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Retrenched OFWs in New Zealand sleep in cars, resort to fishing to survive

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It’s been nearly a month since hundreds of Filipino construction workers lost their jobs throughout New Zealand and some are forced into desperate measures to survive.

Migrante Aotearoa said many laid off workers have resorted to fly fishing for something to eat after about 720 fellow Filipinos suddenly lost their jobs when their recruitment company ELE Group collapsed last December 20.

“Yes, many are already doing that,” Migrante Aotearoa confirmed to Kodao.

First Union Network of Migrants general secretary Dennis Maga said that one month after ELE entered receivership, the distressed Filipino workers are already in dire financial hardship.

“[M]any are relying on community food support and waiting for financial assistance from the Philippine Embassy. Two weeks ago, the union reported that some workers were sleeping in their cars due to financial difficulties,” Maga said.

Bills and debts both in NZ and Philippines, mental and emotional stresses are mounting for the ELE workers, Maga added.

READ: 720 New Zealand OFWs lose jobs over Christmas

Distressed OFWs picketing Deloitte headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand (Migrante photo)

Distress call to NZ and PH governments

Along with Migrante Aotearoa and First Union, several of the workers held a picket at the Philippine Embassy as well as outside ELE Group caretaker Deloitte Corporation in Wellington today.

The groups also held meet ups with other laid off workers in Auckland and Christchurch on Friday.

In a statement, the groups said they are asking Deloitte to give the laid-off workers’ final pay and benefits before month’s end.

They demanded as well that the workers are given work immediately and given new work visas by the New Zealand government.

They also asked the Philippine government to expedite its promised financial aid to the workers while they remain jobless.  

“For the NZ government, we reiterate that it’s high time to investigate the practices of labor hire operators that disadvantage and exploit migrant workers,” Migrante Aotearoa said.

The group added that even before ELE’s collapse, they have been receiving reports of employment redundancy, exploitation of migrant workers, visa scams and fake job offers.

“We reiterate calls for the Philippine government through the Philippine Embassy in Wellington and the Department of Migrant Workers in Manila to fast-track the release of financial aid for all ELE workers and give high priority for ELE workers currently in the Philippines to avail OWWA assistance and waive the required application for new Overseas Employment Certificateto be able to return to NZ without further costs and delay,” they said.

In a separate statement, Migrante-International called on the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government to speed up and increase support for the laid-off workers.

The group is set to hold a dialogue with the Department of Migrant Workers on Monday, January 22 about the plight of the Filipino workers in New Zealand.

“The sudden retrenchment of our kababayans in New Zealand again exposes the folly of the Philippine government’s labor export program. The Philippine government has the responsibility to create decent jobs at home, which is possible only through land reform and national industrialization,” Migrante International said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Distressed OFWs and supporters picketing the Philippine Embassy in Wellington. (Migrante photo)

720 New Zealand OFWs lose jobs over Christmas

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MANILA–Hundreds of overseas Filipino workers in New Zealand lost their jobs just before Christmas and are asking the Philippine government for continuing financial assistance as they look for new jobs this New Year.

About 720 Filipino construction workers were shocked to learn they were suddenly out of work last December 20 and have since greeted 2024 jobless and stranded abroad.

The workers were employed throughout New Zealand by labor contractor ELE Group that figured in a corporate collapse, surprising the entire country, especially its foreign workers.

Dennis Sarmiento, barely eight months as an aluminum fabricator in Hamilton City, said he was preparing to send money home to his family in General Trias, Cavite for the Christmas and New Year holidays when he received notice he could no longer go to work as the company was closing.

“We had no inkling the company was closing down. We were just told to no longer report for work,” Sarmiento told Kodao.

“I had to explain to my family back home our unexpected predicament. We spent the Christmas and New Year as beneficiaries of other OFWs and migrant rights organizations, finding ourselves without means to celebrate on our own,” he added.

Migrante-Aotearoa, among the first organizations to come to the aid of the beleaguered Filipinos called on the Philippine government to give immediate cash aid to the laid off OFWs.

Filipino-Kiwi activists supporting laid-off OFWs. (Migrante-Aotearoa photo)

“The closure of giant labor hire ELE Group has left hundreds of Filipino migrant workers in a state of uncertainty, grappling with the challenges of unemployment and financial instability during what should be a festive time of year,” the group said.

Migrante-Aotearoa said it sent a petition to the Philippine Embassy in Wellington asking to give financial aid within 48 hrs to assist OFWs in hardship.

“We know that emergency aid for OFWs is totally possible, if only the billions of pork barrel funds and confidential funds that have been pocketed and unaccounted for by the Philippines’ most corrupt politicians have been allocated to support OFWs and their families instead,” it said in a statement.

First Union secretary general Dennis Maga said their intervention compelled the Philippine government to offer the equivalent of Php30k to the beleaguered workers but have yet to receive information how many actually received the amount.

First Union also called on New Zealand authorities to allow and expedite the process of the jobless workers’ transfer to other employers so they spend as little time as unemployed migrants.

Unpaid wages and benefits of the laid off workers should also be paid, First Union added.

Over Christmas and New Year, Migrante-Aotearoa, Gabriela-Aotearoa, Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG), First Union, church organizations and migrant Filipinos distributed food packs to as many laid off OFWs as they could.

They also formed teams to assist the workers in navigating the maze of in-country job applications.

Sarmiento said he and ELE colleagues are grateful for the migrant rights activists and unions who act as their guardian angels in one of their saddest Christmases ever.

“I did not know anything about unions and activists before this ordeal. Now I know better and I thank them,” Sarmiento said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Makabayan solon, DND condemn Chinese envoy’s threat against OFWs in Taiwan

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A Makabayan solon and the Department of National Defense (DND) separately condemned an alleged threat made by Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian against Filipinos in Taiwan.

House of Representative Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party Rep. France Castro said Huang’s statement is a threat and an imposition on a sovereign country.

“It is condemnable that China seems to be issuing a threat not just against the Philippines as a country but to innocent overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were obligated to work abroad to create better lives for their families,” Castro said in a statement Saturday, April 15.

In a public speech Friday, the Chinese envoy said, the “Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose Taiwan independence rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs.”

“The Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair, as is the Mindanao issue to the Philippines. You will never allow any third party to meddle with resolving rebel issues in Mindanao,” Huang said.

This did not sit well with the progressive solon who said Huang’s statement must be condemned.

The DND in a separate statement took exception to Huang’s assertion the Philippines is “meddling” in Chinese internal affairs concerning Taiwan.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the Philippines’ primary concern regarding the heated situation between China and Taiwan are the expatriate Filipinos in the island.

Pique at new EDCA sites

While it appears to directly threaten Filipino workers in Taiwan, Huang’s speech was in fact obviously directed at the Philippine government’s decision to open four new military sites the for United States military to be closer to China.

“Obviously, the US intends to take advantage of the new EDCA sites to interfere in the situation across the Taiwan strait to serve its geopolitical goals, and advance its anti-China agenda at the expense of peace and development of the Philippines and the region at large,” Huang said.

The Chinese Ambassador also likened the situation in Taiwan to Mindanao, implying that China does not meddle with Moro independence struggles in Southern Philippines. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

OFWs welcome Ople’s dialogue offer

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Migrante International to press demand scrapping of ‘burdensome’ requirements and fees with incoming migrant workers secretary

Migrant workers welcomed incoming Department of Migrant Workers secretary Susan “Toots” Ople’s pronouncement to look into their demands to scrap recently-added requirements and fees before deployment abroad.

Migrante International (MI) said Ople’s openness to dialogue with Filipino migrants and review the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) requirement and other mandatory fees when she formally assumes office on Friday, July 1, is “much appreciated.”

“Incoming Secretary Ople’s invitation to initiate virtual town hall meetings with Filipino migrants is much appreciated by MIGRANTE International regional members who are looking forward to meet the Secretary and convey to her the issues of land and sea-based members,” MI chairperson Joanna Concepcion said in a statement.

In a Rappler interview on March 30, Ople said she plans to hold virtual town hall meetings as well as conduct a “systems review” to see how the government deals with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

MI said the outgoing Rodrigo Duterte government has made it harder for OFWs to apply for permits as they are required by the (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to pay Balik-Manggagawa fees, Philhealth, Pag Ibig and OWWA membership contributions in order to secure OEC before deployment abroad.

Newly-hired OFWs also need to settle “onerous” charges from recruitment agencies and other private and government offices, the group added.

Concepcion said Ople’s planned town hall meetings would be an opportunity for them to reiterate demands for the scrapping of the new requirements and fees. 

MI said they will also ask the incoming secretary to set up more temporary shelters abroad for migrant workers in distress, legal and counseling assistance to those in jail, and right to security of tenure for seafarers.

The group also said they will ask Ople to help bring Mary Jane Veloso, in jail in Indonesia since 2010 for alleged illegal drug trafficking, home.

“We hope that Secretary Ople can also help in the immediate return of Mary Jane including other Filipinos who are still languishing in jail abroad, Concepcion said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

HK migrants welcome increase of vote machines from 5 to 10

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Herbert Bautista asks COMELEC to investigate reported anomaly in counting of votes

[UPDATED] Migrant workers in Hong Kong (HK) hailed the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) decision to increase the number of vote counting machines (VCM) from five to 10 following the outcry resulting from hundreds of overseas absentee voters turned away last April 10.

The group United Filipinos (UNIFIL) Migrante-HK welcomed COMELECs announcement to double the number of VCM it said may help prevent a repeat of Sunday’s “serious setbacks” on the first day of overseas absentee voting (OAV) in the Chinese territory.

“The prompt outcry of the vigilant members of the Filipino migrant community drew attention to the serious setbacks on the first day of voting which resulted in this positive development in OAV in HK,” the group said in a statement.

UNIFIL Migrante-HK said it was unfortunate that many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) had to experience long waiting times, long queues and being turned away before COMELEC finally acknowledged the problem.

Earlier, the group repeatedly raised alarms over the poll body’s decision to send half the number of VCMs it used to send over it added may result to “disenfranchisement and distress” to voters.

“In our calculation, only about 40% of the 93,000 registered voters (in HK)  would be able to cast their vote with five VCMs operational,” it said.

It also criticized the decision of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to slash the budget for overseas voting by 80%.

UNIFIL Migrante-HK reported that snaking queues of OFWs formed at the Bayanihan Centre entrance last Sunday, resulting in voters queuing for about 4 to 5 hours before they could vote.

The Philippine Consulate in HK admitted that its personnel stopped voters from joining the queue as early as 11:30 AM as their attention has already been called by the local police at possible violations to health protocols.

HK is suffering another surge in the number of new COVID-19 cases in recent days.

“We will continue to closely monitor the OV in Hong Kong to ensure there will be no further disenfranchisement of our fellow OFWs. We demand clean and honest elections. We demand a government accountable to its people,” UNIFIL Migrante-HK said.

OFWs in HK queuing to cast their votes. (Migrante HK photo)

VCM ‘anomaly‘

Meanwhile, a video of a HK voter has gone viral complaining that her vote for senatorial candidate Herbert Bautista has been counted by the VCM to fellow aspirant Ibrahim Albani instead.

OFW Thelma Cornejo made the revelation in an informal exit poll video by vlogger Ironjock Jermice posted last April 12.

She said she does not know Ibrahim and did not vote for him.

She added that she was careful in filling up her ballot.

Cornejo said she has protested to the Board of Election Inspectors who told her it will be reported to the COMELEC.

The video has generated 103 thousand views, nearly 6 thousand reactions and more than 800 comments.

Bautista, reacting to the video, said he calls on the COMELEC to investigate the report.

“Early reports of voting anomaly should not be brushed aside as so-called isolated incidents. The integrity of the electoral process in all levels must be paramount,” Bautista said.# (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Voters turned away on 1st day of overseas absentee voting in Hong Kong, Migrante reports

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Many migrant workers in Hong Kong who wanted to cast their votes on the first day of overseas absentee voting (OAV) were turned away, a Filipino migrant organization reported.

United Filipinos-Migrante Hong Kong leader Dolores Balladares Pelaez said in a Facebook broadcast the Philippine Consulate in the Chinese territory started refusing voters wanting to cast votes before 12 noon today .

Pelaez said that the five vote counting machines (VCM) sent by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to the territory could not cope with huge number of registered voters who turned up on the first day of the OAV.

“Five VCM are not enough to accommodate the 93 thousand of Filipinos here in Hong Kong. The 10 they sent us in previous elections were not even enough,” she said in Filipino.

Pelaez said they fear that many Filipinos in Hong Kong may be disenfranchised if the COMELEC fails to fix the problem.

“Those refused to cast their votes are very angry. Sunday is the only day they could exercise their right to vote,” Pelaez said.

The OAV in the territory is being held at the Bayanihan Center at Victoria Road, Kennedy town.

WATCH THE FACEBOOK VIDEO HERE: Bayan Muna-Hong Kong

Bayan Muna Representative Ferdinand Gaite called for an immediate investigation of the “chaotic and disorganized” voting in Hong Kong and raised fears of “potential disenfranchisement of thousands of voters.

 “We cannot allow the potential massive disenfranchisment of our overseas voters due to the ineptitude and lack of proper organizing by these officials. The slashing of funds by the DBM for the overseas voting must also be looked into,” Gaite said in a statement.

Gaite saidthat he will ask the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms of the House of Representatives to summon the COMELEC, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Hongkong Consular office to investigate the incident.

READ: Migrante Int’l warns of massive voters’ disenfranchisement among OFWs

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has yet to issue a statement on the matter. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Migrante International lauds Taiwan’s decision to welcome back OFWs

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Urges PH government to shoulder fees and dismantle recruiters’ broker system

A Filipino migrant group welcomed Taiwan’s decision to start allowing several thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) into the island after eight months of prohibition due to surging Covid-19 cases last year.

Migrante International said many OFWs waiting to fly back to the island may now heave a sigh of relief knowing they are now allowed to fly to Taiwan starting February 15.

Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) of Taiwan announced on Monday, February 7, it will welcome migrant workers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand to enter Taiwan beginning next Tuesday as part of island’s special program gradually allowing more foreign workers into the territory.

Taiwan will however require foreign workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country of origin before their entry into Taiwan.

“After foreign workers arrive in Taiwan, their employers can arrange for them to stay at a quarantine hotel to complete quarantine and self-health management; both foreign workers and employers must abide by related epidemic prevention rules and guideline,” the CECC said.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) likewise welcomed the development and expressed gratitude to Taiwan.

“We thank Taiwan for welcoming once more our compatriots in their various employment industries starting February 15,” DOLE secretary Silvestre Bello III said Tuesday.

Migrante International however asked the Philippine government to make it easier for outbound OFWs to return to their jobs abroad and do away with unnecessary requirements.

“While we recognize the importance of health requirements and protocols, we are very concerned that such health requirements will again bleed dry our OFWs. They have suffered too much from this pandemic for delaying their livelihood and now they will be burdened by long list of fees,” the group said.

The group urged the government to shoulder outbound OFWs PCR test fee, medical test fee, Bureau of Quarantine certificate and other expenses related to quarantine.

‘Exploitative broker system’

Migrante International also revealed it received reports from stranded OFWs that their employment agencies require another round of payments for the processing of their overseas applications under the so-called broker system.

These payments include multiple medical examinations at least every three months, training fees, yellow card, visa renewal, PCR test, BOQ, OEC as well as PhilHealth, Pag-ibig, SSS and other mandatory contributions, the group said.

“Deprived of the promised government ayuda (assistance), they are buried in debt in order to pursue their only hope to work abroad in order to meet the economic needs of their families,” Migrante Internation added.

The government must dismantle the so-called broker system of local recruitment agencies in Taiwan that controls the living and working conditions of OFWs and charge OFWs with several fees ranging from NT$60K to NT$200K per working contract from day one up to the time they depart Taiwan, the group revealed. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

OFW slams ‘unsuitable’ OWWA quarantine facility

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Hotel suffers water supply interruption since Tuesday evening

A retuning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) complained of being placed in an “inadequate” quarantine facility by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) after returning from Singapore starting last Saturday night.

In a message to Kodao, “PB”, an engineer, said Red Doorz Hotel along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA)in Pasay City only had “closet-sized” rooms for him and his fellow OFWs that are “unsuitable” as quarantine facilities that lasts for days.

PB and fellow returning OFWs are required to complete a five-day quarantine until Thursday having been tested negative of the Covid-19 virus.

“Our room door size has the same width as a standard toilet door. The entrance could not be described as a walk way as its width is less than a meter width leading to the bed. The room is only two meters wide that do not allow us to open our standard large travel luggage. Our travel luggage is dirty and we have to place it on the bed!” he said.

Returning OFW slams size of room at OWWA quarantine facility he says even backpacking tourists would not stay in for more than 12 hours. (Photo by PB)

The OFW said their rooms are only good for backpacking transient tourists who only need room to wash and sleep for a night.

PB added their rooms have a single-sized bed, have their own bathrooms, are air-conditioned, with an electrical outlet, wi-fi access and a wall television set. They were also provided with a single-use soap and a sachet of shampoo.

 “No backpacker tourist stays in this type of room for more than 12 hours without stepping out. And yet we will be here at least five days,” he complained.

“Clearly this room is not designed for a five-day lockdown quarantine of a travel-weary OFW,” PB added.

Returning OFW said his room is so cramped he could not even open his luggage. (Photo by PB)

‘Stressful arrival and check in’

PB said their group of 25 OFWs from Singapore arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at about 6:30 Saturday night and were processed through by the bureau of Quarantine at about 7 PM.

Their group were through the Bureau of Customs only at about 9 PM, however, he said.

By then hungry, they were given “bland adobo” with a piece of chicken leg and water for dinner.

They were herded into a bus that arrived at RedDoorz EDSA-Pasay at 9:30 in the evening but were made to wait at the hotel garage for hours.

PB claimed that the staff he asked told him that OWWA did not give the hotel was not given advance notice on their arrival.

The group also suffered water supply interruption since Tuesday evening.

“Apparently, OWWA has this practice of very late notice to hotels like them. They couldn’t prepare in advance of course. And so we waited at the extension lobby of the hotel, which means its garage,” PB said.

PB was taken to his room at 11:40 PM, he revealed.

Returning OFW said his travel-weary group was made to wait at the hotel’s garage for hours while their check-in is being processed by OWWA until midnight. (Photo by PB)

“Theres no forward planning by the OWWA…There is no OWWA pre-arrival check of the rooms. Don’t they have any standard room requirement for quarantine? My housemates (as we call our collective group) were so stressed out from travel and the long wait in the garage (lobby extension),” he added.

PB said he quizzed the OWWA staff assigned to their group who reportedly said he himself was not aware RedDoorz EDSA-Pasay is still a quarantine facility.

“There’s a clear mismanagement of the influx of OFW arrivals this holiday season. OWWA knew of the total number of expected OFW per dayand yet there is lack of planning and coordination among themselves,” PB said.

OWWA did not reply to Kodao’s request for comment. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

‘Do not blame health workers going abroad’

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Image by Carlo Francisco/Kodao

On the deployment ban of health workers abroad:

“We cannot blame our nurses and other healthcare workers who want to seek better paying jobs abroad despite the risks to their own health and anxieties of leaving their own families behind…[O]ur government leaders have clearly proven that their labor, remarkable contributions, sacrifices and voices are not valued.”–Joanna Concepcion, Chairperson, Migrante International

OFWs demand increased budget for protection and welfare amid Covid-19

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An organization of migrants called on the Philippine government to ensure social protection and welfare services for overseas Filipino workers (OFW), Filipino migrants and their families by increasing funding for these programs in the proposed 2021 National Budget. 

In an online petition on change.org, Migrante International pointed out that in the proposal, only Php 8.6 Billion from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is allotted to fund programs that seek to assist and support OFWs and migrants in distress. 

The group said that despite the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Filipinos abroad, the proposed 2021 budget of Php1.2B for the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals Program (ATN) and Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) is only the same as in the 2020 budget.

It also said that while the proposed budget for OWWA has significantly increased to Php7.4B, the amount will still be inadequate to serve the thousands of OFWs who remain stranded overseas and awaiting repatriation due to the pandemic.

Migrante International said there are thousands of OFWs who lost their jobs who have yet to receive any financial assistance from the government.

Under the AKAP program, the financial assistance for displaced land-based and sea-based Filipino workers program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), only 280,000 OFWs were granted financial assistance out of the estimated 1 million OFWs who were displaced in the past seven months. 

“The proposed budget does not take into account the increased support needed for the millions of Filipino migrants who have been displaced and severely affected by the COVID19 pandemic and who are in need of financial and livelihood assistance, welfare support, repatriation assistance and comprehensive health services,” Migrante International said.

“[T]he proposed budget will potentially leave hundreds of Filipino migrants every year who are victims of labor exploitation, human trafficking, illegal recruitment, gender-based violence, and discrimination neglected for lack of adequate funds to support their cases,” the group added.

The group also asked the government to provide immediate financial assistance in the amount of Php10,000 to all Filipino migrants, OFWs and their families affected by the pandemic by allotting an additional Php 7.2B to the DOLE AKAP Program. 

Migrante International said additional funds are also needed for hiring more personnel, legal advocates, interpreters, and other critical resources to effectively improve services and social welfare and protection for vulnerable migrants. 

The group also demanded that the government fully subsidize OWWA services and programs and stop the collection of OWWA membership dues from OFWs.

“To recover from the pandemic, the people, especially overseas and local workers, farmers and the poor need an expenditure program that heals and unites,” Migrante International said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)