After winning the fight to be brought back home, the Filipina workers, who staged a hunger strike in Saudi Arabia, declared their resolve to seek relief and demand justice for the ordeal they suffered in the hands of an “exploitative” employer-company in a joint press conference held in front of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration held with Migrante International, the largest global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations.

“Masaya kaming kasama naming ngayon ang aming mahal sa buhay pero desidido kaming ipaglaban kung ano ang dapat para sa amin. Ipaglalaban namin ang katarungan!, said Teresita Appare, one of the OFWs who just arrived from Saudi Arabia last night.

Migrante leader Garry Martinez stated, “ Kailangang maibalik sa mga Annasban workers ang lahat ng sahod at benepisyong pinaghirapan at ipinangako sa kanila. Gutom at hirap ang inabot nila sa Saudi at gutom at hirap din ang aabutin nila ditto sa Pilipinas kung di kumilos ang OWWA. ”

In October last year, more than 80 Filipina workers of Annasban Company staged a no work protest against gross violations of their employment contracts. Since then, they have continuously asked the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh for help. After three months of no significant action from the RP post, they decided to stage a hunger strike. Their action forced the Embassy to immediately negotiate with the management of the Annasban Company and arrange for their repatriation.

Nine (9) OFWs have already been repatriated. The others are expected to follow soon. According to earlier news reports, three of them got back using personal money for plane tickets while one was repatriated only because pressure on government to move fast because of her husband’s death last year. Some opted to return to work.

“Hard to get OWWA benefits”

Also present at the press conference was Joy Flancia, assigned spokesperson of a group of 23 Filipina workers who also held a strike against the Annasban Company two months before Appare’s group held their own protest. They also encountered the same problems with the company. After a month of “stop work” as their form of protest and as a means to bring the attention of government on their case, they were repatriated in September of last year.

Flancia, who was present at the airport to welcome the second batch, warned them of the “uphill battle” to get benefits from OWWA. She recounted how they practically needed to beg for a meager amount of financial assistance.

“Immediately after our arrival, we requested financial assistance from OWWA. But all we got after several hours of argument were for transportation fares which were not even enough to bring us back to our provinces. Worse, they called up our recruitment agencies to settle with us for a measly P2,000-3,000,” recounted Flancia. “May namatay na ngang kasamahan naming dahil kahit inilapit namin, di man lang siya binigyan ng pera pang-medisina.”

Flancia was referring to fellow worker Elsie Pelayo who got very ill in Saudi Arabia, only to come home to house submerged in Ondoy’s floods. She eventually succumbed to leptospirosis.

Until now, none of their applications for livelihood loans were approved.

Review and revoke of OWWA Policies pushed

“Napakainutil naman ng OWWA!. OFWs shell US$25 membership fee and yet they get no protection while working abroad and no access to funds for their welfare even when they are back home.” Martinez expounded.

“Relief and justice for OFWs in distress became more elusive because of the OWWA Omnibus Policies. Since its implementation, thousands of OFWs and their families have been disenfranchised of the fund which came directly from their pockets. The case of the repatriated workers of Annasban is but a clear example of how anti-migrant OWWA policies are,” continued Martinez.

The OWWA Omnibus Policies were upheld by the OWWA Board of Trustees through its signing of Board Resolution No. 038 in September 19,2003. Among its provisions are: 1) restricting OWWA membership upon expiration or termination of employment contract and restricting voluntary membership to two years, 2) selective repatriation of migrant workers in times of crises, epidemics and wars, and 3) limiting the coverage of benefits that can be availed by OFWs’ families.

According to Martinez, “with the provisions of the OWWA Omnibus Policies, we are afraid that the Annasban workers may already be considered as none members because they signed resignation papers out of their dire need to go home, which could mean that OWWA has no intention of helping them.”

The OFWs demands were backed by Cong. Liza Ilagan who is a member of the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (COWA) of the House of Respresentatives and is also the leading nominee of Gabriela Womens Partylist.###

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Note: The remaining 34 OFWs will arrived until the second week of February. For further details please feel free to contact our Ailyn, our media officer at 09212708994. Thanks

For more info:-- http://migrantecampaign.ning.com

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine