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Malacañang Respects OFW’s Right to Join ‘No Remittance Day’ Protest

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A Palace official said the government respects the decision of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to join the “No Remittance Day” on August 28 in protest of the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) plan to conduct random inspection of balikbayan boxes.

Speaking during a media briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said OFWs have the right to express their sentiments.

“Iginagalang namin ang karapatang magpahayag ng saloobin ang ating mga Overseas Filipino worker. Patuloy naming kinikilala ang mahalagang ambag ng mga OFW sa ating ekonomiya, bagaman kailangan ding isaalang-alang ang pangangailangang sawatain ang mga smuggler na nananamantala sa bayan sa paggamit ng mga balikbayan box, at sirain ang simbolo nito bilang bunga ng pagpupunyagi ng mga OFW na nagsasakripisyong magtrabaho sa ibang bansa para sa kapakanan ng kanilang mga pamilya,” he said.

“Iyon namang pagpapadala ng kinita, kung tutuusin natin, ay personal na pagpapasya ng bawat manggagawa at ang kanilang pinagpapadalhan ay ang kanilang mahal sa buhay—pamilya na tinutustusan, sinusuportahan, at binibigyan ng kalinga,” he further said.

Secretary Coloma noted that OFWs may delay their remittances but they would still send money to their families.

“Kaya sa kanilang pagpapasya isasaalang-alang nila na, kung ano mang pagpapahayag ng kanilang saloobin, kailangan pa rin nilang maiparating ang mga remittance na ‘yon. Maaaring maantala ito ng isang araw pero hindi naman siguro ito nila iniisip na huwag nang ipadala,” he said.

“Ang pagsunod nila o hindi nila pagsunod, ibabatay nila ito sa katuwiran, at nananalig kami na sa paggamit nila ng katuwiran ay gagawin nila ang pinakamainam para sa kapakanan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay,” he added.

The Palace official saw no cause for concern if the “No Remittance Day” pushes through, citing a similar incident in 2013.

“Ang dating naging karanasan diyan ay noon pang 2013, noong kasagsagan ng isyu ng PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) o pork barrel, at noon naman ay walang naiulat na masamang epekto ito. Kaya kung ito ang pagbabatayan ay tila wala naman tayong dapat ikabahala hinggil dito,” Coloma said.

Migrante International, an OFW group, has urged migrant workers to join the remittance holiday on August 28 to protest the BOC policy to manually inspect random balikbayan boxes in an effort to curb smuggling.

President Aquino however ordered the BOC to have the balikbayan boxes pass through X-ray machines, instructing that only packages with suspicious contents will have to be manually inspected. PND (jm)

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