'Deployment ban harms both RP and Lebanon'

MANILA, Philippines - Two years after the Philippine government stopped sending workers to Lebanon, a diplomat on Wednesday said that the ban has done nothing but harm to both countries. “The ban on Filipinos traveling to Lebanon is not helping either country. It is harming many families in Lebanon who need help and those in the Philippines who need jobs," honorary Lebanese Consul Joseph Assad said on Wednesday. Assad said it was a pity that while about 43,000 jobs were available in the past two years, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could not fill these out because of the ban. “These (jobs generation) are all possible but at the same time impossible because of the ban," he told reporters on Wednesday during an interview at the Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila. The government stopped sending Filipino workers to the Mideastern state in 2006 when violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces escalated. At that time, some 6,000 OFWs, many of them undocumented, were repatriated to the Philippines. Some 26,000, however, opted to stay out of fear of losing their jobs or because they were not allowed by their employers to leave. “Many of the OFWs who returned have found no jobs back in Manila whereas their jobs are secure in Lebanon yet they cannot return due to the travel ban," Assad said. He said that despite the world economic crisis, property values have improved and construction has been on the rise in Lebanon, prompting an increase in the demand for skilled and unskilled workers. “We’ve had nothing but good times in the last two years," he said. As such, he said that the Philippines is missing out on the prosperity that Lebanon is going through because of the ban. “I am seeing people who are hungry for jobs here … tama na, sobra na ang ban na ito (stop it, the ban is too much), I would lift it today if I could lift it," he said.Security, minimum wage and labor laws Earlier this month, Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilbert Asuque appealed to Filipino job seekers to respect the deployment ban and avoid trouble. However, Assad pointed out ever since Lebanon elected new leaders in May, there has been peace and stability in their country. “We should not compare Lebanon with Iraq which has a travel ban because Lebanon is not in a state of war," he said. Moreover, he emphasized that it was the Israelis who caused the chaos in their country and lamented that no deployment ban was awarded to Israel. “Nobody wants to discuss Lebanon. We were the victim but we are being punished for the crime," he said. Asuque has explained that while there is no more security threat in Lebanon, the real problem is the lack of labor laws protecting foreign guest workers in that country. "Tulad nung 2006, walang batas sa Lebanon na may proteksiyon ang foreign guest workers kaya ‘wag muna ho kayo pupunta dito (Just like in 2006, there are no laws in Lebanon that protect foreign guest workers, that’s why you shouldn’t go here yet)," he said. Hard times ahead To that, Assad argued that since the competition for jobs is very stiff these days, the discussion for labor laws should be “put in the freezer for now." He also said the issue about minimum wage that OFWs receive in the Mideastern country should be set aside for now. “We could bring that up again when times are good," he said. Nonetheless, Assad added that personally, he wanted the monthly salary of OFWs to be raised from $200 or almost P10,000 to $400 or more than P19,000, but that was last year before the economic crisis. “We would like to accommodate them on that request but frankly, it would be very difficult today because there are over 300,000 other domestic helpers in Lebanon coming from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, to name few countries, who are working (for) only $200," he said. He added that while some Lebanese families can afford to give the $400, some are also “hurting" and cannot even afford to pay $200. Assad also stressed that these are not “normal times." “If the worker feels that he or she is willing to work for whatever is available today to make ends meet, then we should encourage them and thank them for working and keeping their families from going hungry and keeping the economy afloat," he said. Moreover, he said that the most important thing to consider right now is that would be treated well and are safe. “That’s our main concern right now," he said.Amnesty for illegal workers Apart from the lifting of the ban, the Lebanese consulate is also requesting the Philippine government to grant amnesty to all those who left the Philippines to work in Lebanon during the ban. “They endured so much more than the normal worker so I hope there’s a little more compassion. Since we don’t have much to give these days, let us give the grandest gift that money can’t buy and that doesn’t cost a centavo, that is amnesty," he said. According to figures from the Lebanese Consulate, 43,361 Filipino nationals went to work in the Mideastern country since August 2006. “Despite the ban, this is an indicator that there are jobs and we should be looking at it not as (43,361) defied Philippine laws by going to Lebanon in the last two years, but as (more than) 43,000 families were able to make ends meet in the last two years because of the jobs in Lebanon," he said. Assad also said that the Philippine government shouldn’t treat these OFWs as fugitives. “We should be (treating) them as heroes, not criminals," he said. Moreover, the consul said that becoming an illegal worker is “a very unhealthy situation that can be cured by a compassionate comprehensive and understanding amnesty for these victims whose only crime is they were born into poverty." In addition, he urged the government grant this amnesty so that they may go to the Philippine embassy in Beirut and register like all the other guest workers in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Asuque said that the ban would be only temporary, just until the Philippine government and the Department of Foreign Affairs have come up with a solution to the problem.- GMANews.TV