Photo from Migrante International facebook page
DAVAO CITY – Crison Martesio, 39, who currently works in Dubai, will join Filipino migrant workers elsewhere to keep away from banks and remittance centers on Friday to protest the fees collected from Overseas Filipino Workers in sending out balikbayan boxes.
From his workplace, he said he will join the zero remittance day (ZRD) campaign tomorrow launched by Migrante. “It is time for all OFWs to unite and make a point. It is time for the government to acknowledge the role of every OFW in helping our country,” he said.
Martesio, works as a media booking in-charge in Dubai. He hails from Monkayo, Compostela Valley Province and said he chose to work abroad because of the better salary.
Martesio sends Balikbayan boxes to his family once or twice a year. He would pay 235 AED (P2,987) for a large box.
“Normally I send grocery and used personal stuff,” he said, adding that he spends P9,000 to P10,000 on the goods that he sends to his family.
The migrant workers group, Migrante, said the protest would continue even after the Bureau of Customs backtracked from its plan to randomly open balikbayan boxes for inspection. This time the protest would center on the additional clearing fees on container vans of cargo forwarders which will affect the OFWs.
“There is still the additional clearing fees for the container vans of cargo forwarders based on the order of the BOC, it will be P100,000 to P120,000 per container van,” said Migrante Middle East Regional Coordinator John Leonard Monterona in a statement Wednesday.
Because of the increases in clearing fees cargo forwarders will surely pass it on to OFWs who are sending Balikbayan boxes, Monterona said.
Martesio said he does not agree with random checking “but I support that boxes with questionable contents shown by the X-ray machine be checked and inspected.”
“If there is any offense or abuse of balikbayan box, the shipper must be contacted and be informed of the item or items not allowed in the box,” said Martesio.
The government on Monday night ordered to use X–ray and K-9 dogs in checking balikbayan boxes and to open only suspicious boxes.
Another OFW in Saudi Arabia, Jake, 25, said he is also willing to support the campaign.
“Para sa lahat ng OFWs na nagtitiis para lang may maipadala sa kanilang mga pamilya (For all OFWs who make sacrifices just to have money to send to their families),” he said.
Jake, has a three year-old son back home here. He said he works abroad to support the needs of his family.
Jake said he sends balikbayan box to his family “two to three times a year”. The average cost of his box ranges from P10,000 to P15,000.
Jake said the government should remove the tax for OFWs. He said he would also suggest for the Aquino administration to increase the wage of Filipino workers in the country so that they will not be “forced” to go abroad.
He said instead of random inspection, the government should prioritize the cases of migrant workers who are abused by their employers.
Margel Romero, 30, who works as a loyalty club officer in Bahrain said she is not against BOC’s random checking of the balikbayan boxes, but she disagrees on the way BOC is handling the boxes.
“They could have used a scanner (that) do not necessarily need to open the boxes,” she said.
“These balikbayan boxes were carefully and thoughtfully prepared with so much love and longingness (for) our families back home. Opening and ruining it is a big insult and disrespect to all of us,” said Romero.
Romero who is also from Davao City said she annually sends balikbayan boxes to her family, especially during Christmas time.
“The average amount of each box is around P25,000 to P30,000, depends on the size of the box. The shipping fee varies from 1,500 to 3,000 pesos,” she said.
She also said that the government should run after big smugglers.
“I believe that our authorities know who are the big fishes in smuggling and drugs in the country. They should pursue in catching them rather than wasting time in small catches just to show off that they are doing their job yet putting a blind eye to the “untouchables”,” she said.
Romero said she will also support the Migrante campaign on zero remittance day tomorrow.
“It may not have a great impact, but will still make a stir to the economy if all of us will unite and support the campaign. Through this, the government will no longer belittle the power and voice of the OFW,” she said.
Monterona said 1.2 million OFWs in Saudi Arabia and 400,000 OFWs in the UAE will join the Zero Remittance Day.
“The ZRD is a conscious political action that is suggested by our fellow OFWs. This is an effective defense against the government that is treating us like milking cows,” said Monterona.
In news reports, Senator Francis Escudero, citing data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said the government will lose P3.1 billion in one day with the zero remittance day campaign.
Monterona also clarified that their campaign is not a form of economic sabotage.
“This is a united protest and action against the system that extorts and burdens OFWs under the current administration),” said Monterona. (davaotoday.com)
