Unsolicited advice to the incoming president regarding OFWs - Part 2

Stop sending maids to countries with no safety nets.

The recruitment agencies, many of whom know me, will most probably kill me for proposing this. But I strongly believe that our new President should seriously consider an option of putting a ban on deployment of domestic helpers to many countries that have not shown, by legislation or administrative practices, a serious concern for protecting the basic human rights and dignity of Filipino women.

There is no one in the government today who focuses on protecting these vulnerable sectors of our migrant workers through bilateral labor agreements, active diplomatic initiatives with host countries to demonstrate enough concern for our domestic helpers.

The Labor Attaches are not given enough resources and staff to focus on workers protection, given the volume of problems, the high incidence of abuses against our women workers and the limited time and other resources in the overseas labor offices.

I know whereof I speak. I saw with my own eyes. I have written testimonies signed by victims. I have enough empirical data to support my view that the sending of maids to harsh countries entail more damage to us as a nation and to our people.

Many of our maids are detained and not allowed to go out, they have no rest days, and are held incumunicado their passports and cellphones confiscated and they are not allowed access to telephones nor given opportunity to talk to others.

Some of these maids are physically injured, emotionally abused and others are raped, seduced and held as virtual slaves. They are not paid their salaries regularly, not allowed to have custody over their money and possessions. Many of them are not given enough food, denied decent sleeping quarters and not given medical attention when sick or injured.

That is why some of them commit suicide or commit murder against their employers.

These three suggestions are submitted to the attention of the new administration, in the interest of the service and for public interest.

The next labor secretary should review all foreign assignments of Labor Attachés and welfare officers and should order the appropriate head office agencies and units to shape up and to achieve service excellence in providing support and assistance to the OFWs.

These migrant workers voted overwhelmingly for the new President, hoping for a positive change in they way they are being treated. We should not fail them this time.