The Philippine Migrants Rights Watch with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung successfully organized a forum with partners, fellow advocates and the media.

Registration started at 9:00 am . The forum was able to put together 60 participants from NGOs, GOs and the media.

The invocation was led by Fr. Savino Bernardi, Director of the Apostleship of the Sea – Manila (AOS-Manila), followed by the Opening Remarks of Ms. Carmelita G. Nuqui, PMRW President and Executive Director of the Development Action for Women Network (DAWN).

The presentation of the report on “Preparing to Work Abroad: Filipino Migrants' Experiences Prior to Deployment” was done by Fr. Fabio Baggio, Director of the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC). The report stressed on the problems OFWs encounter before their departure from the country such as the excessive pre-departure expenses/placement fees that they have to shoulder. It was stated that most migrants do not count the cost involved in their application process. Non-binding contracts signed in the Philippines were also identified as issues for migrants.

The presentation of the roundtable discussion results which were held last year in preparation for the World Conference of OFWs were presented by Ms. Ellene Sana of the Center for Migrant Advocacy – Philippines (CMA-Phils). She acknowledged the embassies who sent representatives who made the event successful. The report focused on the concerns the foreign missions have regarding the visa application process particularly, the quality of documents submitted to them. Visa requirements; recruitment agencies and immigration consultants; pre-departure orientation seminars; unauthorized migration; and the Filipinos' status in the respective countries were among the topics discussed.

Fr. Savino Bernardi did the presentation on the World Conference Highlights and the proceedings of the said event. He acknowledged the sponsors, contributors and participants of the Conference. The report focused on how the event created a venue for discussion of migrant concerns and how it was able to put together representatives from all over the world to formulate specific plans of action. The presentation ended as Fr. Savino, on a personal note, expressed that migration should not be promoted by the government and instead create better employment opportunities in the country for its people.

With the copy of the Proceedings, the forum participants' followed Fr. Edwin Corros of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People of the Catholics Bishops' Conference (CBCP-ECMI) as he presented the recommendations of the World Conference. A total of 33 recommendations addressed to the policy makers, civil society and the migrants themselves were reported.

The launching of the latest project of PMRW followed. “Bayad Ko ‘To” the signature campaign against the OWWA Omnibus Policies was explained by Ms. Ellene Sana. In line with the organizations commitment to advocating for the rights of migrants, the project aims to gather signatures from OFWs around the world in order to change the current OWWA membership fee system of payment. Section 5b of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Letter of Instruction (LOI) 537 states that the membership fee shall not be charged from the worker, however, what is being practiced is contrary to the provision. Participants of the forum were provided with copies of the draft form. Ms. Marjorie Vidal of the Scalabrini Center for People on the Move ( SCPM ) gave an account of the departing OFWs who paid for the OWWA membership fee as preliminary support for the campaign.

An interactive Open Forum followed the presentations. The dialogue between the participants and the speakers were very interesting. The presence of government organization representatives created an informative open forum. Issues were raised and other matters were clarified. Several suggestions were also considered as to how to improve the signature campaign.

Ms. Joanne Barriga of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung delivered a message on behalf of Dr. Heinz Bongartz who unfortunately could not make it to the event. The forum ended with a closing remarks by Ms. Carmelita Nuqui. Some of the participants continued their discussion as they shared lunch together after the program.

Maria Celeste A. Marasigan