Consumers Domain
OFWs, victims thrice over
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"
--Mahatma Gandhi
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and migrant workers are victims twice over by being forced to flee from poverty in their own country and from being separated from their families and friends. Aside from that however they suffer from the realities in their respective host countries that make them victims thrice over.
A particular example is the situation of our brothers and sisters caught in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. As war rages on, their lives are in constant danger. Images in the news of wives, husbands, parents, children worrying about the plight of their loved ones in Lebanon or Israel provides a human face to statistics about the number one export of the country.
It is just sad that many of these OFWs would rather stay and die in the crossfire than die impoverished back home. I can just imagine the seriousness of their situation here that they would prefer risking their lives in the war zone. Indeed, what use is it living without risk if you cannot feed yourself and your family.
The OFWs are dubbed as the modern day heroes -- the very backbone of the country's economy. They are the very reason, in fact, that Gloria Arroyo still has an "economy" to boast of as if it was her government's policy that keeps it alive.
OFW remittances are the very reason that keeps our economy afloat. But in spite of it, the government and its various agencies seem unable to put their acts together to set up an efficient and effective way to help our migrant workers especially those now in Lebanon.
We call on the government to immediately give all the necessary assistance to our fellow Filipinos working in the war-torn areas. We call on this government to account to the nation how it spends the funds intended for the welfare of our OFWs. We call on this government to end the lip service and buckle down to work.
This senseless war has already claimed hundreds of civilian lives mostly caused by Israel's indiscriminate bombardments. This column also would like to add its voice to the worldwide call for a ceasefire and end the carnage in Lebanon. This column is in solidarity to all those who call for an end in violence by perpetrated by Hezbollah and Israel.
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Now, I would like to accommodate the statement on this same topic by the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA). The title of this article, by the way, is a variation of MFA's title of its statement: "Migrant workers in Lebanon are victims twice over".
MFA is a regional network of more than 260 non-government organizations (NGOs), associations and trade unions of migrant workers, and individual advocates in Asia who are committed toprotect and promotethe rights and welfare of migrant workers. Below is the full text of their statement.
"We are distressed over the raging conflict in the Middle East. Three weeks and more than 800 deaths later, the situation seems to be getting worse. Last week's attack on civilians in Qana which claimed the lives of scores of women and children is truly deplorable. This unfortunate incident underscores the need for a concerted international action to force Israel and Hezbollah to agree to an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities. Aggression is not the solution. We must stop this foolishness now. We urge the warring forces in Southern Lebanon and in Gaza City to lay down their arms and negotiate for a lasting solution that will bring genuine peace in the Middle East.
"We are especially concerned with the situation of the estimated 200,000 migrant workers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines affected by the crisis in Lebanon and Northern Israel. According to newspaper reports, one migrant worker from Sri Lanka and another from Indonesia were killed in the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. Their deaths are truly tragic because these migrant workers are victims twice over: first by the grinding poverty from their home countries due to flawed economic policies and second from the viciousness of this senseless war. Their dreams of better lives for themselves and their families are shattered by the bombs and rockets of the Israelis and Hezbollah.
"In spite of the hostile conditions, many migrant workers chose not to leave Lebanon and Northern Israel for fear of losing their only source of income. For many, to stay means facing serious risk from the ongoing violence while to go back home means confronting poverty and unemployment. Simply put, these people are caught between a rock and a hard place. A significant number of migrant workers who want to leave are forced to remain in Lebanon because of the lack of proper documentation. We heard many horror stories about undocumented migrant workers being abandoned by their respective governments. Many are sleeping along the streets of Beirut while some are reportedly languishing in jails. Irrespective of status, all migrant workers should be given assistance. Repatriation should be open to all, documented or not. We also urge the governments of migrant-sending countries to have a proper accounting of all of their citizens in Lebanon and Northern Israel.
"The predicament of the migrant workers in the Middle East is indicative of the failure of the migrant-sending governments to provide their people with full and decent employment. It highlights the incompetence of migrant-sending countries to quickly respond to crisis situation where their citizens are at risk. We reiterate our call for relevant national and international agencies to act together to save the lives and livelihoods of migrant workers caught in conflict situations. It is only through a concerted and programmatic effort that we can ensure the safety of the migrant workers.
"In many countries, labor migration has become part of the official development strategy. Every year, millions of people move out of their countries to search for better opportunities elsewhere.These migrant workers, documented or not,provide significant economic contributions through remittances amounting to billions of dollars. Maximizing these remittances for people-centered development will contribute to sustainable economic growth that will reduce dependency on migration. If only governments will do their jobs in providing their people with enough opportunities at home then they will not be confronted with the difficult situation such as what is happening in Lebanon now.
"Finally, on September 14-15 of this yearthe United Nations General Assembly is convening the High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development. We call on Member States and Civil Society Actors who will be participating in this dialogue to find ways to work together and ensure the protection of the human rights of all migrants and their families.We reiterate our call for all Member States to ratify, adopt and implement all the core UN and ILO human rights instruments, particularly the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. We encourage them to discuss not only the effects of international migration but rather focus on the factors pushing people out of their own communities and countries. We challenge them to draw up solutions that will minimize the negative effects of international migration."
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