Migrante pushes for lifetime OWWA membership for all OFWs

The Filipino migrants rights group Migrante-Middle East (M-ME), on Thursday said it will push for every overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) lifetime membership to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
The OWWA is the government’s leading welfare agency adjunct to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and mandated to provide programs and welfare services to OFWs and their dependents. John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, told Arab News yesterday OFWs and their organizations strongly opposed the implementation of the OWWA Omnibus Policies, a codification of various rules and regulations of OWWA that was approved on September 2003 by the OWWA Board. The OWWA is the brainchild of then DoLE secretary Patricia Sto.Tomas under the anti-OFW Arroyo administration.
Sections 3 and 4, Article IV of the OWWA Omnibus Policies set the renewal of OFWs membership to OWWA, respectively.
“We will push for our OFWs lifetime membership to OWWA that majority of us wanted,” Monterona said. “Non-membership, which means simply a failure to renew and pay the $ 25 membership fee, should not be cited as justification for the government not to render programs and welfare services which are supposed to be free anyway.”
Monterona, is also vice-chairman of MIGRANTE Sectoral Party of OFWs and families.
“The OWWA Omnibus Policy is clearly anti-OFW,” Monterona added. “For one, OFWs membership to OWWA was made on contractual basis of 2-year contract.
Non-renewal automatically and arbitrarily dismember an OFW as such could not anymore avail OWWA programs and services.”
With the implementation of OWWA Omnibus Policies, some of the programs and services were not funded and eventually were phased out. “The General Financial Assistance program is an example,” Monterona noted.
Monterona noted thousands of undocumented OFWs were bared to avail OWWA programs and services with the implementation of the OWWA Omnibus Policies.
“Though undocumented, our fellow OFWs are working hard and they continue to send remittances to their families that surge local consumption, not to mention the income the government is getting from imposing taxes to the banks and remittance companies,” Monterona said.
He said that support mechanisms should be put in place to accommodate the concerns of undocumented OFWs while working abroad and of former OFWs who have decided to stay “for good” in the Philippines.

“OWWA fund, pooled from $ 25 mandatory fee from OFWs believed to have reached P14.8-B including assets and investments, must serve the needs of OFWs — whether documented or not, whether with or without contract — and their families as well, through concrete services and benefits including medical assistance, burial, repatriation, social security, pensions and other welfare essentials,” Monterona said.
He said the creation of an OWWA Charter that will safeguard and protect OFWs trust fund and to ensure that there will be enough programs and services to OFWs and their dependents is on MIGRANTE’s agenda once the group won a seat in Congress via party-list election in May.