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PROTEST VS. BOC
OFW group sets August 28 as ‘no-remittance day’
By RIE TAKUMI, GMA News
(Updated 7:08 p.m.) Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are set to launch a "zero-remittance day" on Friday to protest the new policy of the Bureau of Customs to manually inspect random balikbayan boxes supposedly to curb technical smuggling.
"Iba't-ibang bahagi ng mundo ay magkakaroon ng paglunsad ng zero remittance day," said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International, on Tuesday, a day after the BOC dropped the policy upon orders from President Benigno Aquino III.
"Ito ay isang political action, bilang pag-rehistro na ang mga OFWs ay patuloy na lalabanan kung anuman yung mga anti-migrante, anti-people na mga patakaran ng gobyernong Aquino," she added.
The group is also set to hold a protest march in Manila on the same day.
Aquino order an "initial victory"
"We are pleased that the President has spoken on the issue of random inspection of our balikbayan boxes," Migrante said in a statement on its Facebook page, describing the dropping of BOC's plan as "an initial victory for OFWs worldwide."
"But all the beautiful words cannot hide the fact that the administration has imposed on BOC a P600M revenue target from balikbayan boxes," it said.
The group said the P600-millioin revenue target "emboldened" BOC Commissioner Alberto Lina to implement "the brazen, sacrilegious inspections of balikbayan boxes."
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, OFWs around the world sent $26.92 billion (P1.20 trillion) back to the Philippines in 2014, up 6.2 percent from $25.35 billion (P1.13 trillion) in 2013. [See infographic.]
It also recorded that money sent by OFWs last June rose by 5.8 percent year-on-year to $2.4 billion from $2.3 billion, mostly from the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada.
Month-long protest?
Sherrie Macmod, Migrante's secretary general in Taiwan, said various branches of their group will attempt to extend the day-long protest to a month-long action.
"Ang gagawin naming protesta 'dun, hindi kami maghuhulog ng remittances ng, kung pwede, isang buwan kasi 'di naman weekly nagpapadala yung mga OFW dun, mga migrante. Kaya susubukan namin na kausapin 'yung ibang grupo na 'wag mag-padala sila," Macmod said.
While the inspections could not be stopped, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colminares said they will push for an increase on the tax-exempt value on the contents of each balikbayan boxes.
"Maganda talaga, pag-galing sa OFW, exempted na 'yun. 'Yun talaga ang main na laban namin. Ngayon, doon sa Kongreso, ang mga opinyon ng mga kongresista, itaas ang valuation," he said.
Regalado added that the BoC must release their findings on the few balikbayan boxes they found with smuggled goods to prove their accountability and transparency.
"Mag-submit sila ng full report. Ano ba ang mga kaso na 'to? Meron bang na prosecute na mga smugglers, at ano ba yung mga hakbang na ginagawa ng gobyerno para ma-resolve rather than pagbalingan itong mga OFW," she said.
On Wednesday, Migrante and other OFW groups will hold a protest outside the BoC office in Manila. —KBK, GMA News
"Iba't-ibang bahagi ng mundo ay magkakaroon ng paglunsad ng zero remittance day," said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International, on Tuesday, a day after the BOC dropped the policy upon orders from President Benigno Aquino III.
"Ito ay isang political action, bilang pag-rehistro na ang mga OFWs ay patuloy na lalabanan kung anuman yung mga anti-migrante, anti-people na mga patakaran ng gobyernong Aquino," she added.
The group is also set to hold a protest march in Manila on the same day.
Aquino order an "initial victory"
"We are pleased that the President has spoken on the issue of random inspection of our balikbayan boxes," Migrante said in a statement on its Facebook page, describing the dropping of BOC's plan as "an initial victory for OFWs worldwide."
"But all the beautiful words cannot hide the fact that the administration has imposed on BOC a P600M revenue target from balikbayan boxes," it said.
The group said the P600-millioin revenue target "emboldened" BOC Commissioner Alberto Lina to implement "the brazen, sacrilegious inspections of balikbayan boxes."
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, OFWs around the world sent $26.92 billion (P1.20 trillion) back to the Philippines in 2014, up 6.2 percent from $25.35 billion (P1.13 trillion) in 2013. [See infographic.]
It also recorded that money sent by OFWs last June rose by 5.8 percent year-on-year to $2.4 billion from $2.3 billion, mostly from the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada.
Month-long protest?
Sherrie Macmod, Migrante's secretary general in Taiwan, said various branches of their group will attempt to extend the day-long protest to a month-long action.
"Ang gagawin naming protesta 'dun, hindi kami maghuhulog ng remittances ng, kung pwede, isang buwan kasi 'di naman weekly nagpapadala yung mga OFW dun, mga migrante. Kaya susubukan namin na kausapin 'yung ibang grupo na 'wag mag-padala sila," Macmod said.
While the inspections could not be stopped, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colminares said they will push for an increase on the tax-exempt value on the contents of each balikbayan boxes.
"Maganda talaga, pag-galing sa OFW, exempted na 'yun. 'Yun talaga ang main na laban namin. Ngayon, doon sa Kongreso, ang mga opinyon ng mga kongresista, itaas ang valuation," he said.
Regalado added that the BoC must release their findings on the few balikbayan boxes they found with smuggled goods to prove their accountability and transparency.
"Mag-submit sila ng full report. Ano ba ang mga kaso na 'to? Meron bang na prosecute na mga smugglers, at ano ba yung mga hakbang na ginagawa ng gobyerno para ma-resolve rather than pagbalingan itong mga OFW," she said.
On Wednesday, Migrante and other OFW groups will hold a protest outside the BoC office in Manila. —KBK, GMA News
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