Joint Workshops for Migrant Workers Are Successful !

Are you a hero or a slave? This was the theme of the film showing workshop for Filipino migrant workers held in five areas of Taiwan from May 9 to June 6. The workshops were meant to hear from the migrant workers themselves what their problems are, why they were forced to work in Taiwan and, if the Philippine government gives them a lending hand or not.

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Filipinos (APMMF) and the Working Organization for Women (WOW) organized the activities in close coordination with five Catholic groups. These are with Sr. Joy Salomo in Nankan, the Hsinchu Diocese Migrants Apostolate, the Hope Workers Center in Chungli, the Stella Maris Mission in Kaohsiung, and the Rerum Novarum Center in Taipei. The Labor Rights Association (LRA) also gave assistance for the workshops and joined the activities.

An award winning Canadian documentary film called "Modern Heroes, Modern Slaves" started each workshop. This film depicted the commodification of Filipino migrant workers. Some migrants who watched the film perhaps reflecting on their own lives and situation shed tears. Others cried while sharing their experiences. It was really sad to hear one woman become a caretaker in Taiwan just to earn enough money to spend for her husband's medical expenses. She could not even take care of her own loved one back home.

Almost all of the participants in the workshops were unanimous in saying that unemployment, under-employment and the low wages in the Philippines forced them to work abroad. The APMMF then shared with them that this would remain so as long as the Philippine economy is backward, agricultural and non-industrial. The government has aggravated this condition by implementing the terms dictated by industrialized countries by embarking on liberalization, deregulation and privatization program.

Most common problems encountered by the workers were the high cost of placement fees and the third year extension fees being collected by Philippine placement agencies and local brokers. Others include forced savings and company rules and policies detrimental to their rights. All of these problems emanate from the imposing power of the brokers with both the Philippine and Taiwanese government's witting or unwitting support.

Other problems of the migrants are work related, like computation for wages and overtime pay, few benefits and even tax refund. Contract substitution was also mentioned as a problem and treating holidays as an ordinary day. For caretakers and domestic workers, not enough food, too much work, no day-off, maltreatment and even demeaning of the human person were aired out. Some factory workers on the other hand mentioned the relationship between migrants and locals as a problem.

As for the MECO, most think that it has done little to improve the lot of its citizens working abroad. What came out of the Nankan workshop was more precise. There are government laws and policies being overlooked and not properly implemented. Those in government are more concerned with their remittances than their welfare. In essence, migrant workers are treated like commodities.

Finally, the APMMF urged the migrant workers to get organized not only to fight for their rights and welfare as migrants but as Filipino citizens as well. Migration will go on and on as long as there are no fundamental changes done in the country for the common good. They cannot expect also government to be really sincere in helping us as long as it treats migrant workers as commodities.