Palace ‘respects’ OFWs’ ‘zero remittance day’ protest

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma says similar “zero remittance day” protests staged by overseas Filipino workers have not affected the economy of the Philippines. INQUIRER PHOTO

Malacañang on Wednesday said it respected the decision of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to participate in a “zero remittance day” protest, adding similar events in previous years did not affect the economy.

“In our previous experience with that, in 2013 during the peak of the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) issue or the pork barrel, there had been no reported adverse effects,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told Palace reporters. “If that will be our basis then we probably should not be alarmed.”

On Tuesday, migrant group Migrante party-list announced that it would hold a “zero remittance day” protest on Aug. 28 despite President Benigno Aquino III’s order to scrap the Bureau of Customs’ new policy on the physical inspection of balikbayan boxes.

Nevertheless, Coloma said Malacañang “respects the right of OFWs to express their sentiments.”

However, he said the decision whether or not to send remittance or money to their relatives in the Philippines depended on the OFW.

“As they decide, they will take into account that whatever they feel about the policy, they will still need to send remittances,” he said. “It might be delayed for a day but I don’t think they will decide not to send it at all.”

Coloma said the government believed Filipinos working abroad would do what was beneficial for their loved ones.

Migrante chair Connie Bragas-Regalado said that while they were “pleased” with Aquino’s decision, which they considered an “initial victory for OFWs,” they were still protesting the BOC’s imposed P600-million revenue target for balikbayan boxes.

The BOC earlier claimed that it was losing P50 million a month from smuggled goods placed inside the boxes.

Migrante hopes “zero remittance day” will force the government to retract the P600-million target revenue.

Coloma said while Malacañang recognized the contributions of OFWs to the economy, there was also a need to address smuggling, especially technical smuggling, which involved the use of balikbayan boxes.

He said smugglers were the ones who “destroy the symbol” and meaning of balikbayan boxes regularly sent to the Philippines by OFWs.

The BOC received flak online after it announced plans to physically inspect balikbayan boxes.

OFWs said they feared pilferage while Migrante decried the revenue target, saying migrants should not be seen as “milking cows” by the government. Kristine Angeli Sabillo/CB/RC