Reflections on the Human Condition - Api-fellowships.org

All documented OFWs going abroad are covered by
a welfare fund that is administered by the Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an agency
attached to the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE). A membership fee of US$25 is levied on a
per contract basis with membership not exceeding
two years. The same amount is paid upon renewal of
membership in the succeeding years.
OWWA’s objectives are to include reintegration as a
topic, to encourage savings and forward planning among
OFWs at site and with their families at home, to guide
returned OFWs in setting priorities at least 6 months
before contract termination or as soon as they return to
the country, to assist OFWs’ families in coping with the
social costs of international migration, to help returned
OFWs in their recovery efforts from maltreatment and
other forms of trauma, and to give due recognition to
successful OFWs (Achievers Club).
OWWA supports a network of NGOs and private
sector organizations, scales the heights of achievement
in a savings campaign, and promotes investment and
enterprise formation by OFWs and their families. They
also run various programs such as Business Training and
Development, Spiritual Enrichment and Closer Family
Ties, Skill Training, Health Services, Jobs, and the OFW
Achievers Club. OWWA is the field service office which
has one Regional Operation Coordination Center and
28 Overseas Operation Coordination Centers. 7
Church, Church-Related and Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs)
Community-based and church-related 8 organizations
and NGOs 9 are concerned with the implementation of
reintegration program. They offer various reintegration
interventions, detailed below:
Social Reintegration, including legal assistance, temporary
shelter, counseling and orientation (psycho-emotional
counseling), welfare assistance, education and formation in
leadership training, community building/development,
advocacy (advocacy, information and publications,
newsletter library and documentation, research etc.),
and linkages and networking (local and international).
Economic Reintegration, including Migrant Savings for
Alternative Investment (MSAI), Social Entrepreneurship
& Enterprise Development Services (SEEDS), livelihood
programs, and cooperatives.
The most effective ways of promoting reintegration
services are through seminars, advertisements, tri-mass
THE EMPOWERING THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
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media, churches and NGOs with established networks,
communication to OFWs on site, after-mass/church
services, giving information before going abroad, i.e.
at a pre-departure orientation/training, posters at the
Embassies and Labor Offices for job sites, recruitment
agencies, the Reintegration seminar returnees will be
asked to attend upon arrival, at the airport counter for
information upon arrival and local government units.
The success and impact indicators of reintegration
preparation are economic/livelihood support during
the overseas work period, the ability of migrants to
stop working overseas, go home and stay for good,
reduced pressure on family/community members to
go abroad, and how development and sustainable.
Unfortunately, the time of study in Philippines was not
enough to obtain feedback from returned OFWs on the
implementation of the “Reintegration Program” by the
OWWA, churches and NGOs.
2. THAI MIGRANT WORKERS IN JAPAN
There were both documented and undocumented
Thai migrant workers in Japan, but mostly they were
undocumented workers. Those who had legal status came
to Japan with “Trainee Visas”, with two year contracts or
“Temporary Visitor Visas”, working as domestic helpers
with one year contracts, which they could renew with
their employers. Most domestic helpers worked longer
than five years, with the longest staying in Japan as a
domestic worker for 19 years. Those who had an illegal
status mostly came to Japan with “Trainee Visas” and
“Temporary Visitor Visas” and then overstayed to work
as daily wage workers, factory workers and sex workers.
Additionally, there is also female trafficking for sex
industry work (sex workers).
2.1 Foreign Nationals Residing in Japan
The number of registered foreign nationals categorized
by nationality (place of origin) by the end of 2003
was 1,915,030—an increase from 1,851,758 in 2002.
(2004 Immigration Control 2004, 26-27) The largest
number of registered foreign nationals was 613,791
from Korea, accounting for 32.1% of the total. This was
followed by China (462,396 accounting for 24.1%),
Brazil (274,700 accounting for 14.3%), the Philippines
(185,237 accounting for 9.7%), Peru (53,649
accounting for 2.8%), Thailand (34,825 accounting
for 1.8%), Vietnam (23,853 accounting for 1.2%), and
Indonesia (22,862 accounting for 1.1%).
The number of new entry foreign nationals with the
trainee status increased by 6,283 (up 10.7%) from the
Ref lections on the Human Condition: Change, Conflict and Modernity
The Work of the 2004/2005 API Fellows