[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Filipino Rescued After Working Without Pay for 18 Years

From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 11:53:49 +0100

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Indonesia yang mengalami masalah seperti Leonora Somera ini?

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=9&section=0&article=75686&d=5&m=1&y=2006&pix=community.jpg&category=Features

Tuesday, 3, January, 2006 (03, Dhul Hijjah, 1426)

Filipino Rescued After Working Without Pay for 18 Years
Raffy Osumo, Arab News

Leonora Somera with Welfare Officer Perlita V. Panganiban at the
Philippine Consulate in Jeddah. (AN photo by Raffy Osumo)

JEDDAH, 3 January 2006 - She left her home in the northern Philippines
with a dream: To give her 6-year-old daughter Marivic a brighter future. After
18 years, Leonora Somera, now 64, has yet to realize any of that dream, a dream
that has turned into her worst nightmare. After working diligently for her
employer for two years, he died and his son moved to Al-Baha, about 275
kilometers south of Jeddah. He brought Leonora along and that is where her
sufferings began.

"There my work became harder. I washed clothes, ironed them, and then I
shepherded a flock of more than 45 sheep and goats. This is on top of taking
care of the sick uncle of my employer," she told Arab News in her native
language, Tagalog.

"Every day, I tended the flock, took them to the mountains and herded
them. I also fed them with vegetables that I begged from my friends in the
market. I didn't have money to buy food because my employer don't give me any
and neither did he pay me my salary."

Without money, Leonora had to scavenge for food. She told how she
rummaged among the vegetables and fruits and picked those that were still
edible.

"I made a makeshift pushcart that I used to bring the vegetables from the
market to our house. I would go back and forth at least five times a day. Then
I would look for vegetables and fruits that I could eat. Sometimes when I had
more than I could eat, I would give them to our neighbors," Leonora said.

Leonora described how her employer deprived her of money.

"Once I told my employer that I needed money for my daughter's
examinations in school, but he didn't give me any. I cried and I cried, but he
never gave the money that I requested." Her employer later moved to Makkah,
leaving Leonora by herself in a three-story house. She found ways to pass the
lonely times.

"I talked to the sheep. I told them; 'You are better because you eat
regularly every day, while I don't know if my family in the Philippines has
food on their tables.' I talked to the animals and asked them, 'When will I
have money to send to my family?"

Through these years, Leonora could only write to her daughter back home
occasionally, telling her she was alive. She said she wanted to write her
regularly but she didn't have money for stamps.

In 1999, Leonora told her employer that she had had enough. She told him
that she wanted to go home because she was not being paid her salary regularly.
He employer promised to "personally bring her back to the Philippines" but it
never happened.

Four years later, she approached her employer again begging that he send
her home. This time, Leonora was shocked when her employer told her bluntly,
"You can't go home. Your passport and iqama have been lost."

Without her iqama, Leonora said the police interrogated her many times.
When she explained who her employer was and where she lived, the police let her
go.

Of course, she was scared; every time they talked to her, she had to put
on a brave face.

Finally, Leonora mustered enough courage to leave Al-Baha. First she
contacted a neighbor who worked as a seamstress. She in turn, referred her to
another woman, Vilma, who contacted the consulate.

Vilma and Leonora planned her escape. However, Vilma was scheduled to go
on vacation and Leonora begged Vilma to help her because her employer was
visiting in a few days. So she postponed her trip and helped Leonora.

Labor Attaché Bulyok Nilong, upon learning of Leonora's plight, sent
welfare officer Anwar Ampang to Al-Baha to rescue Leonora. He couldn't simply
go and take Leonora out of her house; she had to get out. Leonora was
fortunately able to escape and meet Ampang who helped her get to the Filipino
Workers Resource Center (FWRC) on Dec. 1.

Social Welfare Department representative Pearl Panganiban told Arab News
her impression after meeting Leonora for the first time.

"When Leonora came to FWRC on Dec. 1, she was literally skin and bones.
She was crying all the time, especially when she recalled what had happened to
her. She was also shaking. I conducted a series of crisis interventions, stress
debriefing and counseling. We also provided her some basic necessities she
needed because she didn't bring any when she came. We also had her checked at
United Doctors Hospital."

Leonora has recovered somewhat from her ordeal. She was coherent when
interviewed by Arab News, but she couldn't help crying when she recounted her
ordeal.

She still has one wish, "I'm asking for help from you so that I can get
my wages for the past 18 years from my employer. I am old and can't work
anymore. Hopefully, I can have a little money to start a small business when I
go back to the Philippines, and bring something to my daughter and sisters,"
she said.

Labor Attaché Nilong said his staff had contacted Leonora's employer, who
reportedly said he was willing to pay her what she was due. "After we have
collected the salary due her, we will help her go home," Nilong told Arab News.

Leonora is from San Jose City in Nueva Ecija province, about 140
kilometers north of the Philippine capital, Manila.

Nilong said, "I would like to take this opportunity to ask OFWs in the
Western Region who are in the same situation as Leonora - if you can't contact
us directly, please contact any of our kababayans (compatriots) so that they
can contact us. Wherever you are, we are ready to help you. We are ready to get
you out of trouble."

As for Marivic, she is now 24 years old. She graduated from college,
sadly with very little help from her mother.

Nonetheless, she is anxiously waiting to be reunited with the mother she
has not seen for years.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Filipino Rescued After Working Without Pay for 18 Years

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