The Philippine government on Monday said it will not be distracted by the recent call of migrant groups to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to support its ‘Zero Remittance Day’ on October 29, 2008.

“We in the government will be focused on going about this conference, which hopefully will provide sensible and rational solutions to some of the practical problems our OFWs encounter in terms of protection,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Esteban Conejos Jr said.

Conejos told reporters that while everybody is entitled to make their own statement, the zero remittance call would not distract them from continuing with the 2008 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), which the government is hosting on October 27-30 in Manila.

“I'd like also to respond to that by saying they can make those kinds of statements but the government will continue to focus on its job in improving the services we provide for our OFWs,” said Conejos.

Migrante International, along with the International Migrants Alliance (IMA), launched its campaign to stand against the GFMD and its supposed agenda of cornering OFWs remittances for the interest of the government.

GFMD's theme: protection

Conejos,  however, explained that the GFMD conference will focus on the central theme “Protecting and Empowering Migrants for Development.”

“Here, we are going to focus on the human face of migration. We are going to demonstrate in this conference that for migration to have this positive developmental effect, the rights of migrants must be protected,” Conejos said.

Last Sunday, around 100 activists, overseas workers and their families, and supporters held a protest march in Manila to start the 10-day countdown to the GFMD.

“The only impact of that is a dramatic gesture. But I am sure the OFWs can survive for one day. I am sure the country can survive without one day of remittances. I think the only impact there is they're just trying to dramatize a point that they are trying to make,” he said.

He said the decision would be up to the Filipino overseas workers if they wish to support the call or not.

“Ultimately, it will be our people and our overseas workers who will know who is the responsible person here, who is making the sensible solutions and not for a dramatic gesture one way or another,” he said.