The Quest for Justice

Friends and fellow teachers, we can already hear the wheels of justice turning.  Our quest for justice is moving forward.  The oppressor is now desperate to cover up her criminal acts so we expect her to carry out some desperate actions.  But have no fear for we have the truth on our side.  Let us remain strong as we have nothing to hide.

As we have always advocated since the start of this blog, the key to our victory is our unity.  No amount of threats, no amount of intimidation can muffle our unified voices. No amount of lies, no amount of cover up can suppress the truth.

We would like to give some updates on our efforts and the efforts of our network of advocates.

I.  Federal case versus Lulu Navarro and UPI
Last October 20, the American Federation of Teachers has already filed a federal case against the dreaded Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro and Universal Placement International with the U.S. Department of Labor. See press release from AFT below.

AFT Alleges Louisiana Teacher Recruiter Violated Federal Laws

A company that recruited hundreds of Filipinos to teach in Louisiana schools violated federal laws when it exploited, intimidated and threatened the teachers, according to a complaint filed Oct. 20 by the AFT.

The complaint, delivered to the U.S. Department of Labor, alleges that teachers recruited by Universal Placement International were directed to pay thousands of dollars in fees that federal law dictates should be paid by the employer. The AFT alleges that each teacher paid approximately $15,000 to Universal before working a single day as a teacher, and signed an illegal contract, under duress, requiring payment of additional fees.

"The allegations, backed by the facts, show these teachers to be victims of worker abuses like the ones in our students' history books: indentured servitude, debt bondage and labor contracts signed under duress," says AFT president Randi Weingarten. "What makes these allegations especially heinous is that the victims are good teachers, that school districts and tax dollars are involved, and that all this is taking place in 21st-century America." (Read complete article…)

II. Ingrid Cruz, providing a face to our struggles
USA Today featured a very compelling story that reflects the predicament of most of us victims of UPI.  The brave teachers in the story are Teachers Ingrid Cruz, Bernard Pagusara, Ian Cainglet and Luzellene Perez.  This blog salutes all of you!

Federal complaint: Filipino teachers held in 'servitude'
By Greg Toppo and Icess Fernandez, USA TODAY

BATON ROUGE — It has been more than two years since Ingrid Cruz aced a middle-of-the-night video interview in Manila, borrowed $10,000 from her parents and flew halfway around the world to take a job here teaching middle school science.

She was seeking that most American of dreams: a new life, and opportunities she couldn't approach back home. But along the way, Cruz says she has endured intimidation, humiliation, extortion and a long, painful separation from her young daughters.

Cruz is one of more than 300 teachers imported to Louisiana from the Philippines since 2007, a group of educators who say collectively they paid millions of dollars in cash to a Filipino recruiting firm, PARS International Placement Agency, and its sister company, Los Angeles-based Universal Placement International Inc. (Read complete article…)

III. Advice from US Embassy

One of our colleagues went home because her application for the extension of her visa was initially denied.  She reapplied for a new visa and then went to the US Embassy in the Philippines the previous week to have her new visa stamped.  Upon learning that she is from EBR, she was brought to a meeting with agents where she volunteered all information.  The agents are appalled by the exploitation we have experienced from UPI and PARS. She is back here in the US now.

Here are the advice from the US Embassy agents in the Philippines who are investigating the criminal activities of UPI and PARS.  First, stop paying any fees to the agency. Second, to all those who are in the same predicament as our colleague, the US Embassy suggests that you go home and do not worry because the US embassy will help you and make sure you can come back. All you have to do is tell the truth.

(Note: We are not trying to replace the opinion of a lawyer. We are just sharing to you what transpired.)

IV. Efforts in the Philippines

We are happy to announce that we have a new advocate that will handle our legal representation in the Philippines. We will be filing cases against PARS with the POEA and DOLE. (A colleague already submitted more than 60 declarations to Dole Secretary Roque last week.). Our counsel is a respected lawyer, activist and consumer advocate. Also, he is a previous Community Service Awardee of the prestigious UP Alumni Awards.

We would like to thank Partido ng Manggagawa (PM or the Labor Party) for arranging this representation.  We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK).

V. Statement of Support
We would like to feature a solidarity statement from PM.  This blog welcomes the solidarity of any group or individual.  If you or your group supports our cause, send us an email and we will be happy to feature your statement.  We certainly need all the support that we can get.

PM Solidarity Statement
October 29, 2009

Message of Solidarity with the Pinoy Teachers of Louisiana

The Partido ng Manggagawa salutes the brave Filipino migrant teachers in Louisiana. In the name of the working class in the Philippines, we support you in your fight for justice against the illegal and oppressive policies of the recruiter Lulu Navarro. We pledge to help your cause and struggle in any way we can.
You have broken the stereotype of Filipino teachers as meek and submissive slaves who will endure inhuman treatment with hardly a peep. Instead you have stood for what you believe is right despite all the odds and against threats of persecution by Navarro and her minions.

You have proven once again that in unity there is strength and in action lies the possibility of victory. The support you have garnered from the Filipino-American community, the American Federation of Teachers and even the coverage that has been given your issue by the US mass media is testimony to you determination in struggle over the course of almost a year.

With the light at the end of the tunnel ever clearer now as far as achieving your goals of seeking justice, we encourage you to broaden the scope of your fight and raise it to the next level. We ask that add to your agenda the reform of overseas employment policy in order to stop the abuse of Filipino migrant workers. If professionals like teachers can become slave labor in a country like the US, no wonder OFW’s by the thousands suffer from abuse, discrimination and indignity across the globe. (Read complete statement…)

Official complaints filed over mistreatment of teachers

To read the official complaint, complete with exhibits, visit the website of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Please click here. We also embedded below video news reports of Louisiana-based media organizations on the issue.

(Baton Rouge – October 1, 2009) A company that recruited foreign teachers to work in Louisiana schools is guilty of cheating those teachers out of thousands of dollars and holding them in virtual servitude, according to complaints presented to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers by international educators.

The LFT and the American Federation of Teachers brought these complaints to the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Attorney General on Wednesday afternoon.

The charges involve multiple violations of state and federal laws. Attorneys for AFT and LFT said the union is asking that the teachers’ contracts with the California-based recruiter be voided, and that the recruiter be criminally prosecuted under state law.

“The alleged behavior of this recruiter and the treatment of these teachers is quite frankly disgusting and an affront to basic American values,” said LFT President Steve Monaghan.


News Report of WDSU Channel 6. Click here to go the original source of this video.

Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, the president of recruiting firm Universal Placement International, is a convicted felon who has served jail time in California and was also convicted of crimes in New Jersey. After treating some Louisiana school officials to Philippine Island junkets, she was allowed to recruit more than 200 teachers for Louisiana schools.

The Federation is acting on behalf of Filipino nationals who were hired in Caddo Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Jefferson Parish and the State Recovery School District in New Orleans. Each teacher was charged about $15,000 by Navarro to obtain a job, and was then required to sign over 10 percent of the monthly salary to UPI for two years. The total amounted to some 37% of the teachers’ salary.

Teachers who could not afford to pay the fees up front were directed to loan companies by Navarro, and were charged exorbitant interest rates.

In addition to collecting the fee from teachers, Navarro was paid $47,500 to recruit twenty five teachers by the State Department of Education to recruit teachers for the Recovery School District in New Orleans.

Many of the teachers say they were required to pay for housing provided by Navarro. Living four to a two-bedroom apartment, they were not allowed to choose their own roommates or to seek alternative living arrangements.

Those who complained were threatened with the loss of their work visas, according to statements provided by the teachers. Some were hit with lawsuits filed in California, where Navarro’s company is housed.


News Report of WBRZ Channel 2. Click here to go the original source of this video.

“To be a foreign national living in Louisiana, facing the threat a lawsuit in California, can virtually guarantee acceptance of the reported indignities imposed by Lulu Navarro and UPI,” said Monaghan.

“As soon as the shackles of these illicit contracts are legally voided, we believe that other migrant educators will come forward with additional complaints,” Monaghan said.

The union complaint, filed with state agencies on Wednesday afternoon, alleges that Navarro and her company violated Louisiana laws regulating private employment services in the state.

The union is asking for restitution for the teachers, fines and appropriate criminal penalties for principals of UPI, a declaration that all the contracts executed by Universal are void, and attorneys’ fees.

Who is Lourdes Navarro?

The president of UPI is a native of The Philippines, currently living in California. In 2000, she pleaded guilty in California court to charges stemming from an insurance scam. In a hand-written confession, she admitted to cheating the state medical program out of more than $1 million, which she laundered into cash. According to the confession, she stole the identity of several physicians to carry out her scheme.

Convicted of fraud, grand theft, identity theft, money laundering and white collar crime, she served time in county prison, five years probation and was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution.

In 2003, she was convicted of money laundering in New Jersey.

Louisiana law requires disclosure of prior felony convictions as part of the Public Employing Service licensing procedure. Had Navarro applied for such a license, she probably would have been denied.

Neither Navarro nor UPI is licensed to do business in Louisiana as a “private employment service,” begging the question of how she or UPI were able to operate in Louisiana in the first place.

What violations of law are alleged?

Specific violations of Louisiana state law stem from Louisiana statutes and administrative code. They include the following:

• Failure to maintain an office in Louisiana. State law requires an “onsite manager for that location, or an on-site consultant who has successfully passed the private employment service examination.”
• Failure to provide a $5,000 bond to the state.
• Failure to post all the appropriate licenses to operate, an approved applicant schedule of fees, and copies of the Rules and Regulations Governing Private Employment Services.
• Illegally collecting fees from both the employer and the applicant.
• Illegally charging teachers employed in Louisiana fees prior to arriving in the state.
• Illegally charging fees to applicants who were never employed by a Louisiana school system.

The union complaint also raises a question of federal immigration law violations. Fees charged to candidates for the H-1B visas used by Filipino teachers must be paid by the employer, not the employee. But in a letter to the human resources director of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, Navarro explained that some $6,600 in visa application fees is charged to the teachers.

In the case of the Recovery School District, Navarro was paid by both the teachers and the state.

“These migrant teachers were exploited by outrageous and illegal fees, and apparently Louisiana taxpayers were likewise exploited,” said Monaghan.

What is the union asking for?

“First and foremost,” says the Union complaint, “these teachers deserve relief from the illegal contracts that bind them to Universal. Because these contracts violate Louisiana law and have not been authorized by the Workforce Commission, they violate public policy and should be declared void…”

The complaint also asks that Filipino teachers be refunded the $15,000 that each of them paid in order to be hired, as well as any other money collected by Universal since their employment.

Finally, the complaint cites state law as saying that an unlicensed employment agent “shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars, by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.”

The Federation complaint asks that Navarro be fined and jailed for each of the hundreds of violations that were committed.

What do the Filipino teachers say about Navarro and UPI?

These comments are taken from sworn statements provided by Filipino teachers.

When we arrived in Los Angeles, California, we were made to sign a contract without giving us a chance to read it…We were told that the document is similar to the document that we signed in the Philippines. We hastily signed it…”

“Ms Navarro collected from us the amount of $160 (no receipt was given to us) for apartment rental. When we arrived here in EBR, we were not given the chance to choose where to stay and with whom.” (Anonymous Teacher “A”)

I received my (Social Security) card after two months with the envelop open. UPI received my card in California and I am afraid that I lost my privacy and security for what they did to me. I was also instructed to sign a paper which I was not given a chance to read the 4 to 5 pages contract.”

“We were warned not to ask a lot of questions regarding the contract because according to Francis, Miss Navarro doesn’t like people questioning those stuff.” (Anonymous Teacher “B”)

“I have so many loans in the Philippines, in fact, I was not able to support my 3 children and husband because all my salary goes to FINANCING AGENCIES which I borrowed just to pay for PARS [sister company to UPI] and UNIVERSAL.”

“Lulu Navarro…warned us again not to talk and mingle with the Filipino teachers who were ahead of us here in the U.S. She also warned us not to mingle with the Filipino community in Baton Rouge.”

“Lulu Navarro asked this question: “Who among you ride with American teachers in going to school?” …she called me in my phone and telling me not to ride any more nor talking to Americans…”

“Mrs. Navarro always scared us, and saying that if we will not follow her, she can send us back home to the Philippines, which stress me so much, I don’t do nothing just CRY.” (Anonymous Teacher “C”)

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To all our fellow teachers, this is what we have been waiting for. To those who said before that this blog is merely engaging in useless chit-chats, this is for you. This blog is proud to be part of this campaign and struggle. - Gurong Gala

Spread the Word and Support our Online Petition!

A group of Filipino workers and professionals here in the US together with an assembly of teachers based here Louisiana, in cooperation with this blog, have banded together as Bayanihan para sa Manggagawa at Migranteng Pinoy (BMMP). BMMP aims to educate our fellow Filipinos of the hard realities of working abroad. Below is a warning email that we are currently distributing online. Copy and paste the article below and send to your family, friends and network.

We are also embedding videos from The Filipino Channel (TFC) shared by an advocate and a supporter of our cause from www.consumersdomain.blogspot.com.

Please take note that at the end of this warning, we are asking you to support our efforts by signing in our online petition. Maraming salamat!

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A warning to all Filipinos intending to work in the USA

We are a network of Filipino migrant teachers and Filipino residents here in the US. We came together – victims, friends and family – to be able to educate others of the exploitative practices of some placement agencies. We want to spread the word as we don’t want more Filipinos to experience what many of us went through under some placement agencies whose operations are bordering on human trafficking.

We would like to call the attention of those who are planning to work in the US as teachers or any other profession. If not you, you may have a relative or a friend who is intending to apply for a working visa in the US through a placement or recruitment agency.

We want to underscore the importance of checking the background of these placement or recruitment agencies. It is not enough that these agencies are accredited with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). For while many of them are accredited, they may have a history of suspensions and violations; or even exploitative policies that have hurt a lot of Filipino workers, both financially and psychologically.

We advise you to get as much information about the placement/recruitment agency that you will be paying with your hard-earned money. Some placement agencies will also take advantage of your lack of familiarity about laws and processes regarding migrant labor.



Report filed by TFC correspondent Don Tagala featured in Balitang America, Sept. 8, 2009

Our experiences with Universal Placement International (UPI) and PARS International Placement are good examples. We want to be able to educate as many Filipinos as possible about the modus operandi of these agencies as we know how it feels to be deep in debt, deceived, harassed and exploited while in a foreign territory.

UPI, headed by Lourdes Navarro aka Lulu Navarro, is based in Los Angeles, California. PARS, headed by Emilio Villarba (brother of Navarro), on the other hand handles their operations in the Philippines and is based in Quezon City. These are two agencies that you have to avoid.

First and foremost, it is important to note that Lourdes Navarro is a notoriously devious and manipulative criminal who is a convicted felon in the State of California for fraud, grand theft, money laundering, and identity theft.

Secondly, UPI and PARS will make everyone believe that there is a job waiting for all approved applicants here in the US. Indeed your visa will indicate the name of your employer. The problem however is that these agencies qualify and approve more candidates than the slots required for a certain employer. Clearly, the more people they send, the more placement fees they collect. Thus many end up attending job fairs with the hope of being hired by another prospective employer.

Third, UPI and PARS will charge you exorbitant fees. Before leaving the Philippines, they will charge you upfront with 20% of your projected annual gross income, which is over the 10% and staggered basis allowed by law. This overcharging of placement fees and its premature collection is tantamount of illegal recruitment, a violation of a Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 and P.D. 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines. As a way to circumvent these laws, however, these agencies will intentionally avoid being transparent as to what the payment is for and to whom the payment is due by issuing temporary or acknowledgement receipts.

Fourth, once in the US you will start to discover the anomalies about your transaction with UPI and PARS. For a start, immediately upon arrival they will require you to sign a contract with UPI that stipulates that you are required to pay 10% of your monthly salary for 24 months. This document was never provided nor was this information given prior to your trip to the US nor will UPI initiate a discussion on the contents of this one-sided contract. So, after borrowing money back home to pay 20% of your projected income, you think that your placement fee is already paid for. But you are wrong! Navarro will use this new contract to bill you another 10% of your monthly salary on your second year!

Fifth, Navarro will further milk you dry with her other tricks. To ensure she will get the most from you, Navarro will place you in a dilapidated apartment unit that she has pre-negotiated with the owner. To accommodate Navarro’s kickbacks, the rent is padded, so you end up paying very high rent for a rundown apartment.

Sixth, once you ask questions and start to complain about your situation, Navarro will now utilize her manipulative and harassment tactics. Navarro will threaten you that she can have you deported anytime, or that she can influence your employer to terminate you. She will intimidate you by calling you and berate you like a rabid dog. She will go as far as suing you knowing that you have no resources to defend yourself or network to be able to figure out a way to fight back. Known to flaunt her wealth and connections, she has been successful at instilling fear among many of us.

These are just the broad strokes of our experiences here. Our journey towards a dream for our families is now becoming to be a living nightmare. So we call on all our fellow Filipinos who are planning to work in the US or other destinations to be very careful about the choice of a placement/recruitment agency. Be very inquisitive and make sure that your investments are in good hands.

We also call that you support our cause as we are mustering our strength to fight back. We need your support to bring these shady recruiters to justice.

To express your solidarity, please include your name in our online petition to the concerned Philippine government agencies, the POEA, DOLE and the Philippine Embassy; and to the Philippine Congress. Visit this link: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/protect-filipino-migrant-teachers-and-all-migrant-workers.html.

For updates, please visit www.pinoyteachershub.blogspot.com. For messages of support please write to teachers.pinoy@gmail.com.

Please forward this email to all your contacts so more Filipinos will be forewarned.

Bayanihan para sa Manggagawa at Migranteng Pinoy (BMMP)



TFC's Adobo Nation featured our issue, Sept. 14, 2009. Lulu Navarro, panis ka!

A call to boycott payment of the 10% fees!

A call to boycott payment of the 10% fees!
A call to repudiate our contract with UPI!

Immediately upon our arrival here in the US, we were asked to sign a contract with Universal Placement International (UPI). There was no effort by UPI to explain the stipulations of the contract nor were we given substantial time to review the document.

We were told by UPI that the contract is simply the same as the one that we signed with PARS in the Philippines. And those who questioned were met by intimidation, with the threat of being sent back home. Still exhausted from the long trip, we signed the document despite our apprehensions.

It is clear that UPI intended to hide the details of the one-sided contract from all of us. It is now apparent that Lourdes Navarro is deliberately concealing important information from her clients.

She knows that once we arrive here in the US, we will have no other option but to follow her policies no matter how oppressive or unjust. Navarro knows that we can not easily back out as we have already spent a lot for the processing of our visa, placement fees, plane fare and other related expenses. Further she is aware that we don’t have our family and friends here whom we could easily approach for help.

This unjust contract with UPI stipulates that: “For the first twenty-four (24) months of employment, Client will pay Agency ten percent (10%) of client’s gross monthly income, payable monthly, commencing with the 1st pay period.” We were made to believe that the 20% of our projected annual gross income that we paid upfront to UPI and PARS in the Philippines is already our payment for the placement fee. Some of us thought the 20% fee we paid earlier is already our advance payment to the 10% being asked for in the contract.

On top of the 20% that we already paid, we are appalled that we will then be made to pay another round of fees – 10% of our monthly gross salary on our second year – which was never discussed or agreed upon in the Philippines.

The 10% additional fee is unjust! In fact we have paid more than what is required for us by the deceitful contract. While we only received a temporary or acknowledgement receipt for our payment, it is a hard evidence that shows that we have paid PARS and UPI 20% of our projected gross annual income. Bear in mind that we have not signed any other document requiring us to pay the 20% to UPI but we did, in good faith.

Further the contract has many questionable provisions and unfair stipulations. If you read the whole contract, it is full of provisions that ensure that the gluttonous Navarro receives our fees and get to keep the payments in all possible scenarios. See Sections A, B, D paragraph 3, E and G – that is a total of 13 paragraphs to protect the pockets of Navarro.

On the other hand, in the lopsided contract we are only given one provision, just one short paragraph, where we can collect from UPI. Section F on “Refund” states “In the event that the Agency does not provide client with at least one interview with a prospective employer, through no fault of the client, then agency will refund to Client US$150.00.”

One hundred and fifty US dollars!!! Half of the $300 required upon signing of the contract (section A paragraph 1). It simply means that in our agreement with UPI, whatever happens Navarro gets to keep the thousands of dollars that we paid! But if UPI does not perform its end of the agreement they will simply give us $150!!!

Observe further how this unjust contract describes UPI’s end of the agreement – “provide client with at least one interview.” Is that what they promised us – one interview? Lest we forget, what UPI committed to us are jobs!

In simple terms this is what PARS and UPI wants to happen: Give Navarro $300 and she promises to provide you her services, then give her $1000 so she will process your papers, then give her $10,000 for placement fee, then give her 10% of your income in your second year. But if Navarro fails to do what she promised, then she is willing to give you back $150!

Lulu Navarro, a convicted felon, is preying on our vulnerabilities as individuals. This greedy criminal will continue these corrupt and oppressive practices not only against us but against more of our Filipino brothers and sisters who, just like us, are hoping to fulfill their dreams for their respective families.

Navarro’s strategy is to divide us and prevent us from uniting against her, from voicing out the oppression we went through. Please let us not allow UPI, PARS and Navarro to continue bullying us. Let us not allow UPI, PARS and Navarro to hurt more families.

The time for fence-sitting has expired. The time to procrastinate is over. We are left with no choice but to fight back together! We are left with no other option but to fight now! Join us as we attack this monster from both the legal front and through democratic actions.

Let us boycott the payment of the 10% fees!

Let us boycott UPI in the renewal of our visa and in any other transaction!

Let us repudiate this excessive and deceitful contract with UPI!


Signed:

Pinoy Educators Network (PEN)

(To be part of this campaign and the actions that we are undertaking, please email your complete name and cell phone number to gurongwagi@pinoy.org. One or two of our leaders will get to meet with you once we verify your identity. Remember that you can trust us with your identity as this blog is the number one enemy of Lulu Navarro.)

Let's continue to expose the UPI anomaly!

We would like to convey our solidarity to our colleagues who are coming out to expose the continuing anomaly we call Universal Placement International. Your stories are not different from our experiences – stories of being deceived by the criminal Lulu Navarro, stories of being bilked dry by this scheming (dis)placement agency, stories of sacrifice for our families and loved ones back home.

We would like to once again call for unity as we counter this affront to our rights and dignities. We would like to once again renew our plea to our fellow teachers to open your eyes and see that it is only through our collective efforts can we effectively stop this oppression.

As we expect, Lulu Navarro and Universal Placement International will hype that these commendable teachers endangered our jobs by speaking up. And for sure, Lulu’s sidekicks will also start a hate campaign against these teachers to please their master.

She will continue to spread rumors that our employer will be upset if we voice out our issues and problems with the agency. She will continue to instill fear in us by repeating a tall tale that she has the power to influence the board of our school districts to terminate us arbitrarily.

We also expect that Lulu Navarro will call and confront her “suspects” and start intimidating them. We know that Lulu will again utilize her strong arm tactics to bully us just like what she did with this blog. But she will again fail. (We will give you a detailed update on Lulu’s failed legal action against this blog next time.)

Let us not allow Lulu Navarro to divide us with her threats and rhetoric. Let us not allow the agency to silence us with their scheming tactics.

Let us be steadfast in our resolve. This is not going to be easy as we are facing a hardened convict. But as we have always underscored, the strength of our movement is founded on our commitment and our unity.

Fellow teachers let us support our brave colleagues and participate in our ongoing efforts to bring justice to our cause. Lulu Navarro is for sure in panic mode now as she knows that her happy corrupt days are nearing its end.

Good luck and more power to all of us!

Stand Up or Turn a Blind Eye

Reaction to an Anonymous Comment

(In this blog we respect everyone’s opinions and comments. This is a marketplace of ideas. Now, let me react to a comment under the “Fun Polls” thread that was posted by an anonymous writer on December 28, 2008 3:03 PM. We are also pasting the full comment at the end of this article.)

At the surface, Anonymous seems to have good arguments, but looking closely at his/her assertions, I can say that many of the points raised miss the point if not flawed altogether. Primarily, I want to react on the following assertion of Anonymous:

"I am sure if the agency were owned by Americans, we will not react the same way we react now. Because the agency is owned by a former Filipino citizen, you thought that Filipino values including an act of charity and benevolence should be in the picture. Business is business. I hope we know that. Contract is contract. It is a mutual agreement."

I do not agree that if the agency is owned by Americans, I, as well as many others will not react the same way. The concept of fairness, justice, and respect for fellow humans are universal and the nationality of the owner of the business is not an issue here. In fact, most likely I will react more strongly if the abuses are being done by a foreigner because there will be a racist undertone.

You say, “Business is business”. Exactly! That is exactly our point here. Now, why are Lulu and her supporters (like you) are saying “Be thankful that you were brought here.” That viewpoint is not business-like. In business circles it is the agency that should be thankful to the clients because we are the ones who is giving life to the business. And is it not that Lulu and her cohorts are the ones using the Filipino value of “utang na loob” (“debt of gratitude”) in always pointing out that lets just keep quite and swallow the injustices and just be thankful?

We, as clients, paid, in fact overpaid, our placement fees for the services of the agency and it is the agency’s end of the agreement to bring us here, there should be no “utang na loob” factor here if we are to assert a purely service provider-client relationship.

Then you say “Contract is contract”. Again I say: Exactly! The contract stipulates 10% fee and we were made to pay 20%. The contract stipulates fees to be paid monthly and we were made to pay upfront. And is there a stipulation in the contract that the agency will represent us in lease agreements and that we cannot move to a new house within one year? Is it in the contract that we should not communicate and socialize with the Filipino community? Further there are some provisions in the contract that are contestable that could be voided. For your information, a contract as a mutual agreement can only be enforced if it is not contrary to law. (We now have lawyers working on this.)

And why are you talking about our need for professionalism and you do not even mention the way Lulu snarls and shouts at us. Is that the type of professionalism you are trying to market? Have you experienced being shouted at and threatened by Lulu Navarro? Maybe not. But many of us have. We have been very professional at voicing our concerns with Lulu and the agency but we are met with intimidations and shouts and threats like “Gusto nyo ibalik ko kayo sa Pilipinas!” (“Do you want me to return you to the Philippines!”) Now you will say that we are the ones who lack professionalism?

Further, contrary to your claim that we are using the Filipino values of charity and benevolence, we are in fact NOT. We are not asking for charity from Lulu Navarro or benevolence on the part of the agency. We simply want to be treated fairly and professionally as clients. Come to think of it, you are the one who is espousing the flawed Filipino values of “pagtitiis” and “pagtitimpi” (enduring suffering or abuse) amidst tyranny; and as discussed above the insulting version of “utang na loob” (“debt of gratitude”).

We are not trying to find “instant comfort” as you suggests. Most of us come from modest backgrounds too and we know what “paghihirap” (“hardship”) means. I agree there are more Filipinos who underwent greater hardships. But that is not a reason that we will turn a blind eye on oppression. There is no logic in that assertion – just because others experienced more hardships therefore its ok for us to be subjected to abuses. Clearly, our difference is that you opt to close your eyes to abuse and oppression; and we opt to stand up for our rights just as any freedom-loving, justice-seeking person would do.

Now, are you in effect condoning the illegal and corrupt activities of Lulu Navarro (a convicted felon who by the way is not new to such kinds of illegal activities) such as non-issuance of official receipts, overcharging of fees, misrepresenting us in apartment leases, earning kickbacks in apartment rent, opening our SS numbers without our consent, etc. etc.?

Also, we would like to inform you that while we are in this struggle, we do not neglect our work, which is to teach. We very well know that we should strive to become better teachers and show our employers that we are indeed worth every penny that we receive. In fact, it’s hard to separate teaching from this struggle. As teachers we mold children. And how can we mold them to be strong, freedom-loving citizens if we ourselves cannot stand up against tyranny. How can we teach them the bravery of Martin Luther King, the resolve of Mahatma Gandhi, the literary advocacies of Mark Twain, if we don’t even internalized their messages?

Lastly, please do not equate standing up for your rights, exposing corruption and expressing opinions as “living in gossip, complaints and animosity” or simply as “dramas.” Do not equate standing up against injustices as something negative or something to be ashamed of. The bedrock of this very country is in fact the struggles of a nation for equality, freedom, fairness and justice. Don’t you ever forget that…


Gurong Sulong

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A Comment from an Anonymous Teacher
(as posted under the "Fun Polls" thread)

I have been reading this blog for the past days. I am one of the teachers being deployed to the US by the Universal Placement and the Pars Placement. Yes, it is true that the first few years are extremely challenging but I will become smooth in years to come.

We, teachers have arrived in the US with H1-B visa, meaning our stay is only temporary unless we will be petitioned by our employer to live and work permanently. We might lose our job any moment (I hope not). No one is ever sure who will have his job tomorrow. Some brag that we are competent teachers that the school districts will not give us up. Very funny and assuming!!! I thought it was rather a boast in its greatest sense. We are not citizens of the United States. We are petitioned only to fill in the gap on teacher shortage. Now that recession has been gobbling the country, many citizens have been interested in the job. I have a lot of friends employed in teaching and non-teaching jobs who are also in the brink of losing their jobs. Remember guys, that frugality is the name of the game in the US nowadays. Also remember, the doctrine FIRST-IN -FIRST OUT. It is already happening in California.

Guys, it is good to have Filipino values and maintain them. However, such values might not work here in the US. We are here to solve employers’ problems and not the other way around. I thought it would be good to view the situations with a positive and hopeful perspective. Let us face our situation with grace and with a marked degree of professionalism. People who live in gossip, complaints and animosity will not see the beauty of life being intertwined with challenges. People want instant comfort. That might not happen here in an instant. It takes a great deal of perseverance and positive outlook in life. Many Filipino in the US started with a lot worse situation than we have now. Years of perseverance and patience, they reaped their success in the end.

I remember the times when we lined up in the Philippines for interview for US teaching jobs. We were extremely nice. We signed the contract calmly. We knew it would cost us something. We knew what we would have to do the following year. Now, that the contract is in its execution, many of us are revolting. Why did we sign the contract in the first place? I assume that the contract is not the reason for your revolt; it is rather your loan in the Philippines and your personal obligation to your family. Do not attribute your financial difficulty to Universal Placement. Your financial difficulty is a product of your own decision. You did whatever had to be done. There are consequences in your own action.

I am sure if it the agency were owned by Americans, we will not react the same way we react now. Because the agency is owned by a former Filipino citizen, you thought that Filipino values including an act of charity and benevolence should be in the picture. Business is business. I hope we know that. Contract is contract. It is a mutual agreement.

I am very thankful to Lulu Navarro. I arrived in the US without a family and friends to start with. She found me a place to stay. It is not her job to look for housing but she did it because she knows that it is hard for us to find a place and have access to transportation initially. She is not a housing agency but she is going out of her way for us to continue with our life. It is challenging yes. Please forget about instant comfort as we are in an entirely new environment.

Whether or not housing is good, what matters is we are housed. It is a lot better than looking for apartments or houses ourselves. I am sure we cannot find one as we did not have our SS number and credit history to start with. Did we have money to pay upfront for deposits and similar charges? Lulu did this for all of us. Some people are just inherently negative. All they want is to take and take and not give or share. Let us learn to be appreciative too.

On the other hand, it is a fact that a number of us borrowed money from the financing agency in order to fly here. However, it is our choice to borrow. Never were we forced to borrow money from these financial institutions. It might have been suggested or recommended but it was never ever forced. I am in the same situation so I also experienced the same. All agencies in the Philippines have partnership with these financing institutions. I assume that the interests are big as they are loans without collateral.

I just hope that our employers will not get tired of our drama. It is our personal drama and I do not see any reason why employers have to be included in the casting of our own drama. Employers do not want dramas. We solve their dramas. I am not surprised when our employer will get rid of us because of dramas. Now, will you still boast that you are competent teachers and that you are teachers to die for? I doubt it. I hope that we will not be labeled as drama queens and drama king because of our own action. I hope not. The worst scenario to happen is losing our job, the domino effect is more terrible than you imagine. Think about your own actions guys. I suggest that you just work and impress your employer within your job description. Do not include them in your drama. We are Filipinos and our employers are not. Chances of cultural differences and misunderstanding are at a certain degree. Filipinos have their own thinking so do foreigners. I hope you will not lose your job and your family will suffer very badly as a result.

This is my opinion. Thank you very much.

Fun Polls

We have been working so hard for the past months while Lourdes Navarro laughed all the way to the bank. We had a taste of a white Christmas last week but the fun just melted so fast and we realized we’re back to reality – the reality that it’s hard to have a merry Christmas if our pockets are empty that we can’t even send enough “pamasko” ("Christmas goodies") back home.

So we thought of creating something fun in this blog. Starting this week we will do a weekly survey and we will start with a fun poll.

The free party that was held last Saturday (Dec 13) was hyped up by Lulu and cohorts as if it will be a big Christmas bash, the same way Lulu hyped up her power to influence the school districts. In this week’s polls we want to get your inputs to describe your experience in the Christmas party that was nothing but disaster.

At any rate, we would like to greet everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

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Opinion Poll on Lulu’s Christmas Party

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Support From Filipino Community

We are happyto share below the statement emailed by the Filipino community in Baton Rouge. In behalf of the afffected teachers, we thank our compatriots for their encouragement and valuable support.

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A STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FROM THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY

We, representing the members of the Filipino-American Association of Greater Baton Rouge (FAAGBR), want to voice out our strong support for the Filipino teachers in their struggle against the injustice and repression of the recruiting agency which brought them to the United States.

We believe that these professionals have been unjustly burdened with exorbitant fees. We are aware of the fact that many of these teachers could barely save up for themselves and their families because of the excessive fees that they have to cover every month for their loans.

What makes it more disturbing is that the agency curtails the personal freedom of these hard-working teachers. Being able to choose a comfortable place to reside is a freedom that we as Filipinos and Filipino-Americans value. However the agency prohibits them from exercising this right.

Further, we are also saddened that these Filipino teachers have experienced such horrible treatment from the agency’s owner. They have been threatened to be sent home to the Philippines if they don’t blindly follow the manipulative rules set down by this recruiter. They have been intimidated with lawsuits if they voice out their grievances.

That these professionals were even discouraged from socializing with the greater Filipino community in Baton Rouge, speaks volume of how this placement agency and its owner seeks to control them.

This is the United States, the land of the free and land of opportunities. These Filipino migrant teachers do not deserve this kind of treatment. These sincere and dynamic professionals should be able to pursue the opportunities they have without fear and intimidation.

Go on, be strong, stand up and follow your dreams in this great and free land! In your quest for fairness and justice, we offer you our moral support and whatever assistance that we may be able to give that would further your cause.

More power to all of you!

Filipino-American Association of Greater Baton Rouge (FAAGBR)

Libel vs. Truth?

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers."
- Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Information reached us that the convicted felon Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, who owns Universal Placement International, wants to shut this blog down. Navarro and Universal Placement International have filed a libel case against one of us teachers whom she suspects to be behind this blog.

We pity our colleague who, while also a victim of the harassment and schemes of PARS-Universal, has nothing to do with this blog and has not contributed any article to us. We however have high regard to this teacher, who has the guts to stand up for the truth, the courage to defend her rights and the conviction to resist oppression.

This crook Navarro who has been engaged in a lot of illegal and questionable activities would like to stop us from telling the truth because according to her: her reputation is being tarnished, her reputation is being damaged! Can you repeat that, Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro? What did you say, Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro?

We can’t seem to understand your point here, Mrs. Navarro. Forgive us if we don’t seem to comprehend the depths of your analytical scheming mind. The way we see it, you can only destroy something that is well and functional in the first place. The way we see it, you can only break something that is not broken in the first place. Come to think of it, you can only tarnish something that is clean to begin with.

Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, we think you need to do some serious reality checking. How can we damage your reputation if it’s already as good as thrash? How can we even taint your name when your name is already synonymous to fraud and intimidation? Simply put, how can we tarnish your “good” reputation if it is nothing but.

Please do not give this blog so much credit for something you have done to yourself. Thanks, but no thanks. We don’t deserve that credit. May we remind our colleagues and our readers of some undeniable facts below that will show that Navarro’s reputation suffered from self-inflicted damage.

1. Navarro’s conviction on felony counts of Medi-Cal fraud, grand theft, money laundering and identity theft in the State of California. (Click here to read complete news report.)
2. Navarro’s treatment of Filipino teachers deployed in California that led to an exchange of lawsuits but eventually to an amicable settlement.
3. Navarro’s treatment of Filipino teachers deployed in Louisiana. See other posts in this blog for more details.
4. The questionable operations and oppressive schemes of PARS Placement Agency and Universal Placement International that has victimized hundreds of Filipinos. PARS’ license in the Philippines was suspended at least once in connection with these shady methods.
5. Navarro’s unspeakable behavior against Filipino communities including here in Louisiana. Add to this, Navarro’s arrogant advice to Filipino teachers recruited through her agency that we should not reach out to the Filipino community, contrary to the advice of the Philippine embassy.
6. Navarro’s attitude of shouting and treating people like animals which many of us have experienced.

Lourdes Navarro, do not pretend that you are only trying to protect your reputation for clearly you are a lawbreaker and tyrant with a notorious reputation. What is clear is that you simply want to harass this blog so we will be cowed and stop from exposing more of your anomalies.

Our best defense against this attempt to silence this blog through Navarro’s frivolous libel lawsuit is TRUTH. This blog simply showcases our truthful and sad experiences under PARS and Universal, under the heartless and notorious Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro. Our postings here are all accurate and no one has yet given any intelligent and convincing argument against the information we have asserted in this blog.

Further, this blog just like any other publication and any other individual’s right to free speech is protected under this country’s constitution as well as other international human rights declarations. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution stipulates: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

While there are certain limitations to the right to expression and freedom of speech; sharing an experience, offering an opinion and exposing anomalies and abuses by the powerful are certainly not one of them.

Now, as we have previously declared, no amount of lawsuits can stop us from standing up for the truth; no amount of harassment can stop us from raising our fists for our rights. No amount of bullying can stop us from doing all we can to stop these exploitative recruitment practices, so other Filipinos who are hoping to find work as migrants will never experience what we went through.

Teachers, let us strengthen our ranks and buckle up for a bigger battle.

Mabuhay ang Gurong Pilipino!


Concerned Filipino Migrant Teachers
Louisiana, USA

A Statement from PM

We are featuring today a relevant statement from Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) labor party. We are part of the larger sector of migrant workers and the exploitation we experience here by our placement agency are part of a bigger issue on the protection of migrant workers' rights and the promotion of migrant workers' welfare.

We are dubbed as "Mga Bagong Bayani" ("New Heroes") for our remittances keep the Philippine economy afloat and our sacrifices result to our financially stable families. The sad reality however is that we are left powerless and vulnerable to abusive and greedy agencies like PARS International Placement and Universal Placement International.

It is true that we are not the only ones experiencing these horrible stories. News abound about migrant Filipino workers worldwide who are abused and oppressed in different ways. But that is not a reason for us to simply sit down and accept our fate as natural victims. Moreso, this should be a motivation for us to pursue our struggle to end the injustices perpetuated by PARS-Universal particularly that of its owner, Lourdes Navarro, as this will be our big contribution to the common cause of migrant workers in general.

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Partido ng Manggagawa
Statement
October 2008

For a paradigm shift away from labor export to domestic employment
For a global movement of workers to protect migrant rights and welfare

A funny thing happened on the way to the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). While the excesses and essence of globalization has been exposed with the unraveling of the financial meltdown and economic recession in the US that threatens to go global, the framework of the GFMD remains firmly in the grip of the neoliberal agenda.

The Partido ng Manggagawa (Labor Party) as the independent political party of the working class in the Philippines, oppose the GFMD for its framework on migrant workers is “economic development” not human rights. Behind its stated goals of “maximizing remittances and the benefits of migration” is the opportunist attitude that migrant workers are commodities for sale not humans with rights. Among its participants is a preponderance of big businesses with interests in the remittances of migrant workers.

Just last week a Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia was killed by beheading while another Filipino migrant is scheduled for a similar fate in the coming days. What can the GFMD do to save migrants workers? The main problem it is trying to solve is how to profit from remittances not how to protect migrants.

It is not an exaggeration to say that labor migration today is the modern-day form of slavery. Five hundred years ago the age of mercantilism saw the heyday in the trade of human slaves. In the era of globalization, millions of workers cross borders in search of greener pastures or simply to survive in the face of joblessness and destitution in their home countries.

The pull of a substantial wage differential between the sending and receiving country is enough incentive for massive labor migration. That has of course resulted in significant transfers of wealth and token alleviation of poverty in the home countries. Yet the fact that millions of migrants are involved and the reality of lack of protection for basic worker rights and respect for labor standards results in so many victims of abuse.

In the Philippines, no reliable data exists but it is common knowledge that migrant workers fall prey to excessive fees from labor contractors and employment agencies. Once abroad, many are underpaid or not paid their salaries at all. Some are forced to work 50 to 80 hour workweeks and usually without overtime pay. There are many abusive employers and some labor under unsafe conditions. Contracts are breached and migrant workers are without recourse for redress. In the worst cases, workers end up as bonded labor or sex slaves, if not incarcerated despite being innocent or dying in unsolved murders.

In many receiving countries, basic labor rights and standards are not respected and implemented. Even in advanced countries where there are formal guarantees of workers rights, baiting of immigrants and restrictive immigration policies lead to the proliferation of so-called illegals. As illegal immigrants, they are without the protection of the law and thus easily victimized. Moreover they are hunted by the governments of host countries and if caught deported back home with their dreams broken.

It is a glaring contradiction that in the era of globalization, goods, capital and information flow freely across the world and yet the free movement of labor is restricted. Trade in goods and capital flows are fully liberalized through multilateral agreements but labor migration is highly regulated through unilateral actions. This is one fundamental aspect of the grave inequalities and double standards under globalization.

Fact is neoliberal capitalist globalization is the key link in the flood of labor migration in recent times. There are an estimated 150 million migrants and immigrants around the world. Meaning 2.5% of the global population had to cross borders and oceans just to find their daily bread. In 2005, their combined remittances amount to $167 billion and could reach up to a quarter billion if those sent through informal means are counted.

Around 10% of Filipinos, almost 9 million out of a population of 80 million, are living or working abroad. Undocumented migrants and immigrants will bloat this figure further. About half are contractual workers, now called overseas Filipino workers (OFW’s), principally found in Saudi Arabia, Japan, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. The other half has emigrated mainly to advanced countries like the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and the UK. In some families, there are already two generations of migrant workers with the next on the path of becoming the new batch of OFW’s.

More than $14 billion in remittances were sent to the Philippines in 2007 alone or above $1 billion per month. The figure would rise by an estimated 50% if money sent through informal channels were included. Just the official figure of $14 billion in remittances already constitutes 10% of GNP. That amount exceeds both official development aid and foreign direct investments received by the Philippines. Without the influx of dollar remittances, the country’s current account would be negative.

The growth of remittances has been explosive, commensurate to the number of migrants and immigrants. Back in 1993, about half a million OFW’s were deployed while the remittances were worth just $2.5 billion. Yet even then this was considerable since it already equalled half of the foreign debt service.

The Philippine government actively promotes labor migration. In fact, the export of labor is part of the yearly target for employment creation. About a million migrant workers are deployed yearly. Everyday almost 3,000 Filipinos leave to work abroad.

The number of women migrant workers has been increasing and in 2007 they constitute half of new hires. Many are domestic helpers like in Hong Kong, entertainers like in Japan, and nurses like in the US. The feminization of labor migration and the lack of protection for migrant workers have led to rising cases of abuse, harassment and rape.

While the pull factor in labor migration is mainly the wage differential—a fact that exists even before globalization—the push factor is principally the deepening poverty and worsening unemployment brought about by near universal enforcement of neoliberal policies worldwide. The policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization have led to the collapse of local industry and agriculture. Together with policies of cheap labor, labor flexibility and others associated with globalization, workers are encouraged if not forced to look for work abroad despite all the dangers, hardships and costs.

Still labor migration is a right that workers must enjoy in a globalized world. Even more than goods and capital, labor must be able to move freely across the world. Labor must be mobile in order to seek better wages and working conditions.

We insist on internationally enforceable rights and standards for all migrant workers. All internationally recognized basic labor rights and standards—as enshrined in the ILO conventions including the right to organize, bargain and strike—must be extended to all migrant workers wherever is their host country. The freedom to migrate should be a guaranteed right and discriminatory immigration polices must be cease.

A key element of the promotion of migrant workers rights and welfare worldwide is the establishment of a global movement of workers and global unions that transcend borders, race, gender and nationality. This is the challenge that the international labor movement must face squarely.

We call for an end to the promotion of overseas employment. The decades-long policy of labor export has not redounded to national development and instead has resulted in grave social costs and has exacerbated the collapse of local industry and agriculture. As a means of job generation, it has become a sorry excuse for government to abandon the goals of full employment and local industrialization.

We demand a stop to the deregulation of labor export. While government has promoted labor export, it has left migrant workers at the mercy of the scams of private manpower agencies and the whims of host country regimes. The exploitation for profit of labor export and the train of abuses it necessary entail must halt.

Decades of promoting overseas employment has not led to social progress in the Philippines and other labor-exporting countries. In fact from a long-term perspective, the social costs and the brain drain may offset whatever economic benefits accrue from labor migration.

The policy of labor export promotion must be reversed and instead governments must ensure full employment in their countries. Such a policy change can only be realized as part of a paradigm shift away from neoliberal capitalist globalization. Without falling into the trap of autarky, the domestic economy must be strengthened so that local industry and agriculture can generate decent jobs and a living wage for all the people.