MANILA, 7 December 2003 — A members of the House of Representatives has filed a resolution seeking to stop the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) from carrying outs is Omnibus Policies amid protests from non-government organizations.

Rep. Krisel Lagman-Luistro of Albay province filed House Resolution 1407 urging President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to order the immediate suspension of the new rules pending approval of OWWA’s charter.

Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Roseller Barinaga, chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, said he would conduct the proper consultations so that the charter would be completed before the 3rd Regular Session of the 12th Congress goes into recess for the May 2004 elections.

Barinaga said he had proposed the same thing to Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and then OWWA Administrator Wilhelm Soriano two years ago but “nothing happened.”

He asked the NGOs, advocacy groups, as well as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to help his committee draw up the charter.

“You have to help draft the charter to spell out what OWWA can do and cannot do,” Barinaga said.

The resolution filed by Luistro said that the Omnibus Policies contain “anti-migrant worker provisions,” although the original intent of the policies was to provide guidelines on matters concerning “OWWA membership and its coverage, collection of contributions, and availment of benefits as well as fund management, programs and services administration, and corporate governance.”

She listed six contentious items in the Omnibus Policies, such as the termination of OWWA membership upon expiration of employment contract and restricting voluntary membership to two years. She said these would deny “those temporarily and permanently unemployed and retirees of OWWA benefits and services.”

Luistro also noted the “implied conversion of migrant workers’ trust fund at the OWWA into public funds that the government may use for purposes other than promoting the welfare of migrant workers and their families.”

Five other contentious points were listed, such as the selective repatriation of migrant workers in times of crises, epidemics and wars, and that the OWWA Board of Trustees would be the sole deciding authority with regard to the agency’s operations.

The Omnibus Policies, Luistro said, would give the OWWA board broad powers and that the lack of transparency accompanying board meetings would be legalized.

Migrant NGOs had pointed out that the Omnibus Policies restricted those who could avail of OWWA funds to members. In the past, coverage was extended to the OFWs’ families. They also warned that OWWA was being converted into a national government agency, which could allow the conversion of OFW contributions into a “slush fund” for government.

Others feared that the fund could be further turned into a “milking cow” for corrupt officials.

OWWA’s board of trustees, chaired by Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, passed a board resolution approving the Omnibus Policies on Sept. 19 without informing OFW groups.

In a pamphlet introducing the new policies, Sto. Tomas said, “the policies offer to further strengthen and solidify OWWA’s set of responses to the needs of a truly dynamic overseas employment labor market”.

“As we unveil these new policies to our publics, we are renewing our commitment to service excellence for our Bagong Bayani,” she added.

OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo added that the Omnibus Policies “characterizes the ‘heart and soul’ of the agency toward the attainment of its mission of a distinct government entity to properly serve the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers.”

Representative Barinaga said his committee came to know of the OWWA board’s resolution only after the NGOs protested.