Scrap MC 4 or quit - OFW group to Brion, Baldoz

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration administrator Rosalinda Baldoz should resign if they don’t intend to heed the demand of overseas Filipino workers to scrap the new policy on direct hiring by foreign employers. In a statement on Wednesday, an alliance of OFW groups in the Middle East pointed out that Brion and Baldoz are public servants, and the migrant workers are their masters. "We urge them not to simply and blindly obey Mrs. Arroyo’s wishes. Better resign than is a part of a corrupt and dysfunctional system of governance," said John L.C. Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante- Middle East. The policy must be scrapped, Monterona said, adding that if Brion and Baldoz won’t take heed of OFWs’ demand then they are incapable and not fit for their jobs. “Like other public servants, Sec. Brion's and POEA Admin. Baldoz's salaries and perks are from the public funds, and OFWs have contributed so much to the earnings of the government. As aptly said, OFWs are 'exhaust valves'," Monterona added. If Brion and Baldoz can’t heed to the demand of the millions of OFWs all over the world to scrap MC-04, Migrante said it means the two officials are incapable and unfit for the job. "We are calling on them to resign and we will campaign for this, so that others who are capable to advance OFWs rights and welfare can replace them," Monterona said. “Mischievously, the very person who appointed Sec. Brion and Administrator Baldoz into office is much corrupt and the worst nightmare of OFWs. What can we expect from them?" he pointed out. Monterona said the selective implementation of Memorandum Circular No. 4, providing for rigid screening of applications for direct hiring and imposing a repatriation bond of $5,000 and performance bond equivalent to three months salary or up to $3,000, is not acceptable to OFWs and their families. The POEA board temporarily suspended the implementation of MC- 04, which took effect on Jan 15, to accommodate an instruction of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to exempt employers of white collar Filipino workers and those already providing "protective mechanisms" to OFWs from the payment of the bonds of up to $8,000. Baldoz said the POEA board was looking at exempting major labor importing countries like Canada, Italy and Hong Kong from the bond payment because these countries already provide ample protection to expatriate workers. “Once the foreign employers have already given the performance bond and repatriation bond totaling $8,000, these employers can simply pass on these huge amount to their hired OFWs by deducting it from their monthly salary. This is based on the actual experiences of many OFWs," Monterona said. Brion said on Tuesday that MC 4 stays suspended until the POEA governing board has finished reviewing the policy and institute amendments to it. He added that he could not yet give a timetable for the end of the review because the board wanted to go over every detail of the memorandum. - GMANews.TV