Kuwait Pinoys Express Strong Opposition To OWWA Fee Hike

Plan To Generate Funds For Repatriation Program

KUWAIT CITY, June 20

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Kuwait have expressed strong opposition to the proposed law, House Bill 6195 filed by Manila Representative Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David to double the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) fee collected from every documented Overseas Filipino Worker from $25 to $50 per contract aimed at generating funds for the repatriation program of distressed OFWs, but the funds will be collected from them.
The bill, which seeks to amend Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, provides that for every worker recruited or deployed overseas, recruitment agency or its employer, in addition to the obligation to repatriate its workers shall contribute $50 to OWWA's Emergency Repatriation Fund. Under RA 8042, an Emergency Repatriation Fund has been already created and established under the administration, control and supervision of OWWA with an initial funding of P1 million.

Conflict
OWWA for the past three decades has been helping OFWs caught in conflict, repatriating distressed OFWs, providing them with livelihood assistance, scholarships for their kids, reintegration and training programs as well as other social benefits.

The proposed law has been trending on the social media sites early this week as several groups were created on Facebook urging all OFWs to sign an online petition against the bill which OFWs in Kuwait view as an additional burden on the many fees that they have to pay whenever they have to renew their contract as well as to those who are seeking employment overseas for the first time. OFWs have turned their ire on the congresswoman who filed the bill, calling her insensitive to the plight of millions of OFWs across the globe who are dubbed the new modern heroes for keeping the Philippines' economy afloat with their remittances amid the prevailing global crisis.

"Where did the OWWA funds go? How can it be depleted? What's on the mind of this congresswoman? commented Neil Ocampo on Facebook who branded the proposed law preposterous.
"I'm totally against it. My salary is too small compared to those working outside like offices and restaurants. Good thing my employer is paying for my OWWA fees now and other fees but how about the rest of the housemaids like me. Are their employers willing to shoulder extra fees? What if not? Then they will have to bear the burden," disclosed Rebecca Adriano to the Arab Times on Wednesday while she was getting her Balik Manggagawa or Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) in Jabriya.

Her employer Ahmad Al-Bader told the Arab Times that he does not mind paying extra fees for Adriano on the condition that she can go home safely and come back to their household after her vacation.
An OFW who is vacationing to the Philippines needs to apply for an OEC and has to pay an OWWA contribution of KD7.500 per contract (which is usually valid up to 2 years) and 750 fils for the OEC itself, totalling to KD8.250 in addition to the mandatory payment of PAG-IBIG Home Development Mutual Fund contribution of 100 pesos (600 fils) per month.

"I don't mind paying $50 or more as long as OFWs would benefit from it directly. But for now, those who benefit from the OWWA contribution are only the distressed OFWs, those who are sick, maltreated and repatriated," stated John Germono who was also at the POLO to get his OEC.

Opposition
Meanwhile, the owners and secretaries of manpower recruitment agencies expressed similar opposition to the proposed law. "The manpower agency or the employer is shouldering the mandatory insurance. If the worker has a problem, it's the agency that shoulders the repatriation expenses. So this $50 is an additional burden to the agency.

Where would this $50 go? Where would it be used? Who will benefit from it? Is it the OFW? If an OFW is deported, would OWWA shoulder the repatriation expenses and not the agency anymore? asked Maripol Abdalla, the President of the Filipino Association of Secretaries of Employment Agencies in Kuwait (FIL-ASEAK), that deploys Filipino household service workers. She urged the congresswoman who filed this bill to carefully study first its repercussions.

"If this bill is passed into law, they should give an exemption to those OFWs who are not earning big. Why would an OFW earning only $300 pay the same $50 with an OFW who earns as much as $6000? There should be a salary scale.

Moreover, with the millions of OFWs across the globe, what's the percentage of distressed OFWs? Maybe only 1 percent, so what's the need for the increase of OWWA contribution?" pointed out Ana Del Mundo, the President of the Philippine Society of Marketing Specialists in Kuwait that deploys Filipino skilled workers in the country.

Dolor Elenany, the treasurer of the Philippine Society of Marketing Specialists in Kuwait shared Del Mundo's view. "I don't think that increasing the $25 OWWA contribution to $50 is needed because the $144 mandatory insurance that the agency is paying for every worker already covers the protection of the OFWs deployed by the agency.

So this is just an additional expense on the part of the agency or OFW," she lamented. She added that additional fees may even drive away potential employers.

Applied
Based on the POLO-OWWA record in Kuwait, from March to May, an average of 1,900 OFWs per month have applied for Balik-Manggawa or OEC. These months have been considered as peak season for Filipinos vacationing to the Philippines. A total of 1,982 have applied for OEC last May. Currently, there are over 140,000 OFWs in Kuwait per Ministry of Interior record and over 11 million OFWs across the globe.

© Arab Times 2012