SMS-based alert system for OFWs in distress

Yesterday June 7, 2006, in line with Migrant Workers Day, Center for Migrant Advocacy SOS SMS ADS was launch at Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. (For info about SOS SMS, see related link of the news item dtd. 15/02/06 posted at PCIJ by Alecks Pabico.

 

  

Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported about 22,000 cases of distressed migrants that the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) attended to. The figure may be minuscule, less than one percent of the total number of overseas Filipinos, but the DFA admits that cases of abuse and violations of human and migrant rights are largely underreported, not reported, or documented but not acted upon.

Presently, the task of protecting our migrant workers and other overseas Filipinos is in the hands of 83 embassies and consulates, 33 Philippine overseas labor offices and 32 welfare officers, including Filipino workers resource centers in 17 countries.

With new technologies though, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have developed an ingenious way to address their work-related concerns, especially when their lives, safety or well-being are in danger. Yesterday the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) launched and activated an SOS SMS information system for distressed OFWs – a cheap, 24/7 text-based mechanism capitalizing on the ubiquity of the mobile phone to enable them to relay and report situations that warrant immediate relief, action, or intervention by the Philippine government and NGOs working for migrant workers welfare.

 

Ellene Sana & CMA Staff

CMAs Ellene Sana says the SOS SMS project, done in coordination with its various NGO partners worldwide, as well as the DFA-OUMWA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), is significant as (it) gives government agencies and NGOs the opportunity to respond and/or intervene in a timely, adequate and efficient manner, particularly where either the OFWs life, safety or well-being is a critical consideration.

OFWs in need of help or assistance can simply send the following message: 

SOS <space> message, name of sender

to +63 9209 OFW SOS (+63 9209639 767). The message is received by the SOS SMS system where it is logged and stored in a central database housed in a computer maintained in Quezon City. Once sent, the text message gets auto-forwarded to designated recipient cellphones at the CMA, DFA-OUMWA and OWWA where it is verified and eventually given appropriate action.

The SOS SMS reporting system, says Sana, is also a useful research tool as it logs critical message details to serve as initial case-file documentation that will help in developing research leads, classifying and analyzing  OFWs various problems and related concerns.

Uncommon Valor of Common People

Many Labor Attaches and Welfare Officers who come and go in Saudi Arabia. In Jeddah, I can’t forget former WelOf Iriles Ladjabassal whom I considered a friend and a father during my first 4 years as an OFW in the Kingdom and so with the late Labor Attache, Atty. Abraham Malli. 

Here in Riyadh, a few of them I came to mingle with, like Labatt Sodusta whom I first met when he visited OFWs in the company where I am presently employed. Of course my friend Labatt Jainal Rasul, Jr., who was the one advised me to form an organization in the Industrial Area.

But there was one whom I havent got the chance to meet but I heard, read much about him and I truly admire his dedication in serving his fellowmen (OFWs) during his time as Labor Attache in the Kingdom. In fact Filipino community in Eastern Province and even in Riyadh were saddened when his tour of duty ended and transferred back home. His name is Atty. Jalilo O. Dela Torre.

Former Labor Attache Atty. Jalilo Dela Torre (now DOLE XI regional director)

Atty. Jalilo O. Dela Torre was formerly a practicing lawyer based in Cebu. He joined Government service particularly the DOLE since 1978. He was former Labor Attache in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and his last posting overseas as Labor Attache in Tel Aviv, Israel. At present, he is DOLE Regional Director in Cordillera Region and one of the proponent of Training-cum-Employment Scheme for the Business Process Outsourcing Industry of the Philippines (TRACES-BPO), a 30-day training on English proficiency, technical skills and confidence building for our new graduates. It started in Cordillera and is now being implemented in Caraga Region. TRACES-BPO is also being eyed for replication in Cagayan de Oro, Palawan, Aklan, Region 2, Cebu and Oriental Mindoro.

Now, aside from being a good public servant, Atty. Dela Torre loves to write and is currently writing his second book with a working title of -Uncommon Valor: Profiles of Unknown Filipino Heroes and Role Models- This is a compilation of the life stories of Filipinos, dead or alive, who are have displayed extraordinary courage in the field of battle, or displayed uncommon sense of decency, honesty, morality, or have successfully established a business through hard work, or who have returned to the Philippines from work abroad and have become successful entrepreneurs, or who have participated in governance of this country with the highest sense of idealism, commitment and vision.

Presently, he is interviewing Ferdie Capili, an OFW-turned-educator who owns the Don Martin Montessori School in Balagtas, Bulacan and Minerva Calugas-Javier, daughter of Jose Calugas, the only Filipino-born awardee of the US Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest American military honor.

How about you? Do you know of any Filipino, deceased or otherwise, who deserves to be installed in our Hall of Heroes? He or she doesn’t have to be a dead hero like Calugas. He could be a gasoline boy who sincerely and honesty returned a bag of money or an expensive cellphone. He could be a policeman who does his job effectively and honesty, despite being surrounded by thieves. Extraordinary feats of ordinary common people.

If you know of any, please e-mail Atty. Jalilo Dela Torre, contact details below:

ATTY. JALILO O. DELA TORRE

Department of Labor and Employment, Cordillera Administrative Region

Baguio City, Philippines, 2600

Mobile: +639159810968

E-mail: jalilodelatorre@gmail.com; jalilo_delatorre@yahoo.com

ICQ: 175530561

Fax: +63744435339