On the 15th death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFW) Wednesday marched to historic Mendiola in Manila to call for an end to government policies which they said continue to undermine migrant workers' rights and welfare. The workers were mostly former employees of an operations firm in Saudi Arabia who stopped working October last year due to alleged unfair labor practices by the firm such as contract substitution, illegal salary reduction, and non-payment of benefits and overtime pay. They were repatriated early this year after staging a hunger strike following over four months of being stranded in Riyadh. Garry Martinez, chair of the migrants' rights group Migrante International, said that 15 years after the nation was galvanized into protest by the hanging of Contemplacion in Singapore, the plight of OFWs has turned for the worse. “Appalling stories of abuse in foreign lands and the government's neglectful response” have become everyday stories, he added. Contemplacion, a domestic worker from Laguna, was hanged by the Singaporean government on March 17, 1995 for the murder of fellow OFW Delia Maga and the four-year-old Singaporean child under her care. OFWs and their families, as well as supportive groups like Migrante, Gabriela Women's Party and Anakpawis Party-list, joined the protest march from Morayta to Mendiola. In the protest, the workers lamented their sorry plight in the Middle East, which they say extends even after repatriation as they have yet to get the benefits due them. “We're being made to go back and forth to OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) for our benefits, such as medical assistance, said one of the workers. “Some of us have not yet received the P10,000 financial assistance,” said Helen Manapis, one of the workers, in an interview with GMANews.TV OWWA had earlier promised the Annasban workers medical, financial, and transportation assistance after staging a camp-out in front of the agency's office. Riza Mabubay, a former caregiver, explained that they are also claiming reimbursement of their airfare when they were repatriated, which she said practically came from their own pockets. Their tickets are roughly SR1,000 each, which is equivalent to the unpaid wages they are claiming from the company. Filipino labor officials in Riyadh had told them that their repatriation costs would be divided among them, their recruitment agency and their company, Mabuhay said. “Win or lose, we will pursue our case. It will be harder for us to regret in the end should we choose not to fight for our rights.,” Mabuhay said. “We are facing the same issue - government neglect,” she added The workers have already filed cases against their recruitment agencies before the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) which are scheduled for hearings this month. They have also asked the agency to permanently ban their company from hiring Filipino workers. POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili told GMANews.TV in a separate interview that the hearing schedules for the charges against recruitment agencies are currently being finalized. “About 20 cases have already been, and they have been raffled off to hearing officers,” Manalili said. Three hearings lasting for six months are usually enough for the hearing officers to decide on the charges, she added. Manalili also said they are reviewing the workers' complaints for possible grounds to delist Annasban from the country's overseas employment program.
