Laid off OFW now on job hunt

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:10:00 01/15/2009

Filed Under: World Financial Crisis, Overseas Employment, Employment, Regional authorities

CALAUAN, Laguna – Anna Roselle Ariano went home from Taiwan in December last year not to spend her Christmas vacation but to look for a job.

In her first stint as an OFW (overseas Filipino worker), Ariano, 25, worked as a technical assistant in Advanced Chip Engineering Technologies Inc. (Aceti), a producer of wafer chips, in Hsinchu, Taiwan, in March 2007.

She had thought that she would be earning three times the local wage rates, but things did not happen as she had hoped. She was laid off in November; still she remained optimistic that she could find another job abroad.

Ariano’s pay slip reflected a salary of NT23,000 (P34,000) but half of that went to medical insurance, tax, agency and broker’s fee.

“We found our pay slip strange. Too many items were enumerated. Our initial pay slips were written in English so we easily understood the particulars, but they suddenly changed it to Mandarin,” she related.

She said she and the other employees tried to complain to their employment agency, but nothing came out of it.

Despite the relatively low salary, she persisted in working in Aceti as she just wanted to help her parents send her three siblings to school.

“My mother is earning through our retail store, while my father is unemployed. I want to give them a better life, just like ordinary children who want to repay their parents. Only my twin sister and I were working so I hoped to stay longer in Taiwan,” Ariano said.

Other companies in Taiwan are offering up to NT40,000 (P50,000), she said.

Austerity

During the last quarter of 2008, Aceti started imposing austerity measures. It reduced electricity costs even at the expense of production. “We could not even use a cleaning tissue needed in the production,” Ariano said.

Workers were forced to file leaves to lower production costs. “The company eventually resorted to forcing us to file several leaves from work. Since there was a no-work-no-pay policy, we had very little salaries in our last few months,” Ariano related.

She said there was a time when the workers had to file two-week leaves since the company declared no work during the period. Only a few Taiwanese were allowed to work.

“It was hard since we had to pay our dorm and other expenses. Tax, agency fees and other items were still deducted from our pay. What we had was literally too little for us to stay there,” she said.

On Dec. 2, Ariano and her co-workers were called to a meeting by their employment agency. “We were asked about our plans. It was either we stayed or not,” she said.

More retrenchment

Having no assurance of work and with her savings running out, Ariano decided to go back to the Philippines. Thirty-seven OFWs decided to fly home to seek other opportunities – locally or abroad.

“Our agency told us that most companies in Taiwan were laying off, so we decided to look for some other opportunities somewhere,” Ariano said.

Migrante International, a nongovernment organization supporting Filipino migrant workers, reported that as of November 2008, 720 workers were laid off in Taiwan alone and the figure continued to escalate as more companies either shut down or laid off employees.

Ariano had not yet fully paid her placement fee when she flew to Taiwan in 2007. She was only able to pay half of the P85,000 placement fee.

She admitted that she was not able to invest on a single property from her earnings in Taiwan. She said her salary would go to the basic needs of her family.

“I am looking for an employment opportunity abroad that could give me a good pay. Despite the financial crisis, I have to continue looking for work,” she said. “After all, it’s for my family.”

Pols urged to help OFWs in death row

By Karen Lapitan
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 02:44:00 12/23/2008

Filed Under: Labor, Regional authorities

MANILA, Philippines – Citing hat the 2010 elections are already approaching, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is challenging politicians to start showing off by helping those who are on Death Row overseas like him.

Rodelio Lanuza, 34, has been in jail in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, since August 2000 and sentenced to die by beheading in public.

The beheading was postponed until the son of the victim could decide on it when he reaches legal age, or seven years from now.

However, Lanuza was still worried about his situation. “I don’t know what might happen in the coming days. If the Saudi Arabia authorities would demand it (beheading), it can be done immediately, even tomorrow,” he told the Inquirer in an e-mail.

He was convicted after he allegedly killed a Saudi national in August 2000, which he claimed was a case of self-defense since the victim assaulted him.

He, however, said he was asking for forgiveness from the family of the victim.

Lanuza has tried to seek help from some politicians, but his request for financial assistance has been declined.

He tried to ask for help from the office of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada but this was also not granted, allegedly due to budget constraints.

Lanuza sought the help of other politicians like Sen. Aquilino Pimentel and Rep. Mikey Arroyo but got only a referral to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

He said he was asking for help for the education of his children since his family had no other means to support their studies. He also sought legal assistance.

“The government is neglecting my case,” Lanuza claimed.

He related that the DFA had been sending letters to his family, claiming that the office was acting on the case. “That’s a lie. I don’t even have a lawyer who can help me right now.”

The DFA, he said, tried to give him legal assistance through lawyer Sheikh Saleh Al-Wadani.

“The supposed lawyer was asking for $10,000,” Lanuza said.

“I am appealing to PGMA (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) to personally talk to the King of Saudi Arabia to ask forgiveness on my behalf,” he said. “[After all], the election is [approaching].”

OFW’s children plead for help

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:28:00 11/18/2008

Filed Under: Labor, Prison, Children, Regional authorities

BACOOR, Cavite – Unlike other children, Fatham, 13, and Mohd, 11, are not asking for new clothes or toys this Christmas. Instead, they are pleading that their stepfather, who has been in the Damman Central Jail in Saudi Arabia for eight years now, be freed.

“Please help our Papa,” teary-eyed Fatham told the Inquirer on Friday at their residence in Camella Homes in Bacoor.

In five days or less, they might be forced to leave the house, as they could no longer afford to pay the required amount of P99,000. The house has been foreclosed and a new owner might occupy the unit soon.

Rodelio Lanuza, 34, was jailed in August 2000 after he was charged of murdering an Arab who belonged to an influential family.

Lanuza is now in death row as he was sentenced to die in public execution through beheading last May 27, 2002. Fortunately, the beheading was delayed as he has to wait for another seven years until the youngest child of the victim reaches legal age.

“The youngest child of the victim can either forgive my husband or not. I am also appealing to the king of KSA to help us negotiate with the victim’s family,” his wife Maribeth told the Inquirer.

Lanuza worked as a technician in a private firm in Saudi Arabia before the incident happened.

Maribeth, 33, said: “His first two years in jail was very hard. He was put in solitary confinement.”

“He attended his first hearing all by himself. He had no lawyer to defend him. There was not even someone from the [Philippine] Embassy to accompany him,” Maribeth said, trying to hold back her tears.

The killing reportedly took place in August 2000 in a social gathering in Saudi where an Arabian national, who happened to belong to a known family in the area, assaulted him.

Maribeth refused to disclose details, saying the case is too sensitive. Lanuza’s case is with Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Judicial Council.

She said her husband would even give his belongings that they had sent him to his inmates who are in need. “Even as he is in jail, he never fails to help other people.”

The Lanuza family’s difficulties do not end at having the family head in jail.

On Oct. 8, Maribeth was forced to go home as she learned that no one was taking care of their two children. Maribeth also worked in Saudi Arabia as a hospital aide.

With only the exact amount of fare in her pocket, she flew back to the country.

The couple decided to leave their children to a housemaid whom they trusted. It turned out that the money they sent did not go to the needs of their children but was instead spent by the housemaid.

Maribeth said she wanted to file a case against the housemaid, Deborah Balunsay.

“Filing a case, however, would mean shelling out money, so I decided not to pursue the case,” she said.

The experience had put their two children in despair, especially Fatham, who developed depression.

Plead

Maribeth felt that the government was not paying much attention to jailed Filipinos abroad. “The issue is not just about my husband. There are many Filipinos in jails abroad, some are already waiting for their death. I am appealing to the government to do something about our problem,” she said.

Lanuza is on his own in his case. Right now, no lawyer is assisting him and negotiations between the victim’s family are conducted without counsel. “He badly needs legal assistance,” Maribeth said.

However, she is thankful that individuals and groups have been helping them. “Some sent monetary support before, but what we need is an assurance that my husband will not be beheaded and he will be freed.”