Migrante Holds General Assembly in Taiwan

The Migrante Sectoral Party (MSP)– Taiwan chapter held its first general assembly in Taipei on March 13, 2005. Thirty-six members were present at the meeting and discussed the direction and tasks for the next two years and organizational matters. An election of the first officers of MSP culminated the activity.

Strengthen MSP in Taiwan so that it can better serve the Filipino migrants and people was the main theme of the assembly. The keynote speech pointed out that MSP’s subsequent activities that militantly advocated for the rights and welfare of migrants and the Filipino people in general garnered for it numerous adherents both from within and outside the organization.

These included a petition campaign addressed to the Philippine government for MECO to request the Taiwanese authorities to call for the lifting of penalties imposed on undocumented workers, that rehires who need to exit Taiwan after three years of work should not be made to pay additional placement and documentation fees and that all side agreements be rendered void because this is equivalent to contract substitution.

MSP together with other Filipino organizations in Taipei also batted against the CLA’s proposal on financial management of foreign workers. All these issues were raised during a dialogue with MECO on Aug. 15 last year. At the same time, MSP together with the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) made and distributed a primer on the financial management to raise the awareness of Filipino migrants on the issue. These organizations have called on the Congressional Committee on Overseas Contract Workers to conduct a congressional inquiry on the issue raised with MECO.

The MSP together with other Filipino organizations also denounced the increasing costs of deployment to Taiwan. In particular, it questioned the training fee of up to P5,000 imposed on those working at homes and the issuance of certificates for this.

MSP was also deluged with numerous requests from distressed migrants. Either it handled these by itself or referred these to NGO’s while monitoring such cases. Clearly the need to formalize the organization and form working committees to address different issues confronting migrant workers and attend to their different needs and the members of MSP was imperative.

Emma Lacsam was elected as chairperson, Lalaine Nava vice-chairperson, Gi Estrada secretary general, Jean Mogdingin deputy secretary general, Yolly Quijano treasurer and Danny Monares auditor. Four committees were also formed which were education, activities, finance and organization and recruitment.

The tasks presented to the organization for the next two years include campaigning for a standard employment contract for all foreign workers. This is to ensure that all side agreements imposed in the Philippines and/or Taiwan should be made void or non-binding. Continue to oppose the CLA’s financial management on foreign workers. Continue to oppose systematic increase of cost of deployment to Taiwan and unite with local and migrant workers against the WTO.

In this regard, MSP is preparing to mobilize Filipino migrant workers on May 1, which is International Labor Day in solidarity with local workers. It also is part of a loose group of locals including some labor unions, which are preparing to study and launch anti-WTO activities in Taiwan.

During the general assembly, locals including representatives from Labor Rights Association (LRA), Taiwan International Workers Association (TIWA), and Taiwan Migrants Forum and Chinese Federation of Labor made solidarity messages to MSP. The Filipinos Married to Taiwanese Association (FMTA) and other Filipino organizations like Genuine Ilocano Taiwan Association (GITA), Samahang Makata International (SMI), Kapulungan ng Samahang Pilipino (KaSaPi) and Hsing Chuang Filipino Community attended the meeting in solidarity.

This augurs well for the creation of a migrants movement in Taiwan that has strong links with local groups. Indeed MSP’s first general assembly was a success and hopefully it will carry on to achieve its goals in protecting the rights and welfare of the Filipino migrants and people.