Inept POEA: A Bane To OFWs

"A certain combination of incompetence and indifference can cause almost as much suffering as the most acute malevolence." - Bruce Catton

Let's talk about mundane things here, I mean, the Filipino way.  I guess nobody will argue with the consensus that the dreadful  long queues at the POEA grounds that extend to EDSA  even before dawn  is world-renowned. Though office hours officially start at eight in the morning, notice that some personnel maintain their propensities for having much to do with nothing before actually hitting the ground running, on their term, fifteen minutes later. By this time, the breakfast-less and sleep deprived hordes of people are already in their palest. Seriously, a day at this notorious government office is dreaded by all.

If you think  adherence to the famed American time gives you an edge over  third-world behaviors, think again. Labeling them desperate and insane  will not help their cause, because the OFWs falling in line outside of the POEA even before the roster crows are perfectly sane and hardworking citizens who are reluctant recipients of the lethal bureaucracy entrenched in the veins of government officials. 

Jose is just one of the thousands of OFWs that flock to the POEA everyday. His case was no extraordinary. He just needs to secure an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) because every returning OFW has to have one as a government requirement for them to be allowed to fly back to their work destinations abroad. He complains that  if his company had only given his passport days before his flight for Manila, he could have easily secured his OEC from the Jeddah Consulate and not facing this horrendous ordeal that he is into. With barely an hour of sleep and left with no choice but to confront his ordeal, Jose had to get up already even others could  just be starting  rolling out their blankets. He would insist, he had been doing this already almost a fortnight into his vacation.

At three early morning, breakfast or coffee forgone, he sees himself tugging his red eyes so as not to fall asleep, while one hand grips the handrail over his head and the other clutches his backpack loaded with documents to prove he really is a documented OFW, a vacationing OFW at that, whose misfortune he finds himself in, he swears, he blames on the government's inefficiency and its legendary bureaucracy. He has in fact lost count of the number of times he catches an early tricycle ride on an unholy hour of day to make it early at the POEA grounds, to get in line and hope to get a really nice number -  and failed another time.

While still in Jeddah, he already had itineraries planned for a month's vacation. This time he says, he promised to spend quality time with his family or perhaps a vacation in Baguio. Thinking that he needed to secure his requirements first, on the second day of his arrival, he already found himself in a monstrous queue that others say had formed long before daybreak. Still his only first day at what would later turn out to be a two-week ordeal, and  no dearth of virtues yet, as everybody else goes through similar circumstances.   Queuing up at seven in the morning and your number called out at around three in the afternoon probably is no exciting moment, at least he's already a step closer to the finish line. But once he got there, he was told to renew his passport that will expire three months later. 

For whatever reason, the government that determines the validity of one's passport does not accept a passport to be valid with an active life remaining of still three months. (I guess if you have a return ticket after exactly a month's vacation, and still your passport is over two months valid, I find no reason why an OFW cannot travel back and decides for himself to renew it in the embassy or consulate in the host country where he finds it convenient). The dreadful thing is, even obtaining a form for renewal or passport extension will take another day for which you will be required to come back again, and repeating the same process all over again. Jose complied diligently and after five days his passport was released, its validity already extended. Take note that every compliance of documents or a mere change of counter, one needs to reach deep into his pocket to make people in the government happy.

At long last Jose thought this could be it. This was going to be the final phase of his agony - of getting up at three before dawn and sleepless, taking three separate rides, patiently standing in the queue for hours, and needless to say a growling stomach already trained into submission. He however had the slightest idea that his real ordeal had just started when at the counter he was promptly told that he cannot be issued an OEC because he cannot be considered a Balik-Manggagawa (returning OFW). At first, he thought the woman was not referring to him because he in every sense of the word is a certified legal OFW - that is unless you're faced with a dilemma of either you lack technical merits, and or you are talking to a moron behind a hole. In this case, the POEA has its own set of criteria to determine whether an OFW is legal or documented to be  considered a returning or vacationing OFW.

And how on earth he was refused issuance of OEC? If Jose has with him a valid passport with an exit-reentry visa valid within  45 days appended to it, and a return ticket to Jeddah, then how could the POEA classify him as not a real Balik-Mangagawa? Their contention however is, he had a couple different names written in his passport as his sponsors, which is not the case. They further argued that it is illegal for him to work for a new employer while still under the sponsorship of his first sponsor. And after a drawn-out debate, he was told to proceed to the second floor for assessment of his case, for which he will be asked to provide a contract copy that further stipulates that the employer takes responsibility for the repatriation of the remains of the employee in case he dies in the host country. Okay, before we react simultaneously, this is what the Aquino government wanted to implement to advance the cause of OFWs. Nice try though, not really moronic. This is fine albeit shocking, yet utterly disgusting.

The following reasons prove that POEA has failed to look at the merits of Jose's case:
1. Jose was hired in 2006 by his first sponsor after which he obtained release after a year with no obligation whatsoever to the latter. Please note that Jose had transferred to his second sponsor (a personal friend of his first sponsor) in 2007, therefore making the former his new and legal sponsor as shown in his iqama (residence permit). To educate the stupid and unqualified people of POEA, let me tell you that in Saudi Arabia, it is perfectly legal to transfer sponsorship even for the third time, meaning you can have four different sponsors one after another if you wish to.

2. Jose had already gone on vacation in 2009 under his current sponsor, therefore this is already his second vacation under the same sponsor, in fact his fourth year already under his current sponsor.

3. He has a return ticket to Jeddah and an exit-reentry visa valid within 45 days. That alone supports his cause to be considered a legal OFW.

4. In his 2009 vacation, he secured his OEC from the Jeddah Consulate with no fuss at all and not a bit of change in his status. The only difference is that, people at the Consulate can read and understand Arabic and are well-versed with the Saudi Labor Law. If there's any hint or trace of irregularity, they are the first people to detect it, unlike at the POEA where employees just like to act smart in order to intimidate the OFWs.
5. And if ever the stupid brains behind this stupid game of moronic proportion wanted him to bleed in order for him to furnish them a stupid contract that stipulates some stupid thing, then he could not, because it's impossible. Jose was hired directly from the Philippines under a driver's visa but works in Saudi Arabia as a Visual Merchandising Specialist and getting a good salary that he will never find in his five lifetimes in the Philippines.

So why still refuse to issue an OEC to a documented OFW who has only gone on vacation so that he could take a needed rest and enjoy time with his family? This is crazy because refusal to issue an OEC to a vacationing OFW is tantamount to depriving his entire family a life and a future. Who would have thought that a supposed great vacation turned into nightmare? Literally, I think the poor guy really needed a punching bag! I could see him sobbing his way through a nearby store  and struggling to carry a caseload of beer, and getting tears all over the IKEA sheepskin he brought home, as his stupid tormentors go about with their usual habit  of  feasting on someone else's life in between coffee breaks.

The situation he was in was far from what he had hoped for - a well-planned vacation that turned out to be anything but happy. But for all its worthy cause, and nothing greater than fighting for your family to survive, the will and faith in God will see him through, especially when the very existence of your loved ones is on the line. From great friends - personal and virtual - a network of support came in. Despite the odds seemingly getting slimmer, and depression almost took over, he had not lost sight of his rights and his purpose. 

Before then, however, PEBA volunteers had already initiated some steps to help his cause through its founder Jebee Kenji Solis. And no less than Ms. Susan Ople, the daughter of the great former senator Blas Ople had offered help to convince the POEA that Jose is a documented OFW, and therefore should be allowed to get the OEC. Even Ms. Ople had apprehensions that what they were trying to do was a long shot considering that the new POEA policy re squeezing out a contract from a vacationing OFW should be upheld. (Without the contract, an OFW is deemed illegal.) Jose's cause could have merited him a slot high up in the mountains with the Reds,  it's just that the very entity he was fighting against, is the government that vows to pursue a "straight path" and encourages its citizens to work hard for their family and country. His only transgression though was his failure to get OEC from the Jeddah Consulate that he was left with no choice but to suffer from the stupendous stupidity by the insecure and irrational POEA people.

Though there was no clear cut solution to Jose's problem, the effort of Ms. Ople to speak with one of the big bosses of POEA was nothing short of commendable. His dilemma remained for a brutal two weeks, half-way through his vacation, with no hope in sight. Still, he is not ready to wave a white flag. And who does when you see your family weeping with you? He thought if he will give up easily and not give his last shot, the government will not give him a cent either, for he cannot be classified as displaced, to them he is illegal and therefore should be punished.

And his last recourse - give another try, perhaps his last.  And again he followed the same routine - filled out a form, the same familiar form, except that he made some changes - he wrote the name of his first sponsor as  his current sponsor (which is not the right information since it has been  five years since he had transferred legally).  And voila! They did not question him because he had returned to his first sponsor, therefore he is no longer illegal. Quickly, the most-prized OEC was issued to him to his great relief, as though he won a lottery.  And yes, because he wrote a different name, the wrong name, he suddenly became a legal and documented OFW. Kudos to you morons at the POEA whose understanding of the Saudi Labor Law is  nil! When are you going to realize that your sheer incompetence and ineptitude almost ruined lives of hapless people who feel helpless because you idiots in the bureaucracy do not have the capacity of sound reasoning?

Even the penguins of Antarctica will swear that the human species called OFW  is the milking cow of the 13th most populous country in the world called the Philippines. And despite the superficial accolade accorded them, they are sometimes treated no more than a bunch of annoying  export commodity by people in the government. Some people think that because they work in the government they are there to uphold the system, even if it means the system goes against logic and humanity. Yet, it is utterly incomprehensible to say the least,  how government employees at the POEA can be so stupid and dumb to ignore facts and reason laid down before their noses, and still insist that they are just protecting the dignity and welfare of OFWs even if it means to deprive them of their life and future.

Jose learned his lesson the hard way. Half of his vacation wasted and gone - he did not enjoy a family outing, decided not to celebrate his birthday, did not have time to go out with his wife and daughters - depression got the better of him - all because he thought his family's future fades slowly before his eyes - because the administration he helped campaign to win in Jeddah, "cares" for his welfare and the rest of the OFWs. Jose only had his instinct to trust and of course God. If he did not try the last time, he would have not discovered the art of fooling the fool that refuses reason for fear of being humbled. And so  he lives to tell another day that God's grace is sufficient for those who persevere.




* Jose is a blogger who maintains three blogs including a photo blog that counts some media personalities in the Philippines as its fans. In 2010, he won recognition from PEBA as one of its winners in a photo contest.

I Voted And Insist To Be Counted!

"Days or months of scrutiny are over. The agony (of choosing) upended.  No more what ifs in hindsight. My votes had been cast. And the time to await the outcome just gets longer." 

Yesterday was a memorable trip to the new Jeddah Consulate. I and a colleague had decided  the earlier the better - exercise our constitutional rights and experience democracy at its best - in this kingdom of desert sand. Surreal? Yes, it was. This was only my second time to vote as an adult. And it happened here in the most unlikely of territories where democracy spells obscurity.

The sun was blazing past midday, and traffic along Tahlia Road leading to the Consulate compounded to my almost losing a thin virtue called patience. I reckoned the Consulate normally closes at three in the afternoon, and ten minutes preceding, we were still stuck in a single-lane-turned-three by the notorious motorists of Jeddah. (Please note excavation of main thoroughfares in Jeddah is a generations-long problem fraught with graft and corruption.) At long last, the sight of a lonely and pale-looking sun-drenched Philippine Flag atop the Consulate did appease me.

Upon presenting our IDs and after some log book formalities, we proceeded to verifying our names in the list and got to memorize our sequence numbers. A kind fellow in barong-tagalog welcomed us and volunteered to find our sequence numbers, when obviously we were efficient enough to master the alphabet chronology. But his slapping us with a boldly-written name of the party-list he is endorsing, was a big turn-off. The whole process though went smoothly and funny.

The three people manning the polling precinct seemed to have panicked, (perhaps over-excited) on a joyful sight of two dutiful voters. I must say the gap of voters coming in,  has served to be therapeutic from their night's bout with insomnia. My mind wandered. What if my vote does not count? My eyes glued on a thinly-placed piece of carton that stores the ballots. The bandages strapped heavily around each corner with some scribbles in it, did not amuse me either. This is a far cry from the fabulous PCOS machines that tantalize you everyday on TV Patrol. "But I don't want to lose the moment. This rarely happens."

A quarter of an hour was all it took me to complete my ballot. There were last moment addition to the roll as I was compelled to fill in the twelve. My choice for president and vice-president, regardless of their survey rating or degree of popularity,  satisfies my own standards and I believe they are the kind of candidates our country needs. The entire experience of having voted gave me a sense of empowerment and satisfaction. That was a proud moment I can never forget. Photos of me savoring the moment can vouch to that. (lol!)

Caveat: I was promptly warned at the reception by a male staff in shades, (with his signature thick accent endemic of a group that cornered the pirated DVD trade), not to take photos outside of the Consulate premises. Not once or twice he warned us, as we posed for camera beaming and parading  shaded thumbs. As a seasoned veteran in the desert wrinkled by time (haha), I'm pretty smart already at knowing the pros and cons of every opportunity and when or not to kill the prey.

Heading outside, I can see people coming in droves, but not to vote. The one room conspicuously busy and filled with people is for application and releasing of passports, while a group huddled in one corner - an inquisitive and gloomy mood dominated their supposed discussion as one obvious protagonist narrates her plight, her eyes welled. Oh no, not again. Another distressed OFW? Perhaps. I did not dare ask. This is just another common unsightly scenario at the Consulate. We could have stayed longer but opted not to let loose a shred of rebellion.

Speaking of 'unsightly scenario', I decided this one is as unsightly too. As we drove off, one scene that caught my attention was a solitary poster of a senatorial candidate, conspicuously adorned the wall of the main entrance of the Consulate. (There went the warning on taking photos!) I am not an expert on any protocol or rules governing elections, but I think embassy and consulate staff should play neutral and at least exercise some sense of propriety not to endorse any candidate (within its premises) on the basis of affinity. (Get what I mean?) The fact that the candidate runs under the purported secret administration candidate, not from Lakas-Kampi puzzles me.

On the grounds of fair play, I must assume that supporters of other candidates might have sought permission from Consulate officials, to post campaign posters of their candidates but were quietly turned down. In Jeddah, you don't expect to misbehave and disobey your officials at the Consulate, let alone insist with what you think is fair. After all, they are the ones who could help you in your case against your employer and the expedition of the same solely rests in their hands. So whatever is deemed legal and proper by them, the same applies to your judgment. No questions asked.

Another day went, and a lot to ponder. But what supersedes one against another is the apprehension whether my vote will indeed count or not. Does it carry a weight even if it doesn't? Effectively not. But to me it does. The feeling itself and the experience is enough. I did my duty and it it is up to the rest of them to do theirs.