February 8th in the Philippines is the beginning of the election campaign period. Overseas Filipino workers are hailed as the "economic heroes" or "Bagong Bayani" and yet many continue to be in distress, many have lost their jobs and livelihood, lack support for repatriation, and have not received financial and legal support from the Philippine government especially in cases of abuse and exploitation by employers and recruitment agencies.
As overseas Filipinos, Migrante International and its global chapters such as Migrante Canada present these 10 point demands to the presidential and senatorial candidates and challenge them to show their genuine commitment to addressing the conditions of Filipino migrants and OFWs.
The 10 Point Overseas Filipino Electoral Agenda was united on during national consultations with leaders and members from overseas Filipino workers and migrant groups and migrant and church advocates in the Philippines, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North America.
For the next 10 days, Migrante Canada will be discussing the 10 point demands in depth and why this matters to Filipinos in Canada.