Enhancing Values of Children of OFWs: A Solidarity Celebration for National Migrant Workers’ Month
In commemoration with National Migrant Workers’ Month, Kaagapay once again launched its annual PaaralangPangkaunlaran: Mindanao Grassroots Special Studies on Migration, Development and Human Rights. This year’s focus is among children of OFWs with the theme, ‘Enhancing Values of Children of OFWs’ which aims in providing spaces for children of OFWs to share their experiences as a way of determining basic problems of the family and the ways to address them.
On June 15, 2013, twenty-two (22) children of OFWs ages 5-9 years old were gathered. Through draw and tell, they were able to express their feelings about their parent being away and how they are taken care of in their absence.
The following are the major points of their expressions as shown in their own drawings:
1) Loneliness and sadness felt of both children and their mother because of separation.
2) Left under the care of father or grandparents.
3) Knowledge on income/money for school or acquiring property (house) as the major reason why their parent(s) left.
Some of the children are observed to have lack of confidence. When asked about their preference whether they wanted their mother/father to leave, majority of them preferred the presence of their two parents because of insufficient care and wrong treatment from the guardian.
This intervention for children of OFWs shall be organized everySaturday for the whole month of June with the financial support from Catholic Committee against Hunger and for Development (CCFD).
Isulong at Ipagtanggol! Karapatan ng mga Migranteng Manggagawa Saan man sa Mundo!
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.
Mindanao Pre-World Social Forum on Migration Event in Iligan City Launched!
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.
|
Pahayag para sa Ika-64 na Pagdaos ng Pandaigdigang Araw ng Karapatang Pantao
Ipagtanggol! Pagtibayin! Karapatang Pantao saan mang dako ng mundo!
Ika-10 ng Disyembre ay ang marka ng pagdaos ng Araw ng Karapatang Pantao sa buong mundo; araw sa pagkilala na magkapantay ang bawat tao sa buong mundo sa kabila ng pagkakaiba ng bawat isa; araw sa pagkilala na likas sa bawat tao ang iba’t-ibang mukha ng karapatan sa bawat aspeto ng buhay at walang kahit na sino man at kahit ano pa man ang maaaring kumuha at umangkin nito; araw sa pagkilala na ang mga karapatan ng bawat tao ay hindi kailan man dapat ipagkait sa kanya maging siya man ay nasa bansa ng kanyang sinilangan o sa bansang kanyang pinagtrabahuan.
Mindanao Pre-World Social Forum on Migration Event
In partnership with the Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM), Mindanao Tri-People Women Resource Center (MTWRC), Inc., Tri-Peoples Organization against Disaster (TRIPOD) Foundation, and Kagkalimwa OFW Federation, a Pre-World Social Forum on Migration Event 2012 was organized on 7 November 2012 at El Comedor, Cotabato City. It was an opportunity that discussed various relevant issues and concerns in Mindanao and a venue that had consolidated agenda, positions, and recommendations for the advancement of the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families left in Mindanao. Ms. Janel Pesons of the Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement shared about the different peace processes in Mindanao and its impacts to the peace situation in the region while Ms. Josing Demit-Manandil of the Mindanao Tri-People Women Resource Center discussed the significant relationship of environment and food security to the tri-people women issues in Mindanao. The three main topics; Peace, Environment, and Food Security are considered pushing factors for women in particular and Mindanaoans in general to seek for better opportunities outside the region, be it within or outside the country. Ms. Goldy Omelio of Kaagapay presented how these three factors along with the issue of local employment and state of the workers contributed to the general outflow of the Philippine labor migration. The pre-event had also provided venue for the participating groups and individuals to discuss problems and concerns related to migration as well as their corresponding recommendations and demands. These are as follows: 1) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme is a big contributory factor in making the lives of migrant workers and their families more vulnerable. This should be regulated and put to an end. 2) Sufficient enforcement of judgment awards for the returned migrants who won in legal proceedings. 3) Sufficient implementation and provision of government support services to migrant workers and their families. 4) Strengthen government mechanisms that promote and protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families giving emphasis on regulating the engagement with private sector (e.g. manning agencies). 5) Strengthen existing networks and alliances and access all the opportunities that government agencies provide. 6) Demand for efficient support services for the country’s agricultural sector. 7) Demand for decent employment in the locality. 8) Demand for sufficient and efficient initiatives that mitigate and adapt climate change.
|
- Pahayag para sa Pambansang Araw ng mga Migranteng Manggagawa
- Relevant Training for Income-Generating Activity was Conducted among the Members of Federation
- Project Management Training : A Way Forward for Effective Delivery of CHANGE
- Kaagapay launched Organizational Development and Management Training




