The Migrant Workers Act that was ratified in 1995 laid down conditions that gave protection and ensured the welfare of Filipino workers abroad. Now fifteen years later, the amendment of the said law is deemed necessary.
The Philippine Senate recently approved a bill that calls for the improvement of the present Migrant Workers Act. The proposed changes aim to give better assistance and further promote the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) thus strengthening the present law.
According to Jinggoy Estrada,Senate Majority Leader, the Philippine Senate approved the bill that was submitted by a bicameral conference committee. The version that was submitted by the said committee solved the issues and conflicts that were present in the earlier versions that were passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Estrada added that the Senate still needs to confirm if the Office of the President also ratified the bill. Once confirmed, they would transmit an enrolled copy to Malacanang for action by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The improved Migrant Workers Act includes preventive measures that would minimize and solve the problems encountered by OFWs in the process of recruitment and deployment. It also calls for the creation of better rescue and assistance mechanisms.
The new bill also requires the government to closely monitor and be signatory to international conventions, as well as pursue ratification of bills that would be beneficial to OFWs. The said bill also obliged the government to enter into bilateral agreements with countries where there are millions of OFWs.
The new Migrant Workers Act also expands the responsibility of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) by making all members of its governing board accountable for the deployment of Filipino workers abroad.
It also covers the punishments waiting for government officials that would be caught issuing permits that would allow the deployment of Filipino workers in countries that does not comply with international labor standards.
Estrada said that there will be penalties for failure to do their duties such as dismissal from the service or disqualification from holding appointive public office for a minimum of five years.
The new law also redefines the meaning of “illegal recruitment” by including the act of reprocessing workers through a job order that pertains to non-existent work or work different from the actual work or work with a different employer whether registered or not with the POEA.
Estrada said that such a scheme is known as “contract substitution” and it has victimized many OFWs before. In contract substitution, the employment contract that was signed by the worker in the Philippines is replaced by a new contract upon reaching their work destinations. They are forced to sign in the new contract that often states a lower salary and added work obligations.
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Gusto ko rin po sana malaman kung meron talagang batas ang custom at may karapatang pa sila gawin ang pagpublic bidding ng ,mga cargo na meron mnag mamay ari at nag aantay sa deliver , nasan po ang karapatang ng nag mamay ari at nasan ang proteksiyon namin OFW nanawagan po ako sa ngalan ng lahat ng mga apektado OFW sa duabi sana po may tulmulong samin kaming tinatawag bagong bayani ..... masakit ispin iba makikinabang ng pinaghirapan ko o namin sa ilang taon ..
nanawagan din po ako sa lahat ng ofw agencies nasa matulungan kami sa hinaharap namin problema nago gumawa ng masakit na hakbang ang department of custom... plzz help us..
Mr. Dominador P.Pimentel Jr.
mob# 09157889541 - Domonador P.Pimentel Jr.
dumating po ako dito sa pilipinas last june 6,2010 galing dubai at exit napo ako ang problema ko po at pati mga ibang ofw sa dubai na apektado sa problema ay nagpadala kami ng cargo sa isang forward " SMOOTH EXPRESS" at sa araw araw nagpapafollow up ako sa dubai at sa manila broker kaso wala parin ako o kami natatanggap sa bagahe at ngayon sinasabi ng broker dito maaring nagsara napo ang smooth express sa dubai, nagdito napo sa manila ang container subalit sabi ng broker dinila marerleased kasi dipadaw bayad ang smoth express sa custom at ang kinagagalit ko o namin sabi ng broker dito pag diparaaw nareleased ang mga cargo sa custom subject for public bidding ang mga gamit na pinaghirapan namin sa mahabang panahon , dugot pawis at pagod lahat ang pinuhunan namin mabili ang mga bagay sa lood ng boxes nayon ganito lang haharapin namin malinis binayaran namin ang shipper sa pagpapadala , sabi ng broker the goverment need to bidding all the items inside the container para mabawi ang ginastos sa shiipment , pano naman kami maliwanag dilat ang mata namin ninanakawan kami ng sarili namin bansa nasan ang proteksiyon ng isang OFW in situation like this nanawagan po ako bago mahuli kasi 30 days lang daw from date of arrival bidding ng custom mga pinaghirapan namin sana p[o may mag take action para samin mga apektado sa dubai .... simula po ng post ko sa yahoo at fb ang complained ko madaming tumatawag sakin sa dubai at sa manila parepareho kami humihingi ng hustisiya sa pinaghirapan namin sa lood ng ilang taon dahan dahan iniipon ang nabibili sa sinasahod namin tapos ganito lang napakasakit po sa pakiramdam. sana po may tulmulong samin .
Mr.Dominador P.Pimentel
mob#09157889541 - Dominador Pintor Pimentel Jr.
ngwowork sa oman ang aswa ko sa compny ng daewoo ,1 yr sya dun tpos ngrenue ng kontrata pero d nsunod ang npagksunduan n shod,imbes n tumaas nbwsan p ang shod nya.mrmi ng umuwi n mga pilipino dhil sa prblma s kompnya,my mga koreano p n nnkit s knila. ngayon po n mttpos n ang prjct nila lht sa marine department binwsan ang sahod ng 100$ kwwa yung mga sumshod lng ng 400$ ble 300$ n lng ang mauwi sa pmilya.wla clng mgawa dun,pti ang inumin n tubig cl ang bumibili. - Marife
good day madam/sir my tanong lang po ako kung sino ang mag aasikaso ng lost laggage ko kung ako po o ung agency. kasi po hangang ngaun po hindi pa rin napapabalik o nababayaran ang lost laggage ko simula pa ng sept 27,2009 hangan ngaun kasalukuyan nag pollow up na ako sa agency sabi nila kailanagan nila ng report nung time na sa anfola ako pag dating ko sa site ini reprot ko na sa representative ng agency ang sabi sa akin inaasikaso na nila pag uwi ko d2 sa pinas pollow up again ako sa agency sabi sa akin magpagawa nalang daw ako ng pake na pulis report na sabihin ko na sa taxi ko naiwanan ung bagahe ko gagawin pa akong sinungaling my insurance naman ako ewan ko kung ano ang gagawin ko paki tulungan naman ako marecover ang bagahe ko o di kaya paki payuhan nio ako kung ano ang tamang gagawin ko salamat po sa ofw guide more power..... - Robert Estrella
MAg e-eleksion na kasi kaya gawa sila batas na lilinlang na naman sa taong bayan... - Joey
Good service to people is what we need from the people in respective embassies, thats the only protection we need from the Government, implementation of salary bracket should also be monitored specially in UAE....
Another question is the maximum Processing fee / Placement fee to be collected by recruitment agencies in the Philippines... some agencies are getting from 12K up to 25K...some are even higher... these kind of fees must be standardized....or better yet these kind of fees must be demolished....
Accredited Medical clinics who are doing the medical tests for outgoing OFW must also be investigated particularly their credibility in performing the required tests, a lot had been victimized by wrong findings and jeopardize their furure by issuing false results, medical tests fees ranging from 2700 and up must be shouldered by the employer and not by the applicants...
To sum up, once an applicant was interviewed by the employer and passed based on their requirements, applicant should be free from any financial obligations as they are hiring the peope based on merits because they need people services for their comapnies..
Abort all processing / placement fees and Medical fees must be for employers account.... - Renato
In regards with the new law offer protection for OFW? no matter how you change your protection law for the oFW it is useless. There is no proper implementation.. I saw within my two eyes the embassy in-charge for Jeddah.. These people from higher rank to the lowest rank all of them are corrupt and devils... I thought they will be the one help kababayan who are seeking help in that embassy... Sila pa ang mangungurakot... lalo na mga pinoy-pinay na uuwi thru deportation... ibat-ibang kaso mayroon sila...tutulungan nila makauwi pero huhuthutan kanila up to the last cent sa bulsa mo.... sa halip na bukal sa pagtulong nila dahil walang wala ang mga taong ito pero ano ang ginaganwa nila....tinatakot at kinukuha nila lahat ang pera, gamit bago ipasok sila sa deportation cell. Madam Gloria, ipa survey mo ito at kunan ng hidden camera lahat ng embassy sa labas ng bansa para makita mo ang kapwa mo demonyong sumisipsip ng dugo ng mga kapwa mo filipino.....nakakahiya ang pilipinas dahil sila-sila ang lalong nagpapahirap sa taong bayan. - Liza
hello! just wanna ask, are there such laws for strict implementation of Salary, many are victims of not receiving there signed salary from there contract, say for example, I've met lots of DH here in UAE and sad to say most of them receive 700 aed per month, and the implemented law for the minimum wage of DH is 400 dollars, to calculate it is far but very low.... kawaw nman po mga DH dito naninilbhan sila ng sobra, p kya madaming cases na run away dhil po sa d napapatupad na tamang sweldo. - Emilee
No matter how many laws added or ammended for a thousand times its no use because the implementing government agencies are so dumb and corrupt. The POLOs who are given the power to act and to decide urgently for the welfare of the OFWs in order to resolve problems arising between employer and Filipino workers abroad, are the ones irresponsible in their posts which connived with foreign employers to pacify the Filipinos just to bear with the wrong doings of their employers even though its is outside of the contract agreed here in the Philippines. Problems like Contract substitution, illegal termination, unpaid or delayed salaries, forced overtime with or without pays... Now, when you file a complain thru POEA it has been said and written in the POEA Rules and Regulation that the OE Adjudicator shall, within ninety (90) calendar days from the filing of the case, submit his findings and recommendations in the form of a draft order...unfortunately, there are lot of cases filed since june last year and has not yet been resolved... MR. Senator ESTRADA, we do not need new LAWS but ONLY efficient and effective IMPLEMENTATION of these EXISTING LAWS! We want to see Manpower Agencies, Foreign Employers and Illegal Recruiters responsible for the misfortunes and death of OFWs abroad to be put behind bars!!! - Bugz
pls help us here in kuwait my employer is KAFCO marami kami dito stop work halos 4 na buwan na wala trbaho walang maipadala sa familya pero ayaw pa kami pauwiin humingi na kami ng tulong sa embassy natin dito sa kuwait pero walng nangyari namamakawa po kami sa inyo... - Bryan
Gusto ko rin po sana malaman kung meron talagang batas ang custom at may karapatang pa sila gawin ang pagpublic bidding ng ,mga cargo na meron mnag mamay ari at nag aantay sa deliver , nasan po ang karapatang ng nag mamay ari at nasan ang proteksiyon namin OFW nanawagan po ako sa ngalan ng lahat ng mga apektado OFW sa duabi sana po may tulmulong samin kaming tinatawag bagong bayani ..... masakit ispin iba makikinabang ng pinaghirapan ko o namin sa ilang taon ..