Overseas Workers

Overseas Filipino Workers bring in multibillions of pesos, about 25% of the gross national product! A delegation has been formed to pay a courtesy call on President Arroyo, tickets have been purchased by most of the delegaton, yet the President who in her SONA supports OFW’s will not grant a 15 minute courtesy call. We think the appointment secretary of the President might be withholding the time slot for some reason. After reading the below press release, YOU can help by calling the appointment secretary or faxing and request the President to grant the 15 mintutes time to show support for the delegation.
Call and fax the office of Appointment Secretary Jimenez
 632 736 8610
 632 736 8622

Coalition of Overseas Filipinos Commends GMA on SONA, Slams Appointment Secretary
by Marvin Bionat
Overseas Filipinos, who for years have pushed for their right to vote in Philippine elections, recently saw an ally in President Arroyo when she asked Congress "to enact a law giving overseas Filipinos, who continue to play a critical role in the country's economic and social stability, the right to vote." Delivered to the entire nation during her first State of the Nation Address (SONA), the president's public declaration of support for an overseas voting law was considered a milestone by EMPOWER, the global coalition for the political empowerment of overseas Filipinos. In the more than 14 years since the Philippine Constitution required Congress to pass an absentee voting law, none of the other post-Marcos Philippine presidents (including Aquino, Ramos, and Estrada) expressed support for overseas voting. Arroyo's endorsement is particularly critical, because without the urging of the president, bills often end up in the archives of Congress.

President Arroyo's public statement of support caps the years of campaigning by tireless voting rights advocates. From a few groups in the last several years, the campaign has now become global, with leaders and advocates in close consultation via e-groups and e-mail. Efficient use of the Web has also allowed the campaign to reach a broader audience, leading to a significant groundswell of support in the last few months. Hundreds of Filipino organizations around the world have publicly endorsed the campaign. Philippine politicians, including key legislators such as Senators Drilon, Legarda, Osmena, Flavier, Ople, Villar, Oreta, Biazon, and Estrada have all committed to pushing an absentee voting bill. Also significant is the support of the Church, with no less than the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines urging the government to enfranchise overseas Filipinos. Likewise, the media has been very supportive, with the major dailies (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Times, and Philippine Star) issuing strong editorials and about 20 of the country's top columnists writing favorable articles. Numerous Web sites and portals, such as philippineupdate.com, iskandalo.com, duyan.com, emanila.com, pldt.com, adobo.com, and Tanikalang Ginto—activist Web sites that have recently become important players in shaping perceptions about the country's politics and economy—have also actively promoted the overseas Filipinos' right to vote.

Despite the significant gains, overseas voting advocates are not in the mood for complacency. In fact, they are scheduled to visit Manila to pay a visit to President Arroyo and members of the 12th Congress on August 19 to 23. Comprised of some 50 delegates, they represent the hundreds of organizations supportive of the absentee voting campaign. A group of leaders from Europe organized by the Platform of Filipino Migrant Organisations, a coalition of 75 associations that sustained the voting rights campaign in the last few years, are arriving. >From the U.S., the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations, will be represented. Other advocacy visit participants will come from Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Saipan, Guam, and China. Philippine-based supporters such as KAKAMMPI, eLagda, and OFWNet will also show solidarity with the visiting delegates. The August delegation will be the biggest assembly of overseas Filipinos representing the broadest alliance of organizations. For the overseas voting campaign, it will be an unprecedented show of force.

If you think President Arroyo's handlers will be delighted to spare a few minutes of the president's time to visit with the overseas coalition, think again! Apparently, despite a vigorous attempt to get an appointment with the president, KAKAMMPI (the NGO that has done most of the groundwork for the delegation visit) was told that the president does not have time to see the overseas delegates. A fax/e-mail/telephone campaign in the last few days has not changed the mind of the appointment secretary, who says the president is busy the entire month of August.

The news that the president will not see them has gravely disheartened members of the delegation, who by now have bought tickets and made travel plans for the advocacy visit.

By denying the overseas Filipinos the 15 minutes they have been hoping to spend with President Arroyo in a brief courtesy call, EMPOWER argues that the appointment secretary's office committed a grievous act of political insensitivity. As the president said in her SONA, Filipinos abroad are a "stabilizing force," but they are a volatile force—lose their support and give them reason to use their political and economic leverage (for example, by launching a critical campaign against the administration or withholding dollar remittances), and the country will sink very deep into the dark pit of instability and poverty. Minimizing their political significance is a very dangerous dismissal of the simmering resentment among overseas Filipinos about the years of government neglect, and the tokenism and lip service they are now sick of hearing from politicians. OFW advocate Rhoel Mendoza captures a prevailing sentiment: "Mahirap nga talagang ikuha ng appointment ang OFWs. Buti pa nga si Miriam Quiambao noong mag-first runner up sa Miss U nakapag-courtesy call agad kay Erap. Likewise yung Latinang telenovela star, agad naiappointment sa Malacanang. Kawawa talaga and OFWs ..."

A Malacanang source has confirmed that the president is scheduled to meet with Monica Bravo, a Mexican soap star. A former OFW who now works for an NGO reacts to the news in a burst anger: "She has time for a Mexican actress, but is too busy for overseas Filipinos who have kept the economy afloat! What kind of leadership is that?"

EMPOWER further points out that denying them the appointment with the president will also dampen the interest of what otherwise will be eager investors among the delegates. Among the members of the campaign coalition are the Switzerland-based Economic Resource Center for Overseas Filipinos, the Overseas Filipinos Worldwide Net Foundation, the Philippine-European Solidarity Centre, Philippine HELP Foundation, BISIG, and the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce—all of which plan on pushing investment programs funded by overseas Filipinos.

Some members of the EMPOWER coalition feel so rejected by the appointment secretary's refusal to accommodate them that they have proposed actions to effect the resignation of Rita Jimenez, the appointment secretary. They certainly have no intention of folding yet. They believe that Jimenez will be doing the ultimate disservice to her boss by cordoning off the country's "economic saviors" from the corridors of Malacanang. They will be traveling from halfway around the world—telling them that the president cannot see them because some bureaucrat does not think they are important enough is a most demeaning slap in the face.

Despite an official "no" from the office of Rita Jimenez, members of the August delegation are still confident that, made fully aware of the appointment issue, the president herself will insist on meeting with them. They are now taking their case to the media, to key allies close to the president, and directly to the president herself.

Marvin Bionat writes on behalf of EMPOWER, The Global Coalition for the Political Empowerment of Overseas Filipinos (One Exchange Place (Forum), Boston, MA 02109, U.S.A.) and is the webmaster of PhilippineUpdate.com