Study: OFWs confused about OWWA's functions

MANILA, Philippines - After more than 31 years of existence, a significant number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) has remained either unaware or misinformed about the powers and functions of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), a study says. Migrant group Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) released the survey conducted among OFWs regarding their perceptions of the welfare agency and how it works toward its mandate, during a forum at the Bayview Park Hotel in Manila on Friday. The study was an electronic survey conducted among OFWs around the world in July. Its questionnaire was uploaded to www.online-survey.net, www.pinoy-abroad.net, and www.patnubay.com and was also distributed by individual e-mails. CMA said that although the study did not attempt to cover the more than four million Filipino workers deployed overseas, an invitation to participate in the survey was sent to all OFWs registered with them. A total of 400 OFWs, men and women of all ages, from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Canada, and Europe completed the survey. Survey says OFWs generally perceive that OWWA is a membership organization, with 87 percent of the respondents saying so. According to the OWWA performance highlights posted on its website, a total of 1,087,657 overseas workers were covered with the agency’s welfare protection in 2007, of which 10 percent or 105,738 were enrolled from overseas renewal and voluntary membership. However, more than half or 59 percent of CMA’s respondents were not aware that they could voluntarily apply as members onsite. “Frankly, I am not fully aware of how OWWA works. They should disseminate A to Z of OWWA," said one of the respondents. On the other hand, a majority of them (78 percent) was aware that OWWA benefits can only be availed by those who pay the $25 membership fee, making the agency exclusive instead of a welfare and service unit mandated to take care of all OFWs in general. One of them apparently wrote in the questionnaire: “If OWWA services aren’t limited to members only, why should I become a member?" However, almost half of them (49 percent) were not aware that their membership with OWWA expires as their employment contract does. Moreover, around 48 percent of the respondents said that they did know what services are being offered by OWWA, leaving a measly 7 percent of them who have actually availed of these programs. The qualitative comments from the respondents revealed that OFWs cite “OWWA bureaucracy" as one of the main reasons why they have not availed of their benefits. Contrary to this, OWWA reported that some 1,915 OFWs and their families benefited from insurance and disability claims amounting to more than P198 million just for 2007. It also said that a total of 116,243 OFWs and their dependents gained skills and were recipients of scholarship grants with almost P60 million in funds released for this purpose. Meanwhile, 94 percent of the survey respondents were surprised to learn that the OWWA fund is available for loans to non-OFW businessmen especially since 90 percent of them thought that this shouldn’t be so. “I did try to get a loan from OWWA, for just a small amount which I urgently need, but to my dismay (my application wasn’t granted)," said one of them in the questionnaire. Regarding administrative matters, a large chunk of respondents did not know that the OWWA Board of Trustees claims the right to terminate their benefits and services, which OFWs make up only 17 percent of the board, and that even though the agency’s fund is considered a trust fund, it does not have any named trustees or beneficiaries. Confusion on specific functions and responsibilities Ediza Pumarada, president of the Scalabrini Lay Association, said during the forum that what CMA’s data revealed were not new at all. “The survey results did not surprise me at all, it (just) confirmed what I (had) experienced," she said. On the other hand, she said that she was glad to hear that half of the respondents were aware of OWWA projects and services. “What disturbed me is the small number of OFWs who availed of the services," she added. She did, however, blame the confusion to misinformation, calling it the perpetrator of the crime. “We should (be) properly informed of all these (information). The current OWWA information dissemination is not effective," one of the respondents reportedly said in the study. Short of expectations Meanwhile, a paper published by CMA said that OWWA has “fallen short of its mandate due to a combination of confusion about its specific powers and responsibilities and problems systematic to the organization as it is now established." The group questioned whether OWWA was really a government agency or not. “If OWWA is not a government organization, then the Philippine government is constitutionally obliged to establish a government organization to protect the welfare of its OFWs… if OWWA is a government organization, then the Philippine government must begin to fulfill its responsibility and fund the OWWA administration," it said. Furthermore, it asked whether OWWA was an insurance scheme, a protection agency, a loan bank, or a social security. “OWWA claims to offer a variety of mixed benefits and services, which imply contradictory definitions of the organization. As the OWWA fund is limited, these various services compete for the finite resources, so that ultimately no OFW can avail of any of them," it said. More so, OFWs have also questioned how OWWA membership works. This is because membership with the agency is paid but it is also urged, as a government agency, to help even non-members who did not pay the membership fee. How OWWA relates to other agencies was also discussed in the paper, with the group saying that some of OWWA’s services were redundant and would be better managed by a different agency. More importantly, the ownership and allocation of the P10-billion OWWA trust fund was questioned. “It is uncertain who owns the OWWA fund. Nobody knows if it belongs to the government of to the OFWs. If OWWA were to be dissolved, would the money got to the Philippine government or back to the OFWs" it said. Government response CMA Executive Director Ellene Sana said during the forum that the results and discussion of the survey were presented to OWWA head Carmelita Dimzon on November 12. They had also reportedly met with a group from OWWA on Wednesday to discuss the findings. Apparently, Dimzon asked why the migrant group’s questions in the survey were all “leading to a restructure of OWWA." But more importantly, Sana said that Dimzon said she was still open to conducting more discussions regarding the matter. During Friday’s forum, Hans Leo Cacdac, head of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s (POEA) Licensing and Adjudication unit, pointed out that it wouldn’t hurt to mention the positive points of OWWA. “I would just like to explain that there is value in emphasizing the positive so that you’ll know what to enhance regarding policy or framework," he said. Moreover, he said that OWWA is critical when agencies refuse to repatriate OFWs. “In my personal view, the existence of OWWA onsite is important. They are the ones who assist the labor attaches," he said. OWWA reported that about 8,607 OFWs were repatriated through its assistance, with the agency releasing a fund totaling to almost P24 million in 2007. It also said that 248,054 OFWs were provided immediate assistance locally and overseas in the same year. In addition, Cacdac said that OWWA actively participates in negotiations with other countries. “We find value of the OWWA onsite when we are engaging in bilateral talks," he said. - GMANews.TV