Politician to demand probe on sale of OFW contracts

I finally managed to extricate myself from focusing on the problems of the sugar industry, only to discover that there is a potentially explosive issue unearthed by Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (fifth district, Negros Occidental). This is the sale of contracts of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by their recruitment agencies.

The can of worms was exposed by Liezl Gustilo, a Hinigarant town resident, whose repatriation to the Philippines was facilitated by Arroyo.

Gustilo claimed she had been sold by her ex-recruiterto another recruitment agency. She also hinted that there are many others, among them the 300 Filipino workers stranded at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, who may have been similarly victimized.

Arroyo, who attended Gustilo’s press conference at the Sugarland Hotel, vowed to push through with a congressional probe on the selling of contracts of OFWs.

"I don’t think that should be allowed," he emphasized. He also stressed that any recruitment agency should have the responsibility of ensuring the good treatment of their worker. In short, if their workers had been abused, they should help them, Arroyo pointed out.

Gustilo narrated how she was sold by their original recruiter to another agency. She landed with a second employer, Leila Al-Hindal of Kuwait, who allegedly mistreated and abused her like an animal.

This included hitting her with a cooking pot, pouring hot water on her, slapping her and deducting her meager salary whenever she committed mistakes.

She was eventually repatriated through the help of Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator (OWWA) Virgilio Angelo and Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ebrahim Al-Muhamma.

‘Muro-ami’

Arroyo also disclosed that he is just waiting for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to wind up its investigation on the continued practice of muro-ami by a Cebu-based fishing fleet, which victimized 23 Southern Negros Occidental upland residents recently.

The NBI reportedly interviewed the 23 Binalbagan residents and some witnesses from Palawan and Manila.

The 23 told harrowing tales on board the F/B San Pio reportedly owned by the Prime E Fishing Corporation, including diving for long hours to drive fish into fishing nets off Palawan. They were also subjected to physical abuse by the boat’s skipper identified only as "Maestro Rabanal."

The Criminal and Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) had already filed charges for illegal detention and violation of the Fisheries Act against the boat’s crew and its owners.

Rep. Artemio Alvarez (first district, Palawan) said he learned that the fishing method called "a paaling" uses compressed air and modified to evade the HFAR ban on muro-ami. "But the impact is the same. It destroys corrals and also require fishing crewmen to undergo the same long hours and grueling experience," he said.

A curb side experience remembered

I had wanted to attend Friday’s launching of the University of the Philippines’ Cebu College Program Promoting Cebuano Language & Culture. Actually, STAR columnist Bobit Avila had informed me about it and invited me to attend the affair.

Cebuano is as much my mother tongue as Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, having spent my childhood days in Cebu City until I graduated from kindergarten at the Little Flower Academy of St. Teresa College. Thus, I was just as avid to learn more about that language.

But I got tied up at the Philippine Sugar Technologists’ 51st annual convention at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel in Lahug. The interesting topics were the Morning After 2010 by Central Azucarera de Don Pedro president Pedro Roxas and the sub-quest luncheon speech by Senator Mar Roxas.

But I was in for a surprise. Dr. Joey Dacudao, the president of the Save Our Language Through Federalism, was not one to overlook an opportunity to give me further insights into what young people of Buautan City of the Caraga Region had been doing.

He and Fr. Joasilo Amila of the Butaun Diocese escorted a group of young Butuanon choir members of the hotel late in the afternoon. There, having learned that yesterday was my birthday, the group launched into curbside impromptu rendition of the National Anthem in Butaunon and (surprise) Ilonggo. The latter was a translation by Dr. Dacudao, himself.

Then, the group rendered several songs in Butaunon, including their version of the Usahay. This song is often dubbed as the must song of a Cebuano. It was just as poignant as the Cebuano version and captured the essence of the original.

Later, a big crowd attending the Philsutech convention and other hotel guests gathered around the singers. This gave Fr. Amalia a chance to explain the Philosophy of Solfed — to accent the preservation of our languages new threatened with extinction.

Later, however, the hotel security force asked us to either look for a function room where the choir could sing further or to disperse. But they overlooked the fact that the performance was already completed. And the crowd, with Dr. Dacudado at the hem was ready to go to their boarding house.

But the point had been made. And I also learned that Solfed chapters have been mushrooming around the country, including in Boracay, Aklan, where the aeta aborigines have taken the lead in re-learning their native tongue.

Ethanol program launching

The Philippine Fuel Ethanol Alliance will formally launch on Aug. 27 in the evening at the Mandarin Oriental Manila.

According to Jose Maria Zabaleta, executive director of the Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association, the Philippine Ethanol Program Council has already undertaken the production of ethanol from sugarcane, cassava, molasses, etc. as an alternative fuel and are spearheading preparatory activities for its advancement.

The affair will officially mark the country’s entry to the circle of visionary nations, spearheaded by Brazil and Thailand, which have passed legislation mandating ethanol’s use and production as they have seen the potential of ethanol as the fuel of the future.

This, Zabeleta said, marks a new global milestone in the drive toward "genuine sustainable development" of an energy source.

Actually, the Philippines had pioneered the ethanol program through the tragic Alcogas experiment in the 70s under President Marcos. What happened to the program is still being studied by researchers. But that snuffed the Philippines’ chance to be among the first to use ethanol as fuel.