Critics say that it is saddening that a landmark agreement, like the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is now being used as a tool to revive Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s charter change drive. BY NOEL SALES BARCELONA…
Tags: OFW
Rise in Mysterious Deaths of OFWs in UAE Alarms Migrants Group
A group of Filipino migrants is alarmed over the sudden increase in the number of Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates who reportedly committed suicide. BY ANGIE DE LARA MIGRANT WATCH Bulatlat.com Volume VIII, Number 28, August 17 – 23, 2008 The Migrante International chapter in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed alarm over…
OFWs Hit RP Embassy Officials for Inaction, Arrogance, Neglect
Inaction, arrogance, and neglect were the responses of Philippine embassy officials to the pleas for assistance of OFWs in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. BY ANGIE DE LARA MIGRANT WATCH Bulatlat.com Volume VIII, Number 28, August 17-23, 2008 Philippine Embassy offices in other countries are expected to protect and give assistance to Filipino migrant workers especially…
Saudi-bound OFWs, Tourists Required to Show Money, other Valuables
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued an advisory August 10 requiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other travelers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to declare upon arrival and departure to and from the Kingdom their cash, precious metals or jewelry worth over SR 60,000 (Saudi Riyals) or US$16,000. BY ANGIE DE LARA…
Migrant Group Remembers OFW Victims of Violence, Launch Campaign Against Global Forum on Migration and Development
By Bulatlat.com Aug. 17, 2008 – 4:01 p.m. Migrante International held a wreath laying and press conference this morning at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, near the corner of EDSA and Quezon Ave., to show the true face of migrant Filipinos and to pay tribute to overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who have died under questionable…
Kin, Supporters Decry Foul Play in Death of OFW
BY Bulatlat.com August 13, 2008 – 6:19 p.m. Families of victims of mysterious deaths and members of Migrante International trooped to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) this morning to demand justice and a more thorough investigation on the death of Eugenia Baja, a Filipina domestic worker who allegedly committed suicide in Riyadh, Kingdom of…
Congress Oversight of OWWA Funds Sought
Citing the overcharging of membership fees by the POEA, the disproportionate allocation of funds between services and operating expenses, and the neglect of cases of distressed OFWs, Senate President Manny Villar, supported by migrant groups, called for a “stringent oversight” of OWWA funds and stiffer penalties for negligent and incompetent embassy and consular officials. BY…
Miners Falsely Accused and Imprisoned in Saudi Arabia Feels neglected and betrayed by the government
Experienced and hard working, 23 miners from Benguet had bright hopes for the future as they were offered P40, 000 ($821.81 at an exchange rate of $1=P48.673) a month salaries to work in Saudi Arabia. They expected to earn four times more than what they had been receiving here. But their fate turned for the…
Slavery in modern times Confinement of Migrant Workers in Malaysia, Condemnable
BY ASIA PACIFIC MISSION FOR MIGRANTS Posted by Bulatlat The Malaysian government – already notorious for the way it treats migrant workers, especially undocumented migrants – is set to implement yet another anti-migrant program. This time though, the government is taking it to the extreme. Last month, the government issued a proposal to forcibly confine…
Abuse vs. Women and Children High in Baguio
The number of abused women and children here remained high in the past three years, the local justice and social welfare offices disclosed last week. BY LYN V. RAMO Northern Dispatch Posted by Bulatlat BAGUIO CITY (246 kms. north of Manila) – The number of abused women and children here remained high in the past…
Stories of Abuse and Courage of Women OFWs
There seems to be no end to the stories of rape and abuse committed against overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Sad and horrifying as it is, Bulatlat decided to write their stories in an effort to call the attention of the government, and to contribute to the efforts of migrant rights advocates in promoting and defending…