ONE way [to ease the plight of overseas Filipino workers] is to investigate the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) regarding the anomalies unearthed by the Commission on Audit (COA).
Prosecute POEA and OWWA employees involved in the corruption unearthed by COA. Refund to OFWs or start a Foundation for OFW Benefits with whatever money that can be recovered. Make OWWA membership voluntary instead of compulsory.
– Elmer Fabros, Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia (via e-mail)
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August 5th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
To ease the plight of the OFW???…
Filipinos work abroad for one and common reason… and these are some of the things we (OFW’s) wants from the government, senators and congressmen… if you really believed that we are the new hero of our land…
One, if you could regulate to have standard or maintain Peso – Dollar rate for us.
Two, eliminate or lessen the transaction fee on our remittance.
Three, priority on all government transactions.
Four, special privileges, i.e. travel tax free, medical benefits, housing loans and educational for our children…
There are several reports, that we are contributing the progress of our economy… despite of the corruption being undertaken by our government officials in all levels… in all departments… left and right… up and down…
July 14th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
We, the Presidential Security Group (Right Side) were showed our loyal support to HM, King Anthony S. Martin for the benefit of our country. Let’s unite for the benefit of our people. Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo in her twist denial knew more HM, King Anthony S. Martin of Hagonoy, Bulacan that’s why she will go to Hagonoy in order to observe HM and not Hagonoy.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Majority of our Senators and Congressmen are surrendered to resolve our ailing country and deep inside they’re expecting HM, King Anthony S. Martin to move for the benefit of our country not only OFW. HM who was been an OFW before learned and knew sacrifices of our people there that’s why he’s encouraging our people to fight our right to Claim these funds legally used by the world.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Matsing, that’s why Efren is right and you’re wrong. What is real his point and score is to concentrate for the real root of their plight away from our country. HM, King Anthony S. Martin in our discovery was handled solution to resolve this problem.
June 8th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Efren, tama yang suggestions mo. Pero mahirap gawin. Di mo pwedeng bann ang pagpapadala ng DH sa ibang bansa dahil tao ang may gusto nito at hindi and gobyerno. Alam mo na ugali ng pinoy, kahit gano kalaki ang risk nyan, papasukin yan, maiahon lang ang pamilya sa kahirapan. Yung passport nga pag na issue may nakalagay na “Banned for travel in Iraq” pero ano? pinoy parin ang gumagawa ng paraan para makalusot. Pero pag may nangyari pano na? Sisisihin mo gobyerno? yung nangyari recently na tinamaan ng bomba, Ni isang kusing walang makukuhang tulong mula OWWA at POEA dahil illegal worker sya at di member ng isa sa mga to. Kasalanan parin ba ng Gobyerno yun? kaninong choice yun? hirap sating mga pinoy masyadong urong sulong.
Then sa POEA at OWWA, wag nyo masyado tutukan and DH sa UAE. Oo ngat pinapahirapan sila at karamihan ay takas. Eh pano naman ang mga Skilled workers na di nyo pinapansin. Kailangan pa ng mas magandang benepisyo mula sa inyo dahil nagbabayad ang mga pinoy sa inyo ng walang nakukuha kahit ni isang kusing.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
In reply to
Lee Kwan Yew Says:
” April 16th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What The Philippines needs to do is eliminate OFW’s all together. No one leaves the country, no foreigners enter the country. The country is sealed off and not allowed to join the rest of the world until all problems are solved. It begins with the individual. From the government to the beggars on the street, an internal change must occur. The right values must replace the current Filipino values of shallowness, superficiality, fatalism and procrastination. All foreigner worship must disappear. Rediscover your own culture and history. Keep your language pure. Love each other. Set in place sound economic policy. Above all, seek Almighty God, because your destiny is in His hands. ”
JL’s reply >> Those are sweeping statements that can only be truly effective in dreams… Like the Cultural Revolution of China and its Close-Door Policy?? Did it really work?.. Well, youcan say that our destiny is in HIS HANDS, but today, we must be able to see that the future is in our hands…
April 25th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Why the government has no balls in stopping at least the deployment of housemaids in the Middle East?
Our domestic helpers are being treated as punching bags If not being butchered by their uncivilised Arab employers, and what our embassy officials and labor workers are doing? esp dyan sa UAE, Kuwait and Saudi.
Magbibilang lang ba kayo ng biktima at mga patay?
Bakit di nyo solusyunan ang UGAT ng problema? Bakit di nnyo itigil and paglabas ng domestic helpers maski napatuloy o halos araw araw ang pagkatay sa mga kasambahay sa Middle East?
Ano ba kayo? mga bulag? bingi? o talagang mga inutil?
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:09 pm
what would you expect when the leaders are corrupt?
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm
If Obama can’t win with working class white voters why should he be the nominee? If he cannot win PA or Ohio why should he be the nominee? If he can’t win in Florida, Michigan, California, or the states that really matters what good is he? Why can’t he close the deal? The argument that the person who wins the most states is garbage. In November the winner takes all Electoral College heavily favors Clinton. “Super Dems” be smart and choose the hill that is where you will fine a win for the houses.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:49 pm
OWWA is useless and inutile since the day it was established, it serves as milking cow for its executives and administrators. OWWA officials is notorius for using OFW funds to a numerous business ventures that fail and loss including its huge invetments in property development and technology upgrading.
A lot of our abused kababayan never been help and instead duped by those officials for processing claims.
Our institution and bureacracies is so corrupt from top down to the barangay level.
God save this once great country of ours in the hands of abusive and corrupt public officials
April 21st, 2008 at 6:26 am
We are under a Democratic Despensation let the Rule of Law prevail.Let the law pinpoint and punish the culprits but at the same time protect the integrity of those deducated and honest public servants.
Emmilan
Managing Director
Osaka Steels Ltd
Kaduna
Nigeria
April 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
i-abolish na lng ang OWWA at POEA na yan.. kahit anong investigation o kahit sino pa ang mag imbestiga wala rin mangyayari.. kung ang mga magigiting na mga magnanakaw natin mga solons naman ang mag imbestiga, pa pogi lng nman ang gagawin nila for thier self interest. wala naman saysay ang OWWA at POEA na yan.. pahirap lng sila sa mga OFW’s.
sana ang gawin na lng ng gobyerno ay magtatag ng one stop shop para sa mga OFW’s to save thier precious time and money. cguradong marami sa mga OFW’s if not all ang maging masaya pag nangyari ang ganon.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:56 am
To Lee
It looks like you work in Saudi, so why you are not the first to go home?
It’s just a blog, but still it should be a bit useful.
Eliminate all OFWs? How, force them home or just kill them? With near 8 million OFWs back home as jobless Filipinos, what would it bring except some 3 or 4 million kilo rice needed every day which is not available? Civil war and fighting for food? Military and police who have stable jobs, good salaries and benefits will get now the scarce NFA rice cheaper than the poorest people with lowest salaries. Means they would have to protect the “generous” administration, how then there would and could any real change prosper?
The country sealed, means no import and no export, how people would earn any income?
Yes, it could be a solutiuon because probably millions of Filipinos would die, for hunger or sickness. As a result, the much lower population would have enough food and jobs, but only if working hard for it, not praying and waiting until it falls from heaven. Ora et labora, pray and work, not stop working and just pray as it is very commmon now.
April 19th, 2008 at 12:29 am
“Lee Kwan Yew Says:
April 16th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What The Philippines needs to do is eliminate OFW’s all together. No one leaves the country, no foreigners enter the country. The country is sealed off and not allowed to join the rest of the world until all problems are solved.”
WHAT???!!!!!!! you wan’t to tell this to the millions of OFWs working their butts to death just to provide a decent living for their families back home?
April 18th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
To Lee Kwan Yew:
I think that’s exactly what North Korea is doing. And look at it now.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:53 am
A typical name for all our government agencies is SSSSUAAAAPANG! Everyone could not deny that all agencies in our government has just one objective. Not to serve the people, but to bleed the people through tax, another tax, and some more tax.
In other developed countries like America, when their economy falls, the government reduces the burden of the people on their tax. With compassion, their government reduces the people’s tax in time of hardship. Their government gives tax rebate of a break. Their government gives tax shelter to bussiness to encourage them not to declare bankruptcy.
In our country, under PGMA, we already had a bad news that 90% of our population is already esperiencing hardship one way or another.
Inspite of these economic problem, our stupid executive and legislative branch of our government raise the budget from hundreds of billion, to a TRILLION AND TWO HUNDRED BILLION PESOS!
Where will they get all that big amount? Of course, part will be additional taxes, part from E-VAT, and majority will come from government borrowings. Ultimately, it will be the people who will feel the brunt of this haphazard, irresponsible, shameless, corrupt officials in the executive and legislatives.
There is no limit to their rapacity. These vultures has grow old as politicians, and their moral ascendancy has became so dull, that they can no longer feel their sole duty to serve their people. On the contrary, they think that the Filipino People is there to serve them, no matter what the consequence.
These politicians thinks, from the PGMA, down to the barangay level, has the right to absolute power to commit corruption and abuses. At the barangay level, we see these multicabs, an official government vehicles, being used on so many unofficial missions. Multiply the fuel they consume on one day, and you will be surprise. !0 million pesos or more. What a waste.
But, the waste of fuel does not ends in the Barangay level. This is peanuts, as the level in the government goes higher. Think how much fuel are being squandered, resold, or given away to other parties, the the military fuel depote, or designated refueling stations. 20 million?
The saying goes this way, as the budget gets bigger, corruptions, also gets bigger.
Our economy is in the state of crisis, and our government is the biggest local borrower thru treasury bonds and others, yet, stealing, cheating, missuse of public funds, the waste, the unofficial trips, the on official calls, costing Juan de la Cruz to shoulder billions and billions.
Our government is nothing but crazy, stupid, and ineffective.
It exist, primarily to create more back breaking taxes, loans, and what have you, for Juan dela Cruz, and his future generations to pay.
Stupid G O V E R N M E N T. STUPID POLITICIANS. STUPID CABINET MEMBERS.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Unlike the great Gandhi who was capable of organizing peaceful demonstration against oppressive taxation and widespread discrimination against Colonel Britain rule at the time, Dalai Lama despite his call for support of the Olympics has not been listened by the Tibetans and Proactivists. Therefore, be literate on your part not to call him as Champion of Peace. What did the French do at the time? You can answer this.
Also, for your knowledage, please read carefully what Gandhi had done, and what Dalai Lama is doing and talking to allow yourself understand what the difference is. You must do this for your part.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
An agency, a symble of all government agencies, a general attitude of all government agency. Suapang!
First, the unreasonable fees. Just come to think of it, the OFW are our living heroes. They are the ones that weather out our economic blights. “matagal na sanang bumagsak ang economy ng Pinas, kung wala mga OFW.”
YET, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A HEAVY GOVERNMENT FEES.
WHEN THEY GET STRANTED IN STRANGE LAND LIKE SAUDI ARABIA, all you expect the government does is blah, blah, blah, blah. Reason on this, and another reason on that.
Meanwhile, the stranded OFW, of thoes who escape their employers for what ever reason, like abuses, over work and underpaid, hazardous jobs, and non-payments of overtime, withholding of salary, all, of which are no fault of the OFW, and what do they get? Be stranded for another few months, while the government agencies are scratching their balls!
Either out of imagination, out of resourcefulness, out of wit, or out of qualification, other than being a blabber mouth and a lap-dog of PGMA, OUR TOP CABINET MINISTERS ARE BUT CLOWNS.
Pity to the OFW who gets in trouble in other country. They have bet their whole earthly wealth, and some even borrows on unerous loans, just to free themselves from the shackles of poverty, and suddenly they get in to trouble, a problem beyond their control.
Does our government cares for them? Out of pity and compassion, no! Out of public approval thru news and publications, yes!
It is only for self serving. Cosmetic! Thousands more OFW are introuble outside, stranded, starving, and died in those strange land, and had never been noticed by our government consulates.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Lee Kwan Yew Says:
April 16th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What The Philippines needs to do is eliminate OFW’s all together. No one leaves the country, no foreigners enter the country. The country is sealed off and not allowed to join the rest of the world until all problems are solved. It begins with the individual. From the government to the beggars on the street, an internal change must occur. The right values must replace the current Filipino values of shallowness, superficiality, fatalism and procrastination. All foreigner worship must disappear. Rediscover your own culture and history. Keep your language pure. Love each other. Set in place sound economic policy. Above all, seek Almighty God, because your destiny is in His hands.
—–
LKY,
The way you want it is the day the Philippines becomes isolated from the rest of the world. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out. Think of the millions of people denied to go in and out of the country, many to find work. Think of the people being shut out from the rest of the world, their families abroad and vice versa. The business that could not come in and the business denied to go out. What you envision is a sure-fire invitation for dictatorship but which even a dictator cannot sustain the country all by himself without outside help. Without help from outside source and the people’s freedom curtailed who can stop an ambitious leader from becoming a dictator? I don’t think you understand what you are suggesting. Even the real Lee Kwan Yew could not do what you suggest. LKW was a benevolent authoritarian short of being a dictator by removing and banning all communists who were the
obstacles to economic progress, jailed all corrupt businessmen and politicians alike, stopped unproductive political opposition and instilled strict discipline to the people of Singapore to the point that gum chewing and long hair were prohibited. But behind all this, LKW allowed free full access of foreign investments that brought economic growth to that city state. This plus the national discipline Singaporeans adhere to is what has made that tiny state very successful. This is the legacy of LKY. Think about it.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:56 am
3
Lee Kwan Yew Says:
April 16th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What The Philippines needs to do is eliminate OFW’s all together. No one leaves the country, no foreigners enter the country. The country is sealed off and not allowed to join the rest of the world until all problems are solved. It begins with the individual. From the government to the beggars on the street, an internal change must occur. The right values must replace the current Filipino values of shallowness, superficiality, fatalism and procrastination. All foreigner worship must disappear. Rediscover your own culture and history. Keep your language pure. Love each other. Set in place sound economic policy. Above all, seek Almighty God, because your destiny is in His hands.
………………..
Before you seal the country can you kick the fake president gloria arroyo first because she is the problem. after that you can seal the philippines so she won’t be able to come back.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Lee Kwan Yew are you thinking? Your solution is very shallow. You people are so good in generalising your solutions without laying out the details on how it is to achieve. My gosh, what the Philippines really needs is to get rid of your kind. The govt is not the reason why every Filipinos wants to go abroad, their reasons are for their own self interest and preservation. Currently in my line of work the median salary range in the Philippines is now $2,000/month but we still prefer to work abroad to gain more experience and of course the pay is 3-5x higher. Not all OFWs went abroad because of neccessity but also because of choice. And why there is POEA and OWWA, its a safeguard against illegal recruiters. Why the fees, OFW despite their high salaries are exempted from paying Phil taxes, whats P1,500/year or P100/exit compared to paying 30% income tax? These agencies (POEA/OWWA) have personnel that also need to be paid every month. Are you so greedy that you dont want to share a portion of your income to pay a portion of their salaries, or you want their salaries to come all from the income taxes of local Filipino workers?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:36 am
the only hope of my beloved country are the sons and daughters of parents who says ” i am a God-fearing” citizen…. now, who among you are God-fearing individuals? ……. Those who raised their hands, pls go home (if you are not home already) and start the crusade to stop corruption and the ills of the government. And for those who did not raised their hands…. I wish you and the rest of your ancestors suffer for the rest of your lives… enjoying the fruits of our labor ….
April 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
@LKW
you sounds more like Pol Pot of Cambodia.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Lee Kwan Yew
YOU ARE ONE BIG MORON AND AN IDIOT..IF YOU ARE A FILIPINO YOU SHOULD JUST SHOOT YOURSELF AND DIE…YOU DONT DESERVE TO BE CALLED A FILIPINO..YOU ARE A DISGRACE.
WAG KA SASALI SA USAPAN NG MGA MAGAGALING…KASI BOBO KA..DI MO ALAM SINASABI MO.
April 16th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What The Philippines needs to do is eliminate OFW’s all together. No one leaves the country, no foreigners enter the country. The country is sealed off and not allowed to join the rest of the world until all problems are solved. It begins with the individual. From the government to the beggars on the street, an internal change must occur. The right values must replace the current Filipino values of shallowness, superficiality, fatalism and procrastination. All foreigner worship must disappear. Rediscover your own culture and history. Keep your language pure. Love each other. Set in place sound economic policy. Above all, seek Almighty God, because your destiny is in His hands.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:49 am
This government of ours is a pain in the ass to every filipino.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
another corrupt agencies. dapat iabolished walang naitulong sa mga OFW.
Just what happened in Lebanon War.