Senator helps 30 stranded Filipina maids with air tickets

[awing]

[SIZE=3]Senator helps 30 stranded Filipina maids with air tickets[/SIZE]

By Hadrian Hernandez, Staff Photographer
Published: July 04, 2008, 23:41

[SIZE=2]Dubai: Philippine Senator "Jinggoy" Ejercito Estrada on Friday gave away free air tickets to 30 Filipina "runaways" who had been sheltering at the Philippine Overseas Labour Offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]The cases of the absconding maids have been resolved and they will now be reunited with their families, according to the labour offices.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Sen Estrada announced earlier he had initiated a fund to collect money with which to help Filipino workers in the UAE who become victims of abuse and maltreatment.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]
The senator is chairman of the Philippine Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Human Resources Development and of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Labour and Employment. He is the son of former Philippine President Joseph Estrada. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]"I will personally follow-up reports regarding a number of distressed overseas workers in the UAE, some of whom are reportedly maltreated and not paid by their employers," Estrada said. He said others are said to have problems with their status in the UAE. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]He said he is aware that there are at least 150 "runaways" in the UAE at present who need air tickets home.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]One of the domestic helpers, Imelda Marcos, burst into tears when her name was called by Estrada as one of the recipients of a free plane ticket. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]On Thursday, Sen Estrada met with Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Labour, to discuss ways to improve the working conditions of domestic helpers. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Estrada, who like his father is a movie actor, gave a free screening of his movie Katas ng Saudi to a group of Filipino community leaders and family members at a school in Al Twar in Dubai.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Source:
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10226284.html
[/SIZE]

[shadow]

pakulo na ni Sen. Manny Villar yan ah...hehehe

[jonski]

Parepareho lang sila. Nagpapabango na ng pangalan.

[Monseratto]

Xerox PR ploy as usual. I hope he won't follow it up by advertising his good deed on the media like Villar.

[CVT]

Tax natin iyan,- papogi point ng mga l1nt3k na mga iyan.... Kaya nakipagsapalaran ang mga kababayan nating iyan sa ibang bansa dahil walang trabaho rito... Dapat ang tax ay ginagamit ng mga l1nt3k (ulit) na iyan para makapaggawa ng industriya na puwedeng pagtrabahuhan ng mga kababayan natin,- hindi para riyan sa rescue operation na iyan...

6303:fetch:

[Jun aka Pekto]

I can understand the disdain of some here for most politicians. I'd be cynical too if the politician is crooked.

I can see the flak being thrown at him being justified if in fact it was taxes he used.

But, the quote, "[SIZE=2]Sen Estrada announced earlier he had initiated a fund to collect money with which to help Filipino workers in the UAE who become victims of abuse and maltreatment.[/SIZE]" doesn't seem to indicate taxes are being used.

Fundraisers..... Heck, my wife and her little group of Pinay friends can raise $2k within 2-3 hours just by selling food (same food I eat everyday) at fairs and open houses. A politician can certainly outdo that effort by several magnitudes.

I know I don't have the attitude of most Pinoys and this case is no exception. Is there proof, I mean proof in black and white, that he's actually using public taxes to finance the return of these Pinays. If not, then that senator at least deserves the benefit of the doubt.

I also have to wonder what efforts the Philippine government have made to bring these people back. If no one else is lifting a finger, then he certainly deserves a lot of kudos for the effort and is entitled to toot his horn.

If his press people spin it up, oh well. He's a politician, that's what they do anywhere, even here. We take note of their accomplishments and tally up their brownie points.

[jds]

With good or bad intentions or for a political mileage... To me it doesn't matter.
Does it matter for those who have been stranded and were given a free airticket... I don't think so.. The most important thing is he did something for them, and they are coming home.

Peace!

[glenngj]

Parepareho lang sila. Nagpapabango na ng pangalan.

malapit na kasi ang elections.. lahat gumagawa ng paraan para mapansin.

[j_avonni]

Whether he used his own money, a collected fund, or from the taxes we paid, I don't care as long as the beneficiaries are the less fortunate Filipinos.



:yawn: [SIZE="1"]3631[/SIZE]

[CVT]

Again, I have no issue with them bringing them back.

A proactive action would be spend the money properly (stop graft and corruption) so that our poor countrymen do not have any reason to go out of the country and dive into the wolves...

6303:fetch: