Many OFWs are Not Protected, says Militant Group
A group called International Migrants Alliance urges students to think twice before going abroad. An organization allied with migrant groups in 23 countries said that the Overseas Worker’s Asssociation (OWWA) has failed to protect Filipinos working abroad. Roy Anunciacion, chairman of International Migrants Alliance (IMA) in the Philippines, said that the current government has made migration a “business”.
For fear of decline in the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the government is reluctant to help bring back to the Philippines OFWs who complain of abuse by their employers, Anunciacion said. He also said thet the students must think twice before they decide to leave the country as workers in foreign lands.
When he asked his audience, made up of graduating high school students, how many of them wanted to work abroad, almost all of them raised their hands. But Anunciacion questioned whether migration has had a positive or negative effect on the country. He admitted that the Philippine economy is dependent on OFW remittances.
Anunciacion also said the OWWA which is supposed to protect OFWs, has failed its duty. According to their 2006 IMA study, it reportedly showed that only 10 percent of OWWA’s was actually poured into giving direct services to OFWs. He said this should not be the case, since OFW’s funds come from OFW contributions, which reach an estimated P8 billion per year.
The Philippine government also earns P13 billion to P14 billion in documentary fees each year from Filipinos wanting to leave the country. This includes processing of passports and other accounts. A Filipino who wants to work abroad is needed to get at least 76 signatures from different government agencies, he said.
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