DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 8, 2013) – Migrante party list reminded families of overseas Filipino workers and citizens to vote for representatives that will work for the genuine interests of the working Filipinos abroad.
“For the past decades, Filipino workers have been treated as mere export products. We strive hard to sustain our families’ needs and keep the economy afloat but rarely do we see government actions that immediately address the problems we encounter abroad,” Gil Nebrea, regional coordinator of Migrante Partylist Southern Mindanao, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
From 978,000 in 2000 to 2.2 million in 2012, the number of OFWs continues to increase as the current economic orientation is geared outward, as manifested by the continued implementation of the labor export policy.
“Instead of encouraging more and more of our fellow citizens to look for greener pastures outside, our government officials should think of solutions to address problems with regard to domestic employment and address the inhumane low wages given out by capitalists dominating our downtrodden economy.”
“That is why in the upcoming mid-term elections, we should elect officials who will not only address the problems of our OFWs outside, but are also able to come up with concrete actions to gradually decrease the number of Filipino workers who are forced to outside the country,” Nebrea said.
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