CW-1, labor issues discussed with PH govt team

Around 30 to 40 Filipino workers gathered yesterday night at the Kanoa Resort to raise labor and immigration concerns with a visiting team from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

The workers, with the help of Philippine honorary consul on Saipan Glicerio Arago, met with Consul Edgar Auxillian of the Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam, which has jurisdiction over the CNMI, a representative of its Assistance to Nationals Section, and a representative of the Manila-based Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs.

The workers, many of whom have established families on Saipan and have lived most of their years here, raised concerns about the CNMI-Only Transitional Worker program issue. According to them, it has been a struggle for workers who have to leave their jobs and the life they have already built on Saipan because they’ve been capped out of the CW-1 program. Many asked how the Philippine government is handling the situation of these migrant workers.

One of the workers, Carlito Marquez, who has been capped out, said that the process of returning back to Saipan is almost the same process as when on first enters here.

Marquez and his fellow workers hope that Auxillian, with the help of the OUMWA and ATN, will be able to address this.

Other issues arose like the issues of migrant workers who are hired by agencies under job contracts and arrive without jobs waiting for them.

According to Nenette Delos Santos, this is unfair to the hired workers because upon arriving on Saipan, they have nothing to fall back on while these agencies gain from overcharging these unfortunate workers.

Other issues were discussed like issues of migrant workers neglecting to support their families back in the Philippines because they have already established another family on Saipan and issues of unpaid wages.

Auxillian was pleased with the participation of the overseas workers who were present last night. According to him, the activeness of the crowd in raising their concerns gives him first-hand information with what should be done in order to help overseas workers.

According to Auxillian, he hopes that with the help of the OUMWA and the ATN, the Philippine government will address these issues. Right now Auxillian is assessing the current situation and profiling the current issues of the Pacific.

Auxillian said he will be heading to Palau in order to assess the issue of human trafficking that has currently been brought to the consul’s attention.