The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has echoed the calls to allow Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Health Care Workers (HCWs), who have been stranded in their host countries due to travel restrictions, to return to the country.
According to CHR Focal Commissioner on Migrant Rights Gwendolyn L.L. Pimentel-Gana, the Inter-Agency Task Force and the national government must come up with ways to have a safe return for stranded and distressed OFWs and HCWs instead of banning them.
“The government should reconsider its imposition and allow Filipinos to come home to their families, even if it meant imposing stricter quarantine procedures upon their arrival in the country,” Pimentel-Gana said.
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Pimentel-Gana stressed that under Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”
The commissioner also cited Article 8.2 of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, to which the Philippines is a state party.
It states that “migrant workers and members of their families shall have the right at any time to enter and remain in their State of origin.
“We recognize the plight of our migrant workers, who may grapple with the loss of their income, may experience fear and suffering as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and may suffer from the emotional distress of not seeing their families,” Pimentel-Gana said.
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“The CHR remains vigilant in guaranteeing that immediate and proper assistance is given to all Filipino migrants,” she furthered.
Pimentel-Gana added that CHR is looking into the deliberations on proposed bills about the rights and welfare of OFWs and their families in accordance with the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and Conventions of the International Labour Organization.
“We will continue to coordinate with other agencies of the Philippine government as well as National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in receiving and transit countries to ensure that our OFWs who are stranded or are in distress have access to remedies,” she said.
Pimentel-Gana also urged the government to provide competitive compensation for HCWs and ensure their protection and well-being. (RA)
