MIGRANT WATCH
Tragedy of an Overseas
Worker
Abigail Cabbigat, 32, is
a native of Lagawe, Ifugao. She spent two years in Hong Kong and 10 months
in Lebanon as a domestic helper. She escaped on February 17 this year from
her employer because of grave threats on her person and violation of her
employment contract. She was repatriated to the country on April 9.
BY JOHNNY FIALEN
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
BAGUIO CITY (May 26,
2006) – It is the remittances from
the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) that is giving life to the dying
Philippine economy. That is why the government calls these OFWs the
“Bagong Bayani” or new heroes. Yes they are heroes.
But most of them are
being maltreated abroad – whether physical and/or mental abuses by their
employers. Yet, they do not receive the protection of their rights and
welfare from the very government they helped economically, claimed OFWs in
the Cordillera repatriated early this month.
Abigail Cabbigat, 32,
is a native of Lagawe, Ifugao. She spent two years in Hong Kong
as a domestic helper. As her income from that odd job was not enough for
her family, she applied as domestic helper in
Lebanon where her stay should be two years
but she only stayed for 10 months as she escaped on February 17 this year
from her employer. She was repatriated in the country on April 9.
She claimed that her
employer committed grave threat on her person and violation of her
employment contract.
She recalls that she
submitted her application at Jake International Placement Agency (JIPA)
located at the 5th floor Paragon Tower, A. Flores St., Ermita,
Mabini, Manila.
“I applied to support
my family and they claimed that it is fine in Lebanon. It is an open
country where you can apply in other countries if your contract expires,”
she explained in Filipino.
On April 29, 2005,
she was deployed by the said agency for Lebanon. However, before releasing
her documents for her flight, the agency allegedly forced her to sign a
waiver stating that the salary per month was US$ 150 instead of US$200
that she signed earlier in her original contract.
“Wala na akong
ibang alternatibo dahil napasubo na ako at saka malaki na rin ang nagastos
ko gaya ng dalawang beses na medical, pregnancy test, at
video” (I didn’t have any alternative because I was trapped already and
besides I’ve already spent money for the medical examination, pregnancy
test, and for the video coverage).
In her original
contract, it was stated that she will be affiliated to The Blueline
Services as her agency in Lebanon. When she arrived there, it was the New
Services Agency that represented her. The said agency is owned and managed
by a certain Ellie Abon Chaya.
There, the New
Service Agency confiscated all her travel documents including her passport
and a copy of her employment contract. Even her Nokia 6210 cellular phone
was taken by the agency. When she asked a certain Jocelyn, one of the
Filipino staff there, she was informed by the latter that the confiscation
was normally done to new workers.
She adds that
sometimes she was required to work for 24 hours sometimes seven days a
week. But to her dismay, she was not paid of her overtime pay. While her
contract provided for one rest day a week, her employer failed to observe
it. Cabbigat is now suffering from serious pain in both eyes and also in
her left arm. She traced her sickness as job-related. She laments how she
was ordered to clean dusty carpets under the strong heat of the sun.
She laments that even
her salary – reduced from $200 to $150 was usually not released on time.
Problems facing
Lebanon OFWs
While in Lebanon, she
came to know workers that had worse experiences. She knew workers sent to
their respective agencies, then to the Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration (OWWA) due to false accusations against them. Some of them
went home personally paying their plane tickets.
There were cases of
forced extension of OFW contracts. The failure to complete the said
additional year would be used against them to pay the sum of $2,000 as an
alleged payment for the employer’s expenses. If they failed to pay, they
will be sued, Nordis learned from Cabbigat.
One of the problems
that an OFW confront there is the lack of medication. Allegedly, most
employers in Lebanon are not concerned regarding the health of their
employees.
OFW experiences
Cabbigat shared that
an OFW from Samar, employed as domestic helper, was raped by his employer,
employer’s son, and the employer’s son’s friend. When she found a way to
escape, she immediately filed a case at the OWWA. The Agency paid $5,000
for the damages but the employer and the other culprits are still free.
She is now in her hometown with her family.
Another woman from
Pangasinan ran away from her abusive employer. Unfortunately, she was
locked in jail because her employer told the police that she tried to
escape and stole US $500,000. Until now, she is suffering in jail in
Lebanon, Nordis learned.
“If our government
can’t afford to protect and defend the rights of the migrant workers who
are being abused and maltreated by their employers in the Middle East and
other countries, then the government should have had the decency to stop
deploying workers from the Philippines,” Cabbigat reiterated.
Labor export
policy
The Philippine
Government is very proud in exporting labor force to other countries. This
is their remedy to the unemployment problem in our country, Nordis learned
in a press conference by OFWs last week. These OFWs observed that while
this labor export policy continues, many of our good doctors, nurses,
engineers and other professionals are migrating to get high-paying jobs.
Only few are left to serve the needy, they observe, as this affects our
economy and lose chance to attain quality services in hospitals and other
public institutions.
Cabbigat has filed a
case against the JIPA in relation with her contract. “The present
administration must act now before it is too late,” she said. “We should
not wait for more deaths and abuses before they (government) will act on
it.” Northern Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat
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