Probe into 'abuse' of Pinoy OJTs in S'pore sought

Senator Franklin Drilon on Tuesday said he wants to look into the situation of Filipino on-the-job trainees in Singapore who are allegedly being forced to work in hotels there for half of the minimum wage. "They (Singapore hotels) recruit students under the guise of OJT [scheme], they pay them half of what is required under Singapore laws. This is [a] rampant practice in Singapore. This is something that we have to expose," Drilon said after the Senate budget hearing of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). What's worse, he said, is that the students are not protected by any Philippine government agency because they do not pass through the DOLE, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). "They are not given adequate protection," said Drilon, adding that OJTs eventually return to the country after six months because they do not have work permits as student trainees. OWWA chief Carmelita Dimzon and POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili both admitted that since they [students] are "technically" not workers, they are not under the agencies’ jurisdiction. Drilon said he has asked the DOLE to submit a report on how many students are being recruited as workers under “OJT" scheme and are paid wages way below the minimum. Drilon noted, however, that the schools where the students are enrolled should be aware of the problem. "These (students) are the responsibility of the schools. If something happens to the trainees abroad, the schools can be made to answer especially if it is shown that they were negligent in allowing recruiters to recruit their students," he said. He said his committee is also looking into what kind of remedial legislation can be done to prevent the problem from worsening. "We must come up with some regulation before this becomes a practice," he said. P12.6-B OWWA fund Meanwhile, Drilon said his committee wants to look into how the OWWA funds can be used to generate economic activity. "We should be able to think of ways and means (how) the OWWA can be an instrument that can generate economic activity, but without violating the duty to the workers to take care of these funds," he said. The OWWA has a 12.6-billion trust fund, which is the aggregate amount of contributions by member-OFWs and their employers, as well as income from investments and other sources. Drilon said this amount grows by at least P2 billion more every year, of which about P1 billion is also spent yearly on their members according to Dimzon. "It would appear that OWWA funds are intact, too intact that it is not being used to the extent that it can have (an effect on) the economy," he said. Dimzon said Drilon's proposal is still within the OWWA's mandate. She noted, however, that she still has to consult the matter with their trustees. Drilon has also asked OWWA to submit an audited financial statement and provide them a briefing about their P12.6-billion trust fund. During the budget hearing, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said President Benigno Aquino III has likewise ordered for a special audit of the OWWA fund. She said the audit report will be out in three months. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV