Davao City LGU urged to provide protection mechanism for abandoned families of OFWs

By Carina L. Cayon

DAVAO CITY, Mar. 12 (PIA) – A multi-sectoral group here has called on the local government of Davao City to look into the state of abandoned women and families of migrant workers, urging for a protection mechanism to be in place.

The group urged the Davao City Council to enact a local ordinance that would provide assistance and protection to women and families abandoned by their partner or parent Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Led by the Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions Inc. (MMCEAI), some 84 heads and representatives of various institutions from the civil society, non-government, local and national government agencies including barangay officials have pledged to push for this advocacy in the city.

The group would also want to lobby for the local government to hire more social workers who will facilitate psychosocial services, establish more medical facilities and functional family courts that are accessible to distressed families of OFWs.

In a multi-sectoral forum held on March 7 in the city, the group signed a commitment to help in the campaign, including the call to review and amend provisions in several laws that would provide favorable terms for the abandonment families.

MMCEAI executive director Inorisa Sialana-Elento raised the concern in the same forum the increasing cases of abandoned wives, husbands, children, grandparents and in-laws not only in the view of physical separation but also in the perspective of economic neglect.

“The center believes that the rapid increase in abandonment and disintegration of families of OFWs is greatly contributing to social problems, thus requires immediate action and remedy,” she stated.

Sialana-Elento said that the center has been catering to 27 cases of abandonment since 2008, with 162 individuals from ten communities in Davao City, namely Sto. Nino, Mintal, Los Amigos, Tugbok, Calinan, Talomo, Matina Proper, Matina Pangi, Bucana and 23-C.

She said that the city government’s Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) has also documented 65 cases of abandoned families of the migrant workers.

She said only 12 cases were filed in court, mostly concerning charges on multiple marriages, economic abuse such as non-remittance of earnings and intermittent support, and child custody.

The other forms of abandonment include non-communication, loss of love and care and eventual disappearance.

Sialana-Elento said most of the cases handled by the center involved abandoning parties who work as seafarers and domestic helpers in countries such as United States of America, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, among others.

MMCEAI will take the lead in advocating for a local ordinance providing for the protection mechanism of the distressed families of OFWs, as well as the revisit and amendment of laws such as Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 and the New Family Code of the Philippines.

Other laws also deemed for review are RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004, RA 8972 or Solo Parents Act of 2000, and other related laws.    

“Making these laws favorable to abandoned women and families of OFWs is a triumph not only for Davaoenos, but also for all Filipinos in general,” Sialana-Elento stated. (PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon)