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SENATE President Manny Villar is pushing for the establishment of a
P1-billion fund to provide for the early repatriation and adequate
assistance to Filipinos in distress overseas.
“While there may be comprehensive set of
laws protecting the overseas workers, its implementation in
reality remains wanting. In particular, the funding requirement
needed to effect a meaningful and truly caring OFW environment is
negligible,” Villar said.
Villar added the Constitution, the Labor Code,
the Migrant Workers Act, various executive orders and treaties have
the same intention of protecting overseas workers but Filipinos in
distress continue to swell in number.
“It has been reported that a substantial
number of Filipinos are in detention in various countries. The
cases of maltreatments, abusive employers and harassments and the
proportional upward spike in abductions and wars between and among
countries have resulted in the increasing number of OFWs in
distress. The Philippine embassies and consulates have been home to
these unfortunate migrant workers waiting for repatriation,” he
said.
Villar cited a Department of Foreign Affairs
statistics showing that as of December 2007, 28 Filipinos face death
penalty cases: 10 in Malaysia; nine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
four in Kuwait, three in China; one in Brunei Darrusalam; and one in
the United States of America.
In his recent trip to the Middle East, Villar
listened to underage workers tell their stories of abuse, while
countless others share how their misfortunes have been aggravated
by what appears to be an endless waiting for a ticket back home.
“It is unfortunate that the measly funding
that we have for repatriation and assistance are intended only for
legal OFWs. Other OFWs must not be marginalized on account of
being undocumented. Filipino silang lahat, kaya kailangang
tulungan [They are all Filipinos, so we should help them.],”
Villar said.
He noted that in the DFA budget, the combined
sum of the Assistance to Nationals and the Legal Assistance Fund,
two items used for OFW repatriation, is P66 million. Villar has
filed Senate Bill 2231, that seeks to cover both documented and
undocumented OFWs in the assistance program of the government.
Villar said it also adds a special mechanism to
alleviate the plight of undocumented OFWs and overseas Filipinos in
distress by creating a P1-billion Special Fund that can be used for
repatriation; medical expenses, hospitalization and purchase of
medicine in the form of vouchers for six months from arrival;
migration fees for overstaying Filipinos.
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