REACTIONS

Please read below the message we received from Mr. Silvestre Berso:

From: silvester berso
To: OFW Manifesto
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 11:46:52 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you

Congratulations! for this timely message. In fact I already send it to all my friend and colleagues from all over the world and I put you in Cc:, however your first email address that I used was wrong, my email bounced back. But this time I got it right.

I have read the Migrants Manifesto on PetionOnLine website. Indeed this would be a good venue to voice out OFWs opinion on the present crisis that our country is undertaking today. I dream that someday all OFWs will form a group in the internet to share their views and solutions to the current problems in our country. I am thinking of organizing a centralized email group among all OFWs. All issues concerning the Philippines will be disseminated to all members of the group and share everybody's opinion.

I am sure we can think of many ways to improve not only the condition of the migrant workers but also the majority of our poor countrymen. As an OFW here in US of A, I have worked in different part of the world and I have seen many good examples of government policy that can easily be implemented in our country.

By the way, which organization do your group belong to?

Best regards and more power to you,

Silvestre Berso


Response from Joy Puyat, OFW Blogspot

Dear Mr. Berso,

Thanks for your email. This is very encouraging! We all share the same dream to make the Philippines a better place and to help every Filipino. I am glad that this ofwmanifesto@gmail.com address works out in terms of sifting through reactions and suggestions especially for those who have this strong genuine desire to give back to the country. Actually, you are our first respondent! If you don't mind, can we feature your comments to our blogspot at: http://filipinosworldwide.blogspot.com

It seems that you have extensive networks across the globe. Perhaps you can help us build the email directory/database of OFWs. There are certain technical limitations to the current online petition website that we use. Perhaps later, we can create a more sophisticated OFW website when we have more substantive material. In the meantime, we use the blogspot. We also use this focussed e-group for brainstorming purposes and post the finished products on the blogspot.

I am copying the authors of the manifesto and our initial collaborators. To answer your question, we all belong to different organizations and live in different countries. We all wear different hats but for the OFW purpose, most of us are there on our personal capacity. In my case, I work for an international organization and I am involved in the NY-NJ Filipino orgs/coalitions/communities. Considering that we all carry certain platforms, the entry point is on migrant issues which links back to making a better Philippines. To focus our interventions, we are undertaking a strategic planning activity -- all done online considering our geographic locations. So far, I've only met 3 persons on this list - i.e. Lalay Rispens-Noel, Doris Alfafara and Basco Fernandez of the Netherlands here in New York, on various occasions/circumstances. The amazing part is, the OFW group is still very young -- discussions on the manifesto started only in February and yet I can say that this is one of the most productive groups I've seen so far.


We look forward to your suggestions.

With best wishes,

Joy Puyat


Reaction from JOHNNY PECAYO, Chairman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Manila-U.S. Times, Glendale, California
E-mail: johnnypecayo@yahoo.com

Johnny Pecayo was the first editor who published our Migrants' Manifesto

________________________________________
From: Johnny Pecayo [mailto:johnnypecayo@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 4:35 AM
To: Nerissa Fernandez; Leila RispensNoel; Fil-Ams Houston; FilAm Forum; Patricia Ann V. Paez
Subject: ABS-CBN; Manifesto on Page 7 of the MANILA-U.S. TIMES

Please enjoy reading.

Johnny
-----------
February 12 - February 18, 2006 Manila - U.S. Times 7

We, the Overseas Filipinos worldwide, urge each and everyone in the coming May electoral contest to implore all political parties, emerging parties and their respective candidates to bring forth a platform-based campaign so that the electorate can choose credible persons who are worthy to lead the nation.

In order to advance democratic governance in the Philippines, there should be a structure or process of reform that promotes increasingly participatory and accountable governance. In this context, the will and voice of the people should
be respected at all times and the sanctity of the ballots must be safeguarded.

The root causes of human insecurity in the Philippines -- and thus, threats to overall peace and development -- include conditions of inequity, with an elite few controlling power and economic resources; abject poverty; poor governance; injustice, abuse of authority and violations of human rights; and marginalization of minority groups.

And yet, squandering of billions of pesos from legitimate and illegitimate sources had been a common scenario in a personality and patronage-based electoral contest.

The proposed platform-based campaign is envisioned to change this bad practice. In order to sustain poverty reduction, there must be equitable growth and the poor people who are in the majority must have political power – i.e., with a real voice and space. The powerful and/or the elites—whether political leaders, corporations or
other influential actors—must be held accountable for their actions; more specifically, they must be held accountable for their success or failure in their individual or party platform of promised good governance.

We are calling for robust, transparent, internally democratic and accountable political parties in order to develop a stronger democratic culture in the Philippines. Otherwise, the right to choose will remain to be pre-empted by the elites that own the political process, including the political organizations.

We challenge those who want to become legitimate servants and leaders to articulate a concrete and doable developmental plan aimed at the Filipino migrant workers around the world.

We pledge to support legitimate servants of the people running for any public position that aggressively promote the interest of our sector on the following issues:

1) Institute meaningful comprehensive electoral reforms starting with the removal of the residency requirement inserted at the last minute by congress in the Absentee Voting Law. Introduce laws that will create a transparent campaign expenditures and verifiable financial source imposing a limit to individual, group, and corporate campaign donations;

2) Creation of an office with a Cabinet status such as the Ministry of Migration and Development that will truly work for the interests of migrant workers. This office must be led by a Minister whose primary task is to manage orderly labor migration, harness the development potentials of migration and development (co-development). Set up an advisory board composed of qualified, dedicated, and credible Overseas Filipinos to advice the Ministry.

In addition, the Ministry must:

- See to it that the rights of migrants are protected;

- Facilitate return migration and in such a way that overseas Filipinos who wish to return voluntarily remain active in the labor force or has the necessary means to secure his or her financial future including their families;

- Monitor the performance of government agencies in charge of migrant workers (OWWA,etc.) and particularly to review structures relating to the migrant workers trust fund to enable migrants to have an effective voice and meaningful representation in policy formation, and to ensure proper administration and management of their fund;

- Explore ways to address present gaps and barriers that hinder the effective mobilization, distribution, monitoring, and accountability procedures, in order to achieve economies of scale in current Filipino diaspora giving;

- Facilitate creation of an enabling environment (investments, provide financial services including housing, insurance, education, savings, etc. for migrants) that fully harness the development potentials of Philippine migration;

- Encourage multi-stakeholder approach to development and promote public-private partnerships; and

- Support and stimulate the transnational role of Overseas Filipinos so that they can contribute to the country’s development; while the government on the other hand, should establish a systematic way of tapping these skills (not only waiting for
their remittances);

3) Strengthen the capacity of Philippine consulates and representative offices worldwide to better serve the needs of migrant Filipino workers

4) Promote good governance, honesty, and accountability of our government servants
from the highest to lowest position. The virtue of servant-leadership must be practised;

5) Promote the welfare of our women, elderly and children; and

6) Access to a better education for all.

We urge government groups, media facilities, civil society, church organizations, and other responsible citizens, to organize and support pre-election public forums and other similar initiatives requiring candidates or party representatives to debate and publicly present their platforms on where they stand regarding these migrant issues.

This will enable the citizenry, including eligible overseas voters and members of their families in the Philippines, in making informed decisions and to help ensure that only those candidates with clear and sincere intentions of promoting the welfare of the migrant sector, their families, and millions of poor people in our country are
elected to public office.

Editor’s note: This move was initiated by Lalay Rispens-Noel of The Netherlands, and the manifesto is gaining support from Filipinos all over.

Only in the Philippines

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/OFWMan/

Here's the most sought after campaign jingle in the May 2007 elections:

Boom tarat tarat, boom tarat tarat

Tararat tararat, boom boom boom

English translation:

Boom tarat tarat, boom tarat tarat

Tararat tararat, boom boom boom

Yep, what you hear is what you get: catchy words but empty in substance!


In an election where bells and whistles dominate the "democratic space," we strongly appeal for an issue-based campaign in the 2007 elections.

Please sign our online petition:

Migrants' Manifesto for Issue-Based Electoral Contest


http://www.PetitionOnline.com/OFWMan/

Please forward to your distribution list. It's the least we can do to save a sinking Philippines.

Please send your comments and/or suggestions to ofwmanifestor@yahoo.com to ensure a continuous enrichment process

Pinoys abroad plead for platform-based polls

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=67476

Filipinos abroad are circulating a petition letter asking their fellowmen in the Philippine voters to base their choices for the May mid-term polls on the candidates' platforms of government and not on personalities.

“We, the overseas Filipinos worldwide, urge each and everyone in the coming May electoral contest to implore all political parties, emerging parties and their respective candidates to bring forth a platform-based campaign so that the electorate can choose credible persons who are worthy to lead the nation,” the petiton said.

The letter was signed by Leila Rispens-Noel and Doris Alfafara who in the Netherlands; Basco Fernandez, Joy Puyat, Filipino-Americans Ren Arrieta, Johnny Pecayo and Cesar Torres; Dennis Yaun based in Luxembourg; and former expatriates Idelfonso Bagasao and James Zamora who are now in Manila.

The proponents of the petition said: “The proposed platform-based campaign is envisioned to change this bad practice [of having] a personality and patronage-based electoral contest.”

“We are encouraging everyone to endorse this manifesto by signing it. We have to be involved in the coming election and we feel this is the way – if not the only way - we can show our concerns and exercise our right as overseas Filipinos to participate in the decision-making process,” Noel said on behalf of the group.

The group said it is calling for robust, transparent, internally democratic and accountable political parties in order to develop a stronger democratic culture in the Philippines.

It also dared those who want to become legitimate servants and leaders to articulate a concrete and doable developmental plan aimed at the Filipino migrant workers around the world.

“We pledge to support legitimate servants of the people running for any public position that aggressively promote the interest of our sector,” the group said.

These are issues revolving around electoral reforms as contained in the Oversease Absente Voting Act, the creation of an office with a Cabinet status such as the ministry of migration and development that will truly work for the interests of migrant workers, among other proposals.

- Julie Javella-Santos, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Migrants Manifesto for Issue-based Electoral Contest

We, the Overseas Filipinos worldwide, urge each and everyone in the coming May electoral contest to implore all political parties, emerging parties and their respective candidates to bring forth a platform-based campaign so that the electorate can choose credible persons who are worthy to lead the nation.

In order to advance democratic governance in the Philippines, there should be a structure or process of reform that promotes increasingly participatory and accountable governance. In this context, the will and voice of the people should be respected at all times and the sanctity of the ballots must be safeguarded.

The root causes of human insecurity in the Philippines – and thus, threats to overall peace and development – include conditions of inequity, with an elite few controlling power and economic resources; abject poverty; poor governance; injustice, abuse of authority and violations of human rights; and marginalization of minority groups. And yet, squandering of billions of pesos from legitimate and illegitimate sources had been a common scenario in a personality and patronage based electoral contest. The proposed platform-based campaign is envisioned to change this bad practice. In order to sustain poverty reduction, there must be equitable growth and the poor people who are in the majority must have political power – i.e. with a real voice and space. The powerful and/or the elites—whether political leaders, corporations or other influential actors—must be held accountable for their actions; more specifically, they must be held accountable for their success or failure in their individual or party platform of promised good governance.

We are calling for robust, transparent, internally democratic and accountable political parties in order to develop a stronger democratic culture in the Philippines. Otherwise, the right to choose will remain to be pre-empted by the elites that own the political process, including the political organizations.

We challenge those who want to become legitimate servants and leaders to articulate a concrete and doable developmental plan aimed at the Filipino migrant workers around the world. We pledge to support legitimate servants of the people running for any public position that aggressively promote the interest of our sector on the following issues:

1) Institute meaningful comprehensive electoral reforms starting with the removal of the residency requirement inserted at the last minute by congress in the Absentee Voting Law. Introduce laws that will create a transparent campaign expenditures and verifiable financial source imposing a limit to individual, group, and corporate campaign donations.

2) Creation of an office with a Cabinet status such as the Ministry of Migration and Development that will truly work for the interests of migrant workers. This office must be led by a Minister whose primary task is to manage orderly labor migration, harness the development potentials of migration and development (co-development). Set up an advisory board composed of qualified, dedicated, and credible Overseas Filipinos to advice the Ministry. In addition, the Ministry must:

See to it that the rights of migrants are protected
Facilitate return migration and in such a way that overseas Filipinos who wish to return voluntarily remain active in the labor force or has the necessary means to secure his or her financial future including their families
Monitor the performance of government agencies in charge of migrant workers (OWWA, etc.) and particularly to review structures relating to the migrant workers trust fund to enable migrants to have an effective voice and meaningful representation in policy formation, and to ensure proper administration and management of their fund.
Explore ways to address present gaps and barriers that hinder the effective mobilization, distribution, monitoring, and accountability procedures, in order to achieve economies of scale in current Filipino diaspora giving, including possibilities of replicating the Mexican experience (3 x 1 program) [i]
Facilitate creation of an enabling environment (investments, provide financial services including housing, insurance, education, savings, etc. for migrants) that fully harness the development potentials of Philippine migration
Encourage multi-stakeholder approach to development and promote public-private partnerships [ii]
Support and stimulate the transnational role of Overseas Filipinos so that they can contribute to the country’s development; while the government on the other hand, should establish a systematic way of tapping these skills (not only waiting for their remittances) [iii]
Strengthen the capacity of Philippine consulates and representative offices worldwide to better serve the needs of migrant Filipino workers

3) Promote good governance, honesty, and accountability of our government servants from the highest to lowest position. The virtue of servant-leadership must be practiced.

4) Promote the welfare of our women, elderly and children.

5) Access to a better education for all. [iv]

We urge government groups, media facilities, civil society, church organizations, and other responsible citizens, to organize and support pre-election public forums and other similar initiatives requiring candidates or party representatives to debate and publicly present their platforms on where they stand regarding these migrant issues. This will enable the citizenry, including eligible overseas voters and members of their families in the Philippines, in making informed decisions and to help ensure that only those candidates with clear and sincere intentions of promoting the welfare of the migrant sector, their families, and millions of poor people in our country are elected to public office.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[i] The Mexican Hometown Association (HTA) experience through the Federación de Clubes de Zacatecanos del Sur de California is a good example. The Mexican government announced in July 2001 a "godfather program" that encourages Mexican-Americans to invest in Mexico. The state of Zacatecas depends heavily on remittances, but under the current 3-for-1 program, each dollar contributed by a migrant or HTA in the US for community development projects, is matched with an additional $3, one each from the federal, state and local governments. Under a new program, the Zacatecas state government and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB) provide infrastructure support and financing for returned migrants who invest their remittances in job-creating enterprises. The federación is composed of different clubs. Each club focuses on their respective hometown. The Federación speaks on behalf of the clubs in one voice and this becomes their strength. The federation becomes a mediator and negotiator on behalf of the member clubs. Organizations like the World Bank, IADB, UNDP, the Rockefeller Foundation and even the private sector relate with the Federación.


[ii] Private sector leadership in the Philippines and abroad should be developed in order to promote the Philippines as an investment destination.

[iii] An effective network should be developed to address this. On the strategy to collaborate with Diasporas: promoting knowledge networks and providing market access, there is the Philippine Brain Gain Network (BGN) among other networks. For example, further collaboration can be made between the BGN and the organizers of the Global Filipino Networking Conventions in order to come up with a more result-oriented agenda, more specifically to define a national policy for brain gain in order to harness overseas human resources more systematically.

[iv] Philippine education policy needs to be focused on technical skills and soft skills like scientific problem-solving, logical abstraction and teamwork. Greater collaboration must be undertaken by the DepEd and local authorities on technical academic reforms, particularly those pertaining to the curriculum and policy on language instruction.

Welcome to OVERSEAS FILIPINOS WORLDWIDE Blogspot

OVERSEAS FILIPINOS WORLDWIDE Blogspot leads you to a think tank of concerned individuals, migrant organizations, NGOs and other members of civil society working towards advancing the democratic governance culture in the Philippines, influencing public policy and/or the national development agenda, strengthening collaboration and solidarity amongst Filipinos worldwide and providing a beacon of hope to every Filipino.

The blogspot is created in honor of the 8 million overseas Filipinos who are supporting their families back home, to present both an opportunity and a challenge for them to effectively exercise their substantive political clout. In 2006 alone, the amount of US$ 14 billion of hard earned money was officially recorded in terms of remittances to the country, representing an equivalent of almost 15% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This supports at least 16 to 20 million families and could fuel economic growth and fight poverty if properly harnessed. For this reason, we are compelled to exercise our right to say: to seek solidarity to all concerned citizens to support our advocacy.