Arroyo lauds Singapore OFWs, pushes more protection

President Gloria Arroyo has called for the protection of migrant workers, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), in a world seeing an acceleration of human movement. Speaking before some 600 members of the Filipino community at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, Mrs. Arroyo on Saturday said trade can expand only as much as human capital is allowed mobility. "And the world might as well recognize the fact and make it orderly," Arroyo was quoted as saying in a Malacañang statement. The President is in Singapore to attend a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In her speech, she said APEC needs to put the flow of human capital in the same way the World Trade Organization (WTO) puts the flow of trade in order. "Because we are pioneers in this new age of global labor, it is our obligation to make sure that we protect our workers wherever they may be," she said. In the Philippines, she said, the country is capable of continuing its fiscal stimulus program, all because of the resiliency of its economy. She said leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) agree that there is need to cushion the impact of the global recession on the poor and members of the most vulnerable sectors of society. "The problem is how to finance the stimulus program," she said. She also said APEC can claim that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, is on a solid comeback trail "We can still finance the fiscal stimulus. Our bonds are still very, very marketable. I think we are resilient and will bounce back to the rapid growth that we achieved before the global recession slowed us somewhat. At least our economy never turned negative even at the height of the crisis," she said. Mrs. Arroyo also lauded members of the Filipino community in Singapore, saying they demonstrate they are comparable to the best workers anywhere in the world. She acknowledged the contributions made by OFWs to the economic development of the Philippines From January to August this year, she noted, OFWs remitted $11 billion to their families back home. She said OFWs in Singapore are hardworking and talented. She added they do very well in all imaginable occupations, whether they are working as doctors, nurses, healthcare workers; information and communication technology technicians, architects and engineers. "OFWs in Singapore have moved up the value chain to higher-paying jobs that require more complex skills," Mrs. Arroyo said. She added that through the OFWs' efforts, Singaporeans have come to admire Filipino culture. She noted she had just opened two exhibits of Filipino art works at the Singapore Art Museum. Mrs. Arroyo encouraged everyone to support these events and invite their Singaporean and other friends to see and experience their country's culture. Yet, Mrs. Arroyo would have preferred to see Filipinos staying home with their families. "My vision is to make our economy competitive enough so that one day going abroad will just be a career choice, not the only option for our hardworking Filipino workers," she said. She also thanked the OFWs for their donations to the victims of recent floods and landslides in country. "That again shows how Filipinos in Singapore remember the folks back home no matter how successful they have become," she said. There are an estimated 144,000 Filipinos in Singapore, many of whom excel in various fields such as banking and finance, medicine, education, information technology, retail services, engineering, and entertainment. Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo will speak on behalf of the Asean in a dialogue with the United States. As coordinator for Asean, Arroyo, during the ASEAN-US Summit, will sit beside US President Barack Obama. The meeting between Obama and the Asean leaders would take about at least an hour, the Palace statement said. Mrs. Arroyo will be the fourth speaker after the welcome remarks of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the opening remarks of Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Obama, respectively. She will speak specifically on what needs to be done to improve the US-Asean Plan of Action that was signed five years ago. Asean will review what has transpired since and prepare for a new five-year partnership. The Asean leaders and Obama will come up with a joint statement at the end of the summit. - GMANews.TV