Wednesday, March 26, 2008

OWWAwang OFW

Back in December, I posted somewhere here one reaction sa isang news report where an OWWA official made some stupid remarks while opposing the idea of giving special exchange rate to OFWs. Eto yong kainitan ng issue ng paghingi ng mga OFW ng tulong sa gobyerno dahil sa patuloy na pagbaba ng palitan ng dolyar.

Judging from the e-mails I received expressing their support and sympathy to what I wrote, I think it reached a large number of OFWs. Marami ang nag-email sa akin saying they share the same sentiment towards the situation.

I also sent it to the source of the news report – GMA Tv hoping that it would reach not only OFW’s but anybody in the government na may natitira pang awa at konsensiya para sa mga tulad nating nagpapaka-hirap magtrabaho sa ibang bansa. Kaya lang, pagkatapos kong ma-send yong mail ko, I never had the time to check back and find out what happened to it. Nagbakasyon kasi ako.

Ngayon ko lang naalalang tingnan yong GMA site and I was pleased to find out that my mail was published along with feedback from other angry OFW’s na iba-iba man ang ginamit na salita, iisa pa rin ang pinupuntahan – disgust over the insensitive OWWA official who started the whole brouhaha. (see http://www.gmanews.tv/story/71343/OWWA-exec-rules-out-special-forex-rate-for-OFWs)

What made me check on that message is the latest news about OWWA-POEA officials who were found by COA to be stealing from our funds – something to the tune of 40 million pesos! At halos 800,000 pesos na ginamit para sa cell phone allowances.

Gusto ko ngayong balikan yong OWWA official na si Devanadera na nagsabi ng kung ano-anong ka-istupiduhan. Things like teaching our families to spend wisely tapos yon pala, nanakawin lang nila ang pondo natin para gamitin sa cell phone nila to download ringtones and games!

OWWA fund is said to have hit the $10billion mark. Dapat bantayan na natin ito dahil siguradong mapupunta na naman ito sa mga bulsa ng mga kurakot sa gobyerno natin. Ayan nga at nag-umpisa na sila. 40 million pesos stolen from us na wala tayong kalaban-laban. Samantalang maraming run-away abused OFW’s ang naghihintay ng repatriation sa mga consulate sa Saudi. Hindi raw maka-uwi dahil walang pang-bili ng ticket ang gobyerno! Yon pala ninanakaw lang ng mga masisibang buwaya!

Ang tanong ko ngayon, totoo kayang 40 million pesos pa lang ang nananakaw sa atin? Hindi kaya mas malaki pa, at bago pa natin mamalayan, totoo palang wala nang pondo ang OWWA dahil nakurakot na? Nasaan nga ba ang OWWA fund na ito? Is it safely tucked in some reputable financial institution in the country? Or is it already under an escrow account in the Cayman Islands under the name of several OWWA officials?

Sa tagal ko nang OFW and having paid so much that contributed to that fund, I’d prefer na ibalik na lang sa akin ang payments ko. Not in any kind – cash. Kesa mapunta sa bulsa ng mga walang puso, ganid at mga swapang na opisyales ng gobyerno.

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