Citing the vital role of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in our economy, Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Senator Manny Villar reiterated his advocacy to help and protect rights of migrant workers once he wins in the May 10, 2010 elections.

Villar made his pledge on the 15th death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, a domestic worker who was executed in Singapore in 1995 for the murder of fellow OFW Delia Maga and a four-year-old Singaporean child under the latter’s care.

“I have heard first-hand terrible stories, litanies of physical abuse, maltreatment, rape, unfair labor practices – sufferings that our countrymen go through in search of a better life. The sad truth is that these abuses and acts of injustice continue to be perpetuated,” Villar said.

Contemplacion’s execution went ahead despite then President Fidel V. Ramos's appeal to the Singaporean government to stop it.

“Flor Contemplacion’s story should have been an eye-opener, both for those who choose to work overseas of the risks associated with working in a foreign land and, more importantly, for the government to be more vigilant and responsive to the needs of our OFWs. Unfortunately, things have gone from bad to worse,” Villar said.

Relatedly, Villar reiterated his call to the government to exhaust all means to save sentenced OFW Jakatia Pawa from the death row in Kuwait.

On January 19, Kuwait’s highest court upheld the death sentence on Pawa for the killing of the 22-year-old daughter of her employer. Pawa, 33, from Zamboanga del Norte, and mother to two children, graduated with a degree in banking and finance but opted to work as a domestic helper in Kuwait so she could better provide for her family.

“Working abroad should not be the end solution to our poverty problem. The social costs are too high and are taking their toll on our social structure,” he added.

OFWs remittances continue to rise giving the economy a big boost. Last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported OFW remittances last year reached $17.35 billion, up 5.6 percent despite the global economic crisis.