HK OFWs celebrate victories of progressive movement

Vow an upsurge of struggle for rights and social changes

With clenched fists and high hopes of meaningful social changes brought by militant struggles of the

exploited and oppressed Filipino people including overseas Filipino workers, the United Filipinos in Hong

Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK) concluded its 12th

Congress attended by more than 300 members and friends

of the alliance.

With the theme Create the upsurge of the migrant's movement in HK against attacks to our livelihood,

welfare, and rights! Contribute to the strengthening of the national and international movement for

liberation and social changes!, members of the UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK reviewed the history and victories of

the progressive movement of migrant Filipinos in Hong Kong, analyzed the current situation of Filipino

migrants and the people under the new administration of Noynoy Aquino, approved the official reports of

the past two years and the plan of actions until 2012, and elected the Executive Committee of the alliance.

Sol Pillas, UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK vice chairperson welcomed those present and led the commemoration of

former members and officers of the alliance who passed away. She urged those present to make the 12th

Congress a resounding success.

Afterwards, a special video made for the occasion set the tone of the gathering as it narrated the history of

the alliance. Borne out of struggles of migrant workers, shaped by lessons learned in the course of struggle,

and looking forward to even more advances for the rights and wellbeing of migrants and families through

militant struggles, the UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK can very well claim to have led the formation and strengthening

of the progressive movement of Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

From its formation after the successful campaign against the forced

remittance scheme of the former Marcos government, through the

successive deceptive regimes, and all the way to the present Aquino

government, UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK has continued to live up to its

name and principle of uniting the biggest number of OFWs towards

the defense of the rights of migrants and families, making significant

contribution to the movement for fundamental changes in the

Philippines, and developing and strengthening the solidarity of Filipino

migrants with migrant workers of other nationalities and the local

people of Hong Kong.

Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo, chairperson of the Bagong Alyansang

Makabayan (BAYAN, New Patriotic Alliance) gave the keynote address

for the 12th

Congress. In her speech, she dissected the current

government in terms of its actions and emerging policies as well as

posed challenges to the OFWs present to continue to build on the

gains of the past struggles in order to further expand the alliance and

to enhance its relationship with other groups, alliances, federations

and unions.

Among the highlights of her presentation were:

1. The slogans used and promises made by the new President form the campaign period even up to his

first State of the Nation Address (SONA) are rapidly proving to be pure rhetoric as shown by his

response on matters of economic development and social justice, human rights, armed conflict

resolution, and on national sovereignty.

2. The Aquino administration continues to toe the line of

neoliberal globalization that has already impoverished the

country. No significant program on land reform and

national industrialization has been put in place.

3. Corruption still hounds the country and there has been no

decisive move to put former President Gloria Macapagal-

Arroyo and her allies to trial for corruption and plunder.

4. Victims of human rights violations have not been given

justice. The illegally arrested health workers collectively

known as Morong 43 remain in prison even though Aquino

himself admitted the irregularities of the arrest.

Extrajudicial killings have remained rampant for the first six

months of the new administration.

5. Despite calls for the review of the Visiting Forces

Agreement or VFA, this was not taken up by Aquino in his

visit to the US and instead, he focused on getting the

US$434-M MCC grant that carries conditionalities for the

continuation of neoliberal globalization policies in the

country.

6. There has been no concrete advances on the peace

negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF and the BMA-MILF.

7. While it tries to differentiate itself from its predecessor, the

Aquino government has maintained the essential

economic, political and social policies of the GMA

government. The people should be more critical, vigilant,

militant and ready to struggle for the long-term interests of

migrant workers, their families and the Filipino people in

general.

Reports of the Executive Committee

were then presented and approved

by the body.

The Chairperson’s Report presented

by Dolores Balladares highlighted the

victories gained by the alliance for

the past two years. Balladares

reviewed the campaigns launched by

UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK on issues

pertaining to the rights and wellbeing

of Filipino migrant workers in

particular and of migrant workers in

Hong Kong in general, as well as the

solidarity and anti-imperialist

campaigns of the alliances.

These included campaigns against excessive fees of the Philippine government like making OWWA and Pag-

IBIG fees mandatory to get an OEC and the excessive price of passports. UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK also

campaigned for the removal of Labor Attache Romulo Salud from office for abuse of authority. One of the

major campaigns of the UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK was its electoral support to Gabriela Women’s Party and

other progressive candidates such as senatorial bets Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza. GWP got the highest vote

among OFWs in Hong Kong for partylist elections while Ocampo and Maza were able to beat many

traditional politicians in the senatorial race.

In terms of campaigns on solidarity framework, these included

advocacy on the Statutory Minimum Wage and support

campaigns for the people of Iraq and Palestine. The most

significant of these campaigns was the one for justice for the

victims of the tragic August 23 hostage-taking in the Philippines.

The People’s Vigil gathered more than 10,000 migrant workers

and local people united in the call for justice.

Balladares also reported on welfare campaign of UNIFIL-

MIGRANTE-HK such as the fund raising for the victims of the

typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng last year. The alliance – with the

help of its sister-federations and organizations – conducted the

Oplan Sagip Migrante Kababayan that raised funds for relief

operations in the Philippines as well as gave out some cash

assistance to migrant workers in Hong Kong directly and severely

hit by the two calamities.

The finance report was then presented by UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK

Treasurer Betty Palabay and was approved by the body.

Eman Villanueva, Secretary General, presented to the Congress

the General Program of Actions for 2011 and 2012. The GPOA

detailed how the alliance could make true the call to create the

upsurge of the progressive movement and how the contributions

could be made to the national liberation movement in the

Philippines and anti-imperialist movement in the world. He

outlined the tasks of the alliance that centered on strengthening

of its current members and expansion of the ranks of the

progressive OFW movement.

Solidarity messages were relayed by UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK

Deputy Secretary General Vicky Cabantac. The message of

International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS) chairperson

Prof. Jose Maria Sison was read by Ramon Bultron while the

message of MIGRANTE International was read by its council

member Jun Tellez. The International Migrants Alliance (IMA)

also sent a solidarity message that was read by Rey Asis of the

IMA Secretariat.

Cynthia Abdon-Tellez of the Mission for Migrant Workers

(MFMW) and HK legislator Hon. Leung Kwok-Hung (more

popularly known as Long Hair) also delivered their solidarity

messages. Other supporters who sent their greetings were the

Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC), The Very Revd. Dean

Andrew Chan of St. John’s Cathedral, Teachers of English Abroad

– Korea, Zi Teng, Cordillera People’s Alliance, Kasamma-Ko and

chapters of MIGRANTE in Canada, Nagoya, Middle East,

Australia and Europe.

Cultural presentations were rendered by LIKHA Cultural

Migrants Organization. New songs were also presented to those

present including the much appreciated song calling for Aquino

to make true his promises and lower passport fee that was sang

to the tune of Pinoy Ako.

In recognition to their valuable work, the 12th Congress re-

elected the whole Executive Committee to lead the alliance for

two more years.

With militance, pride on the progressive movement of OFWs in HK, and commitment to pursue the alliance’s

objectives, members of the UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK closed the 12th Congress with the song Migrants on the

March to signify their resistance against neoliberal globalization and the exploitation of migrants as well as

their thrust to realize the theme of the gathering.

UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK is confident that an upsurge of the movement against attacks to rights and livelihood

will come. With this are more victories for the betterment of the condition of migrant workers that shall also

serve as bases for a more intensified struggle towards ending the forced migration of Filipinos through

building of a genuinely free, democratic, peaceful and just Philippine society.

UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK AFFILIATES

(as of 28 November 2010)

1. Abra Migrant Workers Welfare Association (AMWWA)

2. Association of Concerned Filipinos (ACFIL)

3. Balili Alab Workers Organization (BAWO)

4. Balungao Overseas Workers Association (BOWA)

5. Binalonan Migrant Workers Organization (BMWO)

6. Cuyapo Association in Hong Kong (CAHK)

7. Evangelization Family - Justice & Peace Net

8. Filipino Friends in Hong Kong (FFHK)

9. Filipino Migrant Women Association (FILWOM)

10. Filipino Migrants Association (FMA)

11. Friends of Bethune House (FBH)

12. HK Villasianians’ Association (HKVA)

13. Janiuaynon Association Hong Kong (JAHK)

14. Junior Association of Migrants (JAM)

15. Komadrona Hong Kong

16. LIKHA Filipino Migrant Cultural Organization (LIKHA)

17. Methodist Church of Filipino Migrants (MCFM)

18. Methodist International Church-Filipino Fellowship (MICFF)

19. Migrante Hongkong Bank

20. Migrante Naguilian

21. Migrante Shatin

22. Mission Volunteers (MOVERS)

23. Occidental Mindoro Association in Hong Kong (OMA)

24. Palawan Migrants Association (PMA)

25. Pangasinan Organization for Welfare, Empowerment and Rights (POWER)

26. Philippine Independent Church Choir

27. Pinatud A Saleng ti Umili (PSU)

28. Sta. Maria de Pila (Pangasinan) Association

29. Tayug Pangasinan Hong Kong (TPHK)

30. Ward Methodist Filipino Mission

31. Women of Philippine Independent Church – Diocese of Antique (WOPIC-Antique)