MANILA, 10 December 2003 — The new policy of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)’s has been criticized by a senator, who said that the shift violates the very essence for which the fund was set up.
The OWWA is seeking to exclude from its roster of beneficiaries overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have quit their jobs abroad and returned to the country.
Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said this new policy “violates the right of OFWs as owner-contributors of the (OWWA) fund and to participate in the decision-making process on the use of the (OWWA) fund.”
“The mandate of the OWWA is to assist primarily in the reintegration (of OFWs who have returned) and protection of OFWs regardless of their work status,” Villar said.
He also said that the policy was formulated without consulting OFW-stakeholders and their families.
The new policy was incorporated into the OWWA Omnibus Policies posted on the OWWA website and passed by a board resolution on Sept. 19, 2003. Under the new policy, the effectivity of membership under the OWWA fund “shall be effective upon payment of membership contribution until expiration of the employment contract.”
Villar said the new policy was prejudicial to OFWs.
“The new policy excludes the OFWs who are illegally terminated by their employers and brokers after only a few days or months of work,” he said.
Earlier, migrant non-government organizations (NGOs) in the country had pointed out that the Omnibus Policies restricted those who could avail OWWA funds.
In the past, coverage was extended to the OFWs’ families. Villar too joined in this protest, throwing his full support to the NGOs.
The NGOs 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.
The labor committee of the House of Representatives had moved to suspend the implementation of the new policies pending the formation of a proper charter for the welfare fund agency.
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, chair of the committee, said proper consultations were needed so that the charter would be completed before the 3rd Regular Session of the 12th Congress goes into recess for the May 2004 elections.
He asked the NGOs, advocacy groups, as well as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to help his committee draw up the charter.
Luistro had listed six contentious items in the Omnibus Policies, including the termination of OWWA membership upon expiration of employment contract and restricting voluntary membership to two years, 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.
