OFW groups, Customs chief Lina to hold dialogue on Monday

Representatives of various pro-overseas Filipino workers (OFW) groups are set to meet with Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina on Monday to discuss issues concerning Filipino migrant workers.

The meeting aims to tackle the setting up of an OFW help desk at the Bureau of Customs and the designation of a representative who will oversee OFW concerns, according to a statement by the OFW Coalition.

Although the BoC has scrapped its controversial plan to manually and randomly inspect Balikbayan boxes upon orders from President Benigno Aquino III, the coaliton said it will remain vigilant over government policies and programs that directly affect the welfare and rights of OFWs.

"Our OFWs are not looking for special treatment," said John Bertiz, the coalition's official spokesman. "All they ask is for the government to treat them with respect and dignity."

He added that the balikbayan box "fiasco" shows that "our public officials also have much to learn from and about our OFWs."

“It reflects poorly on the consultative mechanisms within government agencies, such as the BoC," Bertiz, himself a former OFW, said. "Had they reached out to the OFW global community before abruptly undertaking random checks, this conflagration could have been averted."

Members of the Coalition include the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch, the Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, Inc., Patnubay Group, LBS Recruitment Solutions, Inc., the Global Asia Alliance Consultants Inc., United Filipino Seafarers, Filipino Migrant Workers, OFW Family Partylist, Center for Migrants Advocacy, Kabalikat ng Migranteng Pilipino, Inc., Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc. and Federation of Associations of Manpower Exporters.

Meanwhile, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-profit organization that specializes in labor migration issues, called for a comprehensive review of Memorandum Circular No. 7990, which the BoC issued in 1990.

MC No. 7990 sets guidelines on the use of balikbayan boxes by overseas Filipinos.

Susan Ople, the center's founding president, noted that costs of goods here and abroad have since gone up, and overseas Filipino workers normally shop for commodities that are affordable yet relevant to the needs of family members.

She noted that the US$500 per balikbayan box was determined in 1990, 25 years ago when the foreign currency rates were much different, and costs of goods were not as high.

"We look forward to the dialogue with Bureau of Customs officials on Monday so that we can clarify some unresolved issues and come up with a clearer process flow in relation to the integrity of balikbayan boxes," Ople said.

Ople, a former labor undersecretary, said she hopes the BoC would take advantage of the dialogue to brief various OFW groups and advocates about previous cases involving smuggling using balikbayan boxes.

"Certainly our modern-day heroes would not tolerate such syndicated crime because their own families may fall prey to illegal substances smuggled through balikbayan boxes," she said. —KBK, GMA News