For nine years, under President Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, migrant Filipinos around the world have gone through hell and high waters because of her anti-people, anti-migrant policies.

Deathrow cases, illegal arrests, detention and false charges, illegal recruitment, mysterious deaths without any government investigation, sexual abuse, maltreatment, human trafficking, complete indifference to migrant families’ woes, violations of POEA approved contracts, unjust and exorbitant state exactons, misuse of OWWA funds – the list is endless. There is no want for proof that this administration has committed grave sins gains migrant Filipinos.

Yet, from Macapagal-Arroyo to her lapdogs in the Halls of Congress, they continue to dishonor us by calling us “bagong bayanis” even as they legislate more bills that will extort more of our hard-earned money such as the mandatory Pag-ibig Fund or the mandatory insurance they want to impose on us; even as they continue to drag their feet on investigating OWWA scams or corrupt and abusive embassy officials; even as they do not lift a finger for OFWs who call to rescue them. How they cheapen us as they arrogantly distribute mere tokens of livelihood or financial assistance, prop us in front of their cameras, after weeks or months of following up what is due us and spending our last centavo knocking at their doors.

Even as they continue to bleed us dry of our money and systematically sell us as slaves in the world market, to salvage the economy, this government has callously denied us of the opportunity to be represented by delisting the Migrante Sectoral Party.

But, true to our character as survivors, as Filipinos who will fight for a better life, we, members of Migrante will still ensure that our voices will be heard.

In this coming elections, our voices will he heard, once again, in the Halls of Congress through the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP), which has actively promoted, not only women’s rights, but also migrants’ rights. It has campaigned to remove the ban on direct hiring, scrapping of unfair POEA Guidelines, and exposed government misuse of OWWA funds. With the support of GABRIELA Rep. Luz Ilagan, we gained victories including cases of OFWs saved from unjust detention and death rows. GABRIELA supported campaigns against wage cuts and massive redundancies and gave special attention to the plight of undocumented migrants in Malaysia.

We also want our voices to be heard in the Senate! That is why we are supporting Makabayan candidates for Senator Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza. They bring with them a platform of genuine land reform and national industrialization which will address the issue of forced migration and consequently the roots of abject poverty.