Miriam seeks creation of task force for OFWs in distress

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday called for the creation of a multi-agency task force to prevent maltreatment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Santiago made the call after Thelma Gawidan, a domestic worker in Singapore, managed to escape from her employers after being maltreated for several months.

Gawidan, whose case against her employers is being heard in a Singaporean court, said she was fed instant noodles and bread twice a day for four months that caused her to lose weight, going from 46 kilograms to 29 kilograms.

“How many other Filipinos in foreign countries suffer the same fate so they can send money to their loved ones? The government should help them,” Santiago said.

She said a multi-agency task force should be created to locate OFWs in distress who may not be able to air their complaints to the authorities.

Santiago, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, said she would file a resolution seeking the creation of a multi-agency task force on OFWs when Congress resumes sessions in January 2016.

She said the government should search for OFWs reported missing or who have not reached out to their families for a certain period of time.

Help desks must be set up in Philippine diplomatic posts abroad, Santiago added.

She said the multi-agency task force should be composed of representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“We defeat the purpose of documenting all OFWs if their records waste away in archives. Locating OFWs reported missing is a difficult task but it is the responsibility of the government,” she said.

The Aquino administration has failed to address poverty and unemployment, which are the main reasons Filipinos are forced to seek jobs abroad despite the risks, Santiago said.