HAPPY WEEKEND

Justice for Jocelyn’s death
GINA DIZON

The death of Jocelyn Dulnuan, a 27-year-old migrant worker at Toronto, Canada comes as another blow to Filipinos, Cordillerans, Ifugaos and
especially to the victim’s immediate family.

This is another instance of a migrant Filipino worker who dies in an unfortunate
incident while serving in a place away from loved ones and one’s country. Jocelyn died in still unsolved “foul play” circumstances at the palatial house where she works as a caregiver in Missisauga City, Toronto last Oct. 1.

Initial police reports said Jocelyn’s death involved robbery and homicide. Her remains were brought home last Oct. 17 from Canada and brought home to her hometown in Hingyon, Ifugao.

This is to mention also other migrant Filipino workers who died in other instances who have also fallen victims by "foul play" to a harsh and unequal world where most countries are poor while a few are fortunately rich. Reports estimate an average of eight corpses of OFWs who arrive at the Philippine airports everyday.

This, while millions of Filipinos flock to rich developed countries to work as domestic helpers, care givers, construction workers, truck drivers, factory workers, chambermaids and leave their families to look for work and money in order to send children to school, pay staggering debts, build a house, or send money to let somebody in the family be treated to a lingering illness just because the Philippines cannot provide the needed financial expenses to cope with a demanding consumerist world.

This of course is a rehashed sentiment yet; the plight of migrant workers needs to be given attention, with different and separate individual victims succumbing to unfair labor practices, if not plainly exploitative and cruel conditions.

While some are lucky enough to build their homes, establish their families in other countries and live comfortably enough just like other citizens in that country where they migrated, the rest of the millions of overseas migrant Filipino workers are not that lucky enough.

Contracts are either treated as a piece of paper fit for the garbage can where salaries are not given as stated in contracts for one. Just ask any domestic helper or factory worker who feels aggrieved and she will tell you her or his story.

Some are made to sleep in the bathroom, as I heard from a friend of one whose relative is in Taiwan working as a domestic helper. Add to psychological distress of being away from their own families and you will find one lonely, poor, unfortunate soul vulnerable to exploitation. In this condition, the OFW needs all the support that immediate Filipinos or townmates who are in the same country can do for the worker while in a strange place.

It is a relief that Igorot communities have their own associations in these foreign countries where they work and thus be able to extend help and support where necessary to one and another.

The movement of Filipinos and Cordillerans abroad especially the Ifugao community in Canada collectively condoled with the family of the victim and supported the remains of Jocelyn back in her home in Ifugao.

While we have our Filipino and Igorot organizational bonding where migrant workers get mutual help and support for each other though, the Philippine Consulate and Embassy which is found in almost all parts of the world stands also as closest official Philippine institution where the migrant worker can seek help in times of trouble.

It is in this context that the Philippine consulate and embassy based in Toronto, Canada needs to closely monitor the investigation of the murder of Jocelyn until the criminal suspects are charged and sentenced accordingly.

The Philippine government is receiving millions of remittances from Filipino OFWs to help keep the struggling economy stable. Philippine embassies therefore at the same time have to be alert and conscious of providing support to Filipino migrant workers who are giving great contribution in making the country not further slide down to a poor impoverished state and be eaten up by a political and economic order called globalization.

With some eight million OFWs in countries including Hongkong, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Europe, USA, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, UK, they remit some $12 billion a year back home which keeps Philippine economy buoyed up. These “overseas Filipino investors” as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo calls them needs all the government’s support and attention to problems where OFWs find themselves in.

The same treatment should also be accorded by OWWA and not harp on whether Jocelyn was registered or not otherwise such response would be the worst irresponsible act so far of a public agency. That is, one way where OWWA can help is support speedy investigation in the murder of the unfortunate victim.

Same is true for the Philippine government headed by President Arroyo to urge speedy resolution of the case and bring the suspects to be tried and sentenced accordingly. In this manner, OFWs will feel supported by a Philippine government where millions of their remittances are significantly helpful to buoy the economy.

With laws and policies are in place in national and international context to support migrant workers such as the Migrant Workers’ Act and other officials' pronouncements, surely, these laws and pronouncements just need internalization by government officers and officials to find realistic operation and bring responsive and substantial response in the plight of OFWs.

While investigation is underway, let it not be a forgotten case and efforts be done to keep this case as closely monitored as possible in order to let justice prevail for Jocelyn and the rest of OFWs.