FW: Photo news-PINOY ABROAD- Migrants protest budget cut for OFWs

Caption:

While Pres. Noynoy Aquino and his group are enjoying hotdogs in New York, migrant workers under Migrante-UAE are protesting the recent budget cut for OFWs. The group said that the rights and welfare of migrant workers do not seem to be a priority for Noynoy. The indoor protest was held in Karama, Dubai on Friday. (photo by Angel L. Tesorero)

 

 

 

 

Palace unjustified, illegal budget cut on OFWs legal aid funds to face massive protest actions from OFWs around the world –Migrant rights group

 

Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of Filipino migrant rights groups based in the Middle East, today said the unjustifiable budget cut on OFWs legal aid and assistance to the nationals funds that forms part of the Foreign Affairs department 2011 budget submitted by Malacanang in Congress during budget deliberation, will be facing massive protest actions from OFWs and their organizations to show their disgust to what it called an ‘anti-OFW and transgression’ on the mandate of the Migrant Workers Act by no other than the Aquino administration.

 

“We are convinced that the Aquino administration would only listen to our concern about the unjustifiable cut on OFWs legal assistance funds, among other OFWs concerns, if we will make our actions a concerted effort, internationally, enough for President Aquino to hear even if he is inside the Malacanang,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

 

Monterona said after the news broke out about the unjustifiable cut on OFWs legal assistance fund during the DFA budget deliberation in Congress, a considerable numbers of OFWs and various OFWs organizations have expressed their strong opposition and conveyed their support to join Migrante chapters in the Middle East on its advocacy for an increase government budget for OFWs on-site services and welfare programs.

 

“Our various Migrante chapters in the Middle East, along with other OFWs organizations and the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Libya, and Israel are now consulting on what specific actions to take to show our strong opposition against this first anti-OFW act by the Aquino administration,” Monterona added.

 

The Saudi-based OFW leader further said there are strong negative responses from OFWs and their families disgusted how they felt betrayed by P-Noy who had promised to provide better assistance and programs to OFWs and their families during presidential campaign sorties.

 

Monterona revealed some OFWs and OFWs organizations have suggested initiating an online petition and signature campaign, issuing a manifesto to be signed by various OFWs organizations and their leaders and representatives, press conferences, indoor protest actions, among others, against the Aquino administration’ budget cut on OFWs legal assistance funds.

 

 “The budget cut for OFWs legal assistance and assistance to the nationals’ funds is an indication that OFWs and their families would remain marginalize, whose issues and concerns would again be set aside by the Aquino administration who had promised to attend on their concerns swiftly upon his assumption to the Presidency on July, amid the worsening conditions of OFWs abroad,” Monterona ended. # # #