Barong said Kanlungans case reports confirmed other studies that rape victims feel unclean; thus, resulting to abnormally bathing themselves frequently.
Kanlungans study also did focus group discussions with former migrant workers in Metro Manila communities where the group actively provides services. Respondents said their health needs remain last in their priority of budgeting or spending. Likewise, these needs were not considered when they were still sending remittances to families back home.
Barong said this reflects a Filipino trait that consulting a doctor is the last option one takes, especially if he or she feels or thinks theres nothing serious they cant manage.
What the study also reveals is that since domestic work is not considered formal labor in the host country, employers of these domestic workers (both Filipinos and non-Filipinos) do not provide workers with health insurance benefits.
Since overseas employment is a private matter between the employer and the employee, foreign employers will not include providing health benefits to domestic workers, explains Deputy Administrator Noriel Devenadera of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
However, while the government has been exporting Filipinos overseas for the past three decades and reaping the benefits from these workers remittances, Devenadera can only say the government can only try to inject health benefits into these existing contracts for household service workers.
Prior to departure, contract workers pay P900 (roughly US$20 at US$1=P46) to reap promised benefits under the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
But Barong thinks that aside from these benefits remain undisclosed to OFWs, they remain inadequate.
Even health-related services by Philippine diplomatic missions are not enough, with migrant workers needing the services of doctors in the host country are in remote areas, the study observed.
And when the migrant worker returns to the Philippines, unless she or he is a dutiful paying member of government-run social security and health insurance programs for them, returning migrant workers cannot avail such health and pension benefits, the study bared.
Barong also looked at the cases of migrant workers being handled by government agencies and some non-government organizations, and also saw similar cases of maltreatment and occupational health-related issues for low-skilled migrant workers.
Kanlungan has been monitoring specific cases of women and men migrant workers who are in distressed situations. Its database of contains cases of rights violations spanning nearly two decades. OFW Journalism Consortium / (davaotoday.com)
OFWS & Migration, Pinoy Life Abroad
