Oration Piece - One Vision, One Goal

CRITIC ON OFW’s

Pope John Paul II, in his message for the 1992 World Migration Day said, “Migration related to underdevelopment is a challenge, which we must face with courage and determination.” In the Philippines, underdevelopment and poverty are the main causes of migration within and from the country. It was in the early 1900s that the Filipino people started their plight in search for greener pastures in foreign lands.

In 1972, the promising new labor market, prompt the Filipino government to formally adopt the Overseas Employment Program (OEP) as a “temporary measure” to alleviate the unemployment problems in the Philippines. The Philippine Overseas and Employment Administration (POEA), an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), was established in 1982 by virtue of Executive Order No. 797. The formulation and implementation of a systematic and progressive overseas employment scheme taking cognizance of local demands for labor, was the main reason for the creation of the POEA. Today, POEA, is tasked with the promotion, supervision, monitoring and managing overseas employment. All cases involving employer-employee relationship (particularly money claims arising from contractual relation entered by Filipino workers), is the original and exclusive jurisdiction of this agency.

The Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) is the government agency also under the Department of Labor and Employment, tasked to protect the interest and promote the well being of Filipino overseas contract workers, including their dependents. It was created as a Welfare Fund on May 1, 1977 administered by a Secretariat by virtue of PD No. 1604 and 1809. The Welfare Fund was renamed OWWA by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 126 on January 30, 1987. What started, as a “temporary measure” has, in fact, become a well established part of the economic policy.

The government creates a “damage control measure”, Republic Act No. 8042, better known as Migrant Workers and Filipinos Overseas Act of 1995 and signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on June 7, 1995. Furthermore, on March 29, 1996, the government ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. Both measures intend to protect overseas migrant workers.

The Migrant Workers and Filipinos Overseas Act of 1995, “Declaration of Policies” letter c’ says: “the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development.” However, at the end of this section we read: “Nonetheless, the deployment of Filipino overseas workers whether land-based or sea-based, by local service contractors and manning agencies employing them shall be encouraged. Appropriate initiatives may be extended to them.” What is he policy: to promote or not to promote overseas employment? Can we stop migration? Yes, if the socio-economic-political situation improves, which is unlikely to happen in the near future? Considering the expected increase of the labor force and aware hat the Filipino labor market can only absorb half of it, we foresee that overseas labor migration will still be part of the Filipino society in the future. Thus Filipinos will not only continue to seek greener pastures abroad, but their number will increase as well.

As quoted by Pope John Paul 11, “The migrants is to be considered not just merely as an instrument of production but as a subject endowed with full human dignity” . The history of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) may be traced back o the year 1955, when the Episcopal Commission-Committee on Emigration reported to the Catholic Welfare Organization (CWO), THE SITUATION OF THE Filipinos in USA, Hawaii, Guam and the corresponding actions taken by the Church.

In the early 60’s the Body of Bishops established the Apostleship of the Sea to meet the needs of the seafarers in the country/

In January 1967, two Episcopal Commissions were created under Article XXV of the CBCP Constitutions, namely, the Commission on Immigration and Tourism and Commission on the Apostolate at the Sea and Air.

In 1972, the Bishops merged these two commissions into one body called the Episcopal Commission on Migration and Tourism (ECMT), in order to answer the growing spiritual, pastoral and social need of migrants and their families.

I n1984, the actual office was opened and blessed by Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes, DD, then chairman. Since then, ECMI, has been headed by a Scalabrinian missionary with the task of coordinating and promoting ECMI’s apostolate, programs and services to the people on the move. On February 21, 1988. CBCP issued the first ever “Pastoral letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on the occasion of the National Migration Day”

In the year 1995, during the 70th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly, CBCP approved the change of the name of ECMT to ECMI and on the 71st Bishops Plenary Assembly, CBCP issued its second pastoral letter called “Comfort my People, Comfort Them.” Dedicated to the Overseas Filipino Workers. In that same year ECMI opened three Regional Migration Desks (RMD) namely, RMC LUZON, RMD VISAYAS and RMD MINDANAO, to better care to the needs of the people on the move. The Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) envisions a church and society where everyone has sufficient means to a decent life and where strangers feel welcomed and cared for. Their mission for OFW’s is to promote in the Church and in the society a special care (pastoral/social/legal/cultural) for the migrants and their families. Also to promote the dignity of a human person, and respect for the rights of migrants. Anther is to promote and support in the Church and society the special care for migrants and their families and to guide migrants to be evangelizers. They shall coordinate and develop specific pastoral and social programs for the services to the people – on-the-move through its various apostolic structures and Regional Migration Desks. They shall prepare and conduct formation programs for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) to make them more aware of their missionary role of witnessing to the truth of the gospel in their employment and residence overseas. They shall; make the needed studies and/or research on the phenomenon of migration particularly for economic purposes. They shall suggest ecclesiastical structures that will effectively coordinate and oversee the proper pastoral works representation before Bishops and the competent Religious Superiors. They shall prepare and provide well-informed and adequate number of Priests, Religious and lay personnel for ministry to people-on-the-move through proper representation before Bishops and the competent Religious Superiors. They shall protect and promote the fundamental dignity and human rights of migrants and itinerant people. They shall explore the solidarity among particular church for the purpose of considering the spirit of collegial commitment and co-responsibility, the advisability of exchange of Church personnel and experience and sharing of resources. They shall implement the norms and directives from the Apostolic See and the instructions given by conference. They shall offer encouragement to the government and the private sector to continue striving for the economic development of the country, creating job opportunities at home thus providing practical alternatives to economic migration.

Do we live in hard times or do we live in the best time? For the migrants and their families, is this a hard time or the best? In the spiritual, pastoral and social care of migrants and their families, do we, live in hard times or in the best of our time?

The world has indeed become a small village. People move around a lot and modern technology has made communication easier, faster and more convenient. But this small village is now experiencing crisis in all aspects.

We are called to respond to the challenges brought about by the crisis and give way to the kairos by PCP II’s inspiration: “In the Spirit, we look back in wonder over our journeying as a Christian nation. There are lights, there are shadows, successes as well as failures, but through them all the Spirit breathes mightily, palpably, guiding and prodding and leading us on to where we are now.” (PCP II, Part I, 8)

The experiences of the Overseas Filipino Workers and their families are full of, “lights and shadows, successes as well as failures.” The history of the spiritual, pastoral and social care of migrants and their families is full of “lights and shadows, successes as well as failures.”

Some possible problems of Overseas Filipino Worker. They have low, self-esteem, deep frustration, separation from spouse, infidelity of spouses or one’s own infidelity, the relationship with spouse and children, guilty feeling and re-employment in the country or abroad. About the families left by Overseas Filipino Worker, they experience aloneness and loneliness. Experiencing a solo parenting, financial management, marital difficulties, if not marital breakdown, guilty feeling, and children’s growth with absentee parent – psychosocial, emotional, educational, moral and spiritual.

Today, more than any other time the Church in the Philippines is called to this specific work as an answer to the inspiration of he Holy Spirit: “He comes to us here in the Philippines with all its joys and hopes, its grief and anxieties; now…, with all its problems, its opportunities, its promises.” (PCP II, Part I, 8)

In this line, the spiritual pastoral and social care for migrants and their families in the small village is a call to face the problems, not lose this opportunity but be an instrument to fulfill God’s promises.
DEBBIE CUENCA-YAP
Dr. Aristeo “aryss’ C. Salapa
PA 200 (THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION)
August 25, 2012