UNIFIL Press Release
27 August 2007
For reference: Dolores Balladares
Chairperson
Tel. No.: 97472986
OFW summit tackles HSA, POEA guidelines and wage
Actions in HK, planned for the year
“The government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should prepare for even bigger and stronger resistance from Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.”
This was declared today by Dolores Balladares, chairperson of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK), following the resolution of the Second Filipino Women Migrant Workers Summit to intensify the campaign against the POEA guidelines, government fees charged to OFWs and the Human Security Act and other human rights violations in the country.
The summit, held yesterday at the Hong Kong University gathered together 110 organizations of Filipino migrant workers, planned mass actions up to the end of the year as well as measures to help families and victims of human rights abuses such as fund raising for children of those killed extrajudicially by elements of the Philippine military.
“Contrary to what the Philippine government wishes to achieve with all its repressive measures, Filipinos in Hong Kong are even more determined now to push through with our demands as the past months exposed the emptiness of the promises of the POEA guidelines, worsened the economic condition of our families, and subjected the people to grave rights abuses,” Balladares added.
Concretely, delegates of the summit agreed to conduct a “Walk for Justice” on September 23 as part of the International Day of Protest against killings and human rights violations. Additionally, the summit decided to conduct a fund raising for children of victims of killings and disappearances around December.
Organized by the UNIFIL , the Filipino Migrant Workers Union (FMWU), and alliances of migrants from Abra, Pangasinan and the Cordillera region, the second Summit also took up issues primarily addressed to the Hong Kong government such as the campaign for a legislated minimum wage as well as the re-development of Central and privatization of public spaces that will lead to the displacement of migrant workers.
Connie Bragas-Regalao, chairperson of Migrante International, keynoted the event where she explained the Philippine migration trend in the face of the national program of the Philippine government and its international context.
“The development program of GMA contains nothing but deployment of millions of Filipinos abroad, institutionalization of more fees, and even more repressive actions against activists in the Philippines and even against Filipino migrant workers,” Regalado added.
Included in the resolution of the summit were congressional lobbying that will be submitted mainly to the Gabriela Women’s Party.
“The summit affirmed the determination of Filipino migrants in Hong Kong to see changes in our condition. It will push us to even more militant fights for our rights and wellbeing,” Balladares concluded.
Keynote Speech at the Summit
