Time to galvanize our gains!

Teachers, we are elated that more and more are now coming out to add their voices to this struggle. We are delighted that many of you, our fellow teachers from different districts have now decided that the only right way to move forward is to stand up and assert our rights.

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

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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)

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

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.)

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.

Illegal Recruitment According to POEA

We would like to share a webpage from the POEA website containing a list of tips of how to avoid illegal recruiters. Below is the link and the article.

http://www.poea.gov.ph/html/how%20to_ir.html

How to Avoid Illegal Recruitment

1. Do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA.
2. Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.
3. Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.
4. Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority
5. Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee. It should be equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.
6. Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.
7. Do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers.
8. Do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment.
9. Do not accept a tourist visa.
10. Do not deal with fixers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Clearly the PARS-Universal tandem violated numbers 5 and 6 above. So to all defenders of Lourders Navarro, how in heaven's name, can you defend an illegal recruiter?

Know your enemy

"You are a big, big tree,
We are a small axe,
ready to chop you down,
to chop you down..."
- Bob Marley

To whom do we attribute the predicament that we teachers are in now? We posed this issue to a lot of our fellow teachers. The common sentiment is that the problems that we are facing now lead us back to the doorstep of PARS and Universal. Simply put, whichever angle you look, the fingerprints of PARS and Universal are all over.

While there are allegations of inappropriate relations between the School District and the greedy agency, those are unfounded and not substantiated. We still believe in the integrity of the School Districts. We do not have any reason to doubt that the School Districts will always act for the best interests of the children of Louisiana.

All teachers have positive experiences about their respective schools. Many have affirmed that the school is well intent in providing quality education to its students. If follows that we are positive that the School Districts will be able to evaluate us based on our individual performances. And we are very confident that the skill and knowledge of the Filipino teachers will prevail. Not only that, but what is abundant in our hearts as teachers is our burning commitment to impart knowledge, skills and attitude to the children that we pledged to serve and support.

So teachers, our struggle for justice should be targeted against the real oppresor. Let us put our energies together as our enemy is indeed a big big tree. We are a small axe but with our combined strenght we can surely chop this rotten tree down.

- Gurong Kritikal

Suck up or fuck up!

(This article is a contribution emailed to us by one of our fellow teachers. Pardon the use of "strong" and "dirty" words, but we respect his freedom to speak his/her mind. Afterall we cannot deny the anger that many of us feel. Again we would like to stress our respect for each person's freedom of speech.)

Here we are Filipino teachers having the time of our lives down south in lovely baton rouge, gud ol’ US of A, noooottt! Well yes sure its wonderful to have this opportunity to teach and live in the place where we’ve always dreamed of making our family’s lives better. And people here are just treating us just right! Bless EBR and the wonderful people of Louisiana.

Unfortunately Queen Latifah back west and her minions just loves to make our lives a living hell. Having charged us twice or even thrice the usual placement fee sure gave them the label of certified public fuck ups! I wonder how they sleep at night. Which brings me the question do they ever sleep at all? Those blood, money sucking shit heads deserve fifth world maximum penitentiary treatment .

Intimidation, a word they so lovingly adore, “they” would try every avenue and use it to try to scare us shitless.

Oh! And did I not mention that she’s getting commissions from the overcharged rents we’re getting here? We’re talking about them almost doubling the normal rate of the cost in staying in this decrepit, constricted, old apartment block in one of the not so nice neighborhoods in the city. Well, fuck u very much queen latifah, those ridiculuos commissions should get you more reward points from going straight into the gates of hell. Have fun and make our day!

Well, guess what , she aint playin’ us for a fool. Not only is she the dumb one, she’s just makin’ it clear that she is one of the crookedest mutha fuckin bitchy bastards in the world. As she boasted, “we are highly qualified Filipino teachers”, now your getting a taste of our being highly qualified. Now eat shit dumb fuck! You’ll be hearing more from us and you’ll be so full of charges and complaints from us you’d be drowned with disdain, disgust, and embrassment not only from the Filipino communities around the United States but from every nook and cranny of the educational microcosmic world of the United States of America!

I hope you enjoy being a bitch in prison when the dust settles. Yes, we are thankful to be here through you but it doesn’t give you the right to fuck us up even more. 10 percent of our monthly salary during our second year of teaching here should equate to 20 percent of your life taken every month during that year.

We are in a dawn of a new era queen latifah, we’re doin somethin righteous and fightin for our freedom just as the ethos of the forefathers of this wonderful nation has so rightfully fought. So to the Filipino teachers reading this, stand up, get up, don’t get fucked up! Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! No other nation on earth would it be possible for us teachers to fight justifiably for our good cause than here in this bedrock of freedom and liberty! Yes we can! Yes we can!YES WE CAN!

---- Orgasmic Chagrin