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New travel guidelines violate rights, OFWs say

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Migrant Filipinos are opposing the government’s new travel guidelines, saying the additional requirements violate the people’s right to travel.

In a statement, Migrante International (MI) said the new policy imposed by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) requiring Filipinos going abroad to present more documents to immigration officials is misguided and should be junked immediately.

The policy adds to the already considerable state exactions that have been imposed on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and all migrant Filipinos, MI chairperson Joanna Concepcion said in a statement.

In its announcement of the new policy, the IACAT said that it does not intend “to encroach upon the fundamental right to travel” but to combat human trafficking.

IACAT explained that it has revised the departure protocols to “combat the grave menace of human trafficking.”

READ: 2023 REVISED IACAT GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL-BOUND FILIPINO PASSENGERS

But Concepcion said the imposition of so many documentary requirements for travel violates the Filipinos’ right to travel and may increase the element of arbitrariness in immigration officials’ decisions.

“Intention is one thing and effect is another,” Concepcion said, adding “the fight against human trafficking does not justify this violation.”

READ: ‘Yearbook requirement’ at Manila airport? Filipino tourist wears full graduation attire instead

MI said that the IACAT did not seem to take into account that the Philippines is a top labor exporter and the new policy is sure to fail a rights-based examination.

It added that the IACAT came up with the policy unilaterally as no consultation with the vibrant and vocal community of migrant organizations and civil society organizations has been reported.

“We seriously doubt the IACAT’s optimism that the new policy will cause a palpable reduction, if not outright elimination, of human trafficking incidents,” Concepcion said.

“The new policy puts the burden of fighting human trafficking on individual Filipinos, not on the government or human traffickers and their syndicates,” she added.

Concepcion said the IACT should concentrate on swift government action on human trafficking cases, such as the student visa scam for travel to Canada, the US, New Zealand and Australia.

“The new policy leaves unaddressed the material conditions enabling human trafficking — widespread joblessness, landlessness and poverty in the Philippines,” Concepcion said.

“In fact, the Bongbong Marcos regime has intensified the government’s labor export program and has done nothing to provide immediate relief — from soaring prices of basic goods and services for example — to Filipinos, let alone create the foundations for job creation at home,” the OFW leader added. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

OFWs demand probe of repeat free riders in COVID repatriation program

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Migrante International (MI) called for a deeper investigation into reports of free riders taking advantage of the government’s repatriation program for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Reacting to Commission of Audit’s (COA) finding that thousands of supposed OFWs availed of emergency repatriation from two to five times and receiving free flights, lodging and food from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), MI said it is appalled and angered by the report.

In its 2022 annual report on the OWWA, the COA said 3,707 overseas Filipino workers availed of free flights under the government’s COVID-19 emergency repatriation program more than once, indicating the program was used for other purposes.

“This finding is most disgusting, reeks of corruption, deserves immediate and thorough investigation, and should result in responsible officials being sacked and held accountable,” MI chairperson Joanna Concepcion said.

“Some people are going on travels, maybe even junkets, by using the people’s money, taking advantage of services devoted to distressed OFWs, and depriving OFWs and migrant Filipinos of funds for much-needed services,” Concepcion added.

MI also pointed out that since most of the frequent flyers were from Northern Mindanao, the practice reeks of patronage that may only be pulled off with the direction of high government officials.

“Where were these supposed OFWs going? Some secret government project abroad perhaps?” Concepcion asked.

“We demand an immediate and thorough investigation into this mess. Those responsible in high places should be sacked and held accountable,” she added.

Concepcion said Congress’ deliberation of the proposed 2024 national budget is the right time for the government to be transparent with regard to the number of repatriated OFWs under the program.

With more than 10 million Filipinos abroad, the government carries out emergency repatriation in the event of any political unrest or natural calamities in their host countries.

OFWs distressed by medical, psycho-social, or legal problems requiring treatment, counselling or legal representation are given priority under the program, according to the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

The Department of Labor and Employment reported 800 thousand Filipinos whose jobs were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were repatriated as of November 2021.  “Emergency repatriation is therefore for OFWs who, because of widespread unemployment and poverty in the country, tried their luck abroad but faced unfortunate circumstances. It is repugnant that people will be travelling or going on junkets by taking advantage of services for said OFWs. Ang kapal ng mukha! (They are shameless!)” Concepcion said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Filipino groups in US hold People’s SONA protest

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By Nuel M. Bacarra

Filipino workers, students, community members and solidarity partners in the Washington DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region in the United States of America (USA) held a protest action last Sunday, July 23, in front of the Philippine Embassy ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Manila.

Calling for wage increases and decreases in the prices of commodities in their home country, the protesters criticized deplorable economic condition of Filipinos both in the US and the Philippines.

Migrante USA and BAYAN USA assailed the signing of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Law that established a corporation where the board members are all Marcos Jr.’ appointees.

“[The MIF is] a sovereign wealth fund that is supposed to come from the surplus of the government, but which will actual dip into the national coffers, the people’s money, our families’ pensions and will only be used for more patronage politics and shady corrupt deals,” BAYAN DMV said.

The organizations debunked government claims that MIF will stimulate economic growth and create jobs for people in the Philippines.

They said says it will further bury the country in deeper debt that will force many Filipinos to seek for better jobs abroad.

Protest action at the Philippine Consulate in Washington DC, USA. (BAYAN USA photo)

Plight of migrant workers in the US

Lily Guzman, worker-leader of PAWIS (Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants of South Bay), said migrant workers experience low wages and overwork because of continuing labor export programs under the Marcos Jr. government.

“When I was a live-in caregiver, I was working for 24 hours a day with a wage of only $1,200 per month,” Guzman said.

Undocumented workers are also often replaced by employers at a whim or, worst, reported to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency for deportation, Guzman added.

Philippine consulates  do not offer protection to Filipinos in the USA, the groups complained.

Nerissa Roque, a victim of an Asian hate crime in the USA, related: “When we visited the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles to ask for assistance, we were told the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) had a budget of 1 billion pesos for all overseas Filipinos, and that it was not readily accessible at that time,” she said.

Roque also said they were subjected to surveillance and their meeting at the consulate was in the presence of a Philippine National Police attaché.

Increased labor export

These complaints are different from Marcos Jr.’s rosy reports on the state of migrant workers in his SONA, however.

“We are engaging with our partners in the international community to ensure a safe working environment for our countrymen. As we do so, we are also putting in place responsive mechanisms for the social welfare, repatriation, and reintegration of our returning OFWs into the Philippine economy,” Marcos Jr. said Monday.

In his second address before Congress, Marcos Jr. praised the policy that first became a government program under his late father’s government.

“With the reopening of global economies post pandemic, the country has recorded an increase of migrant workers deployed abroad in 2022. They have contributed 32.5 billion dollars, or roughly 1.8 trillion pesos, to the Philippine economy,” he said.

Bayan USA however pointed out that things are not as well as as Marcos Jr.’s SONA makes it appear, citing a campaign launched by terminated workers of Jollibee in Journal Square, New Jersey who complain of “unfair and illegal labor practices the Philippine-based corporation practices abroad, including wage theft, chronic understaffing, and mistreatment of workers.”

“[W]e must also put pressure on the multinational corporations like Jollibee that continue to exploit the people. Both of them (Jollibee and Marcos) go hand-in-hand in furthering the suffering of the Filipino people,” Anakbayan Montgomery County (Maryland) said. #

OWWA chief’s rant against OFWs earns ire

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Migrante International (MI) castigated Overseas Workers Welfare Administration executive director Arnell Ignacio on his statement against Filipinos who are in trouble abroad.

Reacting to Ignacio telling “stubborn” Filipinos to just stay in the country to spare fellow overseas workers from shame, MI said such rants only succeed in covering up the fact that the Philippine government is deficient in orienting them before they travel abroad.

 “This will only make it appear that government officials are doing something when they are actually not doing anything on the issue,” MI chairperson Joanna Concepcion said.

‘Magbo-boyfriend, magpapa-buntis’

In a video, Ignacio did not hold back on his criticisms of Filipinos he accused of being abusive of their rights and freedoms while abroad.

The OWWA chief was apparently reacting to reports of five OFWs arrested in Sharja for pretending on Tiktok to be prostituted persons who freshly arrived in the United Arab Emirates.

“Sa mga OFWs namin natin na lagi na lang isinasangkot ‘yung sarili nila sa mga kalokohan, nananadyang gawin, basta gusto nila gagawin nila, at alam nila na mapapahamak sila…utang na loob naman!” Ignacio exclaimed.

(To our OFWs who always involved themselves in shenanigans, who do it willingly—as long as they want it, they do it even though they know they will get themselves into trouble—for goodness’ sake!)

Ignacio said they are already at a loss on how to remind OFWs more and how his agency can serve them more but Filipinos in trouble abroad have the penchant of telling lies and not being honest with their shenanigans.

“Hindi ho ba tayo nahihiya sa pinag-gagawa natin? Magbo-boyfriend, magpapa-buntis. Kahit alam niyong bawal. Pagkatapos, kung ano-ano ang sasabihin. Kayo ho ang mas matapang e!” Ignacio said.

(Aren’t we ashamed? You go into relationships, get pregnant, even though you know it is prohibited. Then you tell lies. And you have the gall to be aggressive.)

Ignacio added that while OFWs are regarded as new heroes, this does not give them the license to do as they please.

“For goodness’ sake, if that is all you intend to do, do not fly abroad anymore!” he said.

Misplaced

But MI said Ignacio’s rant was misplaced, reminding the OWW chief that informing OFWs about migrant-receiving countries is most important in protecting their interests and welfare.

“What Ignacio and OWWA need to do is improve the agency’s Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) and Post-Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) to educate prospective and repeat OFWs about laws and customs of migrant receiving countries,” Concepcion said.

“According to our members, these seminars often educate OFWs about being submissive to their employers, but about not the laws and customs of migrant-receiving countries,” she added.

Despite the government’s weaknesses in informing and educating OFWs, most OFWs abide by the law and customs of migrant-receiving countries, the migrant leader said.

She also added that most OFWs who report their problems to the media have real grievances, important points that Ignacio failed to mention in his anger at erring OFWs.

Concepcion revealed that OFWs also see many migrant-receiving countries as overly-harsh to migrants.

“While the government should educate OFWs, it should also learn from OFWs,” Concepcion 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)

Filipinos detained in UAE over TikTok video in good condition, says consul-general

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Mifrante International calls on PH government to review pre-departure orientation for OFWs

by Angel Tesorero / Khaleej Times

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The five Filipino expatriates who were detained by Sharjah Police after reportedly posting an allegedly indecent video on TikTok are in good condition, Philippine Consul-General Renato Dueñas Jr to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said.

Dueñas said: “The Philippine Consulate’s ATN (Assistance to Nationals) representative and its legal counsel visited the five detained Filipinos in Sharjah on Wednesday to ascertain their condition. They were given legal advice in preparation for their upcoming hearing.”

“The consulate, through DFA-OUMWA’s (Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs) ATN Fund, will provide them with welfare assistance for their basic needs while in detention,” he added.

The five Filipinos were arrested after reportedly uploading an “indecent video” on TikTok back in March. They thought it was “just for fun” and had no idea it could get them into legal trouble. “They were mistaken for prostitutes,” said a sibling of one of those arrested.

The Philippine Consulate has reiterated its call for Filipinos in the UAE “to respect the customs of the host government and be mindful of content that they post on social media.”

Under Article 17 of the UAE Cybercrime Law, online posting of pornographic materials, gambling, or any activity that may afflict public morals is punishable by imprisonment and a fine of up to Dh500,000. The offender may also face deportation after the service of sentence.

Proper deployment orientation

A legal expert and migrant workers advocacy group Migrante-Middle East are calling for the Philippine government to review and update their Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) given to Filipinos who seek employment abroad.

Barney Almazar, who is a member of the Philippine Bar and holder of a UAE legal consultancy license said the “incident involving five Filipinos could have been easily avoided had they familiarized themselves with the UAE laws.

“The violators have no intent to break the law, their only mistake was to assume that the ways they were accustomed to way back home have no criminal implications in the UAE,” he said.

Almazar explained: “PDOS is a mandatory one-day seminar for Filipinos who are going to work abroad. Seminars are region or country specific to address the peculiarity of certain job sites. Those being deployed to UAE undergo the Middle East module which, unfortunately lacks discussion on the practical day-to-day application of Sharia law.”

“PDOS implementation needs to be re-examined. Since its implementation in 1993, it has not evolved with the needs of the time. When participants enter the seminar room, their only focus was to finish the requirement and get their certification to be able to exit the country. The modules are outdated,” he added.

Know the law

Almazar underscored: “We have to properly equip our migrant workers with practical and useful legal knowledge in the UAE. Under Article 29 of the UAE Civil Code, ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance therewith. It is the responsibility of each expatriate to know the rules and local customs in the host country, especially that their continued stay in the UAE is not a right but a privilege which can be revoked should they violate the law.”

Migrante-Middle East added labor-sending countries like the Philippines “must educate their workers on the laws of the host country, including Cybercrime law, especially that expatriates are heavy users of social media.”

The group also called for additional funds and more protection for OFWs (overseas Filipino workers).

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This April 13, 2023 report is original to Khaleej Times, hereby republished with permission from the reporter.

Groups protest in US and HK on Women’s Day

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Women’s organizations held a protest march against “imperialism, militarism and exploitation” at the World Bank and the White House in Washington DC days before International Women’s Day last Saturday, March 4.

Led by the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) and grassroots Filipino group Gabriela-USA, hundreds of protesters called to place “women over profit” and to expose the “continuing impact of US imperialism on the Filipino people.”

The protesters began their rally before the World Bank, accusing the international organization of aiding “global suppression through foreign aid that perpetuates national debts.”

Before the White House, the protesters demanded the end of US intervention in countries abroad such as the Philippines, accusing its government of funding militarism abroad instead of social services such as education.

“This country claims to be a beacon of freedom and democracy, while locking children in cages and forcing families to be separated!” Gabriela-USA said.

IWA’s Katie Comfort said the situation of women throughout the world calls for their unity of women, urging their ranks to organize further.

“Women are uniting around the world against US imperialism and [women in the] the US [have] to be a part of that movement,” Comfort said.  

Also on Saturday, IWA launched its campaign “Meet Women’s Needs; Stop Corporate Greed” in a conference that seeks to address the failings of the US government to meet the needs of women and their families. 

The march was also participated in by Terrapin Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (TerpCHRP) Palestinian Youth Movement, Katarungan DC, CODEPINK, United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), Committee in Solidarity of the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Anti-Imperialist Action at University of Maryland Baltimore County, International League of Peoples Struggles (ILPS), African National Women’s Organization, and Resist U.S. Led War.

Gabriela-HK calls for protection of OFWs

In Hong Kong, Gabriela’s chapter in the Chinese territory protested against the Philippine government’s continuing labor export program on International Women’s Day 2023.

“Instead of creating decent jobs with living wages in the Philippines as a solution to the worsening poverty we experience, the Marcos Jr-Duterte administration only intensifies the peddling of our Filipino women and men as cheap labor commodities overseas,” Gabriela Hong Kong chairperson Shiela Tebia-Bonifacio said in a statement.

Bonifacio said the Philippine government refuses to learn from a growing number of violations committed against the rights, dignity and lives of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) despite incidents such as the gruesome death of Jullebee Ranaro in Kuwait earlier this year.


“While it was forced to respond to the demands for justice for Ranaro’s death, the Philippine government remains lacking when it comes to championing OFW rights, welfare and dignity,” Bonifacio said.

Bonifacio also cited the non-response of the Philippine government and even the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong over the racist comment of Hong Kong legislator Elizabeth Quat describing women migrant domestic workers as a mere “product”.

Gabriela Hong Kong also condemned the government for attacking and labelling as terrorists the many migrant organizations and leaders critical of the government’s programs.
 
“Clearly, the current regime of President Marcos only aims to continue the legacy left by his father, the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos – ensuring the suffering of the Filipino women and men through its exploitative and oppressive policies,” the group said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Some 50,000 Filipinos left Dubai since June amid COVID-19 pandemic

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By Angel L. Tesorero

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Around 50,000 Filipinos from Dubai and the Northern Emirates have left for home since June for various reasons brought about by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Philippine consul general to this city Paul Raymund Cortes said during a press briefing on Monday.

Cortes added the Philippine Consulate in Dubai has also provided free tickets and assistance to more than 2,600 distressed Filipinos, including 143 Filipinos who were repatriated on Saturday (October 31).

“Repatriation started in June and the Philippine Consulate has facilitated the return of Filipino workers and their families who were affected by the pandemic. Most of them returned home after they lost their jobs or were asked by the employers to go on a long furlough. Some decided to go home for good — after spending several years in Dubai — while others were stranded Filipino tourists and some took advantage of the amnesty programme by the UAE,” Cortes said.

The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi have yet to provide the number of Filipinos who have left the UAE since the outbreak of the pandemic.

PhP68.5M spent for tickets

Cortes recalled three repatriation flights were chartered by the Philippine government back in June and August while majority returned home via commercial flights by Emirates, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

According to Cortes, the Philippine Consulate has spent around PhP68.5 million (Emirati Dirham 5.2M) for the tickets of over 2,600 Filipinos who went back home. The money was sourced from the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) funds of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Swab tests

Philippine Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay said returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families were given free COVID-19 swab test upon arrival in Manila.

Bay clarified the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) did not discriminate whether or not returning Filipinos were members of OWWA.

“They (OFWs) were just asked to show a proof of employment or their working visa,” Bay explained.

Those who were not employed as migrant workers were required to pay for the swab test.

Aside from the free swab test, returning OFWs and their families were also provided free hotel stay and meals during the quarantine period while they were waiting for the COVID test result. Those who had to return to the provinces were also given free transportation.

Speaking during a virtual forum in Manila on Monday, OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac Sadi: “We want to emphasise that the swab test being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard at the airport is free. The specimen being brought to government laboratories is also free. The OFWs who are there (airport) need not pay anything.”

He advised arriving OFWs not to patronize those offering swab testing at the airport in exchange for a fee. “We advised our OFWs not to engage the offer at the airport to pay for the test,” he added.

According to Philippine media reports, returning OFWs were being charged up to Php20,000 for the immediate release of their test results. Cacdac said there are still 5,200 OFWs who are still in hotel quarantine accommodations while waiting for their swab test results.

Left to right Melvin Caseda, welfare officer; Renato Duenas, deputy consul-general; Paul Raymund Cortes, Philippine consul general; Felicitas Bay, Philippine labour Attache (supplied photo)

Assistance to OFWs

Meanwhile, Bay said the Philippine Labor Office in Dubai (POLO-Dubai) has disbursed a total of PhP208.2M (Dh15.8) as cash aid to 21,625 Filipinos in Dubai whose jobs were affected by COVID-19.

The cash assistance is part of DOLE-AKAP (Department of Labor and Employment-Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong), a one-time financial assistance amounting to Dh730 for each Filipino benefeciary.

Bay noted around 98,000 Filipinos have applied for the cash aid since April 10. Her office is still evaluating some of the application but Philippine government has allotted a budget for only 22,000 recipients, she added.

Livelihood assistance

Bay added OWWA members who have returned to the Philippines for good can avail of a livelihood assistance program amounting to maximum of P20,000 (Dh1,520) while non-OWWA members who were lost their job can also avail of the National Re-Integration Center for OFWs program that can provide cash assistance up to P10,000 (Dh760). “They just need to show their displacement/ termination letter,” Bay noted.

Meanwhile, Cortes advised Filipino expats who lost their jobs “to work closely with their respective HR (human resources) personnel to ensure that they will get their end of service benefits (EOSB).

“Due diligence must be done by the workers and they must make arrangements with their HR. They (OFWs), may, however, avail of free legal consultation from the Philippine Consulate,” Cortes added. #

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This report is original to Gulf News.

Coronavirus: Parents of premature babies face extra fight during COVID-19 pandemic

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Unpaid leave and salary cuts compound issues for struggling parents.

By Angel L. Tesorero

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: They are little brave warriors born prematurely who are putting up a good fight to survive in a world that is also struggling against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Their parents meanwhile, on top of worrying for the health of their babies, have also been struggling with their jobs and source of income. Some were put on unpaid leave while others received salary cuts because of the slowdown in economic activities brought about by the pandemic.

The babies are COVID-free. Their eyes and faint smiles reveal a resilient spirit but they need financial or material support to carry on. Their parents are seeking help to raise their children in a safe and healthy environment.

The first little warrior is Baby Rain Kristoff, who is now seven months old. He has grown and gained weight – now 2.3-kg, up from a mere 490-grams when he was born prematurely in October last year.

Baby Rain Kristoff (Image Credit: Supplied)

Baby Rain has survived two surgeries in his tummy but still has to be treated for pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a breathing disorder because his lungs were not yet fully developed, his parents Kim Chester and Roselle de la Vega told Gulf News.

“Our baby turns blue whenever he cries excessively and to treat the hypertension, he needs a high flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) machine, which we could not afford to buy,” the de la Vega couple added.

“The doctor suggested to modify a ventilator but we still could not afford the cheapest one which is around Dh30,000,” they added.

The Filipino couple also has unpaid hospital bills amounting to Dh220,000, after using their savings and health insurance.

“We have been out of work for over two months now because of the pandemic. We reached out to Gulf News in the hope that some kind readers would be able to help us. We’re really struggling to raise the money and we’ve exhausted borrowing from friends and family,” they added.

“Our baby was very small, looking so weak and very fragile when he was born but he has proven his fighting spirit. He wanted to live and we hoped to give him the best medical care,” they continued, with high hopes that their plea will be heard by Good Samaritans.

Sri Lankan baby girl

Another premature baby whose parents are seeking help is Adrielle Naomi Fernando, born on May 7.

The father, Sri Lankan expat Luckwin Fernando, wrote to Gulf News: “My wife (Tharushanaa) delivered our baby a month premature on the May 7 at Thumbay Hospital in Ajman. Due to low birth weight, our baby was placed in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The per day charge was between Dh4,000 to Dh5000.

Adrielle Naomi Fernando (Image Credit: Supplied)

“Our baby is now home but our hospital bill has reached around Dh65,000. And on top of this, we also don’t know where to find money to pay for our house rent,” added Luckwin.

He continued: “I saved money to pay for a normal delivery but it was not enough for the emergency. Worse, I lost my job due to the pandemic and I have spent all my savings for the miscellaneous hospital expenses.”

Double bundle of joy

Another doting father has reached out to Gulf News to seek help for his twin bundles of joy.

Egyptian national Mahmoud Zakria Aid, 31, who is married to a Filipina, said their babies (Sabila and Saja) are now in the pink of health but their financial situation is in dire red.

Mahmoud said: “My wife (Filipina Ocampo, 33) gave birth one month early on March 2 and unfortunately I cannot pay the hospital bill after our health insurance expired.”

Twin sisters Saja and Sabila (Image Credit: Supplied)

Mahmoud said: “My wife (Filipina Ocampo, 33) gave birth one month early on March 2 and unfortunately I cannot pay the hospital bill after our health insurance expired.”

“Our babies are already at home after I issued a cheque for Dh28,000 that is due on June 7. Until now, I haven’t raised any money after I was put on unpaid leave and I don’t know when my company will advise me to go back to work” added Mahmoud, who is a graphic designer for an events company.

“The babies are healthy – thanks to God – but I don’t know what will happen in the coming days, weeks and months. There are no events and I’ve been out of work. Whatever savings I have, I used it to buy milk for my babies and food for me and my wife,” he added.

He continued: “The babies are our bundle of joy – they are gifts from God – but, to be honest, there were times I felt helpless and I worried about the future of our babies. This is why I mustered enough courage to ask for help.” #

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This report was first published by Gulf News.

COVID-19 takes toll among Fil-Canadians

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By Ysh Cabana

TORONTO, Canada–Several people were reported to have died from coronavirus in Canada, including Filipinos.

With the Canada death toll at 1,580 deaths, according to Public Health Agency of Canada as of April 19, the Filipino community is hard hit.

Many Filipino-Canadians are working in the health sector in roles including nurses, care aide, facility maintenance and as “front-line essential” workers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Marie Christine Bacalocos Mandegarian, 54, succumbed to the virus on April 15 less than 24 hours after testing positive.

“I am a little bit scared, but duty calls,” she wrote on her Facebook account last month. “I can’t stay home, I’m a healthcare worker” she said. For 31 years, Mandegarian, worked as a personal support worker at Altamont Care Community, a long-term care center in Scarborough, Toronto.

Mandegarian was the first health worker in Toronto and second in the province of Ontario to die of COVID-19.

On April 9, Brampton Civic Hospital mourned the loss of their environmental services associate Ronald V. David. Uncle Ronald, 58, as he was fondly called, is believed to be the first known Ontario health-care worker to die after getting sick with the highly contagious respiratory disease.

Health-care staff make up about 11% of all reported COVID-19 cases in the province but make up only about three% of Ontario’s population.

The province is also reporting outbreaks of COVID-19 at long-term care homes where nearly half of total coronavirus-linked deaths in Canada happen according to chief public health officer Teresa Tam.

“We know that close to half of the deaths that we’re tracking are linked to long-term care facilities, but that ratio is actually different in different provinces,” Tam told reporters during her daily ministerial update on the virus.

Other Filipino victims of COVID-19 in Canada include Victoria Salvan, 64, who as a patient attendant. She immigrated to Canada from the Phillipines, and worked with senior citizens for 25 years.

Salvan, or Vicky to her colleagues, passed away April 17 just weeks away from retirement. She is survived by her husband and two children. One of Salvan’s sons said that she cared deeply for the elders in her care working overtime up to her final days of work at the understaffed Grace Dart Extended Care Centre, where nearly a quarter of the residents have been infected with COVID-19, according to public health records.

Warlito Valdez, 47, had been a residential worker at Pendleton House run by the Richmond Society for Community Living helping people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Valdez died April 5 despite being in self-isolation following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. According to a GoFundMe page that Valdez’s co-workers started, he was a “tireless provider” who worked multiple jobs. His wife Flozier Tabangin, who also works as a frontline care worker, described her husband as “a hero”

According to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the total number of COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos across 42 countries rose to 990. The number of overseas Filipino fatalities is now at 143 as of its April 20 report.

“The DFA remains committed to ensure the welfare of our people and stands ready to provide assistance to the COVID-19 positive Filipino nationals as needed,” it said.

A number of others continue to fight for their livelihood where Covid-19 is believed to have been on an outbreak making a hard job perilous.

In the province of Manitoba, the first presumptive case of COVID-19 is a woman in her 40s from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The province says she was exposed to the virus through travel to the Philippines.

More than 850,00 people of Filipino descent are living in Canada, with settlement primarily in major urban areas, according to the 2016 census.

The country’s supply of health care workers is impacted by government’s reliance on immigration making the Filipino community one of the major sources of Canada’s health care providers who may be registered nurses or unregulated workers, such as nursing aides and orderlies.

Some Filipino workers, however, have raised concerns of being discriminated against and unprotected from the virus due to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

In the province of Alberta, Cargill Meat Processing Plant is vital to a bourgeoning immigrant community of Filipinos. Workers there tell Canadian media of poor working conditions and fears of viral transmission in an overcrowded “elbow-to-elbow” facility.

Meanwhile, advocacy groups, including Tulayan Filipino Diaspora Society, Sulong UBC, and Migrante BC, have penned an open letter calling on all levels of the Canadian government for “increased and timely resources” to be available for Filipino workers.

“The general feedback we are getting from our community is the lack of accessible information regarding the pandemic in Filipino languages. While we are doing our best as a community to translate and offer support to each other at this difficult time, we would like to ensure that Filipinos in Canada are getting direct and accurate information from the proper health authorities,” the groups said in the letter. #

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This report also appeared on The Philippine Reporter.