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Most distressed OFWs don't know where to go for help


Most overseas Filipino workers encountering job-related problems don't know where to go for help. This was based on the initial outcome of a project launched in February 2006 by the Center for Migrant Workers encouraging distressed OFWs to send their complaints through short messaging system or text. More than a year after the project was pilot-tested in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it generated only 800 texters, most of whom said they don't know where or how to contact Philippine offices in those countries. The project called SOS SMS encourages distressed OFWs to send complaints through SMS or text directly to the CMA and to concerned government agencies. CMA however does not give an exact percentage of the OFWs who were not aware of the location of the Philippine offices abroad. “It seems that most of those who sent text messages to the SMS helpline do not get the correct information about the services of foreign posts like the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices," Henry Roxas, legal counsel for CMA, said. Ellen Sana, executive director of CMA, said they came up with the conclusion after analyzing the SOS SMS message log for one year covering February 2006 to February 2007. Of the 800 texters, Sana said 40 percent were male workers and 34 were females while 26 percent did not identify their gender. In response to the observation, deputy administrator Hans Leo Cadac of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said the agency is continuously enhancing methods of disseminating relevant information to OFWs. From the text messages received, the CMA said it has clustered the nature of complaints into labor-related cases, lack of information problems, repatriation, welfare cases, gender-based violence and related cases, illegal recruitment, and death and health-related cases. Common labor-related cases reported were breach of contract, contract substitution, substandard living and working conditions. Problems on the lack of information include lack of access to embassies and other foreign posts and lack of information on migrant workers’ rights. Problems on repatriation include release from detention, air fare, repatriation of human remains, among others. Welfare cases that were reported were abandonment of families of OFWs, death and accident benefits, shelter in the case of those who runaway, legal assistance, emergency repatriation and a host of related benefits. Also among the reported cases were rape, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and unwanted pregnancies. Common problems encountered by those illegally recruited and those undocumented are fake travel documents, expired visas and/or passports, trafficking, exorbitant fees, and related problems such as deportation, regularization, air fare among others. Health-related case include death due to illness, accidents, suicides, murder, homicides lingering illnesses, mandatory health tests and access to health services. The CMA analysis did not specify percentages of the classified complaints from distressed OFWs. - Luis Gorgonio, GMANews.TV

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