Ngayong ika-22 taong paggunita sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng mga Migrante (International Migrants’ Day), ang Kaagapay OFW Resource and Service Center, Inc. ay nakikiisa sa lahat ng mga migranteng manggagawa at kanilang pamilya, mga grupo at organisasyon sa buong mundo na patuloy na nakikibaka at sumusulong sa karapatan at kapakanan ng mga migranteng manggagawa sa buong dako ng mundo.

Ang pagpatibay ng United Nations sa Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families noong ika-18 ng Disyembre taong 1990, ay isang paraan ng pagkilala sa karapatan ng mga migranteng manggagawa kahit sa anong bansa at estado ng kanyang pangingibang bansa.

Sa konteksto ng bansang Pilipinas, ang araw na ito ay kumikilala sa sakripisyo at pagdurusa ng mga OFWs at maging ng kahalagahan nila sa ating lipunan. Simula pa man ng panahon na ang pamahalaan ng bansa ay tumataguyod sa patakaran ng pagtrabaho sa ibang bansa ay iba’t-ibang mukha ang pag-abuso at pagyurak sa karapatan ng mga Pilipinong migranteng manggagawa sa iba’t-ibang lebel ng pangingibang bansa; mula sa mga kamay ng mga oportunistang recruiters hanggang sa mga kuko ng mga malulupit at mapanirang amo.

A second round of the Mindanao Pre-World Social Forum on Migration was organized on 16 November 2012 at Berd’s Hall, Palao, Iligan City which was attended by fifty-eight (58) individuals from different organizations and community-based groups of Iligan City, Pagadian City, and provinces of Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. Like the first process which was done in Cotabato City last 7 November 2012, the pre-event was called to gather the issues, concerns and demands of groups and organizations in Mindanao on both internal and external migration and be put forward to the World Social Forum on Migration in Manila this coming 26-30 November 2012. The pre-event was also an opportunity for the groups to discuss and share about current local situations that are relevant to the issue of migration. One of which was the issue of the peace situation in Mindanao. Vhong Fenis of the Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM) provided the input on the different peace processes in Mindanao in the context of the currently signed Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The peace talks have on and off escalation of armed conflict that resulted to massive evacuation of peoples and dislocation of economic activities. The recently signed agreement gathered positive and negative reactions since it is basically a framework. Some critiques conveyed that the constitution shall be amended first since Bangsamoro and asymmetrical relationship are not found in the constitution, that it is a framework with missing agreement and that the struggle of right to self-determination shall be based in transparency, democracy and participatory principles. On the other hand, GPH-MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) proposed a tri-partite review of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement but called it to an end because of the FAB signing. They called the agreement as disrespect to the 1996 Agreement which was a product of the Bangsamoro struggle. Aside from this, there are also other situations which other revolutionary groups are involved in. In Bukidnon, CARAGA, and Davao areas, Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) leaders have been victims of summary executions reportedly done by the New People’s Army of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). IPs are caught in between in the armed conflict of NPA and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in which their communities have become battlegrounds of the two warring forces. There are also reported local armed confrontations between the Revolutionary Peoples’ Army (RPA) of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa – Mindanao (RPMM) and of the NPA , logging security forces, and private armed goons. There are no displacement of communities happened though. The peace process of the government with RPMM is focus more on development projects in depressed communities. Atrocities and confrontations between the members of the Abu Sayyaf and AFP are also notable in the region as well as robberies, kidnappings, carnappings, and killings are prevalent in the region. Human rights of peoples are also threatened as harassments and killings in communities and of tribal leaders are prevailing. As such, basic social services like health, education, employment and even development are greatly at risk.