Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Job agency dares OFWs to come over, complain
By Carlo P. Mallo
A HIGH-ranking official of Careplus, a recruitment agency, said the agency remains undeterred even if there is a threat of the filing of complaints against it before the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
The official, who requested anonymity, said the most logical thing for the complaining overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who arrived from Kuwait is to come to their office and present their complaints.
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"They should come here," the official said. "That would be the right thing to do."
Even as the agency continues to be battered on radio and television and called numerous names, the top official said they are legal and have thus no reason to be afraid.
As for the filing of the complaint, the top official said it is the right of the workers.
The top official added that there are "people that you cannot satisfy."
Careplus president Jucinda Y. Borre was out of town during the interview.
In an interview Friday, two OFWs alleged that the job contracts they signed with Careplus were different from what actually took place in Kuwait.
In an interview Friday, Cheryl Sanchez and Reneal Batino, two of the nine complainants, said that a local placement agency, which is accredited by the POEA, has grossly violated the provisions of their contract, forcing them to come home penniless and jobless.
According to the two, their local placement agency, Careplus, promised that their airfares will be shouldered by their company. However, upon arrival in Kuwait, the counterpart of the company, Al Esa Madicare Company, slashed 35 Kuwaiti dinars from their salaries for the first eight months.
"Tapos yung tumawag yung taga Careplus sa amin on the day before kami aalis for Kuwait, ang sabi niya is kung sino yung gusto mag back out, mag back out na, pero sa dinami ba naman na ng nagastos naming and naaksaya na oras, magbabackout pa ba kami?" Sanchez said.
It was the same scenario for Batino, who flew out of the country two months after Sanchez did.
"Ang nakalagay sa aming contract is caregivers kami, pero sinabihan kami dun na pag may nagtanong, registered nurses kami ang dapat naming isagot," Batino said.
Batino added that even the nature of their job was that of a registered nurse and not a caregiver. "Nag-aalaga kami ng pasyente na naka tracheostomy, eh ang dapat lang naman ginagawa ng mga caregiver is magpaligo, magpunas ng puwet ng pasyente," Batino said.
For her part, Sanchez added they were not given a day-off of at least once a week. "Three to four months ang dumaan na wala kaming day-off," Sanchez said.
It was the same case with Batino. "Sinasabihan lang kami na hindi kami pwede mag day-off dahil walang papalit sa pwesto namin," Batino said.
He added that if they were not able to work for 7 days in a week, they are not given their overtime pay of 15 Kuwaiti dinars.
The two, together with 7 other companions, will be appearing before the POEA office on April 14 to formally file their complaints. (CPM)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 1, 2008 issue)
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