“Angels” of OFWs Honored
by Charissa M. Luci

Compassion for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

This prompted the government, led by the Department of Labor and Employmend (DoLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), to confer presidential awards of distinction and ministerial citations on outstanding foreign employers, said Cesar A. Averia Jr., president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Executive Development Institute Staffbuilders International, Inc (EDI-SBII).

Averia expressed elation over the government’s efforts to cite the remarkable contributions of top international providers of employment for Filipinos.

“The government has finally given what is due to them,” he said, citing that four of the company’s longtime partners in building the momentum of qualitative employment practices were SIEA recipients.

Founded in 1979, EDI-SBII, as the country’s multi-awarded consulting and recruitment company, sends more than 500 to 700 Filipinos abroad every year.

As major providers of employment amount to about 8 million Filipinos for the past years, 83 international companies were given ministerial citations, of which 35 also received presidential awards of distinction.

President Arroyo, who last November 10 led the Second International Employers Awards (SIEA) in Malacañang, aimed at paying tribute to various foreign employers who have exemplified the right employment practices.

Included in the roster of presidential awardees of distinction were the National Commercial Bank (NCB), Habchi & Chalhoub (Kuwait Duty Free), and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), while the Saline Water Conversion Corporation and the Chiyoda Corporation were given ministerial citations, a day before the formal awarding of the SIEA.

Representatives of the National Commercial Bank, Habchi & Chalhoub (Kuwait Duty Free), and the Chiyoda Corp. thanked the government for recognizing their feat as major providers of employment for Filipinos.

“The NCB is proud to be recognized in providing employment opportunities and taking care of Filipino employees,” said Gerry Relingo, recruitment manager.

Saudization

Relingo said despite the “saudization” rate imposed by the Saudi government, aimed at protecting its locals, Filipinos still landed jobs in the banking industry.

As the largest bank in the Middle East and the Arab World, the NCB is prescribed to have an 86 percent “saudization,” which means 14 percent are expatriates, he explained.

“Though NCB is a model company for localization, there is still a place for very qualified expatriates, like Filipinos,” he noted, citing that Filipinos outnumber other nationalities.

Known as excellent organizers, coordinators, and administrators in the Middle East, Filipinos occupy respectable positions, including positions as senior analysts, corporate bankers, IT professionals, and administrative staff, he proudly said.

He thumbed down any charge of discrimination, stressing the fair-and-square treatment of management towards its employees. “Each of us has roles to play in the banks. These roles are considered and not where you are from. Performance is what speaks, not nationalities and colors.”

He said the company has provided life support systems for their employees, regardless of their race.

Aim for more

To prove that the country is not only the source of cheap labor, the government should not focus on sending Filipino professionals, instead of domestic helpers, Mr. Relingo batted.

“While supporting the employment of Filipinos for lower level jobs, I think the government should aim for qualified managers, specialists, and professionals employed in global companies. We need to identify which areas to get quality employment. It should be qualitative, rather than quantitative,” he said, challenging the government to intensify the employment of Filipino professionals.

“We have to sell our information technology (IT) professionals. If there is much opportunity here, it is not the money, but the kind of technology you can learn from them and bring it to the country,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Yasou Tateoka, representative of Japan-based Chiyoda Corp., lauded Filipino engineers, saying highly-skilled Filipinos will never be set aside in any industry.

Rethink the laws

Relingo and Anthony Chalhoub, managing partner of Habchi & Chalhoub (Kuwait Duty Free), lauded the government’s viable overseas employment program.

Chalhoub branded the country’s employment program as the “sincerest thing that ever happened in the world.”

However, he cried foul over the inhumane treatment of some OFWs, saying the government should rethink immigration laws.

Some Filipinos are paid less than a US $100 a month and are working 15 to 20 hours a day, seven days a week, he stressed.

“We cannot afford to continue like this. It is a disgrace for us, who are employing Filipinos because we are suspected to be bad people and we are not,” he said.

Zenaida Batillano, the company’s personnel and training manager, agreed that there were cases of abuse committed by some employers.

Batillano said those Filipinos who left through the back door were vulnerable to any form of abuse abroad.

“How can they assert their rights if they are undocumented?” she asked?

In time of crisis

She said that her boss’s compassion for the “abandoned” sector made the company distinct from others.

“God gave us something we can use for the others. We can take advantage of it,” quipped Chalhoub when asked what motivates him to help.”

An innate philanthropist, Chalhoub has supported various charity projects involving the welfare of OFWs.

“He values people so much. It emanates from his ancestors. It really runs in the blood,” said Batillano.

In the wake of the US-Iraq War in 2003, Chalhoub coordinated with the European community to gain information about precautions to be taken if chemical warfare broke out, keeping the Filipino community prepared for the possibility of evacuation.

“Management will help you in times of crisis,” Batillano said.

Forging of ties

Tony Wyatt, owner of Papua New Guinea-based Pacific Industries, said the launching of SIEA would further enhance the harmonious relationship between the government and foreign employers.

Wyatt, who witnessed the televised SIEA awarding rites, forged ties with EDI-SBII to exemplify the best recruitment practices, saying that “recruiting is finding the right people and finding peace in your business and everybody becomes happy.”

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This article was originally published in the Manila Bulletin on December 6, 3005.