Saturday, December 20, 2008 Gov't told to send OFWs home By Jane Cadalig
THE militant group Migrante has called on the government to send home all distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be with their families during the holiday season.
In a statement, Migrante Metro Baguio said complaints of OFW abuses continue to flood its office, as the impact of the global financial crisis heightens.
An average of three to four OFW cases are received by Migrante daily in the third quarter this year, the militant group said.
Some companies overseas have begun cutting back on their workforce as a result of the economic crunch.
Migrante reported at least three OFWs from the Cordillera region are already affected by the retrenchments done by companies in Korea and Taiwan. They are Gabriela Calixto from Kibungan, Benguet; Jo-ann Bocway from Ifugao; and Prescilla, an OFW who is in Kuwait. Prescilla's family name is still being verified by the Migrante.
"We expect more OFWs who are from the Cordillera region as we closely monitor the continuing retrenchment of workers in Taiwan and other host countries as the effects of the global financial crisis," read the Migrante statement.
Manuel Peña, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) regional director for the Cordillera, said the government agency has yet to receive cases of retrenchment.
The Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations International Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrants and members of their families on December 18, 1990.
Migrante asked government to make use of the P100 million annual repatriation fund for distressed OFWs.
Cases of abused OFWs in Saudi and Kuwait were also referred to Migrante. Included here are the five Cordillera OFWs who protested and stopped working for their employers, after completing their contract, and one OFW in Kuwait who is also working against her will.
The Annasban Group of Companies reportedly denied these workers the vacation due them.
