News
Release - March 5, 2005
References: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson,
259-1145 & 0927-2157392
Negligent embassy officials imperil OFWs
DFA: Repatriate abused Pinay OFWs in Jordan now!
The Migrante
Sectoral Party today criticized the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA) for coddling negligent officials of the Philippine embassy
with regard to the plight of runaway overseas Filipinos in Jordan.
"In
a DFA press release dated March 1, 2005, Philippine Ambassador to
Jordan Ruperto M. Dizon is said to have met with Jordan's Border
and Residency Directorate-General Mohammed Khalef Al-Jariri on the
concerns of OFWs in the country last month. The dialogue supposedly
focused on the processing of residency and work permits, the reporting
and facilitation of speedy resolution of OFW cases in Jordan. But
nothing was mentioned on the plight of at least 50 runaway and stranded
OFWs, housed at the Filipino Workers Resource Center, Philippine
Embassy, Jordan," Migrante Sectoral Party chairperson Connie
Bragas-Regalado said.
MIGRANTE
released a partial list of OFWs stranded at the Philippine embassy
in Jordan who all seek to be repatriated to the Philippines:
1. Bautista, Christine Sechico (Passport Name Marites O. Alao, #
LL 6515544)
2. Teodoro, Monette (who is pregnant)
3. Javier, Editha
4. Carreon, Carmelita Buton (of Capas, Tarlac)
5. Alforte, Rebecca dela Rosa (of Manggahan, Quezon City)
6. Funa, Lina (of New Tigbauan, Kabulacan, Matalam, Cotabato)
7. Fornillos, Dalmacia (of Cavite)
8. Silik, Aminah Tabbong (Passport # FF 990082; of Luntyan, Sultan
Kudarat)
9. Rasid, Baimonah Unos (Passport # GG 121731)
10. Lebario, Esperanza
11. Likaroz, Joyce
12. San Juan, Heidy
13. Nelvie Patalinghug (pregnant)
14. Mendez, Mila
15. Osio, Clarita (of San Jose, Nueva Ecija)
16. Diones (?), Annabelle
17. Caraos, Luzviminda
18. Valenzuela, Nieves Yarcia (of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya)
19. Suliek, Anisa Karim (of Pikit, North Cotabato)
20. Tanquilan, Rowena Labawan (of Lantapan, Bukidnon)
21. Janoyan, Jean Moraca (of Cagayan de Oro City)
22. Soltero, Sofia Dadat
23. Hinayon, Roberta Cagatin
24. Untong, Sitti Raida
25. Baysac, Monaliza
26. Idres, Muslima
27. Reyes, Edith
28. Lambing, Pahana
29. Rahaman, Normina,
30. Sangkop, Anisa
31. Asmawill, Jamila
32. Hadja, Tadmahal
33. Balicdan, Mercy
34. Bomil-o, Beverly
35. Ariola, Maggie P. (of San Mateo, Isabela)
36. OFW Hilda
37. OFW Hanipa
38. OFW Annalyn
39. OFW Juanita
40. Bacani, Maritess
"These
OFWs ran away from abusive employers and have sought help from the
embassy and the DFA to process their papers, cases and immediate
repatriation. MIGRANTE received recent reports from the stranded
OFWs themselves that Amb. Ruperto Dizon, Consul Aric V. Arevalo,
Embassy Administrative Officer
Edmundo
Venturanza and Welfare Officer Evelyn Lanarang are returning these
women to their respective recruitment agencies in Jordan if they
cannot pay for their deployment and repatriation expenses,"
Bragas-Regalado said.
"To
date, the DFA refuses to heed their appeals for repatriation. It
even asks the distressed families of the abused OFWs to shell out
thousands of dollars in payment for the said expenses including
penalties for overstaying. This is the height of callousness. Our
OFWs leave the country to earn for their families to survive and
when they are forced to leave abusive employers, they have nothing
to send to their kin. Besides, there is an Assistance to Nationals
fund in the DFA that includes repatriation of distressed OFWs,"
she added.
MIGRANTE
has called on the DFA "to immediately stop returning the distressed
OFWs to the Jordanian recruitment agencies and facilitate either
their transfer of employment or the immediate repatriation for all
those who would want to go home."
The continued
rise of abused OFW cases in Jordan happens despite the 15-year deployment
ban of domestic and unskilled worker to Jordan that was recently
lifted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).
"Despite
the ban that started in 1990, the DOLE still deployed at least 3,600
Filipinos in the following years. To date majority (about 7,000)
of the 12,343 Filipinos in Jordan are either irregular or undocumented
domestic workers, according to DFA stock data on OFWs. These include
the 50 runaway domestic workers in the embassy in Jordan,"
Bragas-Regalado said.
The DOLE
lifted the ban "to stem the flow of irregular labor migration
to Jordan."
"Despite
the ban and it's lifting rampant maltreatment and exploitation of
Filipino domestic workers in Jordan continues. The lifting of the
ban will only worsen the situation as the Philippine embassy officials
in Jordan are generally negligent towards OFWs in distress,"
Bragas-Regalado said.
MIGRANTE
is urging the Congress Special Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs
to conduct an investigation into the reports of OFWs singling out
the negligent diplomatic post in Amman, Jordan.
"We
call on the DFA, DOLE and its officials in Jordan to immediately
effect the repatriation of the 50 distressed OFWs, including those
who are pregnant and victims of various degrees of maltreatment
and exploitation. A Congressional investigation is needed to weed
out negligent officials in the Embassy in Jordan," Bragas-Regalado
ended. #
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