Body of Filipino stabbed on Kish still in Iran

ABU DHABI - The body of a Filipino job-seeker stabbed to death on a visa run to Kish Island two weeks ago is still in a Tehran morgue, with no indication of when it can be sent home.

Mark Lloyd Carmen, 24, was stabbed at a hotel on July 1 in a fight with a Sudanese man, reportedly by a second Sudanese man who stepped in to break up the melee.

He was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, according to John Leonard Monterona, the Middle East co-ordinator for Migrante, an organisation set up to protect the welfare of Filipino migrants,

He said the group sought help from diplomats after receiving word of the death from other Filipinos staying on the island.

Carmen’s aunt in Al Ain, Estela Gonzaga, 37, flew to Kish Island on July 2 to identify his body and attend a court hearing on the case.

“The main suspect, who admitted to the crime, was charged with murder and is likely to be sentenced to death,” she said. “Both Sudanese men are currently detained in a Kish jail.”

Mrs Gonzaga said her nephew had been staying at a hotel on the island since June 11 while waiting for a new tourist visa to re-enter the Emirates.

He spent the previous two months looking for a job in Abu Dhabi and staying with his brother-in-law.

“They would come to see me every Friday in Al Ain,” Ms Gonzaga said. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

He leaves behind his wife and two children, aged three years and six months, respectively, in General Santos City, in southern Philippines. He dreamt of bringing his wife to the Emirates once he is settled in his new job, she said.

“Like any Filipino coming to work in the UAE, he wanted to give his family a better future,” she said.

Yuri Cipriano, the vice-chairman of the UAE chapter of Migrante, said: “We could have avoided this if our government provided adequate jobs back home.”

He called on officials from the Philippine embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tehran to check on the living conditions of stranded Filipinos who are forced to stay in overcrowded hotel rooms on Kish island.

For years, Kish island has been one of the popular destinations for those who go on so-called visa runs to extend their UAE tourist visas while waiting for residency in the UAE.

Many Filipino job-seekers opt, like Carmen, to take the short flight to Kish Island to renew expired tourist visas instead of returning to the Philippines. The island lies about 240km from Dubai and about 17km from the southern shore of Iran. Mrs Gonzaga said during her visit she met many Filipinos with expired visas who have been stranded for months and have been running up large bills.

“I really pity those who were duped by illegal recruiters who sold them visas, but didn’t provide them with jobs,” she said.

The situation illustrates the problems involving migrant workers who do not have proper working documents before heading to the UAE for work.

Last month, Amilbahar Amilasan, the new labour attache in Dubai, said the Philippine government should do more to prevent job-seekers from coming to work on tourist visas. They should apply through a recruitment agency accredited with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, he said.

The Philippine embassy in Tehran has recommended to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila to provide a repatriation fund for the deceased if the family could not afford the cost of sending his body home, Mr Monterona said.

Yesterday, he said the DFA was asking Carmen’s family to pay US$8,000 (Dh29,384) to repatriate his remains because he was an undocumented worker.

“The repatriation of his remains is likely to take time,” he said. “In fact, an embassy officer in Tehran told me there were more than a dozen dead bodies of Filipinos kept in the morgue for several months.” (Ramona Ruiz - The National)


Link: http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100712/NATIONAL/100719947/0/FRONTPAGE

Ex-Pinay workers denounce welfare officer in Saudi Arabia

MANILA, Philippines - Former Filipino caregivers trooped to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Manila to file formal charges against a welfare officer in Saudi Arabia who allegedly advised another worker to jump from the 3rd floor of their accommodation to get away from her abusive employer.

The women who were former caregivers of Annasban Company joined Merlinda Aquino, who arrived recently, in filing formal charges against the accused, Nestor Burayag, for grave misconduct and neglect of duties.

“Tinawagan ko si Mr. Burayag para magpasaklolo dahil hindi ko na matagalan ang pang-aabuso ng employer ko sa akin. Pero sinabihan niya lang ako na tumalon mula sa 3rd floor ng aming building para daw may dahilan para matulungan niya ako,” said Aquino.

(I phoned Mr. Burayag to seek help because I cannot stand anymore the abuses of my employer. But instead of helping me, he told me to jump from the 3rd floor of our building so I may have a reason for him to help me.)

Merlinda said jumping from the building can kill her.

Aquino said she was physically abused by her site manager since January this year and that her mobile phone and bank cards were also confiscated. She reported the offenses to the company, but there had been no action to protect her from her manager.

She said she was hoping to be rescued from her plight upon informing Filipino welfare officials of her condition, but nothing was done.

Aquino said she originally planned to join a protest of other abused Filipino workers as she was also a victim of the company’s gross contract violations.

Her wages were also cut and made to work for long hours without pay, she said. But because of fear and hopelessness due to the government’s inaction, she decided to keep a distance.

Earlier this month, the workers had called on OWWA officials to recall Burayag for neglecting his duty to secure with the Annasban management the exit visas for their release and forced them to pay a huge amount for repatriation.

Up to now, she said, no action has been taken by Administrator Carmelita Dimzon, adding, Burayag remains in his post while more than 30 women workers are still locked up in the company’s barracks.

“Burayag’s attitude reflects the Arroyo administration’s general mis-conduct toward overseas Filipino workers. They really do not pay attention to the well-being of our fellow Filipinos working abroad. In truth, many of them connive with foreign employers such as Annasban in subjecting Filipino workers in dire conditions. Kalakal ang turing sa OFWs, hindi tao. Habol lang nila ang kita na makukuha mula sa pagsasamantala sa aming lakas-paggawa,” said Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.

(They treat us like trade and not human beings. They are only after their own interests.)

Migrante, an international alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, challenged the new regime under President-elect Benigno Simeon Aquino III to probe and sack erring officials and reorient the OWWA to be a genuine service institution.

The group also urged Aquino to scrap the OWWA Omnibus Policies, which it branded as an “anti-migrant” policy unilaterally imposed by the Arroyo administration.

No win situation for migrants, Migrante says of impending Obama victory

MANILA, Philippines - An Obama historic win augurs well for migrants and minorities in the United States.

No way, said Migrante International, as it concludes its fifth congress today at the Communications Foundation for Asia in Manila. As of press time, America votes in one of the most exciting presidential elections in history with Barack Obama leading over John McCain in early results.

Outgoing Migrante Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado sees Obama’s victory as an “American illusion.” With the current financial crisis in the US, not even Obama’s rise can stop the surge of economic meltdowns and hostility against migrants, she said.

Already, financial agencies have noted a drop in the remittance of Latin American immigrants to their families across the US border. Filipinos are not far behind, said Bragas-Regalado, as more Pinoys lose their second and first jobs and their homes as well. Some 750,000 jobs in the US have already been wiped out and families have been evicted from 3.2 million homes.

Also, factory raids have continued, plus arrests and detention, according to reports coming to Migrante, Bragas-Regalado said. Target are the 12 million undocumented migrants in the US. Four million Filipinos, the largest outside the Philippines, are in the US, with half suspected as “TNT” or undocumented.

For all his pro-migrant posturing, Obama is no different from McCain, said Bragas-Regalado. Both have geared for fines and further restrictive measures to contain undocumented migrants.

For example, said Bragas-Regalado, both have actually called for a 700 mile fence between Mexico and the United States to strengthen security and border controls. Expect a massive violation of rights, said Bragas-Regalado.

Obama also wants to go back to the American dream, said Bragas-Regalado. But the migrants have alreasy paid a high price for it, she stressed.. "The banks have already gained advantage over them, leaving them penniless, and hounded by the police and immigration authorities."

Malaysia accused of violating rights of Filipino workers in Sabah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 4, 2008) - The Fact-Finding Committee on Sabah Deportees expressed concern over the serious human rights violations allegedly committed by Malaysian authorities against illegal Filipino workers in the oil-rich state being claimed by the Philippines.

Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said they uncovered the abuses after the fact-finding committee held an inquiry in August in Sabah, where authorities have been rounding up illegal immigrants and undocumented workers.

She said thousands of Filipinos, including women and children, are still languishing in Malaysian jails and suffering from inhumane conditions and had been deprived of their basic rights.

“Filipino detainees and those who were already deported to the Philippines have experienced severe beatings from Malaysian police while under detention,” she told reporters in a news conference here Saturday.

The Fact Finding Committee is composed of the Association for the Rights of Children in South East Asia, Migrante International, and Gabriela Women’s Party and formed to conduct investigation on the reported human rights abuses against undocumented Filipino workers and immigrants in Sabah.

Last July, the House of Representatives passed a resolution calling the Committees on Overseas Workers’ Affairs and Foreign Affairs to conduct an investigation into the human reports in Sabah.

Zamboanga City serves as the transit point for deportees since Malaysia began its crackdown in 2000. Hundreds of arrested Filipinos are being deported every week from Sabah and many of them had told tales of human rights abuses while in Malaysian jails.

Ilagan said the government should provide the deportees with proper housing and livelihood for them not to be tempted to leave the country again in search of a decent life.

She also urged other legislators in the lower house to take up immediate measures to protect undocumented Filipinos, most especially women and children, who face the risk of being detained and abused in Malaysian jails before they are returned to the Philippines. (Erico Rosco)

Gov't Urged To Junk POEA Guidelines For HSW

DAVAO CITY – The Gabriela Women's Party List group on Saturday urged the public to support its call for the scrapping of the new Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) guidelines for Household Service Workers (HSW), which it said is a euphemized term for domestic helpers.

It said Filipinos working in Hong Kong were also protesting the new POEA guidelines and demanded the government to immediately scrap it.

The POEA guidelines for HSW are the following:

I. Newly hired HSWs[1] a) With visas issued prior to 16 December 2006, or processed under job orders registered with POEA prior to 16 December 2006, or processed under employment contracts that were verified by the concerned POLOs prior to 16 December 2006 shall be exempted from the following reform package:
• Minimum age of 23;
• Minimum entry salary of US$400;
• No – placement Fee policy; • TESDA NC2 Certificate; and
• Attendance to the OWWA Language and Culture Orientation;

Provided that these newly hired HSWs are processed at POEA before 1 March 2007.

b) With visas issued after 16 December 2006, or processed under job orders registered with POEA after 16 December 2006, or processed under employment contracts that were verified by the concerned POLOs after 16 December 2006 shall be covered by the following:
• Minimum age of 23;
• Minimum entry salary of US$400; • No – placement Fee policy;
• TESDA NC2 Certificate; and
• Attendance to the OWWA Language and Culture Orientation.

Newly hired HSWs shall exempted from the TESDA and OWWA requirements if bound for countries with prescribed skills training and language and culture orientation as conditions for visa issuance. The determination of the countries with such requirements shall be done by POEA.

II. Returning HSWs:a) Vacationing HSWs or those with existing overseas employment contracts executed prior to 1 March 2007 and are returning to their employer at anytime within the duration of their contract are exempted from the coverage of the following reforms: • Minimum age of 23;
• Minimum entry salary of US$400;
• TESDA NC2 Certificate; and
• Attendance to the OWWA Language and Culture Orientation.

The No-placement Fee policy does not apply to them since they are merely resuming their employment under an existing contract and are processed at the POEA without the participation of an agency.

b) HSWs who completed their overseas contracts within 2006 and thereafter, and are returning to the same or new employer with their OEC issued before 1 March 2007, are exempted from the following:
• Minimum age of 23; • Minimum entry salary of US$400; • Payment of placement fee, if hired thru an agency; • TESDA NC2 Certificate; and
• Attendance to the OWWA Language and Culture Orientation unless returning to a country with a different language and culture, as determined by OWWA.

c) HSWs who completed their overseas contracts before 2006 and are returning to the same or new employer with their OEC issued before 1 March 2007 are covered by the new minimum salary rate of US$400.

They are, however, exempted from the following:
• Minimum age requirement
• Payment of placement fee, if hired thru an agency
• TESDA NC2 requirement, unless required by their employer • OWWA Language and Culture Orientation unless returning to a country with a different language and culture, as determined by OWWA.

d) HSWs who completed their overseas employment contracts which were executed prior to 1 March 2007 and are being processed under a new contract with the same employer or new employer on or after 1 March 2007 are covered by the new minimum salary rate of US$400.

They are, however, exempted from the following:
• Minimum age requirement;
• Payment of placement fee, if hired thru an agency;
• TESDA NC2 requirement, unless required by their employer; and
• OWWA Language and Culture Orientation unless returning to a country with a different language and culture, as determined by OWWA.

e) HSWs who completed their employment contract before or after 2006 and are being processed under a new contract with the same or a new employer on or after 1 March 2007 are covered by the new minimum salary rate of US$400.

They are, however, exempted from the following:
• Minimum age requirement;
• Payment of placement fee, if hired thru an agency;
• TESDA NC2 requirement, unless required by their employer; and • OWWA Language and Culture Orientation unless returning to a country with a different language and culture, as determined by OWWA.

Last year, some $10.3 billion in overseas workers’ remittances were sent back home and it was 16.6 percent more than the previous year, according to Gabriela.

The group blamed President Gloria Arroyo for the hardship suffering of many overseas Filipino workers because of the new POEA guidelines.

"Mrs. Arroyo has been peddling our women, degrading them as mere commodities for her desperate efforts to fulfill her promise of 1.5 million jobs per year," Prof. Luz Ilagan, Gabriela second nominee, said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

According to POEA data, women comprised majority of OFWs and since 1992, thepercentage of these women was equal to that of the men. In 2002, the percentage of women OFWs rose to 69 percent.

"Instead of approving the legislated wage hike or creating decent-paying jobs in the country, she opted to become the number one recruiter and exploiter of the women who are forced to work abroad despite the gnawing abuses awaiting them as well." Ilagan said.

In January, some 5,000 Filipino migrants workers in Hong Kong the new POEA guidelines on the deployment of domestic helpers.

Dolores Balladares, chairperson of the militant United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK), said that the protest action was just the first in the series of bigger ones that they are planning to organize to scrap the new prequalification measures of the POEA for Filipinos applying for domestic work abroad.

“Whenever the government is in dire need of money due to its bankrupt and corrupt economic policies, we are the ones who are made milking cows to fatten its coffers,” she said.

The protesters also held a program at Harcourt Garden, just below the building that houses the Philippine Consulate General, where they lambasted the POEA guidelines.

They also submitted a petition, signed by more than 130 organizations, that called for the scrapping of the new rules while also calling for genuine services to overseas Filipinos.
The protesters said new regulations are but mere “ploys for extortion”.

Under the said rules, applying domestic helpers must pass through several weeks of training to obtain the National Certificate for Household Service Workers, as the country-specific Language and Culture Certificate.

“Applicants are made to pay P1,500 (USD30) to P15,000 (USD300) for these so-called trainings. Even current OFWs are not spared as cases have been reported of them being refused to leave the Philippines if they fail to produce the said certificates,” Balladares said.

Balladares said that because of the nature of employment of current domestic helpers, “many of us, one way or another, will go back to the Philippines to have our papers processed.” (With reports from the Mindanao Examiner)