SPONSORSHIP SPEECH ON THE DEATH OF OFW FROM KUWAIT

MADAMO GID NGA SALAMAT, MR. PRESIDENT.

SI JOANNA DANIELA DEMAFELIS AY TAGA-ILOILO NA IPINANGANAK NOONG JUNE 24, 1988.

SI JOANNA AY PANG-ANIM SA SIYAM NA MAGKAKAPATID. PUNO NG PANGARAP AT PAG-ASA, NAGSIMULA SIYANG MAGTRABAHO BILANG OFW SA KUWAIT NOONG 2014.

SA GITNA NG PANGAMBA NG KANYANG MGA MAGULANG AT KAPATID, ILANG BESES LAMANG SIYANG NAKAUSAP NG KANYANG PAMILYA.

NOONG 2016, NABANGGIT NI JOANNA SA KANYANG PAMILYA ANG KANYANG PLANO NA UMUWI NG PILIPINAS NGAYONG 2018. HULING TAWAG NIYA NA PALA YON SA KANYANG PAMILYA.

NOONG NAKARAANG HUWEBES, KINUMPIRMA NI LABOR SECRETARY SILVESTRE BELLO III NA KATAWAN NI JOANNA ANG NAKITA SA ISANG FREEZER SA ISANG APARTMENT SA KUWAIT.

MR. PRESIDENT, ALAM NATIN KUNG KELAN IPINANGANAK SI JOANNA NGUNIT HINDI NATIN ALAM KUNG KELAN SIYA NAMATAY. NARIYAN ANG POSIBILIDAD NA MAHIGIT ISANG TAON NA MULA NG SIYA AY PINASLANG.

THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY REPORTED THAT THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS DEPLOYED IN 2016 WAS ESTIMATED AT 2.2 MILLION.

AMONG OCCUPATION GROUPS, THE LARGEST GROUP IS COMPRISED OF ELEMENTARY OCCUPATIONS FOLLOWED BY THOSE WHO WORKED AS SERVICE AND SALES WORKERS, PLANT AND MACHINE OPERATORS AND ASSEMBLERS, AND CRAFT AND RELATED TRADES WORKERS.

SAUDI ARABIA CONTINUED TO BE THE LEADING DESTINATION OF OFWS. ABOUT ONE IN EVERY FOUR OFWS WORKED IN THIS COUNTRY DURING THE PERIOD APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 2016. THE OTHER PREFERRED DESTINATIONS WERE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, EUROPE,KUWAIT, AND QATAR.

THE TOTAL REMITTANCE SENT BY OFWS DURING THE PERIOD APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 2016 WAS ESTIMATED AT 203 BILLION PESOS. THESE REMITTANCES INCLUDED CASH SENT HOME AT 146 BILLION PESOS, CASH BROUGHT HOME AT 45.7 BILLION PESOS AND REMITTANCES IN KIND AT 11.1 BILLION PESOS.

MR. PRESIDENT, NAPAKAGANDANG TINGNAN ANG STATISTICS PAGDATING SA DEPLOYMENT AT REMITTANCES. NGUNIT NAPAKASAKIT ISIPIN NA SA GITNA NG MGA PANGARAP AT ADHIKAIN NG ATING MGA KABABAYAN, MARAMING OFWs ANG NALAGAY SA PANGANIB AT NAGSAKRIPISYO NG KANILANG BUHAY.

MR. PRESIDENT, ILANG OFW NA BA ANG INABUSO? ILANG OFW NA BA ANG GINAHASA? ILANG OFW NA BA ANG NAGPAKAMATAY? ILANG OFW NA BA ANG PINATAY? ILANG OFW NA BA SA KUWAIT AT IBANG BAHAGI NG MUNDO ANG NAGSAKRIPISYO NG KANILANG BUHAY?

AYON SA DOLE, INIIMBISTIGAHAN PA RIN ANG PAGKAMATAY SA KUWAIT NG MGA OFW NA SINA: 1. LIEZL TRUZ HUKDONG 2. VANESSA KARISSHA L. ESGUERRA 3. MARIE FE SALILING LIBRADA 4. ARLENE CASTILLO MANZANO 5. DEVINE RICHE ENCARNACION 6. PATRICK SUNGA 7. MIRA LUNA JUNTILLA

ANG MGA KABABAYAN NATING ITO AY MGA HOUSEHOLD SERVICES WORKERS NA UMALIS PATUNGONG KUWAIT NOONG 2016.

ALAM NATIN NA ANG SINAPIT NG ATING MGA KABABAYAN SA KUWAIT ANG NAG-UDYOK SA ATING PANGULONG RODRIGO DUTERTE UPANG BIGYAN NG PAGKAKATAON NA MAKAUWI ANG ATING MGA OFWS DOON NA NAIS BUMALIK SA PILIPINAS.

WE ARE AWARE THAT KUWAIT IS A TOP DESTINATION FOR OFWs. ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THERE ARE MORE THAN 250,000 FILIPINOS IN KUWAIT, MOST OF THEM ARE WORKING AS DOMESTIC HELPERS.

TATLONG TAON NA PO SIMULA NG HINIKAYAT NI SECRETARY BELLO ANG KUWAITI GOVERNMENT NA PUMIRMA SA ISANG MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. NINANAIS NG MOU NA BIGYAN NG DAGDAG NA PROTEKSIYON ANG ATING MGA KABABAYAN SA BANSA KUNG SAAN PINASLANG SI JOANNA. HANGGANG NGAYON, HINDI PA RIN NAPIPIRMAHAN ANG DOKUMENTONG IYON.

MR. PRESIDENT, ILANG OFW PA BA ANG KAILANGANG MAABUSO- ILANG OFW PA BA ANG KAILANGANG MAGAHASA- ILANG OFW PA BA ANG KAILANGANG MAGPAKAMATAY- ILANG OFW PA BA ANG KAILANGANG MAMATAY BAGO TAYO UMALMA BILANG ISANG BANSA?

NAGTATRABAHO BILANG MGA KATULONG ANG ATING MGA KABABAYAN SA KUWAIT AT IBANG BANSA HINDI UPANG ABUSUHIN, GAHASAIN, AT PATAYIN. MATAGAL NANG NAMATAY SI JOANNA DANIELA DEMAFELIS, MINAMAHAL NA ANAK NILA TATAY CRISANTO AT NANAY EVA DEMAFELIS NGUNIT BAGO LAMANG NALAMAN NG KANYANG MGA MAGULANG ANG KANYANG SINAPIT.

NALUOY GUID AKO SA PAMILYA NI JOANNA. KABUDLAY ANG ILA NGA GINA-AGIHAN SUBONG.

NAKAKAAWA TALAGA ANG SINAPIT NI JOANNA. NAPAKAHIRAP ANG PINAGDADAANAN NG KANYANG PAMILYA. ANG NAIS LAMANG NILA AY MAIUWI SA PILIPINAS ANG BANGKAY NG KANILANG MINAMAHAL NA ANAK UPANG SILA AY MAKAPAGLUKSA AT MAKAPAGPAALAM NG MAAYOS.

NAPAKASAKIT ISIPIN NA MAY MGA KABABAYAN TAYO NA PAULIT-ULIT NA INAABUSO NGUNIT PINIPILI PA RIN NILANG BUMALIK SA IBANG BANSA. PIKIT-MATA NILANG TINITIIS ANG HIRAP UPANG MABIGYAN NG GINHAWA ANG KANILANG PAMILYA. MR. PRESIDENT, NANGINGINIG AKO SA GALIT DAHIL SA PANG-AABUSO SA ATING MGA OFW.

TAMA NA, MR. PRESIDENT. HUWAG NA NATING HAYAAN NA MAGPATULOY ANG KARUMAL-DUMAL NA PAGTRATO SA ATING MGA OFWs.

LET US STRONGLY SUPPORT THE MOVE OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT IN IMPLEMENTING THE IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF OFWS TO KUWAIT.

IT IS HIGH TIME THAT WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN TRULY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION UPON OUR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS AND OFFER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR REINTEGRATION IN THE PHILIPPINE SOCIETY.

LET ME THANK THIS CHAMBER FOR SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL NUMBER 192 "AN ACT MANDATING THE POEA TO PUBLISH, DISSEMINATE, AND UPDATE A HANDBOOK ON THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MIGRANT WORKERS ". THE APPROVED SENATE BILL ON OFW HANDBOOK IS ONE PRACTICAL STEP, MR. PRESIDENT. BUT THIS PROACTIVE EFFORT IS NOT ENOUGH.

ACCORDING TO THEIR PUBLISHED MISSION, AND I QUOTE, "POEA CONNECTS TO THE WORLD AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS, FACILITATES THE GENERATION AND PRESERVATION OF DECENT JOBS FOR FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS, PROMOTES THEIR PROTECTION AND ADVOCATES THEIR SMOOTH REINTEGRATION INTO PHILIPPINE SOCIETY." END OF QUOTE.

MR. PRESIDENT, WE NEED TO REVIEW THE POLICIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LIKE POEA AND OWWA AS THEY HEIGHTEN THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF RECRUITMENT AGENCIES IN OUR MOVE TO PREVENT ABUSES AS WELL AS COMBAT ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT AND EVEN HUMAN TRAFFICKING. WE NEED TO KNOW THE EXTENT OF ABUSES AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT SIMILAR INCIDENTS FROM HAPPENING.

WITH THIS, I FILED SENATE RESOLUTION NO.626 "A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE SENATE COMMITTEES ON LABOR, EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES AND FOREIGN RELATIONS, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, TO CONDUCT AN EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE UNTOWARD DEATHS OF OFWs AND RE-EXAMINATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S LABOR AND FOREIGN POLICIES AND PROGRAMS IN LIGHT OF THE CONTINUED ABUSES, EXPLOITATION, AND DEATHS OF OUR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS SINCE THE DEATH OF FLOR CONTEMPLACION ON MARCH 17, 1995."

MR.PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, LET US LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DAY WHEN OUR OFWs WOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO BE EXPOSED TO ABUSES JUST TO EARN MONEY FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

AS WE ALTOGETHER WORK FOR THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT OF OUR COUNTRY, LET US KEEP SEEKING GOD'S WISDOM ON WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR THE HOLISTIC WELFARE OF OUR MODERN DAY HEROES.

LET US REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT THE DAY WILL COME WHEN WE NO LONGER HAVE TO EXPORT OUR PEOPLE AS HOUSEHOLD WORKERS WHO ARE TREATED LIKE SLAVES, THE DAY WHEN PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WOULD SEE AND TREAT THE FILIPINOS WITH DIGNITY, HONOR, AND RESPECT.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.