Filipino Expats Qatar

Press Release
20 July 2008

“Most Unpopular” leader is most anti-OFW too – Migrante ME

An alliance of overseas Filipino workers organizations in the Middle East today said that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not only the “most unpopular” leader revealed on the survey released by the Social Weather Stations on Friday but the “most anti-OFW” leader too.

“We are much certain if the Social Weather Stations (SWS) or any other research and survey institutions would conduct similar survey among OFWs around the world, Mrs. Arroyo would emerge as the “most-anti OFW” president in our country since democracy was restored in 1986,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator.

Monterona said there are enough bases why Mrs. Arroyo would emerge as the “most anti-OFW” leader into the eyes and perception of OFWs around the world as her track records speak for her.

“Foremost to this was the implementation of OWWA omnibus policies that took away many of the already limited assistance of the OWWA to OFWs and families while giving a freer rein for her administration to plunder the almost P10-B OWWA thrust fund, a compulsory collection of US$25 per OFWs,” Monterona added.

Migrante’s Monterona said that under the Arroyo administration, OWWA thrust fund was not spared from misuses and
mismanagement as he cited the transfer of P4 billions OFW Medicare Fund from OWWA to Philippine Health and Insurance Corporation by virtue of a secret issuance of Executive Order 182 devoid of consultations from OFWs as stakeholders of these funds, the P260 millions bogus claims exposed by then OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo himself just to justify OWWA Medicare fund transfer to Philhealth under the present Arroyo Administration, and the un-audited US$293,500 for the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by General Roy Cimatu during the US war of aggression to Iraq but repatriation of OFWs never took placed anyway.

Monterona said that the administration not contented in collecting US$25 to all departing OFWs, it implemented and increases various government fees, and in the guise of welfare programs, came up with Land Bank of the Philippines' OFW hedge fund and other similar income-generating programs to ensure the continuous flow of dollars from OFW remittances.

“Notwithstanding the huge amount of money collected from OFWs, its tremendous criminal neglect committed against thousands of distress and ran away OFWs who are maltreated, sexually abuse and underpaid are recorded higher than previous years especially in the Middle East and were reported almost daily in local and international newspapers,” Monterona said.

Monterona said despite requests and demands from OFW organizations, her administration was proven inutile as it has done nothing in issues that will at least alleviate the situation of Filipinos abroad including the call for wage increase, improvement of labor situation, protection of the rights of undocumented migrants, scrapping or lessening the fees imposed to OFW remittances to provide economic relief.

“Instead the Arroyo administration continues to issue policy statements and implemented anti-OFW policies and programs detrimental to OFWs such as the POEA Guidelines for Filipino Domestic workers that paved the way for worse overcharging of recruitment agencies that reportedly imposing 12% VAT on aspiring OFW-DH placement fees,” Monterona added.

“Most of all, Mrs. Arroyo, as an ardent patron of US neo-liberal policies of Globalization, privatization and deregulation, is wrecking havoc the livelihood of millions of farmers and workers who were intended to be displaced and were now forced to look for jobs abroad,” Monterona averred.

Monterona said the Arroyo administration, compared to previous administrations, have intensified in great scale the export of human labor selling it cheap like commodities and without clear program for OFWs rights protection and welfare promotion.

“The “most unpopular” leader is the most anti-OFW too who will soon be ousted by the Filipino people, the toiling masses of workers and farmers along with students, employees and professional, church laymen and OFWs around the world who are long been dissatisfied and enrage.” Monterona ended. ###

For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012