It seems like every Filipino today whether they are in the Philippines or abroad are outraged over the issue that some of our lawmakers did not allot their pork barrel funds to projects that would truly benefit the Filipino people.

To express their protest against the alleged pork barrel scam, a coalition of progressive groups of overseas Filipinos declared September 19 as “Zero Remittance Day.” The group is urging all Filipinos that are abroad to take a stand and join them on that day to get their message across.

In an official statement, Migrante International described Zero Remittance as “a symbolic protest and a political exercise for Filipino immigrants from different parts of the world to collectively show their outrage on issues that affect them.”


It further said, “On this day, Filipino immigrants from all over the world will once again send a united message against the pork barrel system.”

 

On September 19, the group urged Filipino immigrants not to send money to the Philippines in the goal of pushing the Philippine government to do the following:

 

• Abolish the pork barrel system. Scrap the presidential and congressional pork barrel

• Investigate agencies, and prosecute and punish all officials involved

• Re-channel funds to the people’s interests!  Provide free, more accessible and more efficient services and welfare assitanc to OFWs in distress

Migrante said, “Through the ZRD, we will make our voices be heard in the call to abolish the pork barrel and re-channel funds for the people’s interest, including more efficient services and welfare assistance to overseas Filipino workers in distress.”

The migrants group informed that the Zero Remittance Day was first held in 2008 and the event on September 19 will be the third time that it will happen.

The first time was on October 29, 2008 to show protest against the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), which was held in Manila. The second time happened on July 26, 2009 to show disapproval of then President Gloria Arroyo's plan to implement Charter change through a constitutional assembly.

This year, the 19^th of September was chosen because it is the anniversary of the passing of the law that made the USD25 contribution for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) mandatory for all deployed OFWs.

Migrante said that the benefits and services that OWWA offers to its OFW members are limited. This is in spite the fact that remittances from Filipino immigrants significantly help keep the Philippine economy afloat.

The group explains the effect of the Zero Remittance Day, “The power to send or not to send remittances rests on Filipino immigrants and OFWs alone. By not remitting for one day, Filipinos all over the world will use their economic power to make a stand against corruption, patronage politics and social injustice.”