Congress urged to review govt search for ‘new markets’ for OFWs

MANILA, Philippines — An alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East on Tuesday asked Congress to conduct a policy review on the Arroyo administration’s continued search for ‘new markets’ for OFWs. In a press statement, Migrante-Middle East said Congress ought to look into the matter considering that the government’s admission is poroof that it is engaged in human trafficking. John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME’s regional coordinator, pointed to the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) admission during a Congressional briefing on its proposed 2009 Budget that it is currently in talks with labor counterparts of other governments looking for ‘new markets’ for OFWs. “Now the admission came directly from the horse’s mouth," Monterona said. The statement cited a provision on Republic Act 8042 , The Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995, Sec. 2, paragraph 3 that states “x x x… the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development. The existence of the overseas employment program rests solely on the assurance that the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizens shall not, at any time, be compromised or violated. The State, therefore, shall continuously create local employment opportunities and promote the equitable distribution of wealth and the benefits of development. “Unemployment rate that continue to climb swelling jobless Filipinos to 2.7 millions and the government’s admission looking for ‘new market’ for would-be OFWs are clear indications of the government’s failure to generate jobs locally which causes us an alarm especially the present administration has been observed to be neglectful in protecting and promoting OFWs rights and welfare," Monterona said. Migrante ME said the continued adherence of the Arroyo administration to exporting cheap human labor is the reason and criteria applied why the Philippines has been chosen to host the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as a research agency that is launching high level foras (HLFs) that created the formation of GFMD to ensure the institutionalization of neo-liberal policies and strategies to Third World countries like the Philippines. The group said the real intent of 2nd GMFD in Manila on October 2008 is not to strengthen the positive aspect of migration and to be used as a tool for development but to concretely find ways how to apply the neoliberal policies of globalization (privatization, deregulation, and liberalization) to migration. “The 2nd GFMD sole objective is to ensure the systematic intensification of labor export in the name of “development" and is actually spells out the commodification of human labor," Monterona added. Monterona further alleged that commodification of labor will never, never guarantee that the rights, even the basic ones, of migrant workers will be protected and defended; it will only aggravate the worsening conditions of migrant workers who have been neglected by their own governments. - GMANews.TV