Filipino Expats Qatar

Press Release – 25 June 2008
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Migrante ME condoles with typhoon victims, urges fellow OFWs to donate

An alliance of overseas Filipino Workers’ organizations based in the Middle East today expressed sympathy with the families and relatives of the thousands victims of typhoon “Frank” and urges all its member-organizations and fellow OFWs to donate for relief and rehabilitation of those who were badly devastated and dislocated by the typhoon.

“In this time of need and despair of the families of victims of typhoon “Frank” in Metro Manila and in devastated provinces such as in Iloilo, Visayas, Bicol Region and Central Luzon and Souther Tagalog, we are knocking on fellow OFWs altruism and generosity to donate an amount for any relief and rehabilitation efforts by some non-government organizations,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator.

Monterona said that many of the families of the victims in the Visayas, Bicol region and Southern Tagalog and even in Metro Manila have OFW relatives who were informed by their families their dire situation in the Philippines due to the destruction brought by typhoon “Frank”.

However, Migrante’s Monterona, upon calling and urging fellow OFWs to donate for the victims of typhoon “Frank”, made clear that OFW donations should go to non-government organizations and not to the Arroyo administration or any government agencies.

“The general sentiments of fellow OFWs and families abroad is to send their donations not to any government agencies like the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) or the Department of Foreign Affairs as they have doubt if their donations would surely reached to the victims of typhoon “Frank”,” Monterona said.

Monterona further said that as most OFWs perceived the present Arroyo administration tainted with numerous allegations of corruptions attributed to it, it is but cautious to urge fellow OFWs to send their donations to any non-government organizations or any socio-civic institution or Media organization engaged in effort for relief and rehabilitation program for typhoon victims.

Monterona said that in times of despair and tragedy, the Arroyo administration seems to appear to have no budget for relief and rehabilitation. “But when it comes to giving payolas to its allies in Congress to get their sure votes or continued support for her, it has millions of unaccounted money,” he continued.

Just recently, the Arroyo administration has been giving dole outs to marginalized sectors in Metro Manila and nearby provinces justifying it as a form of economic relief due to rising prices of foods and basic commodities.

“The Arroyo administration is primarily responsible in the destruction of the environment by continuously allowing foreign Mining corporations to exploit our national resources that wrought havoc to our ecosystem and displaces local residents especially in Visayas and Mindanao , thus it should be held accountable,” Monterona added.

Monterona said that the Arroyo administration on its 7 year has failed to develop a sustainable economic policy with emphasis on protecting the environment.

“Instead, it desperately followed the neo-liberal policies of ‘globalization’, privatization and deregulation imposed and espoused by the U.S. and others belonging to 1st World Countries and allows the entry and favors multi-national and trans-national corporations which interest is to continuously exploit the wealth of our nation and natural resources,” Monterona ended. # # #

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