PMRW: August 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Fact Finding and Presscon of Deported Filipinos from Japan

Fact Finding and Presscon of Deported Filipinos, a set on Flickr.

Dialogue and Presscon on the Fact-Finding Mission of 75 deported Filipinos from Japan

Photos taken on August 27, 2013 at CBCP, Intramuros

Suspend inhumane mass deportation - the call of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMI), Catholic Commission of Japan Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move (J-Carm), the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ) and the Scalabrini Migrants Center to both the Philippine and Japanese government.

PRESS Invitation

As you mayknow, the Japanese government forcibly deported 75 Filipino nationals on July 6, 2013.
This is the first time Japan has ever chartered a plane to execute a mass deportation of undocumented foreigners.

A joint delegation of J-CARM and Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ) in Japan have conducted
interviews with individual deportees to assess the deportation process and their reintegration into
the Filipino society. The interviews have unveiled cases of human rights violations during detention and transportation, as well as lack of governmental assistance in the Philippines.

The international supporters from Japan and the Philippines feel that the deportees' urgent needs
and concerns are not met and that they would fall into poverty without proper assistance. Some have no housing, no work or no money. The network is scheduled to meet with Filipino governmental agencies to convey other findings of their investigation.

A family and two deported men will also attend the meeting and the press conference.

The Philippines has about 200,000 of its citizens living and working in Japan, with additional 5,700 undocumented.

Delegates:
Leny Toentino
Sister Marcy
Fujimoto-san
Deportees

Joint Statement

We question and oppose the forced mass deportation of the 75 undocumented Filipino migrants because we found that their human rights were violated and their welfare is disregarded.

We conducted individual and group interviews with 23 people deported back from Japan in the week of August 20-26 in the Philippines.

They all need medical attention and counseling to some extent. Most suffer from symptoms of depression such as attempted suicide, insomnia, skin disorders, ulcer, aches and difficulty breathing. Their physical and psychological conditions deteriorated while in detention. Having lived in Japan for more than a decade, they feel alienated and helpless in their home country, and they are afraid to even venture out to the streets. They need proper assistance to readjust to the new environment. They have no money to start a new life, with some who are left under the care of their relatives with meager income, while others have no family or relatives to turn to.

We demand that the Japanese government; 1) examine thoroughly and carefully in deciding the deportation 2) respect the deportees’ rights to access family and legal assistance before deportation; 3) prohibit an excessive use of handcuffs to manage the deportees because it is an act of torture and humiliation; 4) provide proper medical attention with a reference to the hospitals in the Philippines.

We also demand that the Filipino government; 1) extend its support to fulfill urgent needs of the 75 deported undocumented migrants; 2) help those undocumented who wish to remain in Japan acquire legal status; 3) provide an accessible and tangible reintegration program designed for undocumented workers.

We call on both governments to suspend the inhumane mass deportation.

J-CaRM

(Catholic Commission of Japan Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move)

Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ)

ECMI

(Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People)

Scalabrini

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Dialogue and Presscon on the Fact-Finding Mission of 75 deported Filipinos from Japan

August 27, 2013 at CBCP, Intramuros

As you mayknow, the Japanese government forcibly deported 75 Filipino nationals on July 6, 2013.

This is the first time Japan has ever chartered a plane to execute a mass deportation of undocumented foreigners.

A joint delegation of Catholic Commission of Japan Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move (J-Carm) and Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ) in Japan have conducted interviews with individual deportees to assess the deportation process and their reintegration into the Filipino society. The interviews have unveiled cases of human rights violations during detention and transportation, as well as lack of governmental assistance in the Philippines.

The international supporters from Japan and the Philippines feel that the deportees' urgent needs and concerns are not met and that they would fall into poverty without proper assistance. Some have no housing, no work or no money. The network is scheduled to meet with Filipino governmental agencies to convey other findings of their investigation.

A family and two deported men will also attend the meeting and the press conference.

The Philippines has about 200,000 of its citizens living and working in Japan, with additional 5,700 undocumented.
Delegates:
Leny Toentino
Sister Marcy
Fujimoto-san
Deportees

Joint Statement

We question and oppose the forced mass deportation of the 75 undocumented Filipino migrants because we found that their human rights were violated and their welfare is disregarded.

We conducted individual and group interviews with 23 people deported back from Japan in the week of August 20-26 in the Philippines.

We call on both governments to suspend the inhumane mass deportation.

J-CaRM (Catholic Commission of Japan Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move)
Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ)
ECMI (Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People)
Scalabrini

Thursday, August 22, 2013

2013 MIGRATION ADVOCACY AND MEDIA (MAM) AWARDS

In recognition of the significant role of the media in information dissemination and
advocacy of migration and development, the Migration Advocacy and Media (MAM)
Awards was conceived in 2011 by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) for the
Celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos and International Migrants Day in the
Philippines in December every year. Established in 2007 by virtue of Administrative
Order 202, the IAC is chaired by the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW) and cochaired by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

The MAM Awards recognize the positive and significant contributions of media outlets,
institutions and practitioners in the fields of print, radio, movie and television,
advertising and internet from the government and private media organizations in the
Philippines and abroad, in raising public awareness on issues on Filipino migration (i.e., human trafficking, illegal recruitment, brain drain and brain circulation, remittance flows, political crisis, families left behind by migrants, etc.) advocating the cause of Filipinos overseas, and promoting a positive image of Filipinos overseas.

Links:

http://cfo.gov.ph/

http://cfo.gov.ph/images/stories/pdf/MAM_Awards_rules_2013.pdf

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwCfoJni7fhHZ0E4NWhKbVF5UUU/edit

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Financial Fitness 101 for OFWs: A Day of Inspiration

Financial Fitness 101 for OFWs: A Day of Inspiration

August 24, 2013, Laurel House, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Biz Whiz Business Training and Consultancy will hold an event titled “Financial Fitness 101 for OFWs: A Day of Inspiration” on August 24, Saturday, from 8AM to 6PM, at the Laurel House, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.

The event will feature inspirational messages from Overseas Filipino Workers who have built their careers and businesses from the ground up. Woven into these inspiring stories are life and financial lessons on saving and budgeting, protecting hard-earned money from scams and unexpected life events, and introduction to investing and entrepreneurship.

Featured speakers include Peter Sing, owner of Pan de Pidro, RJ Ledesma, co-founder of Mercato Centrale, and Estelle Ople Osorio, BizWhiz Managing Director and a renowned Financial Advisor. Senator Cynthia Villar, a successful entrepreneur in her own right, will deliver the Keynote Message.

The event will also celebrate Blas Ople Center’s nine years of service to Overseas Filipino Workers.

There are 200 slots available for Overseas Filipino Workers and their families. As we want to reach out to as many sectors of OFWs as possible, we ask for your help in disseminating this information to your network partners and OFW constituents.

For those interested, please go to http://www.bizwhiz.com.ph/financial-fitness-for-ofws.html to register online. You can also contact Mark or Jenny of the Blas F. Ople Center at 833-5337 for inquiries.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is for free.

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Migrant Watch 2nd Quarter-June 2013 Issue

2nd Quarter /June 2013 Issue of The Migrant Watch, quarterly publication of the Philippine Migrants Right Watch.

Contents:
CCOFW Paves Way for OLTCC Creation
ICMC-AWG Meets in Manila
Comsultation held on LOIPR
The Country Migration Report
IAC Convenes for the 2013 Month of Overseas Filipinos

Newsletter link - http://pmrw.org.ph/index.php?comp=com_publications