In preparation for the upcoming OFW World Conference in December, the Philippine Migrants Right Watch (PMRW) has successfully hosted the last of the four Round Table Discussions (RTDs), Friday, 24 September at the Blondel Function Room in Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati . Titled: The OFW's Migration Process: Detecting Problems and Identifying Solutions,” the fourth RTD was participated by representatives of the Middle East Missions and representatives of the various organizations of the PMRW. The participants were:

•  Mr. Joseph Assad of the Consulate General of Lebanon ;

•  Mr. Jamal Abdulla Jassim Al-shamlan of the Embassy of the State of Qatar;

•  Mr. Khaldoun Asad of the Embassy of the State of Qatar ;

•  Ms. Ellene Sana of the Center of Migrant Advocacy (CMA);

•  Ms. Carmelita Nuqui of the Development Action for Women's Network (DAWN) and president of PMRW;

•  Ms. Ma. Celeste Marasigan of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW); and

•  Fr. Fabio Baggio of the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC)

1. In your experience, how rampant are cases of falsified documents in the visa application process? What are your suggestions to curtail this practice?

Lebanon
The Consulate of Lebanon, for the past 3 years, no longer issues working visas. The visas are now being issued in Beirut . The applications are processed there and the applicants are issued their working visas in the airport. Filipino migrants are granted working visas without passing through POEA, therefore documents are not checked. This renders the Filipinos working in Lebanon unauthorized migrants here in the Philippines . OFW's are leaving without their knowledge.

The Consulate only issues tourist visas. They receive a minimal number of falsified documents.

The Consulate recommends that the Philippine government push for a negotiation with the Lebanese government for applicants to go thorough POEA to give the migrants protection.

Qatar
The Qatar Embassy receives the applications and verifies document authenticity. They will then send the passport to Qatar for visa issuance and it will be sent to the Embassy here to be translated.

Problems with the medical exam were also raised. In the last three months, the embassy received 52 cases of rejected applications due to medical examinations, some of which include false representation of age.

Two points were raised by Qatar , 1) the Philippines is “rich with false documents,” and 2) poverty is the main root for the widespread false documentation.

2. What are the pre-departure requirements (e.g. language courses, training, pre-departure orientation seminars) for Filipino citizens migrating to your country as contract workers?

Lebanon
The Consulate has no control over working visas. They only issue tourist visas. However, problems with false medical results were also expressed. The OFWs are given two weeks to undergo medical examination in Lebanon to find out if they are fit for employment. The consulate becomes aware of the OFWs when there are problems. This is the only time that they register.

The Consulate strongly recommends an improvement in the Pre-departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) that the Philippine government is offering. It was stressed that half a day is not enough to educate the OFWs on what to expect from their receiving countries. It was suggested that the program be extended to a 2-day seminar.

Qatar
There are no special requirements for a working visa. The applicant must have a copy of their contract which they have to strictly follow. They must be at least 35 years old. Applicants must accomplish requirements set by the recruitment agencies. There is no interview. Only applicants with missing documentation will be called for clarification purposes.

The importance of the medical exam was also stressed. The applicants are given two weeks to verify their medical results in Qatar . If the findings there are different from those submitted, the applicants will be sent back to the Philippines .

3. How do prospective employers from your country hire or obtain information about Filipino workers? What has been your experience, if any, in dealing with the migration industry (e.g. recruitment agencies) in the Philippines ?

Lebanon
The Lebanese working visa processing need not deal with accredited recruitment agencies. Filipinos can easily go to Lebanon by forwarding their applications there. It does not matter if OFWs are undocumented or not.

Qatar
Qatar has a list of accredited recruitment agencies and has full control over them. The embassy has a good relationship with these agencies.

4. What are your main concerns about unauthorized (or irregular) migration from the Philippines to your country? What do you think should be done in the Philippines to curb unauthorized migration?

Lebanon
Filipino workers do not pass through POEA, as a result they are unauthorized here but not in Lebanon . There are plenty of overstayers in Lebanon who work as freelancers and tend to earn more.

The Consulate suggests that the Philippine government press for a visa issuance here to protect the Filipinos going to Lebanon .

Qatar
There is a penalty for overstaying in Qatar . A fee of $3.00 per day is charged. Those guilty of overstaying will be put to jail until the payment is made by the employer, who is responsible for them. They will then be repatriated. However, there are times when they offer amnesty.

5. What is the feedback from your Home Ministry about the situation of the Filipino communities in your country?

Lebanon
Filipinos are considered as the top of the work force.

Qatar
Filipinos are considered hardworking and are the best compared to other workers.

6. What kind of dialogues or arrangements do you have with the Philippine government, if any, to address the concerns of Filipino migrants in your country?

This matter was not fully discussed.

Additional information:

1. Approximate number of Filipinos in their country:

Lebanon
There are about 15,000 to 30,000 Filipinos in Lebanon .

Qatar
There are about 40,000 Filipinos working in Qatar .

2. Main kind of work of Filipinos:

Lebanon
They are only accepting females and couples for domestic work.

Qatar
Filipinos work in Qatar as domestic workers and skilled workers (engineers).

3. View of Filipino women having relationships with the locals of your country:

Both countries discourage them and added that in case of pregnancy, the employee will be repatriated.

4. Recommendations:

Lebanon
The Consulate strongly suggests a negotiation between the Philippine government and the Lebanese government for proper verification of documents and improvement of visa system. Being at the top of the work force, Filipinos must demand for a thorough check of visas. An extension of PDOS was also recommended. It was also suggested that recruitment agencies be strict with their recruitment process to avoid errors in application.

Qatar
It was recommended that the Filipinos be more aware and have a clear idea of their responsibilities as laborers in Qatar before they leave.