OFWs claim ‘victory’ on 2nd day of OWWA camp-out

Repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and their supporters claimed “victory" on the second day of their camp-out in front of the office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), after the agency relented to the group’s immediate demands Thursday night. “Tagumpay ang camp-out (The camp-out was a success)," Garry Martinez, chair of migrants’ rights group Migrante International, said in an interview with GMANews.TV. According to Martinez, OWWA has agreed to give a total of 63 repatriated workers immediate financial assistance amounting to P10,000 each, after the OFWs vowed not to leave the camp-out until their demands are met. Martinez further disclosed that the agency will also shoulder the costs of the OFWs’ return trip to their provinces, as well as a medical check-up for each after they complained of illnesses they allegedly contracted while working as caregivers in Saudi Arabia. The OFWs stopped working last year after complaining of unfair labor practices by their employer Annasban Group. Early this year, a total of 43 workers were repatriated by the Philippine government. The workers, however, have camped in front of the OWWA office since Wednesday asking for reimbursement of their repatriation costs and compensation for unpaid wages and benefits. (See: Repatriated OFWs from ME fighting new battle in Manila) The workers, however, will remain outside the OWWA office until they receive the cash assistance on Friday. The agency meanwhile vowed not to dismantle the camp-out until then. Martinez added that the workers’ fight continues, as cases have already been filed also on Wednesday before the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) against their recruitment agencies. In their complaint, the OFWs asked that their recruitment agencies be blacklisted from deploying Filipino workers abroad for their alleged illegal labor practices. The recruitment agencies cited by the workers are United Placeman Philippines Inc., Global Jobsearch Services Inc., Saveway International Manpower Inc., and Placewell International Services Inc. In separate interviews, the four agencies have all denied the accusations, saying they paid for the OFWs’ repatriation costs contrary to the workers’ claims. Representatives from United Placeman, Global Jobsearch, and Placewell International, however, refused to be identified and declined to give further details, saying they were not authorized to speak on the issue. Sheila Vargas, liaison officer of Saveway International, meanwhile maintained the agency paid for the repatriation of the 10 workers it deployed to Annasban. She added they also gave the workers P11,000 each as financial assistance upon arrival in the Philippines and even sent them food allowance in Saudi Arabia when they decided to stop work. “Napaka-unfair. Hindi namin tinatalikuran ang aming obligasyon, pero sinasagad na nila kami. Hindi naman namin sila pinabayaan," Vargas said. (What they are doing to us is very unfair. We are not running away from our obligation, but they are pushing us to the wall. We never abandoned them.) The OFWs, through Migrante, denied the agencies’ claims, and said they will present their evidence to bolster their case against the agencies in the hearings set by POEA this March.—JV, GMANews.TV