New POEA rules rejected by groups representing migrant workers

February 14, 2008 Allan Smith

Migrant groups reject new rules - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite the amendments announced by the labor department, the new direct hiring guidelines for overseas Filipino workers should still be rejected, OFW groups said Wednesday.

This is because the main beneficiary of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s Memorandum Circular 04 was the government and not the OFW sector, said the Center for Migrant Advocacy.

The MC-04 benefits the government by shifting the burden of attending to OFWs in distress to the private recruiting agencies or employers, “subject to various payments borne by the OFWs in the migration process,” said CMA executive director Ellene Sana in a letter to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion.

MC-04, which took effect on January 15, requires foreign employers to secure a performance bond equivalent to three months’ salary (about $3,000) and a $5,000 repatriation bond, for each OFW that they hire directly.