A
labour and migrants advocacy group in the Philippines on Thursday cautioned the
government against "adverse reactions" from the 41 countries cited as
unsuitable to host Filipino workers by the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA).
The Blas F. Ople Center said that although the
government had no choice but to implement the law, it would still have to
defend its actions before "irate" members of the international
community.
"In our bid to provide our overseas
workers with information regarding destination countries, let us make sure that
longstanding friendships with certain countries would not be harmed," said
center president Susan Ople.
Be
prepared
Ople, a former labour undersecretary, said the
Department of Foreign Affairs must also be prepared to defend the POEA’s
certification process.
Another OFW group, Migrante International,
said it doubted the government could enforce the ban at all.
"On the one hand, it is a positive
development that the government seems to be taking serious action to ensure the
protection of our OFWs’ rights. On the other, we question the government’s
readiness to address the repercussions and implications of the ban," said
Migrante chairman Garry Martinez.
"How does the government plan to absorb
the inevitable increase in unemployment that the ban will cause? If they are
serious in imposing the ban, they should be serious, too, in creating jobs and
giving higher wages here in the Philippines," he said.
Martinez said OFWs would also become more
vulnerable to human trafficking and illegal recruitment schemes as a result of
the ban, "because they would find alternative, illegal or backdoor, means
to go abroad out of desperation."
But Vice President Jejomar Binay, chair manof
the presidential task force against illegal recruitment and presidential
adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns, Thursday appealed to those
seeking jobs abroad to heed the deployment ban.
"It’s not worth (going to those
countries)," he said.
He likewise warned against "bogus job
offers abroad."
Be
on the lookout
"Let’s also be on the lookout for those
offering jobs, especially in the countries on the POEA list. Let us know about
it right away so no one will be victimized," he said in Filipino.
Early this week the POEA listed 41 countries
as being non-compliant with the requirements set forth in Republic Act No.
10022, the Amended Overseas Workers Migrants Act. The law says that OFW host
countries must have adequate laws to protect migrant workers.
Binay cited the act which states that
OFW-receiving countries should have "existing labour and social laws
protecting the rights of migrant workers; should be a signatory to multilateral
conventions and declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of
workers; and should have concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with
the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs."
Ople,
however, had other concerns.
"Although they are minor job markets,
certain countries like India are huge trading partners. Since we are imposing
the ban, the least we can do is explain the reasons behind it in a proper
manner through diplomatic and trade channels," Ople said.
She cited data from the Department of Trade
and Industry which showed that total trade with India reached US$865.12 million
in November 2010 and for the first time passed the US$1-billion mark as of the
first quarter of 2011.
In Southeast Asia, two countries with close
ties to the Philippines were included in the ban, namely, East Timor and
Cambodia.
The Philippines sent peacekeepers to East
Timor and Cambodia years ago as the two countries transitioned to democracy.
The president of East Timor, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos Horta, is a
friend of President Aquino’s family.
No
adequate information
The center also noted that the issuance of the
POEA list did not come with adequate information for OFWs and their families.
It advised overseas job applicants to also be
careful about accepting offers to work in countries deemed to be compliant by
the POEA.
"For example, the Ivory Coast is listed
as a compliant country and yet we know of trafficked victims held against their
will in its red light district," she said.
Jerome Aning, Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Reminder:
List of 41 countries banned by Phils Gov
1. Afghanistan
2. Antigua аnԁ Barbuda
3. Barbados
4. Cambodia
5. Cayman Islands
6. Chad
7. Croatia
8. Cuba
9. North Korea
10. Dominica
11. East Timor/Timor Leste
12. Eritrea
13. Haiti
14. India
15. Iraq
16. Kyrgyzstan
17. Lebanon
18. Lesotho
19. Libya
20. Mali
21. Mauritania
22. Montenegro
23. Mozambique
24. Nauru
25. Nepal
26. Niger
27. Pakistan
28. Palestinian Territories
29. Serbia
30. St. Kitts аnԁ Nevis
31. St. Lucia
32. St. Vincent & thе Grenadines
33. Sudan
34. Swaziland
35. Tajikistan
36. Tonga
37. Turks аnԁ Caicos
38. Tuvalu
39. US Virgin Islands
40. Vanuata
41. Zimbabwe
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