Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

Pinay migrants doubly-harmed with lack of health access

Posted on June 16, 2007

by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
www.ofwjournalism.net

QUEZON CITY—THE LACK of access to health facilities in host countries aggravates the maltreatment already suffered by some Filipina migrant workers, making them more vulnerable and unattended to.

This was the observation from a case study by the Kanlungan Centre Foundation on the health conditions of women migrant workers who were its clients. The nonprofit advocacy group, established in 1989, offers services to overseas Filipino women workers in difficult circumstances.

Lead author of the study and medical doctor Aurora Barong said as some women migrant workers (mostly domestic workers) have been maltreated and raped, their conditions were even “associated (with their) erratic or non-access to health services in the host country”.

Of the 236 clients of Kanlungan whose individual case reports were studied, 63 of them reported maltreatment. These women, aged 18 to 40 years old, were employed as domestic workers overseas when they were abused.

In addition, the study cited that 11 women said they suffered both physical abused and rape.

Maltreatment, rape with maltreatment, and fractures were the top three health problems of Kanlungan’s clients. Those who said they were physically harmed included 57 domestic workers, two caregivers, two dressmakers, and two factory workers.

The study noted emphasized that the suffering led a woman migrant worker to develop psychosis, underlining the gravity of the abuse she experienced.

The study also noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia posted the highest number of reported cases of maltreatment, with 18 women having worked there. Lebanon is the country that posted the second-highest incidence of abuse. Other countries where these 63 maltreated came from are: Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (six workers each) and Taiwan (four workers).

The cases of maltreatment ranged from being forced to work more than eight hours up to 21 hours on an 8-hour salary. Likewise, the women also said they were fed or dissuaded from taking proper meals, restricted from using the bathroom at certain hours, and barred from leaving their employer’s home even on government-mandated rest days or holidays.

Aside from these, 36 of the 63 maltreated Filipina migrant workers said their employers also did not pay their salaries, as three were unilaterally terminated earlier than the contract period.

Three jumped off buildings to escape from their abusive employers.

Barong said that what aggravates the conditions of these maltreated women migrant workers is that they do not immediately seek medical treatment, or that clinics in the host country are inaccessible.

Some of the women who were raped went through unwanted pregnancies; the rapists scooting off free from the religio-cultural dilemma suffered by their victims as well as the economic duty over the offspring.

Barong said Kanlungan’s case reports confirmed other studies that rape victims feel “unclean; thus, resulting to abnormally bathing themselves frequently”.

Kanlungan’s study also did focus group discussions with former migrant workers in Metro Manila communities where the group actively provides services. Respondents said their health needs remain last in their priority of budgeting or spending. Likewise, these needs were not considered when they were still sending remittances to families back home.

Barong said this reflects a Filipino trait that consulting a doctor is the last option one takes, especially if he or she feels or thinks there’s nothing serious they can’t manage.

What the study also reveals is that since domestic work is not considered formal labor in the host country, employers of these domestic workers (both Filipinos and non-Filipinos) do not provide workers with health insurance benefits.

Since overseas employment is a private matter between the employer and the employee, foreign employers will not include providing health benefits to domestic workers, explains Deputy Administrator Noriel Devenadera of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

However, while the government has been exporting Filipinos overseas for the past three decades and reaping the benefits from these workers’ remittances, Devenadera can only say the government can only “try to inject health benefits into these existing contracts for household service workers.”

Prior to departure, contract workers pay P900 (roughly US$20 at US$1=P46) to reap promised benefits under the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

But Barong thinks that aside from these benefits remain undisclosed to OFWs, they remain inadequate.

Even health-related services by Philippine diplomatic missions are not enough, with migrant workers needing the services of doctors in the host country are in remote areas, the study observed.

And when the migrant worker returns to the Philippines, unless she or he is a dutiful paying member of government-run social security and health insurance programs for them, returning migrant workers cannot avail such health and pension benefits, the study bared.

Barong also looked at the cases of migrant workers being handled by government agencies and some non-government organizations, and also saw similar cases of maltreatment and occupational health-related issues for low-skilled migrant workers.

Kanlungan has been monitoring specific cases of women and men migrant workers who are in distressed situations. Its database of contains cases of rights violations spanning nearly two decades. OFW Journalism Consortium

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme