MDT interview | Filipino migrant workers ‘doing well’, says Consul General Deapera

Most Filipino migrant workers travel to Macau on tourist-visas, in the desperate hope of obtaining a job, mostly as domestic helpers, to help support their family’s needs, revealed the Philippines Consul General in Macau, Lilybeth Deapera.
“We’ve raised this issue to the government and they’re approving [quotas for non-resident workers]. It’s not encouraged but when the government approves it, we urge them to register with OWWA [a Philippine government agency tasked to protect and promote the welfare of the Overseas Filipino Worker],” says Deapera to the Times.
With over 25,000 Filipino workers in the city, the consul general claimed that they have insufficient manpower to cater for all the services the migrant workers need. However, they ‘replicate things’ by reaching out to the group, through community meetings every month with Filipino community leaders.
“We participate in all the events that we’ve been invited to as much as possible because that’s the time we meet the members of the community,” says Deapera. Adding that the city, being small, has an advantage, as information can easily be disseminated.
She also believes that the Filipino community is “doing well,” though they occasionally meet people who have been abused or not treated properly by their employers. However, most of the domestic helpers in Macau are not stay-ins like in Hong Kong, meaning forced labor is unlikely to occur at similar rates.
The consul general added that they have a partnership with Caritas Macau, gathering every quarter with speakers from the Macau government who discuss issues such as labor laws.
“They’re the ones who explain to our countrymen that they also have rights but the problem is that some workers complain when their work contract has already ended,” Deapera emphasized.
With regards to workers who didn’t go through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the consul general explained that such employees are more prone to receiving less than USD400, the minimum wage set by POEA.
“Some complain that they receive less than USD400, that’s because they came here as a tourist and they just tried to find a job within 30 days, and when the 30th day is near, they grab whatever is available,” explains the consul general.
“That’s the reason why we discourage them to do these types of things as they do not have the right to negotiate.”
Meanwhile, in spite of the recent downturn of the casinos, Deapera said they haven’t received reports of Filipino workers being discriminated in the hotel and gaming industry.
However, she claimed that some contracts were not renewed for employees working as cleaners and security guards since the minimum wage law in this industry has been imposed.
Moreover, there are over 30 Filipino inmates held in the territory, mostly for drug related offenses. Deapera said that they are enticed to smuggle drugs from other Southeast Asia countries, due to their severe lack of finances. Staff reporter