Programs, Alliances, Law and ​Advocacy by Global OFWs, Inc.

(OFW stands for Overseas Filipinos ​Worldwide)

Founding Chairman

Message

This organization is inspired by a grand vision that ​transcends borders- a vision that all organizations of ​overseas Filipinos worldwide (OFW) get interconnected so ​that we can launch joint programs, forge alliances and ​share resources to strengthen our community and amplify ​our impact.

Our immediate vision, to start off this movement, is for ​every overseas Filipino- whether a contract worker, a ​permanent resident or dual citizen- is empowered with the ​fundamental right to vote in Philippine elections at all ​levels. We want to eliminate the barriers that limit our ​voting rights to only Presidential and Senatorial elections.

OFW stands for Overseas Filipinos Worldwide, which covers Filipinos ​who are contract workers and permanent residents or citizens of ​foreign countries.

Our overall vision is to be able to form an organized network of Filipino ​organizations worldwide so that we can form alliances and launch ​programs and advocacy for and with each other so that we could ​stand up for our rights (makakapalag), and push for something we ​want done. We envision that all organizations- community, charitable, ​business, trade, professional, political - would be in this network.

We aim to interconnect as much of the worldwide Filipino community ​organizations as possible so that we can have more power in pushing ​and advocating for reforms, government projects and policies, in the ​Philippines. By interconnecting the worldwide organizations, there will ​be an avenue and opportunity for organizations that have similar ​goals/interests/programs to form alliances to be more effective and ​stronger. Organizations of Filipinos around the world who are from the ​same province, city or town,(example: Pangasinan province ​associations in different countries ) can interconnect and join forces ​to demand for some action by government officials in their respective ​localities; they also support and sponsor some programs and ​activities in the localities.

1 . Immediate Project. We are working now on an effort to allow OFWs - the contract workers, permanent residents, and ​dual Filipino citizens – to be given the right to vote in Philippine elections down to the Barangay level. The current law ​allows us to vote only in Presidential and Senatorial elections, including the Party-list. By being able to vote for officials ​running the very province, city/town an even barrios/barangay we often go back to and where our loved ones are living ​in, we can have a voice in the local governance.

To achieve this goal, we need to demand of our Philippine legislature to pass a law expanding the overseas absentee law ​to include local elections. By us coming together in concerted effort as worldwide organizations of OFW , and by signing ​on-line petition urging the Phil. Congress to pass that law, we cannot be easily ignored. And if the Philippine legislators ​and politicians fail to act on our demand, we can launch an initiative wherein we present our proposed law directly to the ​people at a referendum.

2. Supporting Each Other. Every organization in the network of course has its own goals and objectives. By organizing a ​global OFW interconnectivity we can form alliances to support each other’s programs or launch joint endeavors.

3. Other Things In Our Minds. We are looking into the feasibility of the following endeavors:

We have seen many times in the past how overseas ​contract workers (OCW) especially in the Middle ​East, have been involved in legal disputes, either as ​defendants/accused in legal actions by their ​employers for alleged wrongdoings, or as ​complainants because of physical or sexual by ​employers and their family members

There may also be OCWs who have filed civil lawsuits against ​their employers. In those situations, the OCWs might have ​already an attorney working for them.

We can help the overseas contract workers in some way ​without providing direct legal assistance and without ​necessarily giving financial aid. Filipino attorneys in the U.S., ​Philippines and other countries can be organized, as ​volunteers, through PALAG-OFW global connectivity, for the ​purpose of monitoring, with written authorization of the OCW, ​the progress of the case with the attorney or entities in the ​foreign land that is handling the case for the worker. For ​example, a PALAG-OFW attorney who is licensed to practice ​law in the United States could communicate with the OCW’s ​attorney to inquire and follow up on the progress of the case. ​This endeavor would put some pressure on the handling ​attorney to do their job efficiently. PALAG-OFW could also ​exert efforts, with OCW’s authorization, to pressure the ​Philippine authorities (Dept of Foreign Affairs and other ​government agencies responsible for overseeing the welfare ​of OCWs), to provide the resources and assistance that the ​law has allocated to the OCWs and has mandated to be ​rendered to them.

Filipino professionals who naturalize as foreign citizens lose ​their ability to practice their profession in the Philippines. ​Becoming dual citizen does not automatically restore that ​ability. The Dual Citizenship Act requires the professional to ​apply first for a license or permit with the appropriate ​government agency (example: The Professional Regulations ​Commission, Supreme Court for lawyers, Medical Board, ​Dental Board, etc.) before they could practice their profession ​again in the Philippines. This exposes the dual citizens who, ​not being aware of this requirement or do not have time to ​comply with it, to unauthorized practice of profession if they ​engage again in their profession. We believe that the re-​acquisition Filipino citizenship should automatically restore all ​the rights and privileges we used to have without having to go ​through the hassle of reapplying for the license. We want the ​Dual Citizenship law amended to remove the requirement

Electing Philippine Senators Regionally. As of now, Philippine ​senators are elected nationally. We believe that most Filipinos ​would want the representation of our senators to be fairly ​spread out to ensure that each region of the country is ​represented in the Senate, instead of being dominated by ​people based in the National Capital Region, or by those who ​have nationwide popularity or celebrity status. We believe that ​this can be done without having to change our form of ​government from Presidential to Federal or Parliamentary form. ​A mere revision of the constitution, while maintaining its current ​Presidential form, could effectuate this change. If we OFWs ​around the world get our voices together through this forum ​and clamor very strongly for this change, the Philippine ​congress could be compelled into action.

We are a group of Filipinos in the United States, and soon ​around the world, who have the burning desire to actively ​participate in, and contribute positively towards our ​welfare as OFWs, and towards our homeland- the ​Philippines. We aim to collaborate, by establishing ​interconnectivity, with as many Filipino overseas ​organizations as possible to make our efforts more ​impactful.

Contact Us

San Francisco, USA

3105 Lone Tree Way, Suite A

Antioch, CA 94509

Tel no. 925-757-9800

Email: SupportPalag@ibipro.net