answering 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product, migrant workers sent $14.45 billion through banks in 2007 exceeding the central bank's target by $100 million.

Post your views on Comments on the link below and let others know.Or email me at ginadizon@yahoo.com

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Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8042

An act to institute the policies of overseas employment and establish a higher standard of protection and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers, their families and overseas Filipinos in distress, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. - This act shall be known and cited as the "Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995."

SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICIES--

(a) In the pursuit of an independent foreign policy and while considering national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest and the right to self-determination paramount in its relations with other states, the State shall, at all times, uphold the dignity of its citizens whether in country or overseas, in general, and Filipino migrant workers, in particular.

(b) The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all. Towards this end, the State shall provide adequate and timely social, economic and legal services to Filipino migrant workers.

(c) While recognizing the significant contribution of Filipino migrant workers to the national economy through their foreign exchange remittances, the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development. The existence of the overseas employment program rests solely on the assurance that the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizens shall not, at any time, be compromised or violated. The State, therefore, shall continuously create local employment opportunities and promote the equitable distribution of wealth and the benefits of development.

(d) The State affirms the fundamental equality before the law of women and men and the significant role of women in nation-building. Recognizing the contribution of overseas migrant women workers and their particular vulnerabilities, the State shall apply gender sensitive criteria in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs affecting migrant workers and the composition of bodies tasked for the welfare of migrant workers.

(e) Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any persons by reason of poverty. In this regard, it is imperative that an effective mechanism be instituted to ensure that the rights and interest of distressed overseas Filipinos, in general, and Filipino migrant workers, in particular, documented or undocumented, are adequately protected and safeguarded.

(f) The right of Filipino migrant workers and all overseas Filipinos to participate in the democratic decision-making processes of the State and to be represented in institutions relevant to overseas employment is recognized and guaranteed.

(g) The State recognizes that the ultimate protection to all migrant workers is the possession of skills. Pursuant to this and as soon as practicable, the government shall deploy and/or allow the deployment only to skilled Filipino workers.

(h) Non-governmental organizations, duly recognized as legitimate, are partners of the State in the protection of Filipino migrant workers and in the promotion of their welfare, the State shall cooperate with them in a spirit of trust and mutual respect.

(I) Government fees and other administrative costs of recruitment, introduction, placement and assistance to migrant workers shall be rendered free without prejudice to the provision of Section 36 hereof.

Nonetheless, the deployment of Filipino overseas workers, whether land-based or sea-based by local service contractors and manning agencies employing them shall be encouraged. Appropriate incentives may be extended to them.

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