Human trafficking cases in the Philippines: A Test of Patience
Sep 01(Formal statement of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center as read by Susan Ople, president, during the first hearing of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, September 1, 2010) Thank you for this opportunity to share our insights as a non-government organization on government’s efforts to fight human trafficking. The Blas F. Ople Policy Center is currently monitoring and assisting trafficked...
When I was 25
Aug 31My daughter, an only child, celebrated her 25th birthday last Friday. We had a luxurious buffet lunch at Sofitel Hotel, a treat that stretched the limits of our bankbook, but it was her special day. Estelle brought along her boyfriend, Ulysses, while I was with my best friend and partner, Fort. Imaginary diets shelved, we changed plates as frequently as we changed topics of conversation. Every...
A good start
Aug 23In a few days, the Aquino administration will turn a month old, with old and new faces in the Cabinet. The President’s State of the Nation Address will mark the tone of the next 100 days. Given the state of public finances, it would be somber yet hopeful, with stress on transparency, truth and justice – a government more accessible and accountable to the common man. Obviously, much thought...
Overseas employment as an escape hatch?
Aug 18This morning I met two victims of illegal recruitment who ended up in jail in Damman, Saudi Arabia. “Cecil”, not her real name, has five children. Her husband works in Saudi Arabia. According to Cecil, she applied for a job opening offered by a licensed recruitment agency based in Manila for a beautician. She has had previous work experience as a hair-cutter. Cecil and other recruits...
A confused and confusing law
Aug 18There is that old tired saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But what if something broken ended up in a worse state after an attempt to fix it? Well, if it were a broken-down car rendered even more useless in a repair shop, I bet the owner would be red-faced and screaming for a refund. But what if the object in question is not a car but an existing law? Case in point: Amendments to...
Crossing the digital bridge
Aug 16?More than half of my day is spend in front of a computer. In choosing where to have coffee or a fine meal, a Wi-Fi Free Zone sticker posted on the door instantly transforms a restaurant to a gourmet workplace. It is unnatural for me to have a status feed on Facebook lay dormant or unchanged for more than 48 hours, unless I am by some wicked twist of fate, marooned in a remote area where...
Our funny house
Aug 14I live in a townhouse that is part of a bigger subdivision in Pasig City. Built in the 80′s, our unit has three big rooms upstairs and a huge living room facing the compound’s garden. But like its residents, our house is getting on in years. For the past several days, we find ourselves blanketed in darkness, while our neighbors along the townhouse row sparkle with electric energy. My...
Speaking Engagements
Aug 11I would rather write than speak before a crowd. But there are invitations that are hard to refuse. On Friday, August 20 (my daughter’s birthday! yehey!), I’ll be at PUP at 1 PM to talk about how to compete in the job market. Is it enough to have a college degree? Well, more on that next Friday. On the 28th of August, I’ll be in Baguio City to join the First Anniversary...
Milking-cow syndrome
Aug 10Overseas Filipino workers, estimated at 9 million worldwide, are sadly, blissfully unaware of the latent political power embedded in its sheer size and collective purchasing power. Repeated failures to organize and support a party-list representative to Congress or even a staunch ally to the Senate have made it vulnerable to what I now call the “milking-cow syndrome.” Recently, the...
The dialogue to fight human trafficking has begun
Aug 03To be an advocate of any cause is not easy. You have to keep track of everything and anything related to your advocacy, while defining the principles and positions that you wish to stake your life and reputation on. In my case, it was easy. The passion for my cause – fighting for the rights of our local and overseas workers – was embedded early enough in my DNA. I do admire men and women...
