PRESS RELEASE


Deferment Of Implementation Of Owwa Resolution 99-016
Initial Victory For The Migrant Workers

The announcement made by the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong regarding the deferment of implementation of the new OWWA yearly membership fee is the result of the strong protest actions lodged by Filipino migrant(s) organizations in Hong Kong.

If not for the pressure created by the successive protests actions from May 21 to June 12, the implementation of this resolution will not be derailed. It was the concerted efforts of the migrant workers themselves who made this deferment possible and not the "strong representations" claimed by the Philippine Consulate officials.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), a quasi-government agency under the Philippine government’s Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) came out with the OWWA Resolution 99-016 with the aim of collecting US$25.00 annually from all overseas Filipino workers starting 1^st of July 2000. The resolution was signed last December 15, 1999 by members of the OWWA Board of Trustees composed of representatives from different government agencies. However, the Philippine government through its diplomatic missions abroad, did not seek any consultation regarding the resolution. No announcement was made regarding the proposed implementation of the resolution.

It was only last May 21, 2000 that the said OWWA Resolution made public, not by the Philippine Consulate but by the concerned organizations spearheaded by the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-HK). A copy of the resolution was obtained by UNIFIL from MIGRANTE-International, the global alliance of Filipino migrants’ organizations which is based in Manila. Two other allied federations of UNIFIL’s, the Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society (ATIS) and the Cordillera Alliance (CORALL), joined the campaign against the resolution.

During a Special Leaders Forum held last June 11 between the officials of the Philippine Consulate and leaders of UNIFIL, ATIS and CORALL, the Philippine Consulate indeed made very strong position, not against but for the implementation of the resolution. In fact, they categorically told us that they are just waiting for the Implementing Guidelines from the OWWA head office in Manila. In the end, the groups vowed to launch massive protest actions against the OWWA Resolution 99-016.

It is a shame that the Philippine Consulate officials are too quick to claim away the merits from the migrant workers organizations on the deferment when they themselves are hell-bent in pushing its implementation just a week ago.

Once again, our collective efforts have brought about justice to the thousands of migrant Filipinos in Hong Kong who are victims of Philippine government’s exactions.

While we welcome the deferment, we will continue the fight until the government withdraws the said resolution.

22 June 2000