Migrante, along with various organizations, protested on March 17 before the Department of Migrant Workers in Mandaluyong City calling for justice for all victims of forced migration or the state’s labor export program. They coincided their action on the 29th anniversary of the death of Flor Contemplacion, a migrant worker who was hanged in Singapore in 1995.

“We can no longer keep track of the number of Filipinos who lost their lives abroad,” said Migrante Philippines. They include Joana Demafelis, Bennylyn Aquino, Julleebee Ranara and many others. Meanwhile, Mary Jane Veloso, a victim of human trafficking in Indonesia, and other migrant workers remain on death row.

The group added that hundreds of domestic helpers who are exploited and abused by their employers, seafarers who experience hardship and racism in their workplaces, and other Filipino migrant workers do not receive wages equal to other races and did not receive end-of service benefits, such as the victims of the Saudi Crisis.

Meanwhile, their families in the Philippines are tightening their belts just to survive on their remittances due to rising commodity prices.

Amid all this, they demanded that March 17 be declared as “National Migrant Remembrance Day.” They say this should be done so that the Filipino people will not forget the hardships and sacrifices suffered by Filipinos pushed out of the country by the government.

Migrante also demanded that Congress and the Marcos regime stop the charter change scheme because opening our resources to foreign ownership and plunder will remove protection and expose Filipinos to further exploitation.

“Let’s not allow more migrant victims to be forced to leave their families for the decent life which they can’t find in our homeland. Let’s fight for a society that nurtures and respects our rights, with a living wage and enough jobs, and peace for our families,” the group concluded.