Recruiters’ group says global migration meet a ‘useless’ exercise

MANILA, Philippines - A group of manpower agencies on Tuesday echoed the sentiment of many groups saying that the informal setting of the recently concluded 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) is useless for being a non-binding process. “The problem is that GFMD (delegates) are not under compulsion to ratify…agreements, thus rendering inutile whatever innovations and positive inputs achieved, more so that they can even be observed more in breach than in compliance," said Victor E. Fernandez Jr., president of the 777-member Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (Pasei). Earlier, Migrante-Middle East said the 2nd GFMD, which was held on Oct. 27-30 in Manila, only proved to be a waste of taxpayers’ money. Participants of the International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees (IAMR), a gathering of various migrant groups, protested the absence of migrants’ representatives from the forum. Nonetheless, Fernandez cited President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for urging the 163 countries and 1,100 delegates of the forum for stronger cooperation in order to protect migrant workers. He specifically praised Arroyo for urging the delegates “to push for stronger global cooperation to shield migrant workers from the shocks of the global financial crisis." Fernandez said international cooperation necessary to put an end to “unmitigated abuses of employers abroad and flagrant violations of migrant workers laws by unscrupulous recruitment agencies and employers." “But it should be enforced not only during this time of global financial crises, but also during normal economic conditions," he said. Likewise, Fernandez said he agrees with Ban that human mobility makes economies more efficient when they are not growing by ensuring that the right skills can reach the right places at the right time. “We did not see the global financial crisis coming, but when it comes as it did recently, it is always a plus factor if we are ready at all times to deploy (or re-deploy) our skilled workers to the right places at the right time as (Ban) puts it," he said. “(Ban) came out with a realistic approach to the endemic world migration problems which countries world-wide should ratify and implement with concrete, specific and effective programs," said the industry leader. On the other hand, he said that in support of Arroyo’s programs promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), Pasei has fought hard against the excessive medical fees charged on the workers, Saudi Arabia’s “unified contract" scheme, and other practices “grossly inimical to their interests and to the workers." Mandatory welfare insurance for OFWs To further support the welfare of OFWs, Fernandez reiterated Pasei’s proposal for the government to implement a mandatory welfare insurance. He earlier urged Malacaňang to issue an Executive Order requiring overseas employment providers to grant compulsory and comprehensive enhanced social welfare insurance cover to every overseas Filipino worker they deploy abroad. In a previous statement, he said this Workers’ Welfare Enhancement Program (WWEP) - Personal Accident and Social Entitlement Insurance, which has been running for the past four years, is initially paid by deployment agencies and continued by workers on a voluntary basis. Fernandez said that under the proposed insurance plan, for a mandatory coverage of only US$3 per month or at the cost only of one good fast food value meal a month, the Filipino migrant worker will be entitled to: • Accidental death benefit of up to $15,000 or about P725,000; • Survivor’s benefit (in case of natural death) of up to $10,000 or almost P483,000; • Permanent total disablement of up to $7,500 or more than P365,000; • Repatriation of bodily remains (including burial) of up to $15,000 or about P725,000; • Repatriation due to emergency evacuation and legitimate cause of up to $1,000 or more than P48,000; • Subsistence allowance of $100 per month or more than P28,800 for six months; and • Legitimate monetary claims for unpaid and just wages of up to $4,500 or more than P217,000. “PASEI and the entire industry is fully endorsing this protective program for the OFWs at no-cost to government and at no cost to the workers for the full benefit and protection of the workers once made mandatory," he said. Fernandez said the program benefits every sector concerned, including the OFW, the manpower agency, the employer as well as the government since they don’t have to shell out any money in case of death, disability or repatriation due to emergencies such as war. “With an Executive Order from President Arroyo, this protective program for Filipino migrants may soon be replicated by other labor-exporting countries to prevent abuses being perpetrated on migrants and reduce, if not eliminate, global irregular migration of guest workers," he said. - GMANews.TV