MATRIX OF MIGRANTE SECTORAL PARTY POSITIONS
ON SPECIFIC SENATE BILLS OF THE THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

Senate Bill Number
(4) SB 636

Author
Sen. Manuel Villar

Senate Bill Number
5) SB 1184

Author
Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.

Bill Title
An Act Amending Sections 29 and 30 of Republic Act No. 8042, Otherwise Known as the "Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995"

MIGRANTE position
Migrante opposes SB Nos. 636 and 1184 that are the exact opposites of SB Nos. 158, 1105 and 1385.

These two bills only re-word the existing Sections 29 and 30 of R.A. 8042 and do not essentially address the issue of the need for continuing government responsibility to protect OFWs on the long term.

Almost ten years after the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act became a law, we have a deluge of illegal recruitment cases that have piled up at the POEA.

In various annual reports of the said agency, from a low of 562 illegal recruitment cases in 1997, these have risen to more than double at 1,462 in 2004. Also, glaring cases of abused 500 OFWs in Kuwait, at least 50 in Jordan and more than 1,000 in Saudi Arabia in 2004 show that if government leaves recruitment activities to the private sector, the rights and welfare of OFWs shall be left to the whims and caprices of unscrupulous recruiters and other evil entities here and abroad. These figures do not reflect unreported illegal recruitment cases and thousands of other violations committed by licensed recruitment and manning agencies.

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[SB 158, SB 1105, SB 1385] [SB 636, SB 1184] [SB 376] [SB 893] [SB 1384] [SB 1483] [SB 386]
[SB 633] [SB 1755] [SB 640] [SB 641] [SB 634, SB 899, SB 1109]