We congratulate all the teachers who found their strength and now are determined to push back. We congratulate those who have elevated this struggle from a battle for personal gains to a battle for principled justice. Let us remember that we are not only fighting for what we can gain personally but we are fighting so that Lulu Navarro, Mel Villarba, Universal Placement and PARS will be stopped from victimizing more Filipinos.
Now that our efforts are gathering steam and moving forward, it is time to galvanize our gains. It is time to build our organization. This blog is joining the efforts to organize our ranks so our shield is stronger and our swords are sharper.
Organizing ourselves does not only mean that we move together. But more so, it means that we move together with shared ideals and shared dreams. We dream of a system where migrant workers like us are treated as human beings with rights. We envision a system where no Lulus or Mels are getting rich at the expense of others.
We are now standing by a crossroad. We are now in a situation where we have to decide if we are going to go on fighting for our families OR just sit in a corner and whine. This will be decision between having more families victimized OR preventing this horrible experience from happening to others. This will be a choice between the path to apathy and indifference OR the path to cooperation and action.
Mabuhay ang migranteng mga guro at manggagawa!
-Gurong Sulong
We would like to feature some news stories:
Shreveport's Filipino teachers to stay
Three Filipino teachers who faced deportation received word of visa approvals, Caddo Parish school officials announced Friday.
However, about 20 Filipino teachers in the district are still awaiting word on whether they will be able to stay in the country.
In total, about 43 teachers from the Philippines found themselves possibly leaving the United States after paperwork from Universal Placement, the company that recruited them, sent the school district paperwork with a hodgepodge of problems. Some paperwork was missing and either the deadline for filing other paperwork was not met or had the wrong information.
(Read complete story)200 Filipino Teachers in Louisiana Bilked of Excessive Recruiting Fees, Complaint Alleges
A Filipino recruiter had been charged before the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Attorney General’s office in Baton Rouge Wednesday (Oct. 28) with cheating 200 Filipino teachers thousands of dollars in recruiting fees and held them in virtual servitude for keeping their visas, according to Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. The recruiter had been convicted and jailed for money laundering in California and convicted of the same offense in New Jersey.“The alleged behavior of this recruiter and the treatment of these teachers are quite frankly disgusting and an affront to basic American values,” Mr. Monaghan told a press conference as he announced the filing of the charges by the LFT and the American Federation of Teachers against Lourdes “Lulu” or “Linda” S. Navarro of the Universal Placement International Inc., which has offices in Los Angeles, California, and Quezon City in the Philippines.
Les Landon, LFT director of public relations, provided this news agency a copy of the seven-page complaint filed by Dan McNeil, the lawyer working on the case for AFT.
(Read complete story)
Posts
I am so touched with what Ingrid shared. Thank you so much AFT for standing up for us... you were there when we really needed somebody. I asked for an update and here it is... I hope everything will go on smoothly soon... Everyday I still fear for my status...Everyday I am afraid something might happen... Everyday I pray for peace of mind and security...
ReplyDeleteMabuhay ka Ingrid! My tears are falling before the video is even over. I am more committed than ever to join this cause.
ReplyDeletewhen did the AFT video happen?
ReplyDeleteAng tapang mo Ingrid.... Saludo kami sa 'yo. Nasa likod mo kami palagi. Mabuhay ka!
ReplyDeleteSan na video ni ingrid?
ReplyDeleteNo matter where we go, there will always be a working/recruitment agency. In the Philippines alone, there are a lot of recruitment agencies in the guise of "manpower corporations", where, lowly laborers are victimized. How much more abroad that there are lot of papers to be processed.
ReplyDeleteI think school districts here are treating us as human beings. It is only the recruitment agency who are taking advantage of our desire to come here in the United States.
Good for us that we have reached here...that means, our desires were fulfilled. Now that we are here, we have to shape up and look back and ask...what if?.......
Since...we are now in the land of opportunity, why have we allowed the agency who brought us here to hold us for a year or more, where in fact their job of recruiting and "placing" (for those who were lucky) was done?
I think partly to blame is the POEA. The POEA management should think of ways everyday how to counteract this situation. It is of the case of catching a moving target. The recruiters will find ways of going around the rules. Then the POEA should always be on guard to catch these malevolent agencies.
ReplyDeleteThe only way to protect the recuits is to deposit the payment in a bank escrow and then the bank will have to disburse the money to the agency. The recuiter is not allowed to accept cash. This brings a paper trail to the money transfer. In this case, the money paid is only allowable by law which is up one month salary.
Only legitimate agencies can have this arrangements. This eliminates those who are not registered or suspended. In this setup this will eliminate a lot of problems associated with the payment.
If there is a problem later on, the money can be recovered since all registered agencies have a deposit of P1M as bond.
Then why is POEA not doing this. Simple. It also elimates the "lagay" system, since it will not involve anymore intermediaries and the system is well defined.
This is my take.
marami nagpupuri ke Ingrid pero kunti lang ang umaatend sa mga meetings na pinapatawag nya.
ReplyDeletemeaning, marami paring mga "meron" at dada dito sa EBR. dapat sumama sa meetings upang magkaroon ng kalakasan ng loob at pagpatitibay sa samahan.
ReplyDeletepaano malalaman na may meeting? hindi nga namin alam eh.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletethere you go......nagsilabasan na......
ReplyDeleteout of status does not equal illegal alien
ReplyDeleteto tito.....lahat naman pwede i-justify. and that is what you are doing now.
ReplyDeleteang galing naman ng blog administrator ng blog na ito ang dalawang taong out of status na itinatago talagang binura sa blog: JAN PINEDA at JUN ALMARIO CRUZ, itinatago ba kayo ng kampon ni ingrid cruz???
ReplyDeletetanong lang po nagbabayad po ba ang ibang teachers dito ng another 10% placement fee ke lulu? nananakot na naman siya e. me kinuha siya na law office sa baton rouge.
ReplyDeletemiss mo sila jan at jun? ano mo ba sila ha, anonymous of February 25, 2010 8:44pm.
ReplyDeleteyan. ang sinasabi, laban kong laban....eh-pinasok ninyo ito....eh, walang atrasan...bilang na ang oras sa atin sa baton rouge eh,have you felt that?
ReplyDeleteJust a piece of information, Under the new provision for NCLB by the Obama administration is to adjust the budget of every school according to its academic progress NOT according to its student count.
It is a fact that academic progress is not a common reality in most of the US schools.
What is the implication to this, the lesser the budget of the school, the lesser it has the capability of hiring foreign teachers. Increase class size and reduce the number of teachers....This matter is already disseminated across school districts in the United States.
Think about it.....
yan ang sinasabi ko.....ano maghihintay pa ba tayo sa pera ni lulu na ating pagha hati hatian?
ReplyDeleteIyon kasi ang sabi eh, lulu will loose all her cases filed against her in court and she has to pay us, especially those who gave declarations.
Ngayon, tingnan mo kung sino ang mas mapalad, 'yung nag move on at niluluk ang presyo nang katangaan. Kudios to them, they made the right choice.....They are not tanga after all. And for us here who are left at EBR, let us enjoy our last days.
Jun, Jan, Ingrid, at sa iba pang mga co-teachers na patuloy ang paglalaban hindi lang para sa personal kundi para kapakanan ng mga migrant teachers, mabuhay kayo! Huwag nyong pansisin ang iba dyan na dadak lang na dadak wala namang paninidigan lalo ng ang marami na naghihintay lang ng biyaya pero hindi naman lumalaban.
ReplyDeleteThese people who have no principles are the selfish ones. They just look at every situation in terms of their own personal interest and gains. No wonder they side with Lulu because they are of the same feather. However,be careful . These are the shrewd pretenders who pose as concerned friends who share the same plight but report your every move to Lulu. Hmmm..make sure whom you trust and should not trust!
ReplyDeleteTo Champoy:
ReplyDeleteKaya magulo ang mundo dahil may mga taong sobrang pakialamero kagaya MO! Those ones who sided Lulu made a decision for themselves to be with Lulu. Right? Now, you chose not to be on hers, decision mo rin yan, di ba? Pinapakialaman ka ba nila? Bakit mo sila pinapakiaalaman? Siguro hindi ka nman nila pinapabayad ng utang nila, di ba? Kaya payo lng po, kung wala lang naman tayong ibang magagawa, manahimik na lang tayo at gumawa ng lesson plans, worksheets and other wholesome activities. Hindi yong mgpopost lng dito ng kung anu-ano. Let's not be too self righteous to make none sense comments on others' principles.
anonymous to champoy....I agree with you. No matter where you are at, no matter what you stand for....as long as you do it as an act of choice, then, you are what you are. Ang iba kasi dito, eh, if you do not side with them, then, you are less principled person.kagaya nang line of thinking ni champoy.....sa bagay, iyon lang ang narating sa utak niya eh, so iyan lang din ang mapipiga, so, 'yon lang din ang abot kaya nang pag iisip niya, eh, pabayan na lang natin siya...
ReplyDeletecan't wait for the hearing!
ReplyDeleteLet us all pray that the TRUTH will prevail. Lord, Jesus, be with us especially those courageous teachers who will witness. God is good all the time. He will listen to the Cry of the Filipino teachers!!! Go on... Pinoy teachers. God is with us. Amen.
ReplyDeleteYeah, let's be united... we are strong... undivided... Go! Pinoy Teachers!
ReplyDeleteLord, Christ is Risen Alleluah!!! Bless all the Filipino teachers for the Hearing on April 5, 2010.. May the Truth shall prevail. Bless also, those who will witness and stand for the Truth... Bad deeds never win...
ReplyDeleteTingnan natin ang tapang ni LULU. Sana magpakita cya sa lunes sa hearing. Ella, ihanda mo na ang depensa mo kasi gigisahin ka ng abogado.
ReplyDeleteElla, katulad mo rin amo mo, tanga at nagmamalinis. Kapal ng mukha mo mag judge ng morality ng iba eh ikaw dyan nagpabuntis sa panot, live in pa. Sino may sabit sa Pinas,ikaw o sya, o both of you? BOBO!!!
ReplyDeleteLulu at Ella, kaylan man hinde nanalo ang demonyo!!! Habang buhay nyong dadalhin ang sumpa ni satanas.
ReplyDeleteElla, bobo ka talaga, i declaire ba sa hearing na papatayin sya kasi nakasulat sa blog. TANGA!!! Katulad mo nga director - amo mong bobo!!!
Bakit ano ba ang kasong isinampa laban kay Ella?Baka naman mapahiya kayo at hindi naman magprosper yan.Baka ibasura lang ang kaso nyo laban kay Ella kasi halata naman na gusto lang ninyong makabawi sa kanya.Alam ninyo na wala syang na-violate na batas.Gusto nyo lang syang i-harass to get even.
ReplyDelete"Gusto nyo lang syang i-harass to get even."
ReplyDeleteTo get even? Haha! Ang isda nahuhuli talaga sa bunganga! So it means you agree that Lulu and Ella are indeed harrassing the teachers!
Ella, kung mag-comment ka dito sa blog and mag-pretend na anonymous ka, ayusin mo naman para di ka mabuking.
let our lawyers fight. we paid them. your lawyers are not free. They will get a bigger percentage what they get out of this case........
ReplyDeleteisa lamang po ako sa mga nakikibaka sa mga pinaglalaban ng karamihan sa ating mga guro dito sa baton rouge, madalas akong umaatend samga meetings na pinatatawag ng grupo, pero sa aking pag aanalisa ng tunay na sitwasyon ay 2 lamang, isang manloloko at ang isa naman ay lahat nagpaloko, dokumentado pa, at kung tunay na gabriela silang ang lahat ng kasapi ng grupo ay dapat sa pilipinas pa lang ay umalma na tayo, bakit pa dito sa amerika na hindi naman natin bansang sinilangan tayo makikipaglaban, wala pang bansa na nanalo sa bansang ito dahil itong bansa na ito ay makapangyarihan? kung ihahambing mo ang grupo natin sa kanila ay ipis lang tayo, kung sakali ba na mawalan tayo ng trabaho ay mabibigyan ba tayo ng grupong gabriela silang na ito? mapapakain nyo ba pamilya ko? mababayaran nyo ba utang ko? sagutin nyo sana ang katanungan kong ito para maliwanagan ako kasi parang walang rin pupuntahan ang ating pinaglalaban. katulad lang ng nangyari sa unang hearing, nasira ang grupo, walang kredebilidad ang mga pinaupo nyo sa hotseat, halo-halo ang mga pinagsasabi na wala naman sa inirereklamo natin. 1st round pa lang knock-out na tayo dahil sa kabobohan ng 2 yan. sagutin mo sana ito ingrid, in general, dahil pag pumalpak ang lahat ng pinaglalaban natin ay marami kang pamilyang gugutumin, maawa kayo, di ba pader ang binabangga natin??? kakampi ako ng grupo at di ako kalaban pero ayon sa mga nalaman ko ay halos 50 percent ng umaatend ng mga meeting natin ay hanggang ngayon ay may koneksyon kay lulu navarro at yung iba raw ay may direct contact pa kay lulu, after ng meeting ay alam na raw ni lulu kung ano pinag-usapan natin sa meeting. di ba natin pwedeng salain ang mga miyembro natin? kawawa naman yung solidong nakikibaka sa laban na ito. di kaya dis-organize ang grupo natin??? nagtatanong lang at sana masagot naman ng maayos ng mga namumuno sa samahang ito ang mga hinaing ng mga tunay na gabriela silang ng baton rouge.
ReplyDelete