Three girls from Nueva Ecija who complained to Bantay OCW that the OFW Recruitment Agency had sent them off to virtual slave labor in Taiwan finally got their money back.
Lorena Banggayan, Mary Rose Saberon and Rowena Villanueva, whose cases were featured in Global Pinoy, got their P160,000 application expenses back after their first conciliation meeting on July 27, mediated by Lucy Austria.
The three had complained that the Taiwanese employers they were assigned to made them work unreasonably long hours under guelling conditions, contrary to what the agency had promised. When Saberon fled and asked the recruiter for her money back, an employee at the agency supposedly told her to jump off a building and just collect the insurance money.
Now, more complainants are emerging. Recently, Cristine Geronimo and Rowena Gamit, also from Nueva Ecija, sought the assistance of Bantay OCW through Radyo Inquirer.
OFW Geronimo said she resigned from her job as caretaker in Taiwan after only six days because her 70-year-old ward kept molesting her. An agency employee named Rita told her, in so many words that lascivious old men were to be considered “normal,” adding: “Why, were you raped or impregnated?” If she did not have money to return to Manila, that was her problem.
At any rate, news is that the OFW Recruitment Agency is putting girls from Nueva Ecija on hold for the moment. Unfortunately for Gamit, she has already paid the agency P80,000.
Bantay OCW will be monitoring their conciliation hearings on Aug. 11 and Aug 30.
Susan Andes, a.k.a. Susan K is on board at RADYO INQUIRER 990 DZIQ AM, Mon-Fri, 7-8: 30 p.m. (live streaming: www.dziq.am); and at NBN Channel 4, Mon-Fri,10:10 p.m.-11:10 p.m. (Live streaming: www.ptni.tv). Bantay OCW Hotlines: 5357209/ 8819423/ 0919.214.0699. E-mail: susankbantayocw@yahoo.com / bantayocwfoundation@yahoo.com