February 16, 2009 at the Philippine Consulate Office Dubai  a press conference regarding  the Visit Visa run issues from Buraimi of  Oman and Kish, Island of Iran and  the integration of displaced “OFW” Overseas Filipino Workers.

The Head is Filipino Group Slammed by Manila Officials
story by Mariecar Jara- Puyod of  Gulf Today
A Philippine grassroots group which has been critical of any Philippine president and administration, has itself gotten the thrashing when two visiting officials from Manila, one of who was supposed to be its ally, dared it to prove its allegations of the misappropriation of the Php4 billion (Dhs308 million) fund meant for the 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide.
The lashing against Migrante by Philippine-based Labour Attache Jeffrey Cortazar and newly-designated Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) boardmember- women sector representative Bai Omera Dianalan Lucman, happened on Monday at the exit press conference of two Department of Labour and Employment (DoLE) teams, deployed to Oman and the UAE so that Manila could better address the plight of Filipinos on visa runs and the displaced workers (retrenched or given termination notices) in relation to the global crisis. They (Migrante) have been saying that (allegations of misappropriation) for decades despite (the implementation) of innovative programmes for documented as well as undocumented OFWs,” said Cortazar. every two years who must benefit from the Owwa fund.

“Nothing can be dispensed off just like that without the approval of the board which is a (12-man) composite team (of top-level government officials and sectoral representatives),” said Lucman.
“Owwa funds are covered by very strict auditing. All Migrante has to do is check on the books of the Commission on Audit,” said Cortazar, adding that it will be good if the group, affiliated with international organisations, “do some pencil pushing.”
“I hope they do research and I hope they will be satisfied with their findings,” he also said, claiming that while the Philippine media is accessible to anything that is news, why has Migrante been vigilant only in maligning anyone who sits in government but has not informed it of the doubling of the Owwa funds from Php5 billion (Dhs4 million) to Php10 billion (Dhs8 million) in less than a year.
“I know Migrante is fully aware (of this),” Cortazar said.
Before the press conference, Lucman, along with other Philippine government officials already repeated what has been the problem with regards the fund: that there are OFWs and their families who had been neglectful of repaying whatever loans granted them either for livelihood, education and health purposes.
It was on Sunday when Migrante-Middle East Chapter released a press statement, urging all OFWs to support the on-line signature campaign so that the Php4 billion fund would not be misappropriated in the guise of the reintegration programme (back-to-the-mainstream Philippine society) option given to displaced OFWs.
Cortazar who transited between Oman and the UAE for the past 20 days as head of the Oman (Buraimi) Help Desk Team, had informed The Gulf Today about the release of the Php1 billion (Dhs77 million) for the displaced workers from Oct. 15, 2008.
He also mentioned last week about the three-phase reintegration programme, initially introduced to the first batch of the 4,000 displaced OFWs in Taiwan in December last year.
This is only for the displaced OFWs from Oct. 15 last year,” said Cortazar who is the DoLE-National Reintegration Centre Office head.
“What we want is that OFWs develop that long-range planning,” he said, explaining that those who choose to avail of this package, will first of all go through free training sessions on whatever skills or business ventures they want to engage in.
“So far, there are success stories of the displaced earning between Php2,000 and Php3,000 (Dhs154 and Dhs231) a day from jewelry making and meat processing they were trained to do. They were telling me they better stay home and be with their families than go abroad,” he said.

The second phase includes the release of a non-collateral loan of Php50,000 (Dhs3,846) with a five percent interest per annum for business expansion. Once very successful, the displaced workers could avail of the Php500,000 (Dhs38,461) loan for more expansion.

This story appeared in Gulf Today (Print copy) Page 3 of February 17, 2009 issue. Continued