MANILA, 1 September — Opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara is questioning the failure of the Arroyo administration to implement the provisions of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act which was signed into law in June 1995.
Also known as the Magna Carta for Overseas Workers, this law was enacted following the outctry raised in the aftermath of the execution in Singapore of Filipina domestic Flor Contemplacion.
Angara said he would institute a formal Senate inquiry on the failure of the government in implementing the Migrant Workers Act to deregulate and phase out the regulation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
"The government should have lifted these regulatory measures following the passage of the Migrant Workers Act," Angara said.
He pointed out that this was provided for in Section 29 of the said act.
Section 29 said the phase out was supposed to be both on the part of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and on all recruitment activities taking into account labor market trends, the economic conditions of the host country and emerging circumstances which may affect the welfare of migrant workers.
Angara said aside from taking another look at the Migrant Workers Act, the Senate should also look at the regulations being imposed by different government agencies on OFWs.
He cited the regulations imposed by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on the thousands of Filipino entertainers leaving for abroad.
TESDA, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is tasked to approve the Artists Record Book (ARB) which is a requirement before entertainers can go abroad.
The POEI officials complained about the harsh measures being implemented by TESDA including arbitrary testing schedules and questionable choice of venues.
