Bro. Eddie Villanueva on Thursday urged Malacañang to prepare measures that will ensure the protection of Filipinos living and working in Malaysia, in anticipation of a possible tightening of immigration and employment rules there.
Villanueva said Philippine authorities should be pro-active and should already be prepared to provide assistance to Filipinos in Malaysia, many of whom are fearing possible harassment, layoffs, and even deportation, should the Malaysian government tighten its regulations following the standoff in Sabah.
He said the Philippine embassy and overseas labor office in Malaysia should beef up their readiness to provide advisory services, legal and logistical assistance to Filipinos who may be affected by a possible tightening of such rules.
“With the occupation of a village in Lahad Datu by a group of Filipinos claiming ownership of Sabah, the possibility of the Malaysian government cracking down on Filipinos, especially those who lack the necessary travel and working documents not only in Sabah but throughout Malaysia cannot be discounted,” Villanueva said.
“The DFA should anticipate this possible eventuality and prepare to provide advisory services, as well as legal and logistical assistance to our fellow Filipinos living and working there.”
In particular, both the Foreign Affairs and Labor departments should deploy more officials and personnel to Malaysia to increase their respective capacities to accommodate requests for assistance and complaints from Filipinos there.
Back home, Villanueva said the government should create jobs and provide investment support and livelihood opportunities to help integrate returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) into mainstream society.
Vulnerability of government policy
“The fear of many Filipinos now living and working in Malaysia that they will lose their jobs or will be sent home only shows the vulnerability of having a government policy that encourages and trains our workforce to find work abroad,” Villanueva said.
“This situation only highlights the need for the government to not only undertake programs that will ensure that the basic rights of our OFWs are protected but, more importantly, to remove the necessity for Filipinos to leave home in search for good-paying jobs.”
Villanueva, whose senatorial campaign is centered on championing the causes of the “sagigilid” or the marginalized sectors in society which includes Filipino professionals and workers who are forced to leave their families to find work abroad, said the filing of legislation that will institute mechanisms that will serve to protect Filipinos from threats of abuse and violence while working abroad, programs that will prepare the local environment for the eventual return of OFWs to the country.
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