Balladares said that these “reforms” only show that “the government is just trying to douse the mounting protests of OFWs against these new policies.”
“We will not be trapped by such an obvious ploy to dampen the anger of current OFWs and drive a wedge between us and our fellow OFWs,” she said.
She said that so long as the guidelines stay, “extortion of the government shall remain.”
Global campaign
After a series of protest actions, OFWs in Hong Kong are preparing for a big mobilization on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Unifil-HK data showed that Hong Kong, one of the main destinations for OFWs working mostly as women household helpers, is home to about 118,000 domestic helpers.
Last week, Gabriela Women’s Partylist Rep. Liza Maza consulted migrant workers in Hong Kong regarding the new POEA guidelines. Maza has earlier filed a resolution in Congress urging an investigation into the new POEA guidelines. She also delivered a privilege speech at the House of Representatives expressing the sentiments of OFWs demanding that the new guidelines be scrapped.
She described the policy as “pure and simple money-making venture at the expense of millions of Filipino domestic helpers around the globe.”
“Kinakalakal na sila, kinokotongan pa,” (They are not only being commodified, they are also subjetcted to extortion) she said.
She also said this scheme of forcing even veteran domestic helpers to shell out some P12, 000 ($246.35) for training is “preposterous,” noting the number of “used and abused” OFWs allegedly not getting any substantial help from the government.
The congresswoman said that the government refuses to help OFWs who are undocumented even if they are victims of rape and human trafficking.
“Registered or not, it is the duty of the government to protect its citizens abroad,” she said.
Migrante is coordinating with their members and allied organizations in other countries such as Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Macau, Canada, and Europe to mount an international campaign against the said training scheme. (Bulatlat.com)
