RIYADH, 1 February 2004 — Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here have started asking questions regarding the funds for the “Barya Mo, Buhay Ko (loosely translated as ‘Your Loose Change, My Life’)”, which was launched at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel during the visit of Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas in March 2002.
Many of the stranded overseas Filipinos are deeply in need of assistance and if such funds are available, the 16 OFWs who staged a rally inside the embassy premises recently could be among the beneficiaries.
Pledges for the Barya Mo, Buhay Ko funds were made by opposition senators and a congresswoman when they visited the Kingdom in 2002 to get a feedback among the OFWs regarding the absentee voting bill about to be filed in the upper and lower houses of Congress.
The pledges were made in the presence of officials from the embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
The pledges, which amounted to Php11 million were made by Senators Panfilo Lacson, Edgardo Angara, Tito Sotto, Rep. Bobby Syjuco, and Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo. For himself, Sen. Lacson pledged Php5 million.
Rep. Agapito “Butz” Aquino also pledged Php500,000 when he visited the Kingdom.
Asked about the status of the funds, the current Barya Mo, Buhay Ko chair said the funds were tied up by bureaucratic requirements from the Securities Exchange Commission.
Ms. Gina Abitona, Barya Mo, Buhay Ko chairwoman told Arab News yesterday that “the pledges have not yet been received but we have managed to extend assistance to a number of OFWs in need.”
The assistance involved the purchase of plane tickets to the Philippines which amounted to SR8,000 from the group’s drop boxes.
Ms. Abitona added that as far as the pledges are concerned, Cong. Syjuco has sent Php200,000 but the check could not be encashed because it was addressed to Barya Mo, Buhay Ko instead of the Distressed Workers’ Fund.
Barya Mo, Buhay Ko former chairman Francis Maca had the group’s name changed when he went home for a vacation. Maca also attended to other requirements so that Barya Mo, Buhay Ko could be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The registration of group would also make available the Php2 million sent by Sen. Lacson as part of his Php5 million pledge.
“One reason our registration was turned down was the use of inappropriate paper but Francis Maca, who is still an official of Barya Mo, Buhay Ko, attended to this problem when he was in the Philippines,” she said.
She expressed the hope that all kinks regarding the Syjuco fund could be ironed out so that it could be made available for the benefit of stranded OFWs.
Engr. Rene Caseda, whose group arranged the visit of Sen. Lacson to the Kingdom last year, said that Php2 million has been sent by senator.
