OWWA gave $19,000, Bichara tells probers - Malaya 08.01.2006

AMBASSADOR to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara yesterday told a Senate inquiry into the evacuation Filipinos in Lebanon that $19,000 was all that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) had sent to the embassy.

Bichara said the money was wired to a personal bank account of a welfare officer who is also based in Lebanon.

"It was not directly (remitted) to the accounts of the embassy," Bichara told the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

Bichara, who testified through phone patch from Lebanon, said the money was remitted to a bank account of OWWA welfare officer Mario Antonio days after the hostilities broke out in Lebanon about two weeks ago.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, and OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque did not show up at the Senate hearing.

In a letter, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government officials invited to the inquiry "are currently engaged in critical operations to get our OFWs in Lebanon out of harm’s way, and bring them home to the Philippines."

Bichara told the Senate panel he was made aware of the existence of the funds only when Antonio showed him the bank account confirming the transfer.

The ambassador, however, said the funds were not sufficient and his office had to use its own budget to feed and gather the Filipinos in Lebanon.

He said $150,000 arrived just yesterday in Damascus, Syria. It was sent through Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis.

Bichara told the Senate committee he originally asked for $1.1 million to cover the evacuation of 10,000 Filipinos.

He said he has not seen and has had no access to the $107,151 and the $465,000 supposedly allocated by government for evacuation efforts.

"Negative your honor," he said on questioning of Sen. Joker Arroyo if his office has received the money.

Bichara also said the $2 million allocation trumpeted this week by OWWA as fresh money for distressed workers in Lebanon was also non-existent.

"Have not seen it, your honor," he said.

Arroyo advised Bichara to leave the repatriation work to the OWWA.

"Bitiwan mo na ’yan and avoid getting the brunt (of criticisms). They should be on the field. They’re not really doing anything," Arroyo said.

Bichara said as "field commander," he should have full control of the funds and logistics during emergencies like evacuation efforts.

He said he was hoping for a standby fund that is under this control, which can be accessed to evacuate at least 50 percent of the total OFW population. Based on immigration figures, there are around 34,000 Filipinos working in Lebanon.

The number could reach 40,000 if the undocumented OFWs were included, Bichara said.
He said advancing the funds is needed in a crisis situation because borders are closing down, which makes transfer and remittance of money difficult.

Senators led by former Senate President Franklin Drilon moved to strip OWWA of its role in repatriating OFWs during emergency cases.

Drilon said the Migrant Workers’ Act of 1995, which gives full control to OWWA over the $100 million "repatriation funds," should be amended considering that it has been remiss in its mandate.

He said full control of funds during repatriation operations should be in the hands of the concerned embassy.

Drilon said Ermita was wrong in assuming that the Senate probe does not touch on a particular law or is not intended to the crafting of a new law.

"Contrary to the statement of the executive secretary (Ermita), there’s really a need to look at these laws," he said.

Bichara agreed: "That’s right, your honors."

When asked what the OWWA has so far done for the distressed OFWs, Bichara said aside from the $19,000 that OWWA sent and the two OWWA personnel who were "imported" from Saudi Arabia, the welfare agency has done nothing substantial.

"There’s all to it," Bichara said.

Esteban Conejos Jr., Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, and Marianito Roque, OWWA administrator, said no funds OWWA are reaching Lebanon because the funds are sent instead to Damascus, where OFWs from Lebanon are brought before returning to the Philippines.

They said the Philippines has no embassy in Syria.

"Hindi naman obligasyon ng OWWA na magbigay ng funding sa Beirut. That is the sole responsibility of the DFA," Conejos said.

The funds for the embassy in Lebanon, Conejos said, would come from the DFA and not OWWA.

He said Bichara initially asked for a $1.1 million standby fund for 15 days, which he later amended to $460,000.

Based on their initial, unofficial estimate, the embassy should still have at least $250,000 to $270,000 after the DFA’s replenishments on July 23 ($250,000) and July 27 ($150,000).

He said as far as the embassy’s share of the evacuation expenses, their main cost component are as follows: to provide food for the OFWs taking shelter at church of the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal; to hire buses to transport OFWs from Beirut to Damascus; and to shoulder entry and terminal visas of OFWs to Syria.

Conejos said OWWA shoulders the rest of the evacuation expenses, particularly those incurred in Damascus. These are: maintenance of shelters for OFWs in Damascus; payment of chartered aircraft used to bring OFWs to Manila; payment of tickets of OFWs who proceeded to Manila using commercial airlines; shelter used by OFWs upon arrival in the Manila, including the cost of the "stress counseling" they undergo upon arrival; and the expenses incurred ins ending the OFWs back to their hometown either by train, ship or airplane.

Roque said aside from this OWWA also shoulders the reintegration of the OFWs to the Philippine workforce.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, chairman of the OWWA board of trustees, said they would be meeting again Friday to determine if an additional P300 million would be released as standby fund for the operations. – Dennis Gadil, Jocelyn Montemayor, Evangeline de Vera and Wendell Vigilia