The Yemeni Houthi group launched a missile on bulk carrier True Confidence on March 6, which led to the deaths of two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the serious injuries of another two. There were 15 Filipino seafarers aboard True Confidence.

Upon arrival in Manila on Tuesday from Djibouti, the Filipinos reunited with their families, escorted by various government agencies.

Play Video

Speaking on behalf of the crew, 2nd officer Mark Anthony Dagohoy told reporters it was difficult to recall the details of the incident which led to their vessel becoming engulfed in flames.

Dagohoy said the crew was aware that they were headed to a high-risk area, and they were trained to face precarious situations. While he felt anxious, he said he pushed through because of strength from his family and faith.

“Sa ngayon… ayaw ko [na bumalik]. Pero ang seafarer ay malaking parte ng trade…. ‘Yun lang kasi talaga ang way na dadaanan doon, wala naman po ibang dadaanan. So alam naman po namin yung pinasok namin ng mga kasamahan ko rin po,” he said.

(As of the moment, I don’t want to go back. But seafarers are a big part of trade, and sometimes that is the only route. We know the risks we are taking.)

Dagohoy said they felt “okay” following the attack since there was support from their families, the government, and their manning agency. He also said he was close to the two crew members who died.

“Nalulungkot po talaga [kami] ng grabe. Kasi nakakasama namin ‘yung mga ‘yun doon… mga salo-salo. Tapos biglang ganon ang pangyayari. Napakasakit po sa amin, lalo na po sa pamilya,” he said.

(We are devastated. Because we bonded with them over meals, and then things turned out that way. It really hurts for us, especially for the families.)

As of Tuesday evening, recovery operations were still underway to retrieve the remains of the three workers, including the two Filipinos, who died in the attack.

The two Filipinos hospitalized in Djibouti – one with severe burns, and another who had to have his leg amputated – are set to arrive in the Philippines via air ambulance when they are cleared for discharge.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli embassy in Manila expressed condolences to the Philippines and families of the fallen OFWs.

“The attacks by the Houthis on vessels in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean violate the freedom of navigation, threaten the welfare of seafarers, and impact the shipment sector, supply chains, and prices of oil,” the embassy said.

The Houthis claim to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have faced increased assaults from Israel, particularly in besieged enclave Gaza.

Not about the money

The International Bargaining Forum classifies the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen as a warlike and high-risk area. Seafarers who know they are headed for this area have the right to refuse an assignment. If they do decide to go ahead, they are entitled to bonuses, and double compensation in the event of disability and death.

As seen in previous crises, such as the repatriations of OFWs in Israel following the breakout of the war between Israel and Hamas, some workers were still willing to go back to work after enduring war trauma for the sake of earning for their families.

Could this possibly entice OFWs to take the risk of going into warlike areas, if it means a bonus? The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) so far is not so worried.

“We don’t see it as enticement in a way that people will put themselves in danger, but rather, there will be a seafarer who will say, ‘I’m willing to come on board, I think my ship owner can provide adequate protection, I have been with my ship owner for 10, 15 years,’ so there is a level of loyalty with the ship owner, but, ‘I have to be adequately compensated for taking a risk together with my ship owner,'” said DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac.

Cacdac said that it was no different from hazard pay.

The DMW did not have specific data yet on how many Filipino seafarers were now refusing work in the high-risk areas, but the Department of Foreign Affairs noted how this was the first reported instance of Filipino casualties in the “practically daily” Houthi attacks in the region.

“That means the manning agencies are following or have option to refuse Filipinos on board,” said Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega in the earlier briefing.

Philippine authorities also mentioned how ships can divert routes instead of going through the high-risk areas, such as through the Cape of Good Hope near South Africa. While it takes more time than going through the Suez Canal, “safety is paramount,” De Vega said. – Rappler.com

Must Read

Houthis will only release 17 OFW hostages if war in Gaza ends – DFA

“We’re still working with friendly governments to see if they could be released, but the Houthis are consistent in their statement that it would need an end to the war in Gaza before they will release the ship or the seafarers,” Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday.

More than 100 days since their ship was captured by the Houthis, the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remain on board in Al Hudaydah, off the coast of Yemen. They are “safe” and able to contact their families, according to De Vega.

The Filipinos are only one group of nationals that were taken hostage aboard the Galaxy Leader, along with Romanians, Bulgarians, Mexicans, and Ukrainians.

Philippine envoys are in touch with their counterparts in working together for their release but De Vega said that “there simply seems to be no solution other than what they demand.”

“At the very least, one thing we’re always in touch with the Houthis about is to ensure that they are treated well and they are able to contact their families. There was a time they could not, but now they are able to contact their families again,” he said.

De Vega wished to remind the families of the 17 seafarers that they “have not been forgotten.”

Meanwhile, recovery operations are still underway to retrieve the remains of the two OFWs that died in a Houthi attack on the True Confidence bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on March 6.

Eleven of the surviving Filipinos are set to arrive in Manila on Tuesday evening. Two remain hospitalized in Djibouti – one suffered severe burns, while the other needed his leg amputated. These two are set to return to the Philippines via air ambulance in the coming days, the DFA said.

While Houthi attacks occur on ships in the area “practically daily” De Vega said, this is the first time Filipino casualties were reported. Philippine authorities believe that more Filipino seafarers are refusing voyages in “war-like and high-risk” areas.

The Houthis claim to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have faced increased assaults from Israel, particularly in besieged enclave Gaza.

The following are the war-like and high-risk areas the DFA recognizes: the Yemeni coast, southern section of the Red Sea, Gulf of Guinea, Sea of Azov, Strait of Kerch, the Black Sea, and all ports in Ukraine. – Rappler.com

“We in the Department of Migrant Workers sincerely extend our deepest condolences to the family and kin of our slain, heroic seafarers,” the DMW said, withholding the seafarers’ names.

There were 15 Filipinos onboard True Confidence. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a separate statement that the remaining 13 had been brought by the Indian Navy to Djibouti, where three of them were hospitalized due to “serious injuries.” They are in stable condition.

The DMW reported that the remaining 10 Filipinos were “safe and secure” in a hotel in Djibouti City, where they spoke to Philippine officials via video call.

Senior DMW officials also met with the families of the two Filipinos who died in the attack.

On board, there were also four Vietnamese, two Sri Lankans, an Indian, and a Nepali.

A Reuters report, citing the US Central Command (CENTCOM), said a total of three seafarers died.

The DMW vowed full support and assistance to the remaining Filipino crew, including their repatriation.

The attack on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged civilian bulk carrier True Confidence led to the deaths of at least three seafarers, according to earlier reports.

True Confidence was on fire and drifting around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen’s port of Aden. The United States Central Command said the Houthi attack caused “significant damage” to the ship and severe burns to some of the crew onboard.

Citing the ship’s manning agency, the DMW said a missile struck the vessel’s fuel bunker section, causing an explosion and engulfing the ship in flames. The explosion’s magnitude forced the crew to evacuate immediately.

On Friday, March 8, the DMW and DFA said that the manning agency had yet to recover the remains of the Filipinos, which were still on the ship.

“We’re not sure about the final plan on retrieving the bodies, but it’s the responsibility of the manning agency. They have to find a way,” Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo Serbisyo.

Must Read

3 killed in first fatal Houthi attack on Red Sea shipping, CENTCOM says

High-risk area

The Houthis, a Yemeni militia group, have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November 2023 in an apparent solidarity campaign with Palestinians during the war between Israel and Hamas.

It was also in November when the Houthis took hostage 17 Filipino seafarers in the Galaxy Leader cargo ship on the Red Sea.

In February, the International Bargaining Forum expanded the scope of “high risk areas” (HRAs) to the entire Gulf of Aden, a decision the DMW welcomed.

“The expansion of the scope of ‘high risk areas’ to include the Gulf of Aden serves as a necessary step towards providing stronger protection and promoting stricter security measures to safeguard Filipino seafarers and all seafarers working onboard ships navigating in such HRAs,” said DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac when the decision was released.

The expanded HRA ranges from the entire southern section of the Red Sea and the entire Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, and stretches to the coast of Eritrea in the Horn of Africa.

Filipino seafarers onboard ships that navigate in HRA waters have the right to refuse sailing, avail of company-funded repatriation, and compensation and bonuses. They are also entitled to double compensation in the event of death or disability.

“The Philippine government remains steadfast in the belief that through diplomacy and adherence to international law, the inter-related conflicts affecting the region at present will eventually be resolved, leading to the resumption of free and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of navigation for the world economy and the international community,” the DFA said.

The United States State Department said it would continue to hold the Houthis accountable for such attacks.

In a statement on Friday, March 8, the Japanese embassy in Manila expressed solidarity with Filipinos after the death of the two OFWs.

“Japan expresses heartfelt condolences to the families of two Filipino seafarers who lost their lives by a missile attack. We deeply respect their dedication in a foreign land,” the embassy said.

The embassy added that it will continue to work with the Philippines “toward the peaceful resolution of conflicts as well as lasting peace and stability all across the world.” – Rappler.com

Three sustained scratches and were allegedly involved in the “argument,” while the fourth sustained the most injuries on the face and head. The fourth was not acquainted with the other three.

“[The fourth] was a guest at the same hotel as the three; a bystander at the scene of the brawl when [they] were ‘attacked’ by the mob of Thai ladyboys,” said Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega.

In an additional report, two other Filipinos faced charges for assault. Another who was “attacked” is seeking to press charges. The DFA said the Philippine embassy was assisting both of them.

In a statement on Saturday, March 9, the Philippine embassy in Bangkok said the four Filipinos had returned home to the Philippines. The embassy said Philippine authorities had provided assistance to the Filipinos and settled the fines set by the Bangkok Civil Court against the four over the incident.

The embassy also cautioned about “unscrupulous individuals” using the incident to raise funds in the guise of helping the Filipinos. 

“We caution these concerned individuals from spreading misinformation or posting unsubstantiated information on social media,” it added. 

Videos of the brawl, which occurred in Sukhumvit Soi 11, Bangkok, on Monday, March 4, went viral on social media. Thai news site Khaosod reported a group of around 20 Filipino transgender women allegedly taunted the Thai, which escalated into a violent scuffle that went into the wee hours of Tuesday, March 5.

Citing Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz Paredes, De Vega said the first four Filipinos were brought to a police station. Interrogations are ongoing, and their statements will be verified alongside closed-circuit television videos.

Early this week, Philippine authorities also said that the Filipinos expressed their intention to leave Thailand as soon as possible.

The Thai Examiner reported that the incident prompted police to investigate an apparent influx of Filipino sex workers, and led to concerns over possible immigration violations and illegal activities. – Rappler.com

Nagbukas ang ospital noong Mayo 2022 upang “kilalanin ang mga mahahalagang kontribusyon ng mga Pilipinong migranteng manggagawa, at mapaginhawa ang kanilang mga problemang pangkalusugan.”

Maaliwalas at malinis ang ospital – masasabing malayo sa isang tipikal na pampublikong ospital sa bansa. Para nga naman ito sa mga itinuturing “bagong bayani” ng gobyerno. Higit 46,000 na pasyente na ang natulungan ng OFW Hospital.

Pero maraming kama na hindi nagagamit. May mga gamot at procedure din na kailangan pang hanapin ng mga pasyente sa labas.

Handa kaya ang OFW Hospital at ang Department of Migrant Workers na tugunan ang mga inaasahan dito?

Panoorin ang report ni Michelle Abad. – Rappler.com

Reporter: Michelle Abad
Production specialist: Errol Almario
Producers: JC Gotinga and Nina Liu
Editor: Jaene Zaplan
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso

Jimmy and his wife Clarice, and Angenica and Angelyn were in touch that day. Clarice and Angenica were worried by the sudden stop in messages received from their loved ones, only to find out later that Jimmy was taken, while Angelyn stayed with her Israeli employer until they both died.

Israel-based caregivers Jimmy, Angenica, and Angelyn were just some of the hundreds of Filipinos caught in the crossfire of Israel’s war with Palestinian militant group Hamas. And if one were to count Filipinos affected by the conflict, the number may reach up to 30,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel and over 100 Filipinos in Palestine, multiplied by their distressed families.

The Philippine and Israeli governments have pledged support to the Filipinos escaping the conflict – the latter even promising lifetime benefits. But even with the financial and livelihood support, Jimmy and Angenica still found that the best way to keep providing for their families was to return to Israel.

Losing her best friend

Angenica, 35, and Angelyn, 33, come from a family of 10 in Pangasinan. While the eight siblings are tightly knit, Angenica said she was closest to Angelyn.

They grew especially close when they lived with their aunt in their college years. Angenica was the first to fly to Israel to work as a caregiver, and her younger sister followed her some time later. The two became their family’s breadwinners.

In a commemorative event for her sister and the three other OFWs confirmed dead in the attack on November 28, Angenica recalled how she and her sister were messaging each other from their respective kibbutz or villages. The last thing Angelyn told her was that there was no lock in their bomb shelter, and that she was scared.

Angenica was able to come home by the end of October. She saw Angelyn only days later, when she came home in a box.

Angenica knew she was going to return to Israel, despite her mother’s disapproval. She said that it was more than a job, and that she could not bear to leave her ward, whom she saw as the grandfather she never had growing up.

Her whole family brought her to the airport in January. After checking in, she went out to them to say goodbye once more.

“They told me to always take care of myself and not to worry too much since we could count the days until we would see each other again. They told me to be strong,” she told Rappler in a call from Israel.

But upon landing in Israel, Angenica felt two things: fear and sadness. She was still in disbelief that her sister was gone.

Angenica was back in her daily routine with her ward, an 89-year-old, whom she bathed, fed, put to bed, and accompanied in the facility they relocated to after the attack.

But still, she was alone. Her ward, affected by dementia, was no longer capable of having conversations about what she was going through. While there were a few Filipinos in the same facility, everyone was busy with work. Her closest friends in Israel lived an hour away.

Fearful still, but with a need to provide

Angenica is now based in central Israel – far from the ongoing aggression in the north and the south, and as Israel intensifies attacks on Palestine. No more did she wake up to sounds of rockets in her kibbutz just over a kilometer away from Gaza, the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Her trauma remained nonetheless. She was afraid of going outside, crowds, and traveling anywhere alone. 

“I get paranoid sometimes. What if someone barges in, or knocks and breaks down the door?” she said. 

Despite these fears, she has returned out of love for her ward and her family, for whom she was the sole breadwinner after Angelyn’s passing. Even if she knew she would be safer and happier in the Philippines, she needed to be in Israel.

Angenica said she will stay in Israel until her ward passes. In the event he does, she won’t be going home then either.

“I plan to migrate elsewhere. If there is an opportunity to transfer to another country, I will go there first, because I saw how hard life is in the Philippines,” she said.

She pointed to the high cost of goods, and not being able to save anything if one did not own a business. Expenses for her family were especially high now, as her brother has medical needs for his kidney and eyes.

Of the equivalent of P70,000 she earns monthly, P30,000 goes to the family’s daily needs, while P20,000 goes to her brother’s medical expenses. Her siblings are in and out of work, and even when they do have jobs, these aren’t enough to sustain them all, she said.

Tissue paper for survival

For Clarice Pacheco, she had to endure 49 days of not knowing if her husband was alive.

She would later find out that when Jimmy was in captivity, he ate only once a day, and sometimes resorted to eating tissue paper to survive. When one loses someone like this temporarily, it’s difficult to imagine sending them back to where it all happened. But Clarice did.

Jimmy and Clarice met when the former was a college student, and the latter was working at a fast food chain. They met and grew close through Jimmy’s cousin, who was her coworker. 

Jimmy was studying to be a seaman, but things took a turn when Clarice became pregnant with twins. Neither of them were able to finish school, but they needed to decide how they were going to provide for their two boys.

Clarice encouraged Jimmy to go abroad, even though he didn’t like the idea. She had no clue about the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine, but she wanted him to go because “life here in the Philippines was so difficult.” She had a new job working in a casino, while he worked in agriculture. But the future seemed bleak for their children. 

Jimmy left in 2018. At this point, their twins were five years old, and another baby was on the way.

In their calls, Clarice learned about the conflict. “At first, I was always nervous because of the rockets. But as time went on, even as they said there were rockets, they had an iron dome to escape to anyway. This calmed me, which is why I never expected what happened [in October],” Clarice told Rappler.

Clarice found out that her husband was taken hostage when a family friend who was also a caregiver in Israel sent her a pixelated video of him following the October 7 attack. “When it’s your husband, you know. You know, even when the video isn’t clear.”

“I actually blamed myself when he was taken hostage because I was the one who pushed him to go there,” said Clarice. While she worried for her husband’s well-being, she was also terrified of being left to provide for their three children all by herself.

Jimmy was among 24 hostages freed on the first day of the truce, November 24. It was Clarice who confirmed to Philippine authorities that her husband was free, as one of her in-laws sent a photo to their family group chat of a skinny, unshaven Jimmy in a vehicle, smiling.

“I was the only one awake then, and I was crying of so much joy. My in-laws heard me, and we were celebrating so loudly. We couldn’t sleep that night, even my children,” she said.

Play Video

Weeks later, Jimmy was home for Christmas. The family received at least P170,000 from the Philippine government. From their home in Cagayan Valley, they took the kids on vacation in Ilocos and Baguio. For the first time, they spent the holidays as a complete family.

No dependence on benefits

Even on the day Clarice held her husband again, she knew that he was decided on going back.

Their children were promised scholarships from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, though as of posting, Clarice said that these were still being processed. Initial support from the Israeli government also came in, amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos. 

“He thought about the future of the children for when they go to college. And I realized how difficult life really is here in the province,” she said.

They understood that Israel would provide Jimmy benefits for a lifetime as a victim of war. But according to Clarice, Jimmy still wanted to work. He also worried that Israel’s law that served as the basis for these benefits might change.

“He did not want to depend on the benefits. He wants to work while the children are still small. He wants to provide for them so that they can have something they can call their own,” she said.

But why Israel, of all places? Clarice said that Jimmy had simply gotten used to working there, as he has only known work abroad in Israel.

Jimmy was back in Israel by February 2. With the financial assistance they received, the couple put up a business, Jimmy Pacheco’s Frozen Store, in Santa Ana, Cagayan.

Risks abroad more worth it?

According to University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco, OFWs migrating back abroad after returning to the Philippines is not new. The Philippines may be physically safer, but it did not mean security for the OFWs who fled the crises.

“This is a recurring pattern already, with regard to previous crises which have occurred which concern overseas Filipino workers,” she said. 

Franco, who has written about labor export, pointed to the Lebanon war in 2006, when some 10,000 Filipinos fled the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, but there was also a “massive return.” 

A more recent example is the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed at least 2.3 million OFWs to return to the Philippines. In a 2021 study by the Center for Migrant Advocacy, OFWs had difficulties finding work in the health sector during the pandemic due to competition with local workers, and having needed skills but lacking certain documentary requirements. 

Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s policy restricting health worker deployment was also criticized – and while not all health workers seeking overseas employment may have been returned migrants, Franco said they were still willing to risk their lives to take care of COVID-19 patients as long as the job was abroad. (READ: Nursing in the UK, where the risks seemed more worth it)

“And you really cannot blame them. And the fact that they’re willing to sort of be in a place where there’s precarity because of the war, and not be here in the country shows that their livelihood and their families’ welfare are more important,” said Franco.

She also noted how migration and diplomacy are intimately linked.

“When the Philippines had to decide on certain matters…people were wondering why it took us some time on whether to issue sanctions, not just here in Israel but in other periods of conflict elsewhere. It’s because it’s not easy for us,” she said, adding that while sending workers to Israel may have been a diplomatic strategy, the country also needed to do it to provide jobs for these workers.

Franco emphasized that Filipinos simply need better salaries and more decent jobs, “because these are things that will make them stay.”

Clarice understands that Jimmy had to leave her side again. After all, it’s for their children. But if there was an opportunity for him to return home for good, she would have him stay in a heartbeat.

“If we only had enough for our children’s education, I would prefer that we all stay together,” she said. – Rappler.com

All quotes have been translated into English.

The appellate court upheld the guilty verdict on the young man who brutally killed domestic worker Ranara, whose burnt remains were found in the Kuwaiti desert in January 2023. The court imposed on the teen, who was 17 years old at the time of the crime, 15 years of imprisonment for murder, and an additional year for driving without a license, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Wednesday, February 21.

In an interview with Rappler on Thursday, February 22, Ranara’s brother Emor Reyes said that the family felt mixed emotions when hearing the upheld guilty verdict.

“[Masaya] kasi alam mo ‘yun, kahit papaano mayroong justice na nangyari. Malungkot, siyempre, ganoon ‘yung nangyari sa ate ko (Happy because we were able to get some justice one way or another, but sad, of course, because my sister’s life turned out that way),” he said.

Citing the legal team for Ranara’s case, DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac said that the 15-year sentence was the maximum penalty a minor could get for murder under Kuwaiti law. In September, when the court of first instance handed down the guilty verdict, Ranara’s father said that they thought it was too light of a sentence.

With the sentence upheld, Reyes still felt the same as before. He said that the law should be amended.

“Gusto pa rin namin mabago ‘yun, katulad noong unang appeal, ang sabi ko sa kanila, ‘yun ang suggest ko na baka puwede pang mapataas. Kasi sobrang baba eh. So parang not fair – na 16 [years]? Lalabas lang siya ng 30 plus, ganoon. Ang bata niya pa. Tapos ang ate ko, patay na,” he said.

(We still want the law to be changed, just like during the first appeal, I told them and suggested that maybe the penalty could be higher, because it’s way too low. It’s not fair – just 16 years? He will go free when he’s in his 30s. He is so young, while my sister is dead.)

The DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration held a Zoom call with Ranara’s family on Wednesday to discuss the upheld verdict and next steps. Cacdac said that the government assured the family they would help with filing the civil action for damages, free of charge.

“This is a step towards the complete attainment of justice, because there is still the civil action for damages to be filed,” he told reporters on Thursday.

The perpetrator’s family still has an option to appeal the sentence with the Court of Cassation, but Cacdac said they had yet to know if the family will appeal again.

A year without Jullebee

Reyes, 29, said that even if he and his older sister came from a pack of eight siblings, he was closest to her. He was the only sibling present in the Wednesday Zoom call.

Ranara once funded his education and made it possible for him to graduate high school. He confided in her about everything he went through in life.

“Pinipilit namin na kayanin kahit sobrang sakit. Nandiyan na ‘yan eh, so kahit naman gusto naming bumalik, wala naman na kaming magawa. So ang tanging gagawin na lang namin is suportahan yung mga naiwan niya, yung obligasyon niya dito, kailangan namin ituloy,” he said.

(We have been forcing ourselves to carry on even though it’s still so painful. It already happened, so even if we want to go back in time, we can’t. So all we can do is support the things she left behind, her obligations, we need to keep taking care of them.)

If it were up to the family, justice would have meant an eye for an eye.

“Galing na sa papa ko, ayaw naming hilingin ‘to, pero sa ginawa niya… an eye for an eye (Just like what my father said, and we don’t want to ask for this, but based on what he did… an eye for an eye),” he said.

Ranara’s brutal killing triggered the Philippines to halt deployment of first-time domestic workers heading to Kuwait beginning February 2023. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega earlier said that one of the conditions for the lifting of the partial ban was justice for Ranara.

On Thursday, Cacdac did not say whether the latest case development would affect the ban, only that labor diplomacy talks would continue. – Rappler.com

Dan Ramos, a 26-year graduate of health information management in California, United States, did just that for Phoenix Yra Cuyugan, a 21-year-old psychology student who lived in the country he left. Dan, who comes from a family that immigrated from the Philippines to the US when he was four, found a reason to return to his homeland, despite the difficulties.

As the two are young lovers, some may call it reckless. While they don’t have everything figured out just yet, the one thing they’re sure about is each other.

The failed set-up

Dan and Yra’s story is one of modern love, and it started on Discord.

One of Dan’s close friends happened to be Yra’s cousin in the US. Yra and her cousin thought it would be fun to set up a friend of hers with a friend of his, and Dan wanted to be a part of this plan.

Dan and Yra found friendship in each other, and began speaking through direct messages. But the set-up operation soon became an excuse to talk to each other.

“So we would bundle up a lot of updates of each other so since she was close to her friend… She would save up all of that chika (gossip) and I would save up all the chika about [my friend], and then would have calls like once a week,” said Dan.

“The rest of the four-hour call isn’t even the discussion about them na. We would make excuses like ‘Oh, I have an update about them.’ After 20 minutes: ‘Anyway, so kumain ka na ba (have you eaten)?” Yra continued, as the two laughed recalling it.

Their friends didn’t end up together, but they did.

At the point when they were honest about their feelings for each other, they had yet to meet in person. That wasn’t until months later, when Dan visited his home province Laguna, and the couple had each other’s company for two weeks with their families.

“The goodbye after that time was definitely the hardest of all the visits. Having met each other, the months apart were more painful than the seven months when we haven’t met in person yet because now we knew exactly what we were missing,” said Yra.

Yra and Dan faced the same challenges most people in long-distance relationships felt, like sacrificing sleep just to talk. But they believed their relationship progressed quickly precisely because they were able to focus on each other.

“You’re forced to see and connect with your love as who they are as a person only. So much builds up when you’re apart: communication skills, understanding, and most of all, trust. There are absolutely no other factors (sex, kilig, peer pressure, physical intimacy) we had that could distract us from seeing who the other really was, especially since both of us have very strong values for keeping honesty at our number one,” said Yra.

The big move

Dan began making decisions for his life with Yra in mind. Before meeting her, he was an administrative staff for employee health. While comfortable in the position, he did not see much growth in it. He quit his job to work as a health information technician, as he viewed it as a better opportunity to support Yra.

As time went by, Dan knew that he wanted to be closer to Yra, even if it meant leaving the States. For him, he was her home, in whom he found sincere love, comfort, and safety.

When Dan was little, his mother found an opportunity in the US to work as a nurse. In his single-parent household in America, all the siblings contributed to the household. He was the youngest of three, and he asked his two older brothers first if they were ready for him to leave the nest. He handled a number of expenses, such as groceries and the internet and phone bills.

While experiencing a mix of approval and worry for her youngest, Dan’s mother eventually came around, too.

Cultural, family differences

Yra recalls how the beginning of their relationship was difficult due to their cultural differences.

“Even though he is a Filipino and his parents are very, very Filipino, province-Filipino type, he didn’t really grow up being that way. So the culture is still very American, so that part, nahirapan talaga ako (I had a hard time). But along the way, he learned to understand that I’m struggling. And so he adjusted everything he knew for me,” said Yra.

A lot of their misunderstandings came from their differences, Dan recalled. For one, he had to learn the concept of tampo.

Another challenge was how Dan came from a traditional Adventist family who wanted him to marry an Adventist woman. Yra also struggled with Dan’s family’s apparent disapproval of her weight. 

“I was bigger than what they initially thought I would be. It went as far as when they had arguments, his mom called me a liability because of my weight as they are a whole family of nurses who have very strong opinions and routines with health,” added Yra.

Yra’s family, meanwhile, approved of Dan because of how transparent he was with his intentions with her. They saw how he sent money to her from the US to buy groceries, and when they were together in the Philippines, he accompanied her to a doctor’s appointment for an ailment she had been bothered by for years.

“They saw how much [our relationship] changed me into a better person and to take things more seriously,” said Yra.

US as the means, Philippines as the end

Yra and Dan imagine going to the US together to build their careers and save money for a future with children. Dan hopes to be a work-from-home data analyst, and own multiple properties to rent out. 

Meanwhile, Yra wants to finish her psychology degree, and maybe go to graduate school to be a therapist or psychologist – all while honing her skills in cosmetics, as she has also worked as a contractual makeup artist.

For both of them, the Philippines is home, and a place they want to return to.

“I do feel at home in the Philippines and I want our kids to also appreciate the culture we have here,” said Dan.

For couples in similar situations, Yra advises to always be intentional in their actions.

“Remember that your choice to love your person was never wrong, and the day will come where you both will be able to close the distance. I promise you, that day where, ‘See you next visit,” becomes “See you at home,” it will be worth every heartache you’ll face,” she said. – Rappler.com

From Our Archives

Fil-Ams tell parents migration to America ‘not in vain’

Because the SWP is facilitated by partner local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines and Korea, one would expect close monitoring of adherence to the workers’ human rights. 

But the report, conducted by the Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea (JCMK) and the Migrant Forum in Asia, found grim realities: the program is tainted with irregularities and exploitation.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Department of Migrant Workers officials also earlier raised concerns about the program. In January, the DMW announced that it had halted deployment of Filipinos as seasonal workers to Korea, following a number of complaints about their working conditions.

Here are some things to know about the program, and how abuses happen.

What is the SWP?

According to the Korea Immigration Service, the SWP recruits migrant workers for short periods to address chronic labor shortages during Korea’s busy farming and fishing season.

The program has been in place since 2017 though the Philippines began deploying workers around 2022. Such shortages occur because of Korea’s aging workforce, the research said.

Because workers are seasonal, their contracts usually last around five to eight months. Workers are expected to return to their home countries, but they may also reapply for a new season.

The Philippines is just one of the countries sending its citizens to be seasonal workers in Korea. Others include fellow developing countries Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Nepal.

Why is the recruitment irregular?

Under Philippine migration governance, agencies that recruit Filipinos for work abroad should be accredited by the DMW. Under the SWP, Philippine LGUs have memoranda of understanding with their counterpart LGUs in South Korea. As the sister LGUs facilitate the recruitment on their own, the DMW is left out of the loop.

The study noted a lack of policy coherence between sending countries and South Korea. The non-supervision of a national authority whose mandate is OFW protection makes the deployment process prone to irregularity and non-uniformity. 

In Talisay, Batangas, the research found that local officials were “relying on a private individual” to handle the documentation of seasonal worker applicants, while others were sent through other local governments.

The report also said that there was no regular monitoring system for salaries – like the modes of payment, or if these comply with minimum wages. 

Worker-applicants also had to make a deposit with the sending LGUs before departure. This was meant to be a preventive measure against overstaying, but the report said this is abuse of human rights. 

Criticism prompted the Korean government to scrap the return deposit system in 2022, but JCMK’s survey found that sending local governments were still requiring repatriation bonds.

On February 8, the Department of Justice issued a legal opinion on the Korean SWP. The DOJ recognized the authority for LGUs to enter into sisterhood agreements with LGUs abroad based on the Local Government Code, while also recognizing the DMW’s authority to regulate recruitment.

“The autonomy granted to LGUs to enter into agreements with foreign counterparts does not deprive the DMW the authority to regulate the deployment of seasonal Filipino workers overseas,” the DOJ opinion reads.

It’s one thing to have the right to sisterhood agreements, but it’s another to deploy workers, which may seem out of the ordinary. Does this mean that the past deployments within LGUs were a form of illegal recruitment? DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac said that the department was now “correcting precisely what had transpired.”

“We will also be mindful of exorbitant fees. Because as you know, that’s part of the recruitment process. Of course, for the most part, wrongful charging of fees would constitute illegal recruitment under our laws, so babantayan din po natin ‘yan (we will closely monitor this, too),” Cacdac said in a press briefing on Monday, February 19.

What are workers promised, and what happens in reality?

Most seasonal workers surveyed said they were paid between 1.8 million and 2.2 million KRW, or P75,600 to P92,400 monthly. Such a salary – for a blue-collar job at that – is only a dream for many Filipinos. 

To compare, the minimum wage for agriculture workers in Metro Manila, which consistently records the highest minimum wages in the country, is just P573 a day or a little over P12,400 a month.

In reality, the study found, brokers intervene in sending remittances and managing the workers’ stay in Korea, “perpetrating a spectrum of human rights violations.”

Brokers were reported to collect high recruitment and visa facilitation fees, deduct hefty amounts from workers’ remittances, and sexually harass workers.

If workers live in isolated areas, they are also at risk of forced labor and trafficking. Some workers are deployed without contracts.

In the case of at least 124 seasonal workers from “Lubau City” cited in the study (which may be referring to Lubao, Pampanga, which has deployed seasonal workers) and who went to Seongju county, the “most problematic issue” was the improper payment of salaries, the report said.

Their monthly salary was 2.1 million KRW, which is subject to a deduction of 200,000 KRW for room and board. But, citing a September 2022 Korea Daily report, the research said the workers’ take-home pay ended up at just half, at 1 million KRW, because of brokers’ deductions.

What is being done about this?

In November 2023, the DMW said it was not stopping the coordination among LGUs with sisterhood agreements. However, the department asked to be involved in the vetting process.

On February 7, the DMW released interim guidelines on processing Filipino workers for the Korean SWP. These guidelines outlined requirements for LGUs, which included memoranda of agreement, and an undertaking that no illegal or unauthorized fees should be collected from applicants either in the Philippines or Korea.

In the guidelines, officially DMW Advisory No. 1-A, series of 2024, LGUs were also advised to coordinate with the DMW before the departure of their constituent-SWP workers.

Cacdac further clarified in the Monday briefing that the DMW would be handling the recruitment processes, but it will delegate tasks unrelated to recruitment to the LGU, such as education and pre-deployment orientation seminars. 

LGUs are also tasked to monitor the situations of their constituents for any unusual or untoward incidents, so that the DMW can act on complaints as necessary. 

The DMW added that it was also building cases against individuals whom they had become aware were acting as brokers. – Rappler.com

1 KRW = P0.042

Cato sued the Manila-based Daily Tribune after it reported that the consul general allegedly sat on complaints about immigration consultancy firm, Alpha Assistenza, which was under investigation for illegal recruitment. In its story, Tribune quoted Filipino job applicants Vanessa Antonio, Apple Cabasis, and Enrique Catilo.

Antonio, who was present in a Senate migrant workers committee hearing on massive illegal recruitment on Wednesday, February 7, wept during as she recalled how she was sued after already being victimized by an alleged illegal recruiter.

“ConGen, teka muna, biktima na nga, tapos sasampahan mo pa ng kaso… What’s wrong with you, sir? Pilipino ‘to, Pilipino ka din, ‘di ba sir (ConGen, hold on a second. They’re already victims, and then you file a case against them… What’s wrong with you, sir? This is a Filipino, aren’t you a Filipino too)?” said Tulfo, who chairs the committee.

Cato, who was also in the hearing, said that he sued the OFWs because there were false accusations hurled against him, and they were the ones being quoted. “But I’ve talked to them, and I was told that the statements that were published in the newspapers were not theirs. So they were being quoted as saying that I did not act on the complaints that they brought to my attention.”

“Wala po akong sinabing ganoon (I made no such statement),” Antonio said, while Cato spoke.

Cato said that he just wanted the truth, and he could amend the libel complaint with his lawyer.

Cabasis also said that they were complaining to Daily Tribune about Alpha Assistenza.

“Ang mga natanggap pong reklamo ng Daily Tribune tungkol kay ConGen Cato ay hindi po sa amin nanggaling. Naging messenger lang po kaming dalawa (The complaints the Daily Tribune received about ConGen Cato were not from us. We were just messengers),” said Cabasis.

Cabasis added that Daily Tribune still asked if the allegations were true, to which she responded that they still believed the complaints were true because of what they read in group chats with fellow OFWs from Milan, whom she said had the complaints against Cato.

Hontiveros also followed up on Cato’s statement on possibly amending the complaint, if it was not “improper to ask.”

“Kasi pambihira po ang hinaharap po nilang problema, naghahabol ng hustisya sa ninakaw na pera sa kanila para humarap din sa… Hindi po maliit na bagay ang isang dating OFW, humarap sa kaso, mula sa isang diplomat ng ating gobyerno,” she said.

(The problem they are facing is out of the ordinary – they are seeking justice for money stolen from them only to also have to face… It’s a very big deal for a former OFW to face a case from a diplomat of our government.)

“As a former OFW, ma’am, it was really so hard for me to include them in the complaint. But as mentioned earlier, the allegations of inaction against me and the consulate were traced to the three of them… So Ms. Apple and I spoke, and I said, just come up with a sworn statement and tell the truth,” said Cato.

Cato said his discussion with the OFW respondents, in which they said that the allegations in the Daily Tribune did not come from them, happened after the filing of the complaint. He told Rappler that had he known that the statements may have been wrongly attributed, he would not have included them as respondents.

“[Cabasis] reached out after she found out that she was among the respondents. Yes, I would not include them in the case,” he told Rappler after the hearing.

Cato’s lawyer Jocelyn Clemente said they would remove the names of the OFWs from the complaint when they have submitted their statements.

“‘All they have to do in the affidavit [is say] that statement never came from them… We will just attach that statement which is why we are withdrawing them from the case. It is not like a desistance or whatever from our part, but we would have new proof that they are not responsible,” Clemente said in a chance interview.

In the hearing, Daily Tribune stood by its reporting.

“Being a news organization, we have always adhered to the principle of fair reporting… We have never been parsimonious with the opportunity to air both sides of the story,” said Maria Bettina Fernandez, executive vice president of the Concept Information Group, the Daily Tribune‘s mother company. – Rappler.com