This blog was inspired by a Filipina domestic from the Middle East who left her newborn baby – with placenta still attached – at the Bahrain Gulf Air airplane upon landing in Manila, read her story here http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/may-1.html . Her despair and desperation inspired this blog to gather all possible stories in order to help, to inform and to empower all Filipina nannies, caregivers and maids -- to liberate themselves from abuses of all forms: physical, rape, verbal, exploitation, overtime working without pay, et cetera. Send us your stories. Stay anonymous - if you like. (No one can afford to lie about this matter anymore). Write in Tagalog, or your dialect, or English or French, or any language. ALL nanny, caregiver and domestic maids are welcome, send your emails to mangococonutmay1@gmail.com
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FILIPINA CAREGIVER GRANTED T-VISA AND FMC MARCHES ON INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY TO CALL FOR PROTECTING FAMILY REUNIFICATION AND
by Pinay Quebec (Notes) on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 11:42am
NEWS RELEASE
6 May 2013
Reference:
Joanna Concepcion
Long
Beach--Charito Ramos, a Filipina caregiver and a trafficked worker who
sought the help of the Filipino Migrant Center in July of last year, has
been granted a T-visa (T-Non Immigrant Classification) by the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Department of
Homeland Security. FMC linked Ramos with the Coalition to Abolish
Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) in Los Angeles, who provided her with
legal assistance in filing for her T-visa application. The T-visa
granted to Ramos is valid for a period of four years, allowing her to
work legally in the United States and apply for a green card upon the
third year. Ramos will now be qualified to receive federal public
benefits such as cash assistance, food stamps and medical care; and with
the support of the International Organization of Migration, bring her
husband and three of her children from the Philippines to California.
As
a high school teacher in the Philippines, Ramos' meager salary was not
enough to provide for her 7 children, prompting her decision to search
for work abroad. Ramos was recruited by Adman Agency in the Philippines
to work as a housekeeper in Arizona. The agency promised Ramos a wage
of $7.25 per hour, the ability to renew her visa, apply for a green card
and petition her family. However, upon arrival in Arizona, she was
brought to a homecare facility to work as a caregiver taking care of 6
patients. For one month, Ramos worked for two care homes, with no days
off and slept an average of 3 hours everyday and was only paid $800. She
left her recruiter in Arizona and eventually moved to California in
search of other jobs.
Her story adds to the
growing trend of Filipino migrants abroad who become vulnerable to labor
exploitation, human trafficking and other forms of abuse. Afforded
little to no protection by the Philippine government and its agencies
assigned to look out for the welfare of OFW's and without any knowledge
of legal recourses available to them in their host country, Filipino
migrant workers often times become trapped. "Filipinos have become like
modern day slaves, who are being auctioned off at the slave market.
Except today, the Philippine government is the slave catcher, while the
foreign employment agencies and traffickers are the new slave masters.
Unless we do something to end the export of Filipino migrants as cheap
labor, we cannot stop them from being trafficked and exploited, and the
rising unemployment in the Philippines will not be addressed" explained
Alex Montances, NAFCON Southern California Regional Coordinator.
Sitting
inside one of the rooms at the CAST office, with her visa on hand,
Ramos could not contain her tears. "I feel overwhelmed and excited. I
feel so happy and speechless. It took a very long time and I endured a
lot of hardship and pain but I am grateful to all those who have helped
me. I want to tell other Filipino migrants to not be afraid because we
have to fight for our rights and what is just." When asked about her
next plans, Ramos replies "I will stay at my work taking care of grandma
(her patient) until her last breath. She is going to turn 98 years old
soon and I have grown to love her. Hopefully after that I will be able
to teach again. I will continue to become involved in fighting for the
rights of Filipinos who are exploited."
"Charito's
victory is a victory for all trafficked workers who fell into the hands
of people who abuse the huge pool of cheap labor of migrants coming
from poor countries like the Philippines." said Joy De Guzman, FMC
Executive Director. Atty. Sara Van Hofwegen, one of Ramos' lawyers at
CAST said "Charito has been very brave. I know how difficult it was to
make that call to FMC and for her to meet with us. We are very happy
here at CAST to work with her. We hope her story can encourage others
with similar situation to come out because there are people who are
willing to help." Ramos' case will remain open with CAST until the
moment she reunites with her family."
International Workers Day March
25
members of the Filipino Migrant Center marched in Downtown Los Angeles
on May 1st to commemorate International Workers Day and to project the
struggles of Filipino migrant workers like Ramos. FMC joined the member
organizations of API Fire, a coalition formed to represent the voices of
the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the current immigration
reform debates. Some of the demands of our contingent were: to protect
the right to petition siblings and adult children; to include LGBT
families; to end unjust deportations and provide a clear and humane path
to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants.
Stop human and labor trafficking!
Unify and Protect Families!
Justice and Dignity for all immigrants and workers!
-===================================================
For the transfer of children to be qualified as trafficking, there should be:
1. the conclusion of a transaction;
2. the intervention of an intermediary;
3. the motive to exploit.
The term “transaction” refers to “any institution or practice through which young people, below 18 years, are handed over by either or both parents, or by a guardian to a third person whether for a fee or not, with the intention of exploiting the person or the work of the young person.”
Such a definition did not encompass all forms of child trafficking. Therefore, as the understanding of child trafficking progressed over time, a new definition emerged; in December 2001 this new definition was agreed upon in Palermo, Italy, as part of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Keeble & Ralston, 2003). The definition recognized children trafficked without the use of an intermediary, children who migrate on their own accord, children who are kidnapped, and orphans. Another key difference was the recognition of a child’s inability to consent, which discounted any consent as invalid in the interest of protecting the child (Godziak & Collett, 2005).
The new working definition of child trafficking is:
The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered ‘trafficking in persons’ even if it does not involve any of the means set forth in sub paragraph (a) in this article.
1. Forced to work through mental or physical threat;
2. Owned or controlled by an ‘employer,’ usually through mental or physical abuse or threatened abuse;
3. Dehumanized, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’;
4. Physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement.
=====================================================
-===================================================
Slavery vs. Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery and it’s end purpose is exploitation.
Child Trafficking:
Child trafficking has been an evolving concept. In the 1990s, the West African branches of the ILO and UNICEF worked together to create the following definition which was used in their work and research until 2001.For the transfer of children to be qualified as trafficking, there should be:
1. the conclusion of a transaction;
2. the intervention of an intermediary;
3. the motive to exploit.
The term “transaction” refers to “any institution or practice through which young people, below 18 years, are handed over by either or both parents, or by a guardian to a third person whether for a fee or not, with the intention of exploiting the person or the work of the young person.”
Such a definition did not encompass all forms of child trafficking. Therefore, as the understanding of child trafficking progressed over time, a new definition emerged; in December 2001 this new definition was agreed upon in Palermo, Italy, as part of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Keeble & Ralston, 2003). The definition recognized children trafficked without the use of an intermediary, children who migrate on their own accord, children who are kidnapped, and orphans. Another key difference was the recognition of a child’s inability to consent, which discounted any consent as invalid in the interest of protecting the child (Godziak & Collett, 2005).
The new working definition of child trafficking is:
The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered ‘trafficking in persons’ even if it does not involve any of the means set forth in sub paragraph (a) in this article.
Modern Day Slavery:
Modern day slavery is defined by the following common characteristics:1. Forced to work through mental or physical threat;
2. Owned or controlled by an ‘employer,’ usually through mental or physical abuse or threatened abuse;
3. Dehumanized, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’;
4. Physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement.
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At 27 Million Voices in Prince George we are currently seeking people for our events committee. If you would like to volunteer with us, complete the 27MV Volunteer Application Form and email it to admin@27millionvoices.org
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Read our related articles
This blog was inspired by a Filipina domestic from the Middle East who abandonned her baby born inside airline toilet upon landing in Manila
http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/this-blog-was-inspired-by-filipina.html
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