Gateway to Canada is supporting Migrante International's Blog Action Day to Uphold, Promote and Respect the Rights of All OFWs!
Overseas Filipino Workers contribute to Philippine economy through dollar remittances. According to this report, remittances from OFWs last May reached a record high of $1.578 billion. And according to Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas, it would be difficult for the Philippines to sustain the annual GDP growth of 7 percent without OFW remittances!
Working abroad away from one's family if difficult. It takes a lot of sacrifice. And aside from being maltreated by some employers abroad, they are also victims of maltreatment by our very own government.
OFW Agnes Tenorio simply wanted the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong to assist her. Instead, she received a verbal beating from its Labor Attache Romulo Salud. She got to record the exchange.
Agnes is one of the many OFWs who have experienced such maltreatment from the Philippine government’s representatives abroad. We had OFWs filing cases of overcharging against recruitment agencies only to be called “tanga” or stupid by a high-ranking government official. We had rape victims in the Middle East who were made to wait for the Philippine embassy’s Christmas party to finish. We had a deceased OFW’s body being refused to be repatriated back home simply because the deceased was not a member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). [Source]
This needs to be stopped! Speak up! Join 11-11-10 Blog Action Day!
Respect OFWs!
