Czechia-based OFWs to Marcos: Improve healthcare, offer better job opportunities

PRAGUE – Filipino migrants in Central Europe relayed their wishes to improve the Philippines as President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and other government officials touted the results of bilateral talks with their Czech counterparts.

More than 400 Filipinos living or working in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, France, Spain, and other countries joined the “Bagong Pilipinas” community gathering in Prague on March 15, which wrapped up Marcos’ back-to-back state visit to the Czech Republic and working visit to Germany that week. 

Czech-based migrant workers Marisa Requina and Jojelyn Bentayo-Cvinger focused their wish lists on healthcare and better opportunities for Filipino workers. 

“Ang isa pong pangarap ko sa bagong Pilipinas ay [tulad ng] nakikita ko [rito] sa Czech health insurance. [Sana] ang atin[g] bansang Pilipinas ay magkaroon ng magandang health insurance dahil marami po sa ating mga kababayan ang mahihirap at kailangan po talagang tutukan ang kanilang mga kalusugan,” said Requina, who is a therapist at a massage salon in Prague.

(My wish for a new Philippines is like what I see here in the Czech Republic: its health insurance. I wish that our country gets good health insurance since many Filipinos are poor and need help with their health.)

“Ang pangarap talaga ng mga OFWs ay hindi na [natin] kailanganin[g] pumunta sa ibang bansa [para] maghanap-buhay at maalila. [Sana] mag-stay na lang sa Pilipinas at makasama ang mga mahal nila sa buhay. … Taasan ang sahod ng mga Pilipino para hindi na mag-abroad,” said Jojelyn Bentayo-Cvinger, an executive assistant in a construction company in Prague.

(OFWs hope they will not need to find their livelihoods abroad anymore and be treated oppressively at work. They hope to stay in the Philippines to be with their loved ones. We hope for higher wages so Filipinos won’t go abroad.”)

Meanwhile, production operator Flora Olida spoke about housing for informal settlers.

“‘Yung mga bata na wala man lang maayos na matirhan, [hindi] maayos na pagpapalaki, at [kulang ang] nutrisyon at edukasyon, wish ko talaga ito kasi marami rin ang nagkakasakit sa kanila sa madumi nilang kapaligiran,” Olida said.

(I really wish for children who don’t have housing, are stunted, or go without proper diet and education to receive help because many of them fall ill due to a dirty environment.)

Filipinos in demand

During Marcos’ state visit, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs signed a joint communique to establish a labor consultation mechanism between the two governments. 

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the joint communique includes features and mechanisms for transparent, safe, and ethical recruitment, and fair and equal treatment of OFWs.

“Ang isa pang gusto ko sa joint communique ay ‘yung pagkilala sa tinatawag na fair and equal treatment of OFWs dito sa Czech Republic. Ibig sabihin, ang mga OFWs [ay] kikilalanin na kapantay sila ng mga Czech workers. Hindi sila idi-discriminate. Hindi sila bibigyan ng suweldong mas mababa, o tatratuhin nang iba,” Cacdac said during the community meeting before Marcos.

(What I like about the joint communique is it recognizes fair and equal treatment of OFWs in the Czech Republic. It means OFWs will be recognized as equals of the local labor workforce. They won’t be discriminated against, given a much lower salary, or treated differently.)

Marcos noted how Filipinos are in demand in many countries based on his exchanges with leaders of other governments.

“Bakit inuuna lagi ang Pilipino? Inuuna lagi ang Pilipino dahil kayo na nandito na ay nagpakita kayo ng inyong husay, sipag, galing… Ginawa ninyong madali ang trabaho namin,” Marcos said.

“Dahil dito, nais pang mag-imbita ng Czech Republic ng mas maraming overseas Filipino workers upang punuin ang kanilang kakulangan sa kanilang manggagawa sa iba’t ibang industriya: sa manufacturing, transportasyon, agrikultura, healthcare,” Marcos added.

(Why are Filipinos being called in first? It is because Filipinos who are already here have shown their excellence, hard work, and competence. You have made our work easier. Because of this, the Czech Republic hopes to invite more OFWs to fill in the labor gap in various industries such as manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and healthcare.)

Growing community

Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Eduardo Martin R. Meñez shared that the Filipino population in the Czech Republic is relatively smaller compared to those in other European countries that already have third-generation Filipinos. 

“The numbers have not grown so much during the first 20 years of [the Philippine-Czech] relations,” Meñez said, adding that there were only 1,300 Filipinos registered in the Czech Republic in 2017.

Starting in May this year, more Filipinos are expected to come following the Czech government’s announcement of increasing the quota for Filipino workers from 5,500 to 10,300 per year.

“Magtatatag pa tayo ng mga safeguards para maiwasan altogether ang pagkakaroon ng problema or ‘di pagkakaintindihan ng isang employer na Czech at Pilipinong manggagawa,” Cacdac said.

(We will establish safeguards to avoid altogether problems or misunderstanding between Czech employers and Filipino employees.)

Presidential trips

In the first quarter of 2024 alone, Marcos has so far made six international presidential trips, including his state visit to the Czech Republic and working visit in Germany. During his pre-departure conference, he defended himself against public criticism about his foreign trips to 17 countries since his inauguration.

“Where’s the pasyal? Wala, you know, kasama kayo diyan, kasama niyo kami. We don’t make pasyal. Even in the places that I know where I have spent a lot of time with, hindi ko na napupuntahan ‘yung mga dati kong pinupuntahan because we’re here to do this,” he said.

For some Filipinos in the Czech Republic, including part-time kindergarten teacher Vidalena Javarez-Mudroch, the President’s presence allows OFWs to understand the government’s plans and support for them.

“Sa nakita ko, marami namang masaya (na narito si President Marcos). So, siguro iba-iba yung pananaw ng mga tao pero kahit papaano, naibsan yung pagdududa dahil nakita nila yung suporta. Tapos sa mga lugar dito sa Europe, ang Czech Republic pa ang napili niyang puntahan, not in the other countries na mas maraming Pilipino,” Alvarez-Mudroch said.

(In my observation, many OFWs here were glad to see the President. While many have different opinions, his visit has somehow relieved doubts because OFWs saw the support. And among the many other European countries with sizeable Filipino communities, the President chose to visit the Czech Republic.)

According to Malacañang, Marcos has secured $4 billion worth of investment deals in latest visits to Germany and the Czech Republic along with “strengthen[ing] the bilateral ties with the two central European countries.” 

Marcos is slated to visit the United States on April 11-13 for the US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News