Filipino migrant workers and their dependents on Saturday warned to push through with their planned “Zero Remittance Day” if a Constituent Assembly is convened by Congress.
“Kung igigiit ni Gng. Arroyo ang Cha-cha (Charter Change) at Con Ass (Constituent Assembly) ang Migrante International at ang kanilang kasapian ay maglulungsad ng Zero Remittance sa unang araw ng Con Ass,” warned Gary Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.
In a press conference held in Quezon City, Martinez said that the Zero Remittance Day is just one of the start of their biggest protest actions that would be held against the Arroyo administration should con-ass be pushed through.
“Ipatitikim namin ang pinakamalakas na dagok sa kanyang administrasyon kung igigiit niya at ipagpapatuloy niya ang Cha-cha. Gng. Arroyo, kayang magsakripisyo ng mga pamilya ng mga OFW. Kaya namin isakripisyo ang kabuhayan mapaalis ka lang sa pwesto at hindi ka magkaroon ng extension,” Martinez said.
Former OFW and now an OFW-dependent Vanessa Valmadrid signified her family’s willingness to participate to the group’s call.
“Ngayong bilang asawa, kapatid, kamaganak at dating OFW din sa paglungsad ng zero remittance ng Migrante kami po ay nakikiisa lalung-lalo na ang asawa ko na sa unang araw po ay hindi siya magpapadala dahil ang isang araw kaya pang gawan ng paraan pero ang taong bibilangin hindi magagawan ng paraan,” Valmadrid said.
Retrenched
Like many OFW’s, Valmadrid was one of those retrenched as a result of the global economic crisis. She only worked for four months in Taiwan and is still waiting for the government to resolve cases she filed against her recruitment agency.
“Bago pa lang ako umalis sa bansa natin ako ay isang biktima ng illegal recruitment. Nakasaad sa batas ng POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) na dapat ang babayaran lang ng isang OFW bago makaalis ng bansa ay isang buwan lang. Pero sa sitwasyon namin, ang binabayaran namin ay P100,000 mahigit pa,” Valmadrid said.
When she sought help from the government, the solution given to her by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) was in the form of another debt.
“Humingi po kami ng tulong sa OWWA ang solusyon po na ibinibigay po ni Gng. Arroyo ay utang. Bago kami umalis ay nagkautang na kami dahil sa laki ng placement fee. ‘Yong utang na inutang namin ay tumutubo pa ‘yon. Ang solusyon ng gubyerno ay P50,000 na pautang. Utang pa rin. Ang gusto ata ni Pangulong Arroyo ay malubog sa utang ang mamamayang Pilipino,” said Valmadrid.
“Grave offenses”
While President Arroyo prepares for her State of the Nation address on July 27, Migrante International said it has already identified five grave offenses her administration committed against migrant workers.
Topping their list is the issue on the OWWA Omnibus Policy which removed the basic services for OFWs followed by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation case when President Arroyo ordered the transfer of P530 million in OWWA medicare fund to Philhealth.
“Kaya ho bago mag-election kitang-kita po natin ang pag baha ng mga Philhealth cards na may mukha ni Gng. Arroyo na may kargang bata. Para po sa amin sa Migrante at sa mga OFW, natural lang na magkaroon ng serbisyo at hindi po namin ipinagkakait ang aming mga pondo sa mga nangangailangan subalit yung pag-traydor, yung walang paghi-hearing o pagaabiso sa amin maliwanag po iyan ang kapangyarihan ng kamay ni Gng. Arroyo at pumirma na siya,” Martinez said.
The group also cited the Arroyo administration’s support in the US war on aggression which they claimed, endangered many OFWs in the Middle East.
Also, six Filipinos on death row have been executed under her administration. The most recent was the execution of Jennifer Bidoya (a.k.a Venancio Ladion) last October 13, 2008.
“Kaya po hindi po nakapagtataka sa ilalim ni Gng. Arroyo na mula po noong nakaraang taon na 41 lang ang bibitayin ay umabot po sa kasalukuyan na 59.
Migrant also accused the Arroyo government of criminal neglect. “Iyong pong mga kababayan natin na talagang pinabayaan kahit pa simpleng kaso na nagresulta ng malaking epekto hindi lang sa indibidwal, maging sa kanilang mga pamilya,” he pointed out.
The group added that these issues were nothing to Arroyo as long as she continues to receive the remittances sent by hard working OFWs.
“Ito po ang malinaw na pinagpapahalagahan ng gubyernong ito. Kaya po sa darating na SONA nakahanda po ang Migrante International at ang kanilang mga pamilya at lahat po ng balangay namin sa iba’t-ibang panig ng mundo,” he said.
The group’s overseas chapters have been mobilized to participate in the Zero Remittance Day and will be conducting synchronized protest actions on the eve of President Arroyo’s SONA.
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