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Will You Vote For Jamby Madrigal: Her Plans For OFWs
Apr 6, 2010
Based on the number of Presidents, women empowerment seems to be alive and burning in the Philippines. Unlike other countries that are yet to appoint a woman to rule and manage the whole country, the Philippines have two women Presidents – the late Cory Aquino and recent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. For the Presidential election to happen this year, one woman attempts to follow in their footsteps- Senator Jamby Madrigal is running to hold the most coveted position in the country.
Is Jamby Madrigal worthy to be the next President? Is she a competent and intelligent Senator that has authored and passed laws that lessen the burden of the poor Filipino people? How does she plan to solve the problem of poverty and unemployment? And what are her visions and plans for the modern-day heroes- the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). In this article, let’s see if the lone woman candidate for President is worth the vote of OFWs.
Who Is She?
Senator Madrigal is from a family of nation-builders and public servants. She is the granddaughter of a national hero and martyr, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos. Her granduncle, Assemblyman Pedro Abad Santos, was the father and founder of the Socialist Party of the Philippines and a well-known defender of the poor and the oppressed.
In her struggle to fight for genuine reforms, Senator Madrigal was at the receiving end of the Manila police’s water cannon attack while attending a religious procession on 14 October 2005 along with other political activists.
As a legislator, Senator Madrigal has worked for the protection of the environment and has authored significant bills defending human rights and the rights of women and children. Under her chairmanship, the landmark Magna Carta of Women law was finally enacted after pending for more than a decade in Congress. Likewise, she successfully authored and passed the Anti-Child Pornography Law.
Senator Madrigal has likewise filed bills to advance nationalist economics and has a 100% consistent nationalist voting record. She voted against oppressive legislation such as the E-VAT law, the JPEPA treaty and the Anti-Terrorism law.
Known for her audacity and unwavering spirit, Senator Madrigal continues to strive to change the world and promote peace, justice and equality through both legislation and public service.
She is currently the chairperson of four committees in the Senate, namely, the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; Committee on Youth, Women, and Family Relations; Committee on Cultural Communities; and the Committee on Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation.
Her Plans For OFWs
According to Madrigal, she doesn’t want to look at the Filipino migrant workers like a commodity that the county uses to gain funds. Since the OFWs are a great help to the economy of the Philippines, she promise to protect their welfare especially those who are in the death row. If elected she said she assures renegotiation and immediate legal attention for those in the death row and immediate repatriation for stranded OFWs.
The Senator said that there are many OFWs on death row because the Philippine government failed to provide legal assistance during the critical hours.
She also said that aside from legal assistance, she would freeze Administrative Orders 247 and 248, which were signed by President Arroyo last year. She said these law legalize slave trade.
The two AO’s were implemented as a response to the global economic crisis. Under AO 247, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) was ordered to refocus its functions from regulation to full-blast market development and the exploration of job markets for OFWs.
AO 248 assigns the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to “take the lead in carrying out the government’s payback program for the expatriate Filipino workers”.
