Samahan laban sa Katiwalian ng mga Recruitment Agencies at Patakarang MC-04 (SKRAP-MC04)
A broad coalition of Filipino migrant workers’ organizations, alliances, federations, union and faith-based associations in Hong Kong fighting against irregularities of unscrupulous recruitment agencies and the POEA Memorandum Circular No.4)

Press Release
09 February 2008

For reference:   Dolores Balladares
                           Co-convenor, SKRAP-MC04
                           Tel. No.: 97472986

HK OFWs expose “exemptions” on anti-OFW rule as deceiving and divisive
“OFWs must continue to unite to Scrap MC-04”

“No matter how the POEA reforms the Guidelines on Direct Hiring through exemptions, it will not  deceive us from the truth nor divide us from our position that it burdens OFWs and is only for the benefit of the government and unscrupulous agencies.”

This was declared today by Dolores Balladares, convenor of the Samahan Laban sa Katiwalian ng Recruitment Agencies at Patakarang MC-04 (SKRAP MC-04), following news that the  POEA governing board has decided on Friday to revise its policy on direct hiring and exempt OFWs in Hong Kong, Italy and Canada.

“The decision of the POEA governing board to exempt some countries from the POEA Memorandum Circular MC-04 is brought by the obvious unpopularity of this rule. For OFWs, there is no other call but to totally scrap MC-04,”she said.

Balladares remarked that the barrage of protests that included rallies, petitions and letters to POEA and DoLE has shown to the government that it will not be able to easily push through their plans. Said protests were done by OFWs in major countries as well as by Migrante International in the Philippines.

“Obviously, opposition to MC-04 has created pressure for the government to turn its tail and offer exemptions. We claim this victory, however partial, as proof that collective actions can bring some relief to our condition. Still, OFWs deployed in the three areas exempted are just a drop as compared to the total number of OFWs affected by the guidelines,” she added.

In 2006 OFW deployment to Hong Kong was 96,929, in Italy was 25,413 and in Canada was 6,468. Deployment in Middle East countries not included in exemption was 462,545.

“Even if HK, Italy and Canada are exempted, the gains that the government and unscrupulous agencies will get from the ban on direct hiring is still gigantic. This is at the expense of millions more OFWs,” she said.

Balladares viewed the exemptions as a ploy to diffuse, divide and deceive Filipino migrant workers.

“In doing so, the government is hoping to weaken the resistance against the guidelines enough to allow them to implement the rule to the majority of Filipinos abroad. We will not get trapped in such a scheme,” she remarked.

Additionally, in the light of recent developments in issues such as the NBN deal, Balladares said that her group believes that such a decision of the POEA was due to fear that protests on this issue by OFWs shall further shake GMA’s unsteady hold to power.

Balladares reported that such a tactic was also used by the government during the height of protests against the POEA Guidelines on the Recruitment and Deployment of Filipino Household Service Workers last year.

“They exempted current OFWs from the said policy to douse cold water on our protests. However, after a year of its implementation, we saw how OFWs were further burdened by charges on the trainings that the rule required,” she said.

Balladares said that reforms and exemptions to MC-04 do not make the policies right nor serve the interests of OFWs.

“What it just shows is that this government, if it has the will to do so and is really concerned with the plight of OFWs, can just do away with MC-04. This is what it must really do,” she said.

Balladares relayed that even if Hong Kong is exempted, SKRAP MC-04, a broad coalition formed recently in HK, will push through with their planned protest action on Sunday to add pressure from OFWs worldwide for the total scrapping of the policy. They will as well continue their demand to scrap the guidelines implemented last year and the OWWA Omnibus Policies.

“We are one with our fellow OFWs around the world in opposing this policy. The issue here remains to be service and protection to OFWs. No ploy nor diversionary tactic will lead us away from this fight. Our demand is still scrap POEA MC-04,” she concluded.#