Trafficking of Filipinas in Singapore
Today (December 10) is Human Rights Day. This week, bloggers all over the world will join forces to raise awareness about one’s right to live. Bloggers Unite is an attempt to harness the power of the blogosphere to make the world a better place. By asking bloggers to write about a particular subject on 1 day of the month, a single voice can be joined with thousands to help make a difference; from raising awareness for cancer, to an effort to better education systems or supporting 3rd world countries.
What do we really know about Human Rights? Prior to this, i honestly have to read through articles concerning Human Rights. On the top of my mind, “it’s the basic need of every person to have a house, clothing and food…” After that my mind, just went blank. So research research…
Wikipedia says :
Human rights are “basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.” Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to be treated with respect and dignity, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education in some countries.
Close enough? I could have written about the recent Ampatuan Massacre in the Philippines, but i believe it’s a whole new topic altogether. Political Dynasty. Election-related Violence. And the list goes on…
Trafficking of Filipinas in Singapore. This has been a problem that Philippine government continues to battle ever since the execution of Flor Contemplacion, or way way before that. She is the Filipina Domestic Helper falsely accused of murder in Singapore. Try thinking about the movie portrayed by the semi-retired actress Nora Aunor, and you will remember.
Her execution severely strained relations between Singapore and the Philippines and caused many Filipinos to vent their frustration at their own government and the Singaporean government over the helplessness, abuse, and mental stresses that many Filipino overseas workers face around the world.
Being an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) is a really stressful feat. Cultural differences, adjusting to a new way of life, language barriers, discrimination. etc. I could only imagine how hard it must be for domestic helpers. What more if they are abused. But all of these, we have to endure in order to give money back to our family in the Philippines.
Ok, i don’t exactly give money every month to my family. But i feel i have the responsibility to stay here so that i can finally save for myself, at the same time give back something to my parents, who have raised me very well.
It could really happen in real life. A recruiter talks to a young girl from the province, promises her a lucrative job abroad. But when the young girl agrees and goes with the recruiter, the young girl realizes that she’s been fooled. Turns out, that she will be working as domestic helper or worse, a prostitute.
Sorry for my script-writing attempt. I will do better next time.
Illegal recruiters could easily do their job because of the budget airfares which significantly lowered the cost of transporting the “victims” to Singapore. They could easily persuade naive girls with their promises, because of poverty and unemployment back in their own countries. And it’s always exciting to work abroad.
“Victims are considered as trafficked if they have been deceived, coerced or subjected to conditions of exploitation as defined by Republic Act 9208, a Philippine law otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003,” the Philippine Embassy in Singapore said in a statement.
You just have to very careful who to trust. You must carefully scrutinize your contract before agreeing to leave the Philippines to be employed here in Singapore. Because once you’re here, you will be more prone to all kinds of discrimination and deception.
You have the right to do so. Don’t compromise yourself just to earn more. It’s your job, your future and your life.
Related Articles on Trafficking of Filipinas. Click here. And here.
