MANILA, Philippines—The government should go slow in its labor export policy amid increasing cases of rights violations, threats, and even deaths of Filipinos working abroad, a member of the House of Representatives said Tuesday.
Gabriela party-list Representative Luz Ilagan said the decision of the United Nations Committee on Migrant Workers to strike off the Philippines as a model country for workers protection should alarm President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “on her hustling to seek more jobs for Filipinos abroad, setting aside their protection and welfare.”
The UN Committee on Migrant Workers has deleted the Philippines as a “positive case study of state ratification and implementation” in the document “Guide on Ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.”
Ilagan said she supports the UN decision and also noted that even the Omnibus Rules and Regulations Implementing the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, also known as Republic Act 8042, which was supposed to be the Philippine government’s translation of the said UN convention, has not fully protected the OFWs.
“While the Arroyo administration announces thousands of job orders abroad, more and more Filipinos have been victimized by illegal recruiters. This is a clear manifestation that the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs have failed to implement the law,” Ilagan said.
With the President off to another expensive visit to the Middle East for job deals, Ilagan said that the chief executive is “paddling in a sinking boat,” deliberately disregarding the UN Convention and continuing with her program of selling the Filipino work force to other nations.
“Hindi nilalako ang karapatan ng mga OFW, sa halip ito ay dapat pangalagaan at depensahan (OFWs’ rights should not be sold, but instead developed and defended),” said Ilagan, adding that Arroyo’s labor export policy has boomeranged.–Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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