Press Statement of the
Platform of Filipino Migrant Organizations in Europe
Second Delegation to the Philippines
14-18 August 2000
We represent the Platform of Filipino Migrant Organizations in Europe, a network of 75 organizations in 14 European countries. Platform was established during the Europe-wide Conference of Filipino migrants in Athens, Greece in 1997. It stands for the 500,000 Filipinos living and working in Europe. In their name, Platform carries a Filipino Migrant Agenda which was framed during the same Conference.
We have come to the Philippines for the second time with two urgent and priority objectives:
In the last five days, together with our Philippine-based partner NGOs, we met with members of Congress, government agencies concerned with international labour migration, church organizations, and selected embassies.
Our meeting with members of the Committees on Labour, Foreign Affairs and the Sub-Committee on Overseas Workers of the House of Representatives yielded commitments by the honourable Congresswomen and men to work for the enactment of the bills on a) the right to vote by overseas Filipinos; b) anti-trafficking in women and children; and c) the amendments of R.A. 8042 (The Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995).
At the Senate, we encountered skepticism. The distinguished senators doubted if clean and honest elections were at all possible overseas, if Filipinos organizations in Europe were qualified, ready and able to ensure clean and honest elections.
We understand the concern for clean and honest elections. Like our compatriots here, we aspire for the institutionalisation of electoral reforms towards this end. We are ready to do our share to ensure clean and honest elections abroad. But clean and honest elections cannot be achieved overnight. Guns, goons and gold have yet to be fully eliminated from Philippine electoral politics. Yet, Filipinos in the homeland have not been deprived of their right to vote.
Thus, we wish to remind our Senators that the 1987 Constitution assures us of our right to vote. The continuing denial of this constitutional right underscores the absence of political will on the part of government.
As to our second objective, the outcome was disappointing. We thank the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for hosting the meeting with all line agencies concerned, and serving us brunch. But the DFA, together with POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) and OWWA (Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration), failed to substantially address our concerns at the policy, structural and service-delivery levels. Further, we were disturbed by the tendency of some officials to minoritize the human rights violations, abuse and violence experienced by our overseas workers. And by the oft-repeated "Report to us any incident of abuse of Filipino migrants." We have done so in the past and received no action. Hence, our demand that our embassies and consulates operationalise the policy contained in R.A. 8042 that the State shall give primordial importance to the promotion of the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos. For them to become centres of service instead of indifference and inaction. And abuse in some cases.
We realize the government has no comprehensive and coherent program to address the structural causes, mechanisms and consequences of Filipino out-migration.
In this context, the challenge to promote the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos in Europe and elsewhere becomes even more urgent. We know we are not alone. Our week-long visit enabled us to renew and strengthen our ties with partner-organisations that share our aspirations and struggle. Together, we shall intensify efforts until we gain our constitutional right to vote. Together, we shall continue to engage the Philippine government for pro-active, relevant and gender-sensitive policies, programs and services that will protect the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos, and provide economic options other than overseas work.
Sgd: Nonoi Hacbang
Head of Delegation
August 18, 2000