Sunday rally is against racist write up but also beyond HK scribe
“The Sunday rally is both in response to what Tsao wrote but is also beyond him. If we even dare hope to start the process to ensure that such will not happen again, then the root causes of the vulnerability of migrant workers in general and Filipino migrants in particular must be addressed.”
Press Release
03 April 2009
For reference: Dolores Balladares
Chairperson
Tel. No.: (852) 97472986
Sunday rally is against racist write up but also beyond HK scribe
Group calls to resolve roots of vulnerability of OFWs to racism and discrimination
“The Sunday rally is both in response to what Tsao wrote but is also beyond him. If we even dare hope to start the process to ensure that such will not happen again, then the root causes of the vulnerability of migrant workers in general and Filipino migrants in particular must be addressed.”
As the heat of the heavily-criticized piece “The War At Home” by HK columnist Tsao generated leads to the major protest action of the Filipino community in Hong Kong this Sunday, militant alliance of Filipino domestic helpers, the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK) believes that the action shall send out a “loud and clear message that Filipinos, especially Filipino domestic helpers, will not take racial slurs and class discrimination sitting down.”
Thousands among the Filipino community from domestic helper’s groups, association of Filipino professionals and church congregations are expected to join the action.
“Though Tsao has apologized for this transgression, the need for Filipinos to stand up against racism and discrimination is called for. It is imperative for the voices of Filipino domestic helpers to be heard on this issue,” stresses Dolores Balladares, chairperson of the group.
According to her, it is high time to conduct a “serious review and action” on standing Hong Kong policies on foreign maids as well as the labor export program of the Philippine government that breeds racist and discriminatory treatment against OFWs.
“For as long as we are made vulnerable to abuses, racism and class discrimination by policies on foreign labour of the HK government and the labor export program of the Philippine government, we will not see the end of condemnable acts against Filipino migrants like the write up of Chip Tsao,” she declares.
Balladares remarks that labour and immigration policies of the HK government such as the Two-Week Rule and its policies on migrant wages as those that keep foreign workers desperate enough to hold on to their jobs despite various abuses of their rights.
However, she says that even “these policies pale in comparison to the labor export program of the Philippine government.”
“The dearth on decent jobs and sufficient social services in our country force millions of Filipinos to seek jobs abroad and turn professional teachers, nurses and midwives into domestic helpers, entertainers and lowly factory workers,” she adds.
This, she says, is not alleviated – and in fact, worsened – by government policies that expose OFWs to abuses as well as “the usual lack of political will” of the Philippine government to challenge policies on migrants by host governments.
Balladares mentions in particular the ban on direct hiring and the deprivation of OFW services due to the OWWA Omnibus Policies as concrete government programs that put OFWs in a precarious position with the former forcing many OFWs to indebtedness and the latter providing no hope for assistance to OFWs if they encounter problems.
“Who can also forget the Supermaids program of the GMA government? This is the kind of program that actively promotes the export of Filipinos and at the same time also reinforces stereotypes of Filipino migrants,” she declares.
The group expresses their fear that similar policies are in the offing now that the Philippine government is intensifying its labor export program as proven by issuance of the lifting of ban in countries that pose danger to OFWs in line with GMA’s Administrative Order 247 that orders a more aggressive exploration for markets for Filipino labor.
Balladares adds that they will intensify their campaign against policies of both the HK and Philippine governments that put Filipino migrants in a discriminatory condition.
“Only through an end to labor export and forced migration can we look forward to end racism and discrimination against us. For UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK and our allies, it is clear that while we combat racism wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head, only with a truly just and humane Philippine society can it be fully prevented,” she concludes |
