Fallen heroes working abroad

There are about 130 overseas Filipino workers to date on death row waiting for their execution. Hundreds are imprisoned in jails abroad serving their sentence after being judged guilty of crimes, and more are attending trials in courts of their host countries for cases filed against them.

The number of Filipino workers found dead abroad under mysterious or unexplained circumstances are also growing, and correspondingly, so is the number of dead bodies that are held in morgues, some for over six months, because their cases have remained unresolved.

These numbers are overwhelming, and this just underscores the fact that the Philippines has already more than nine million of its citizens, or about 10 percent of its total population, working as migrant workers in various parts of the world.

They are our fallen soldiers who have sought jobs in other countries in a heroic bid to fight poverty and hope for a better life. Some are victims of unscrupulous individuals or organized crime groups, or simply just ignorance. Many are the product of neglect by our very own government.

From day one

From the first day that a hopeful OFW starts to apply for a job abroad, the possibility of exploitation starts. To this day, there are still cases of fly-by-night recruiters that either abscond with the hard-earned advance payment of applicants, or are reckless in having represented exploitative or abusive employers.

Worse, there are still illegal recruiters, often preying on poor families living in far flung rural areas, that connive with notorious gangs and syndicates involved in the trafficking of women and children to be sold in illicit global sex trades.

When a migrant Filipino worker starts working abroad, there is no 100 percent assurance that his new employer, even if this is a company, will treat him well. Many are often “quartered” to control their mobility in countries that have cultures and mores more restrictive than ours.

Filipinos reside and work in about 200 countries, yet less than half of these countries are signatories to the UN’s International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1990, and coming into force in July 2003. The Convention aims to lessen the exploitation and abuses on migrant workers.

Then there are also various risks that an OFW has to take when working away from home: political unrest as lately experienced because of the sweeping civil wars in the Middle East; or work hazards from working in ships that are the target of sea pirates or accidents at oil refineries.

Caught abroad

And of course, as had been lately brought to the fore, there is that grave risk that comes with getting on the wrong side of the law in another country, more so if you are not related to a powerful politician nor have the proper connections in the halls of foreign diplomacy.

The recent cases of three Filipinos headed for the gallows in China after having been found guilty of drug trafficking is not an isolated story. But the subsequent stay order for their execution, no matter how temporary, is pleasantly surprising, but also disconcerting.

How many more trips will Vice President Jejomar Binay (or his designated representative) make in future when the other 100 plus Filipinos on death row abroad are handed their execution dates?

More worrying is the fact that these Filipinos, while saying they had been forced by circumstances to act as couriers for these banned drugs, were rightly sentenced after having been caught red-handed. Definitely, no one cried that it was a set up.

Fair warning

As the saying “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” goes, our aspiring overseas workers must be provided with full and adequate warnings of the perils of participating in illegal activities.

We have about a million Filipinos every year who apply for jobs abroad, and on the very first day that they send in their resumes, they must be wizened to the many tricks that a foreigner working abroad may encounter from unscrupulous individuals or organizations involved in crime.

So when we speak about “precious dollars” that our working brothers abroad send home, it sure does not just refer to the survival of families here who depend on the remittances for their basic needs; it is also of the blood, sweat and tears of our heroes that comes with earning them.

Legal foul up

As the fourth biggest source of migrant workers, the Philippine government should exert more effort in influencing countries where we send labor resources to ensure that their judicial system will allocate a local legal worker to represent any Filipino who is brought to court.

Admittedly, in many cases involving our kin abroad, government’s support is essential. But with the small number of legal workers that are assigned to represent our countrymen, many cases not surprisingly are not rightly handled.

Unkept promise

Given that we need to continue sending our countrymen to work abroad, P-Noy’s government should at least make sure that there is a network or adequate safety nets that will be able to give Filipinos facing charges a fighting chance to defend their case and protect their interest.

It is now 15 years since Flor Contemplacion, accused of killing a fellow Filipino domestic worker, was executed by hanging in Singapore. At that time, in the midst of emotions, the Ramos government declared that Flor would be the last Filipino to die of execution in a foreign land.

It is clearly a promise that has not been kept.

Skin treatment and whitening promos

One of our readers (whose identity shall remain anonymous as requested) wrote recently to complain about the manner she was treated by her service provider which prompted her counsel to send a demand letter.

In line with my commitment to publish both sides of any issue tackled by this column, quoted below are pertinent excerpts of the response received from Facial Care Center:

“To summarize, the following are the points we want to be addressed regarding the column of Mr. Gamboa:

“She (the reader’s identity to remain anonymous per request) did not avail of a whitening treatment, but a full Brazilian on her bikini area using the laser Hair Removal System.

“She alleged that she suffered discoloration in the skin area that was treated by our company. She specifically complained of the darkening of her pubic and groin area. Her groin area was never touched during the laser treatment. Prior to her laser hair removal treatment with FCC, she admitted to shaving her pubic area. Shaving traumatizes the skin and could eventually lead to some discoloration on the area being shaved.

“(She) was not given a run around. As a matter of fact, FCC offered her free treatment and products even if FCC has nothing to do with the said darkening.

“There was never a promise to make her pubic and groin area pearly white. She availed of hair removal procedure, not a whitening treatment.

“FCC is a professional and reputable company and has been in the business for so many years. And like any other successful company, we have our fair share of clients who want to take advantage of our good name and are just out to get whatever they could to earn a quick buck.”

The response of Facial Care Center was signed by Ms. Mercedes T. Echon, Operations Manager.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.