The upcoming 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) will only be a venue for the Philippine government to strengthen its labor export policy, said a non-governmental organization.

“Layunin nito titingnan kung paano magagamit ang migration as a tool for development,” Migrante International Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a phone interview.

Regalado said the GFMD will be an opportunity for the government to sell or establish labor migrants particularly since President Arroyo has increased her target of providing jobs to Filipinos at 2 million by 2010.

She said the Arroyo government prepares for this by coming up with several packages like the psychiatric test which ensures that Filipino migrant workers would be able to withstand abuses and other forms of violations.

Regalado believes that the ratification of JPEPA [Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement] would become a precedent to other bilateral agreements that would be discussed in the GFMD.

“We can have a glimpse to what kind of agreements between states are going to be forged at GFMD. One-sided and onerous treaties are favorable to capitalist countries while disadvantageous to countries that are desperately dependent on labor exportation and remittances,” said Regalado.    

Manage migration?

The Philippines will be hosting the 2nd GFMD on October 27-30 of this year. This year’s meeting will focus on the central theme of “Protecting and Empowering Migrants for Development.

Regalado said however that the theme of the 2nd GFMD is just a façade saying what it really wants is to forge agreements on how to manage migration.

Migrante International, together with the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) will be holding the International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees (IAMR) on Oct. 28-29 at the Bayview Park Hotel in Manila.

Regalado said the IAMR is a genuine gathering of migrants and migrants' organizations from various countries of the world to discuss their own issues.
 
“It is where we will demonstrate how forced migration cannot lead to genuine development. It is where real voice of migrants will be heard,” Regalado said.

Regalado said they will start with a program called “Ten Days to Shake GFMD”.
 
“Every day for 10 days prior to the GFMD, various mass organizations in the Philippines and abroad will be launching massive protest actions to condemn the sham gathering,” she said.