OWWA Has A New Administrator

Carmelita Dimzon is the newly-appointed head of the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Dimzon which was once a deputy administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) replaced former OWWA chief Mariantio Roque. Roque is now the new secretary of Labor Department.

The appointment of Dimzon put an end to the rumors that ex-congressman Prospero Pichay will be the one to fill the vacant OWWA post.  Pichay is assigned to head the the Local Waterworks Utilities Administration.

Several groups of migrant workers expressed their opposition to the possible appointment of Pichay as they want the new OWWA head to be from their ranks. Migrant groups want the leader of the government agency that takes care of the welfare and protection of OFWs to be someone who is competent and with integrity.Among other responsibilities, the OWWA chief will also be the one to manage the Php 10-billion OWWA fund.

DFA: Stop sending OFWs to Somalia 

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) proposed that deployment of land and sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Somalia should be ban due to the increasing number of ships being hijacked by pirates in the boundaries of Somalia and Nigeria.

The proposal was made by DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Esteban Conejos Jr. during the inter-agency meeting of DFA with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Office of the Vice-President, and the four manning agencies of the Filipino crew hijacked in Somalia.

The DFA Undersecretary also proposed that the contract of Filipino crews should not be allowed to be on ships that are vulnerable with the attack of the pirates and raiders, just like what happened to the recent attack of pirates in Somalia. Aside from that, OFWs should be restricted by contract to the safe sea lanes identified and certified by the Coalition of Naval Forces operating in the area.

Secretary Alberto Romulo of DFA said that the government is trying to find ways to keep Filipino seamen away from dangerous waters due to the abduction of Filipino
seamen in Somalia and Nigeria.

He said that Filipino workers, despite the ban are still working in dangerous countries like Iraq and Afghanistan since they can leave without permission from the government.

“It’s time for us to propose ways that the sea-based workers not go to dangerous areas,” he said.

However, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) opposed DFA’s proposal in view of the fact that it would not be beneficial for Filipino seamen.

“Fearful naman kami na mag-impose ng total ban because it might be detrimental to the whole OFW deployment,” said POEA administrator, Rosalinda Baldoz.

On the other hand, the UFS president Nelson Ramirez also snub the proposal of the DFA for reason that it is not practical because every ship that goes to the Middle East or Africa from Asia would have to pass through the Gulf of Aden.

“To ban Filipino seafarers in certain pirate-prone seas is like telling the ship to avoid the water,” he said.

He also added that this would only drive Filipino seamen to apply by means of illegal deployment. Ramirez also said that the Philippine government instead of studying the ban, why not work with other countries in requiring training for all seafarers to combat hijacking scenarios and for ship owners to actively participate in safeguarding the welfare of their crew and ship.

Reports of the International Maritime Bureau said that Somalia and Nigeria waters are the most pirate-infested in the world. Somalia had 24 attacks while Nigeria had 18 between April and June of this year.