News Release - January 2, 2005
Reference: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson
Contact Numbers: 259-1145 and 0927-2157392

Tsunami relief efforts cannot cover up gov't neglect to OFWs

The Migrante Sectoral Party renewed calls for the Macapagal-Arroyo government to also "focus on the it's long-running disaster of neglecting the daily plight of distressed overseas Filipino workers without work, in jails and in dire need of government assistance."

"We are appalled at the surprisingly hurried pace that the top officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration have taken in the wake of the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit 11 countries. But we ask why this government continues to snub the cases distressed OFWs, including at least 300 stranded workers in Saudi Arabia, the 5,082 Filipinos languishing in jails worldwide and hostaged OFW Robert Tarongoy," Migrante Sectoral Party Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said.

Tsunamis hit the countries of Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya. At least 5 Filipinos have died in Thailand alone.

"According to government data, Thailand (10,000), Sri Lanka (2,600), the Maldives (900), India (2,000), Indonesia (11,100), Bangladesh (2,000), Myanmar (1,100), Malaysia (46,000), Somalia (no accurate figure), Tanzania (300) and Kenya (350) play hosts to large numbers of Filipino migrants. But the data does not include the undocumented OFWs and the tourists on holiday, especially in Thailand and Indonesia, the hardest hit countries. That is why the DFA will never get its figures on Filipino casualties accurate" Bragas-Regalado said.

DFA, OWWA ignore much simpler cases

Migrante was particularly critical of the current administration's attitude and handling of its responsibilities to distressed OFWs.

"Cases arising from government's continued deployment to nations that do not have social laws that protect migrant workers from natural disasters, abuse and maltreatment are those given the least attention by the DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo and OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque, including heads of diplomatic missions in the countries of Malaysia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere," Bragas-Regalado said.

The plight of thousands of undocumented OFWs in Malaysia and stranded workers in Saudi Arabia according to Migrante, "are akin to the plight of tsunami victims that are in dire need of food, medicines, shelter and stable work."

"The said government officials themselves violate Section 4 of the Migrants Act of 1995 (Republic Act 8042) that specifically outline that 'The State shall deploy OFWs only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected' wherein the said countries should have 'existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of migrant workers, are signatories to multilateral conventions relating to the protection of migrant workers, and are taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers.' But both Saudi Arabia and Malaysia do not fit the said descriptions mandated by law," Bragas-Regalado said.

Migrante also called this government's attitude "of circumventing its own laws as a show-window of how it treats OFWs."

"It shows that government has to wait for major natural disasters to kill Filipinos abroad before it lifts a finger to help them. And this is the trademark of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration," Bragas-Regalado concluded. #