Some of the OFWs also complained that they have not recovered their expenses even though they have been working for more than a year now. They could not even save money because they monthly salary was only about P25, 000 ($539.61).
The migrant workers also overheard that they were working for another company AU Optronics when all along they thought they were working with Quanta Display.
Magsino went to Taiwan in August last year to ”fix the problem” but ”not to talk about their complaints,” the OFWs stated in their affidavits.
During her visit, she allegedly gave them three options: 1) they return to the Philippines to be able to refund 50 percent of their PF; 2) they would accept a loan amounting to 9000 NT dollars without interest provided that they sign a waiver that they would not file any claim or complaint regarding the placement fee and the dormitories; and 3) for those who paid through E-cash or the lending agency, she would make arrangements with the owner of the Global Lending Inc. to give them a grace period of three months, during which they would be required to pay only the interest charges..
Not the first complaint
Although all the 59 OFW complainants in Taiwan wanted to go home, Tee said, some opted to endure the hard work and meager salary in order to have something to send to their families in the Philippines. Others, she said, have yet to raise the money for their airfare.
But the six who were able to return to the Philippines represent the sentiments of the 53 other OFW complainants in Taiwan, Tee said.
Jonathan Panlilio, Migrante International case officer, said that in order to return to the Philippines, the six OFWs also had to pay “break contract” charges for not finishing their two-year contract with the company. Panlilio said they should not have been required to pay the charges because it was the company which violated the agreements thereby forcing the workers to quit. Each of the six OFWs paid about P44, 000 ($949.71) for the “break contract” charges and airfare.
Tee also said that Mission Way’s manager, Magsino, even asked her to help fix the problems with the complainants. Magsino allegedly offered Tee P5,000 ($107.92) as commission for every successful OFW deployment. Magsino also claimed that it is the broker in Taiwan, not her, who profits from the deployments.
Tee merely laughed off Magsino’s offers and claims. “Sabi ko sa kanya, kung ako ang agency, di ako papayag na di ako kikita. Gagastos ka ng milyon para lang ma-accredit ng POEA tapos wala kang kita? E di sana nagsara na ang agency kung gano’n” (I told her that if I was the agency’s owner, I wouldn’t continue deploying workers if I would not earn from it. You spend millions just to get POEA accreditation and you earn nothing? The agency would close down if that was the case.) Tee said.
Tee added that Mission Way had been slapped with a previous complaint of illegal recruitment in 2005. In 2004, she said, several nursing aides applied under a certain DGLF Agency to work abroad. But since DGLF could not process papers with the POEA due to other unresolved complaints filed against it, it asked Mission Way to process the nursing aides’ papers. The Mission Way, technically, deployed them whatever their agreement was, she said.
But the nursing aides came back after a year of working as janitors and nannies to elderly people in their host countries, earning far lower than what they expected and applied for. Because of this, they asked for the reimbursement of the six-month broker’s fee they paid amounting to P60,000 each ($1,089.13 based on the average exchange rate of $1:P55.09 for 2005). They also paid P80,000 ($1,427.55 based on the average exchange rate of $1:P56.04 for 2004) each as placement fee.
Tee said Magsino offered half of the amount the nursing aides were demanding to be refunded to them. Since the nursing aides were already broke and wanted to work abroad again, despite what they had experienced, they agreed to a settlement.
Meanwhile, the 59 OFWs filed illegal recruitment and overcharging complaints against Mission Way at the POEA. The POEA advised them to also file criminal charges against Mission Way at the Department of Justice. (Bulatlat.com)
