Even OFWs on death row make use of new media

by MARIA ALETA O. NIEVA, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/24/2008 3:17 AM

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Communication transcends physical and legal boundaries particularly for Filipino migrant workers, and even those on death row overseas.

This was the response of Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrants Advocacy during a forum on “Migration, Development and Connectivity” held Thursday at the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR) in Quezon City.

“For example, sa Saudi you are not supposed to get together physically. May prohibitions doon. Na-ta-transcend po din ang rehas ng kulungan,” Sana said.

Sana, who is also the chair of the Migrant Forum in Asia, cited as an example some of the cases that their organization is handling.

“Yung isa, nagbebenta ng cell card sa loob ng kulungan. Tatawag ho siya, 'magpapadala ako ng pera sa asawa ko', galing doon sa earnings niya na pagbebenta ng cell cards inside the jail in Saudi,” she said.

Friendster and mobile phones

According to Sana, even while in detention, Filipino migrant workers on death row maximize the use of technology to sustain their relationship with their families back home.

“Then we have one who has a Friendster account. Mayroon pa siyang access sa hi-tech mobile telephone. Death row po yan,” she said.

Communication technology makes it possible for an absent member of the family to still make their presence felt by connecting with their kin on a regular basis through the use of mobile phones and the internet through electronic mails, online chat and video, social networks, egroups, and the like.

“I think the appreciation now is the ICT [information communications technology] has provided some opportunities for families to be connected. Definitely, we appreciate that in the migrant sector,” said Sana.

Connecting through campaigns

Sana said “connectivity” does not only apply to families since technology has provided the avenues for other things like for campaigns and advocacy.

“In our own experience sa CMA, we have an SOS system for distressed migrants that really provided something like a lifeline for migrant workers in distress,” she said.

The CMA’s OFWSOS makes use of the mobile phone to allow Filipino migrant workers to text their complaint (text SOS <space> your message and send to +63-9209-639767). The SOS SMS system for distressed workers was initiated and developed by OFW partners in Saudi Arabia. It runs 24-hours, 7-days a week.

However, Sana said one has to consider several factors on ICT since “the playing field is not always even.”

Limited access

This would depend on the job category, location, mobility, and familiarity with ICT, social status, lifestyle and education.

She added that mobility for migrant women in the Middle East is a problem, unlike those who are working in Hong Kong where OFWs can easily go to an Internet café during their day off to communicate with their families.

“So if you are a domestic helper in Saudi, you cannot go out unaccompanied, not be in the proper attire, and you cannot go to the Internet cafe. You are stuck in your house,” she said.

The cost and affordability should also be considered because technology facilities cost a lot. Also, in terms of familiarity, it takes awhile for someone to learn the technology.

“Migration is about men and women, so when we talk of ICT, it’s really good, but let us also be more sensitive on how we can make it accessible and worthwhile for both men and women,” she said.

No substitute for parents

For Carmelita Nuqui, executive director of the Development Action for Women Network (DAWN) and president of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch, there is still no substitute to the presence of parents in a family.

“Yung connectivity na sinasabi natin, it’s always very frequent na our families back home would request many things from our overseas workers,” Nuqui said.

Nuqui said that while there is constant communication, it is not always to “connect” but to ask for things.

There are families who tend to overlook the hardships that their kin is probably experiencing abroad just to earn money to send back home.

ICT as empowerment tools

The issue of connectivity was discussed in a paper delivered by Professor Ma. Catalina Tolentino, a senior lecturer and researcher at the UP SOLAIRE.

Tolentino tackled the Social Dimension of Migration: Maintaining Connectivity among OFW Families.

In her conclusion, Tolentino said ICTs are becoming tools of empowerment to OFWs, which help sustain relationships among transnational families.

“It is now possible to maintain long-distance parenting, long-distance marriage and bridge emotional gaps,” she said.

Furthermore, Tolentino said that while connectivity at the family level is most crucial, it must be “extended to the communities, thru entrepreneurial activities so that this will result to more economic gains for the country”.

as of 10/24/2008 3:17 AM