EVERY year, millions of Pinoys go to great and in some cases, drastic lengths to work abroad, in order to pursue better lives for themselves and their families.
Many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are often compelled to work despite unfair and harsh working conditions — enduring long hours, low pay and human rights abuses.
We’ve heard news of Pinoys who faced death rows in China, the never-ending and horrific stories of domestic helpers in the Middle East.
Despite billions of pesos in remittances, which have propped the Philippine economy, the nightmares of being an OFW still linger.
Some even resort to severe measures and are employed through illegal channels.
While many of them would refuse to admit it (for fear of losing their jobs), some of these modern heroes are victims of human trafficking.
The 2012 United States’ State Department’s Global Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report described the Philippines as a source country, and a destination and transit country for men, women and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor.
A significant number of Filipino men and women who migrate abroad for work are subsequently subjected to conditions of involuntary worldwide.
The annual TIP report is used as a comprehensive resource by international organizations, foreign governments, and non-governmental organizations on countries in tiers, based on their compliance to the standard of the US’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA).
Freeing victims, preventing trafficking, and bringing traffickers to justice are the ultimate goals of the report and of the US government’s anti-human trafficking policy.
The Philippines remained in the Tier Two Status, indicating that significant progress has been made but still requires more efforts from the government in combating this global challenge.
According to the report, Filipino migrant workers topped the list of victims of “violence, threats, inhumane living conditions, nonpayment of salaries, and withholding of travel and identity documents.”
Despite continuous worldwide sanctions and efforts to alleviate human trafficking, businesses continue to thrive for this repressive industry.
Stereotypically, human trafficking stories often depict victims as innocent young girls, who are seduced from their homes and forced into the sex industry. But now, cases involve men, women and children of all ages falling prey to traffickers for a promise of better pecuniary compensation.
Just recently, at least a hundred more Filipino workers joined a class-action lawsuit against Grand Isle Shipyard and their recruiters for labor abuses.
Grand Isle Shipyard was the same company that hired the three Filipino workers who died in the blast and fire that hit the offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the lawsuit filed last year in the District Court of New Orleans, the victims accused GIS of violations of workers rights, migrant rights, and human rights such as: labor abuse, wage theft and exploitation, unlawful deductions, isolation and violation of freedom of movement, violation of privacy, stolen tax refunds, violation of freedom of religion, threat of deportation, and unsafe working conditions.
These workers were allegedly lured to Louisiana with the offer of employer-provided housing and high wages, only to live and work in despicable and dangerous conditions at sub-minimum wages.
The plight of Filipino workers seeking justice against their Lousiana employer is another case of desperate times call for desperate measures.
No matter how strict the laws are implemented or how rigorous the campaigns are against human trafficking, the problem will not cease to exist if not dealt with first at home. Filipinos or anyone for that matter, seek jobs abroad due to lack of economic opportunities and the struggle to meet the basic needs.
Before apprehending perpetrators, governments should first promote and protect basic human rights.
(AJPress)
