The Faces of OFWs' (Iba't Ibang Mukha ng mga OFWs) ABS-CBN Patrol ng Pilipino, 10 January 2012

Featured in this documentary is Jebee Kenji Solis, the founding chair of the Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards. Hosted by Jing Castaneda and Jeff Canoy, watch the contrasting stories of the OFWs around the world.

PATROL NG PILIPINO

10 January 2012

PRESS RELEASE: ‘The Faces of OFWs’

Maraming mga Pilipino ang naghahangad makapagtrabaho sa ibang bansa para sa mas malaking sweldo at magandang oportunidad pero hindi lahat ng nakakaalis ay nagtatagumpay.

Abangan sa Martes ang Patrol ng Pilipino kung saan bibigyan ng mukha ang mataas na bilang ng mga Overseas Filipino Workers. Si Laarni Passion or ‘Ate Leny’ ay nagtrabaho ng siyam na buwan sa Jeddah bilang kasambahay. Ngayong nagdaang Pasko masuwerte siyang nakauwi sa kanyang pamilya. Pagkalipas ng Pasko, minarapat ng kaniyang pamilya na huwag na siyang bumalik pa sa Jeddah. Hindi man kataasan ang sasahurin dito sa Pilipinas mas pinili nilang mapunan ang pangungulila sa isa’t isa.

Kung si Ate Leny ay mag- isa sa ibang bansa iba naman ang sitwasyon ng pamilya ni Kenji Solis. Ang mga Solis ay magkakasama sa Saudi Arabia . Si Kenji, ang padre de pamilya kasama ang katuwang na si Sheila ay sa Saudi nakatira at nagtatrabaho kasama ang 2 supling  Umuwi rin sila sa Pilipinas para sa kapaskuhan. Nais nilang maranasan ni Sophia, 4 na taong gulang na anak, ang pasko sa Pilipinas. Hindi masidlan ang tuwa ng bata dahil sa unang pagkakataon naranasan ng bata ang selebrasyon ng kapaskuhan. Sa Saudi Arabia kasi pinagbabawal ang selebrasyon ng pasko. Pinagkakasya na lamang nila ang kapaskukan sa pagbati sa kababayan tuwing may makakasalubong sa mga kalye ng Saudi.

Ang pagtatrabaho sa dayuhang bansa ay isang sugal. Minsan suwerte pero minsan buhay mismo ang nakataya. Kagaya na lang ni Jonard Langamin, 28 taong gulang, anak ni Nanay Edith, nakakulong sa Saudi.  Limang taon nang nasa piitan si Jonard nang aksidenteng masaksak ang kapwa Pilipino sa barko. Napatawad na ng pamilya ng nasaksak si Jonard pero kailangan pa rin niyang kumalap ng 5 milyong piso para mapalaya. Limang milyong piso sa loob ng limang taon pero kulang pa rin ang panahon para makalap ito kaya 4 na buwan na lang bibitayin na siya kapag hindi nila nabigay ng buo ng 5 milyon.

Ang mga OFWs puno man ng luha ng pangungulila lahat ay buong buo ang pag- asa na papalarin sa ibang bansa.  Ang iba nakakamit ang ninanais, ang iba naman minamalas. Pero kahit ano pa man ang kanilang sinasapit sa ibang bansa, lahat ang dahilan ay pagmamahal sa pamilya; mga OFWs na handang magsakripisyo mabigyan lang ng magandang buhay ang kanilang mahal sa buhay.

Tunghayan ang iba’t ibang mukha ng mga OFWs na ilalahad sa ulat ni Jeff Canoy sa Patrol ng Pilipino. Martes ng gabi 9:15pm sa DZMM Teleradyo at pagkatapos ng Bandila sa ABS CBN Channel 2.

©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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Paano na kaming mga maiiwan?

Repost from LordCM's Blog

Isa sa pinakaimportanteng Ahensya ng Gobyerno ng Pilipinas ang Embahada na matatagpuan sa kahit saang panig ng mundo na may mga Filipino. Sila ang nagiging gabay o bantay ng mga Filipino sa ibang bansa, upang kahit papaano'y maging ligtas ang bawat OFW.

Sa halos walong na taon kong narito sa Palau, Minsan na rin akong nakapunta sa Philippine Embassy, ito ay nuong maexpired ang passport ko. Oo nga't sistema ng Pilipinas pa rin ang pinapairal nila sa Embahada, may mga kaunting kang mairereklamo, pero kung susumahin, mas marami ang magandang gawa kaysa hindi. Tulad na lang ng pagrerenew ng passport, di mo na kailangan pumila o magpaschedule para lang maghintay ng ilang buwan bago makapagparenew ng passport. Kaunting pirma dito, pirma duon, balik ka makalipas ang isang buwan, bago na ang passport mo.

Sa minsan pagpunta ko sa Embahada, dito ko rin nakita ang mga Kababayan nating minaltrato ng kani-kanilang amo. Sila yung mga Kababayan natin nakahanap ng paraan upang makatakas sa kanilang amo at magsumbong sa Embahada. Dahil sa tutuo lang, at sa pagkakaalam ko, Embahada lamang ang makakatulong sa kanila, ito lang ang makakapagbigay proteksyon sa kanila laban sa malulupit nilang amo, at ito lang ang magbibigay pag-asa sa kanila upang makabalik ng Pilipinas at makasamang muli ang kanilang pamilya. Kumbaga, sa Embahada lang sila ligtas sa kapahamakan.

Pero, sadya nga yatang mapaglaro ang tadhana. Nitong nakaraang araw may mga lumabas na balita na kasama ang Palau sa labindalawang bansa na tatanggalan ng Embahada sa kadahilanang kulang sa pondo ang ating Gobyerno.

Sa tutuo lang, napakasamang balita ito para sa mahigit apat na libong Filipinong umaasa sa tulong ng ating Embahada. Paano na lang ang mga Kababayan nating minalas at napunta sa mapagmaltratong amo? Saan na sila ngayon pupunta? Saan sila hihingi ng tulong?

Paano na kaming mga maiiwan?

Sana lang umabot ang blog post na ito sa kinauukulan pati na rin ang petisyon na ginagawa ngayon ng The Filipino Community na mapigilan pa ang pag-alis ng Embahada ng Pilipinas dito sa Palau.

©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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FMWG - Opposition to Increased Philhealth Premium Payment

December 21, 2011

  

Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon

President and Chief Executive Officer

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

Subject:           Opposition to Increased Philhealth Premium Payment

Sir:

The Filipino Migrant Workers Group vehemently opposes the issuance of Philhealth Circular No. 022, s, 2011 which increased among others, the individual premium contribution of Overseas Filipino Workers from Nine Hundred Pesos (900) to Two Thousand Four Hundred Pesos (2,400) per year effective July 1, 2012.

The increase was not only arbitrary, but the circular itself is in clear violation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of R.A. 10022 otherwise known as the Amended Migrant Workers Act.

For millions of OFWs who are holding low-paying jobs and hardly benefiting from Philhealth, and particularly those who are already covered by more superior health insurance provided by their overseas employers, the present compulsory premium of Nine Hundred Pesos is already a burden. But to even increase it by more than 150% (without proper consultation) is downright callous and a clear manifestation of insensitivity to the feelings of the Migrant Sector.

Philhealth must also reckon with Rule XVII of IRR on R.A. 10022 which provides, under Section 4 on Government Fees, Administration Costs and Taxes, the following:

“All fees for services being charged by any government agency on migrant workers prevailing at the time of the effectivity of this Rule shall not be increased.”

Sincerely,

  

Jun S. Aguilar                                                

President       

Filipino Migrant Workers Group 

(Image source - http://www.philhealth.gov.ph/about_us/images/epb.jpg)

©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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PEBA 2011 Flashmob sa Trinoma

©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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NGOs, OFW bloggers oppose Philhealth circular raising premiums of OFW members

News Release

Blas F. Ople Policy Center

December 20, 2011

NGOs, OFW bloggers oppose Philhealth circular raising premiums of OFW members

Several non-government organizations involved in overseas employment issues banded together to oppose Philhealth Circular No. 022 that would nearly triple the amount of premiums to be paid by overseas Filipino workers by next year.

Philhealth convened a consultative meeting with a handful of non-profit organizations representing overseas Filipino workers this morning. Walter Bacareza, vice-president of its Member Management Group presented the agency's plans to increase membership rates including that of OFWs as well as the Board's intention to "revolutionize" healthcare services in the country. Philhealth vice-president for corporate affairs Gregorio Rulloda was also present in the meeting.

Former labor undersecretary Susan Ople of the Blas F. Ople Center, Luther Calderon, president of the Kabalikat ng Migranteng Pilipino, Inc., Apostol Gratela, chairman of the Kalahi-Advocate for Overseas Filipinos and Jun Aguilar of the Filipino Migrant Workers' Group objected to the planned increases citing the lack of consultations with the labor and overseas workers' sectors. With two weeks to go before the new rates are imposed, the health agency issued the invitations for today's consultative meeting to a handful of OFW sector representatives only yesterday. The circular itself was issued on December 15.

"On January 2, unless the Philhealth Board withdraws its circular, all overseas workers would be paying 300 pesos more for their Philhealth premium and for those unable to pay that amount within the first six months of 2012, they would have to pay 2,400 pesos as annual premium from July onwards, a huge amount compared to the current 900 pesos being shelled out by every OFW. These new rates are being imposed without consultations, without clear explanations, and without consideration given the heavy financial burdens already being experienced by our migrant workers' given the series of calamities and continued slowdown in the world economy," the leaders of the said NGOs said.

During the consultative meeting, Philhealth officials explained that the higher premiums would allow the agency to meet its performance targets as well as attain the country's Millennium Development Goals and aspiration for universal health care coverage. Vice-President Bacareza also cited the GOCC Governance Act of 2011 that includes a performance evaluation of all GOCCs.

"It is unfortunate that the Philhealth Board of Directors decided to issue and release this new circular while the nation is grieving over the deaths of so many of our compatriots in Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and other parts of the Visayans and Mindanao regions. We question the timing, the lack of consultations, and the inexplicable haste by which this new circular is now being imposed not only on our OFWs but on all workers covered by Philhealth," Susan Ople said.

Jun Aguilar of the Filipino Migrant Workers' Group who was a former OFW in Saudi Arabia said that most OFWs are not even aware of the benefits due them as Philhealth members. "My son is an OFW and he relies on the more efficient health care system in Saudi Arabia rather than Philhealth because that is where he is situated. Why should he now pay triple the cost of premium to enable Philhealth to meet its own internal targets?"

Aguilar also cited a provision in the Amendments to the Migrant Workers' Act otherwise known as Republic Act No. 10022 that prohibits any increases in government fees for services rendered to OFWs.

Another OFW advocate, Luther Custodio, objected to the planned increase and called for a more intensified information campaign from Philhealth about its "revolutionary" changes to the current national health program.

Moves to oppose the Philhealth premium increases are set to snowball with the participation of OFW bloggers that founded the annual Philippine Expat/OFW Bloggers Award (PEBA). PEBA founder Jebee Solis who is based in Saudi Arabia said his group will blog against the new Philhealth circular citing the fact that most foreign companies obtain health insurance for foreign workers.

Philhealth officials who were present during the consultative meeting with the NGOs promised to report to the Board the concerns of the OFW sector on the impact of the abrupt increase in Philhealth premiums on the expenses of every departing worker, and on those wanting to renew their memberships.

"We are appealing to the Philhealth leadership to be more considerate given these extraordinarily difficult times. Every OFW with relatives in calamity-stricken areas will be relied upon to help defray the rebuilding of homes, and the sustenance of their surviving kin. We seek a deferment of Philhealth Circular No. 022 pending more extensive consultations and so that all of us can focus our efforts and attention in helping out those devastated by the floods in Mindanao," the civil society leaders said.

©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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