필리핀

EPS

(

외국인

고용허가제

)

근로자

협회

공식

발행

–

대

한민국

The Voice of the Modern Living Heroes

The Official Publication of Filipino EPS Workers Association-South Korea (FEWA)

Volume 2 Issue 8 2010 www.sulyapinoy.org NOT FOR SALE

필리핀

EPS

(

외국인

고용허가제

)

근로자

협회

공식

발행

–

대

한민국

INSI

E THIS ISSUE

Literary

Announcement from KoreaImmigration Service

SULYAPINOY isThe OfficialPublication of Filipino EPSWorkers Association-South Korea(FEWA)

E-passport Advisory

Compassion Not Crackdown!

FILIPOS

Foto Tips

People and

od-centeredAssociation

EA-2

0 0 6

0 0

READY FOR THE NEW CHALLENGE.

New Officers of FEWA inducted by Ambassador Cruz last August 1, 2010

Magtanong kay Amba

Of Debacles and Futures

(page 3)

Paano’ng Takbo ng Isip mo?

OWWA News Editorial Feature

Get to know

FEWA’s

Candidates

for

Ginoo atBinibiningKalinangangFilipino

Photo by Kuya Nhads

Photo by Marzy Serdeňa III

eelected as thepresident of

FEWA, Marzy Serdeňa

III in his address pro-fusely thanked thepioneers, previousofficers and thosewho continued tovolunteer and supportthe organization. Theinduction of new offi-cers was held last August 1, 2010 at thebasement of Hye-hwa Catholic Church.Serdena acknowl-edged the many chal-lenges as presidentand the turn-over andleadership changes of last year. While hewas not keen topromise anything, he

says that he’s deter-

mined to do his bestto fulfil the mission of the organization.Fr. Alvin Parantar,

MSP, FEWA’s Spiritual

Adviser, he empha-sized that leadersshould always keepleadership with passionfor service and it shouldbe kept burning. Herelated how Fr. GlennGiovanni B. Jaron, MSPinspired the formation of FEWA with passion anddrive. Fr. Alvin remem-bers that Fr. Glenn wasalways available whenanyone calls him forhelp. Fr. Alvin praisedthe pioneeringleadership of FEWA for their initiatives and forworking hard in helping theHyewha Filipino community.Fr. Alvin reminded the groupto keep the focus and pur-pose of theobjectives of promoting andupholding rights of Filipinoworkers who may be at adisadvantage; treat allequally and their eyes on awider picture: that FEWA isnot an isolated associationbut part of a bigger com-munity and of Korean soci-ety; to keep spiritual di-mension in leadership,focus on their spiritualstrength, and not to giveup on weaknesses, and; tokeep their hearts in theirleadership that it becomesmore meaningful and fruit-ful.Invited to lead the oathtaking was H.E. Ambassa-dor Luis T. Cruz. He com-mended the group for theirwide reach among Filipinocommunities and the goodimpact of their work inresponding to the needs of its members. LabAtt Felici-tas Q. Bay cited that Fili-pino workers are amongthe top choices of workersamong Korean compa-nies.She also recognized thatthe Employment PermitSystem (EPS) has someproblems but arebeing improved. Philip-pine Overseas Labor Of-fice (POLO)-OverseasWorkers Welfare Admini-stration (OWWA) and thehead of the Jongno Policegave an update and theirmessages on the saidoccasion.

A SUCCESFUL VISIT IN SOUTH KOREA.

VP Binay and Ambassador Cruz working to sustain the bilateralcooperation between the Philippines and South Korea.SULYAPINOY is accepting cash donations for its monthly printing expenses. You may deposit them @ Account #: 1002 640 334730 / Acnt Name: Marcelino M. / Bank: Woori Bank - Hyehwa-dong Branch

angerous jobs, hard la-bor, long hours of work,delayed or unpaid salary areissues that further compoundsdistress among migrant work-ers with the ongoing highprofile arrests of undocu-mented migrant workers. Af-ter all theseundocumentedworkers could be their rela-tives, friends, acquaintancesor fellow countrymen who arewanting to make a better lifefor themselves.Kowtowing to the pressure of its peers among industrializedeconomies, authorities areoverreacting and overdoing itscrackdown that violates rightsof undocumented migrantworkers. These workersare protesting the procedureas multiple punishment, oncecaught they are detained,forcibly fined or their belong-ings confiscated and thendeported. This show of forceis in line with the notorious

record and government’s im-

age as a bully when hostinginternational events.The staging of the 1988 SeoulOlympics was not withoutharm done to its own peoplewhen they were forcefullyevicted and relocated fromtheir residences to constructthose stadiums. Today the tollis on migrant workers as thecountry prepare for the up-coming G 20 summit this No-vember. The crackdowns be-ing religiously implementedresemble that of a cult thatterrorizes the ranks of migrantworkers who are even sus-pected as potential terrorists.Migrant workers have humanrights that ought to be re-spected no matter what theirstatus. They are guaranteedfull protection under interna-tional laws. All they want isdignity in their work and bedignified as migrant workers.These migrant workers are

backbones to Korea’s 4D

(dirty, difficult, dangerous anddistance) jobs that supportsits bid in maintaining its G20 status.Connivance is the main issue.

issues of it’s migrants workers.

However, some Korean CivilSociety groups are showingtheir support to Migrants TradeUnion on their hunger strikeand ongoing protest on theseongoing crackdowns. Thechurch, progressive and otherreligious groups, continue toprovide their much neededassistance to all migrant work-ers especially those undocu-mented workers. The prolifera-

tion of migrant workers’ cen-

ters run by civic groups is astark contrast to the profanearrests the government is do-ing.The Filipino EPS Workers Asso-ciation (FEWA) is calling on thegovernment to respect thehuman rights of all migrantworkers. They should be givenmore leeway to follow and

observe the government’s

mandate for their voluntarysurrender.

Through FEWA’s

online forum, the organizationis being consulted by severalundocumented Filipino migrantworkers on how they couldavail of the amnestybeing provided by the govern-ment.They want to know how theycould be assured of a decentrepatriation. Although informa-tion is available but the processof operationalizing the amnestyis lacking and time is runningout for the grace period.Several deaths and accidentshave been recorded as migrantworkers tried to elude thesearrests. These could have beenprevented should there been amore humane treatment andproper information of makingundocumented migrant workerssurrender on their own accord.Compassion will be more effec-tive and do more good to theimage of Korea wanting to cre-ate global trademark. After allsome of these undocumentedmigrant workers are willing togo back to their home countryprovided they are guaranteedand accorded legal protectionand not treated as criminals.Crackdown is not the way a civi-lized government operates in aglobal community of prosperouscountries but a characteristicand behavior of a dictatorial andautocratic government.

www

.sulyapinoy.org

The Korean government seemsto neglect the fact that the un-documented workers' employersare also part of the equation.They condone the employersbut punishe the migrant work-ers. If there are no employerswho hire undocumented work-ers for their cheap labor thenthere should not be these crack-downs. The government is atfault for being reactive ratherthan proactive. And to break this vicious cycleit is political will that is neededin addressing the root cause of the problem.It is unfortunate to note that

even with Korea’s UN Sec. G en

Ban Ki Moon at the helm of power, the country is not keenon showing leadership amongdeveloped countries in recogniz-ing international norms such asthe International Convention onthe Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Mem-bers of Their Families (MigrantWorkers Convention). Until to-day, Korea has not ratified theconvention that could serve as alegal framework for the govern-ment to address the myriad

Artwork by Maria Regina Pato

AUGUST 2010

ITO

R’

SNOTE

www

.sulyapinoy.

By Mind Cataract

more occasions. Thus, people are allowedto react in their angriest, their saddest,their happiest. However, what makes peo-ple different from animals is how they doexpress this, and the result for those atthe receiving end of it.This month of August subtly showedevents around the world what may have

evaluated the Philippines’ condition at pre-

sent and how it would course into the fu-ture, given no interference from outsideforces or changes in the status quo. Thisnot only includes the gruesome results of the hostage incident at the Quirino Grand-stand, and not only of the Miss UniversePageant debacle (if you may name it assuch). It also includes the issues that wereand are considered momentarily on holdbecause of all the international public rela-tions juggling act that government officesare currently handling.Most popular to currently name would bethe said hostage-taking event and the

“major major” pageant. If it isn’t enough

that the police force, no matter if theywere supposed to be part of the elite teamor not, now has a new name all over theinternet (search for the new meanings of SWAT), this incident highlighted all theinefficiencies and the lacking in all fronts,in namely all sectors. Never mind that they

don’t have the equipment. But the police

force may as well have announced to thewhole world that they are not psychologi-cally and mentally prepared for emergen-cies such as these. Never mind, also, that

here have been many incidents in thepast when zoo visitors became victimsof animal maulings, because they may

have accidentally entered the animals’

territory or were intending to create aprank that went wrong. Animals have suf-fered the consequences with euthanasia or

bad treatment, and animal rights activists’

words have gone ignored considering thecontinuous and seemingly endless reportsof such. If you spell to think, is it really theanimals fault for responding to how it isbrought up to do? The animals respond assuch because it is the instinctive survivaltradition that have been passed down tothem by those who have had the chanceto survive the times, either in the wild orin domestication. It is how we learn, and itis how our species thrive.

Don’t they say that when there is change

and unexpected events, people initiallyreact the same way?Humans are claimed to be of the highestspecies in the animal kingdom, given theirability to not only make tools but also of thinking. Feelings were also primarily in-cluded, but studies then and now alsoshow that the rest of

animalandia

mayalso have this, especially those that canguarantee survival of oneself and the ani-mal tribe, such as anger, happiness andaffection. As part of the animal kingdom,people are also entitled to have these feel-ings, and are levelled in different terms,expressed in more manners, and found inthey would need to encounter another suchevent to find out if they can do better. Butimagine if something greater happened. Dowe want that? Of course not, nobody didand does. But is it possible? And do we even need to start with how themedia handled the entire thing?Even while the incident was happening, Ihad already tweeted that hopefully, the con-sulate and the Filipinos residing inHongKong would not bear the brunt of whatever outcome arises. In response, peo-ple I knew and did not in the social mediaworld replied that I was exaggerating, andthat I should stop spreading panic. And yet,we who are residing overseas know thatsuch reactions are not rumor molehills madeinto mountains. As many can see right now,many may be accused of not thinkingstraight with generalizing all Filipinos to belike Mendoza, and many have suffered theconsequences of that hatred. It does nothelp at all that evidences of insensitivityfrom the student population and the policeforce itself would surface. As those at thereceiving end, and in comparison of eco-nomic might and needs, we can only apolo-gize and hope it will stop. And yet, we arealso the ones with the chance to think: it isan opportunity to make the status quo bet-ter.When the incident ended, many have ex-pressed and written about their hope that

the Philippines’ candidate in the Miss Uni-

verse pageant would improve the interna-tional image of the country. Miss Raj verymuch prepared for it; she looked perfect,walked perfect, dressed perfect, and was PR -ed perfect. However, she may have forgot-ten about the question and answer portion.Diane Sawyer said it correctly that the mis-hap may not have been entirely an isolatedcase. Many given the question characterizedas intellectuals were also left stumped, andpsychologists have also answered why.However, considering both the qualificationsof being in the pageant as well as theprominence of the event itself, many willagree that she could have answered thequestion in a better way. Many from thecommon populace put their own two centsof how the question could be answered,albeit admitting the question to be difficult,and came up with surprisingly good re-sponses.But then again, the common populace is

called common because we’re lacking in the “perfect” aspect.

(To be continued in next issue

of Sulyapinoy…)

SULYAPINOY Office Address:

115-9 Songbuk-gu, Songbuk 1 dong, Songbuk Villa, Seoul, Korea 136-020

FEWA Office & SULYAPINOY Distribution Center:

Inside WOORI BANK, Hyehwa-dong Branch, Jongno-gu, Seoul

AUGUST 2010

Pete Rahon

Editor-in-chief

Corinna Bianca Estarija

FeatUre/Managing Editor