Part of his political campaign for the 2010 national elections or not, stronger protection for OFWs is being urged by Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas.

OFWs are hoping though that this is not just part of any political ad or campaign. Through the years, the so-called modern-day Filipino heroes have endured so much abroad and they are expected to endure even more.

The government should realize that what is keeping the OFWs motivated and determined is the fact the their families need to survive from the grueling life in the Philippines.

The government should not be thankful to OFWs. Thanking them means that they have no plan to whatsoever improve the quality of life of Filipinos. OFWs don’t want to leave their families but poverty drove most OFWs away from their families. What’s there to be thankful?

—–

Here are some of the highlights of his statements regarding his concern for the welfare of the OFWs:

1. That there should be stronger government protection for Filipinos working abroad, especially against abuse by their employers or host countries.

2. That he will press for reforms in government policy involving the deployment of skilled and non-skilled workers to other countries as he noted the growing number of Filipinos overseas and the rising number of OFW-related incidents.

3. That he believes that the best thing the government can give to our OFWs is security for them – support and protection so they will be spared abuse when they are abroad.

4. That he believes that the government must also reduce the financial burden of Filipino overseas workers by removing the 0.15 percent Documentary Stamps Tax (DST) on money remittances to the country.

5. That he would push for the professionalization of the foreign service system to ensure that only the most talented and most qualified are recruited by the government to ensure that our OFWs will get quality assistance from personnel and officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs here and abroad.

6. That he called on Malacanang to release the P50 million for the OFW Social Reintegration program that President Arroyo has yet to release to the Department of Labor and Employment. The program provides balikbayan OFWs with sufficient knowledge of how to use their savings as well as investment opportunities and other forms of reintegration assistance.

7. That the government must ensure that OFWs have access to communication wherever they are to so they can easily call Philippine offices in their areas in cases of employer problems and that free legal services for those facing legal problems are readily available.

8. That pre-departure orientation and preparation seminars should likewise be given to departing OFWs to brief them of their rights and on what they should and could do should they encounter difficulties in their jobs.

9. That all these reforms could only take place once an activist government — one that cares for and listen to its people – takes over from the current administration, which has consistently shown insensitivity to the plight of its workers abroad.

Related posts:

1. OFW Deployment Ban in Afghanistan – Why Take The Risk After the controversial death of 10 OFWs in Afghanistan...
2. OFWs Should Be Careful in Bringing Parcels to China There are at least 180 Filipinos languishing in various...
3. Think Several Times Before Working Abroad For all those wishing to work abroad particularly in...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.