Regina Ip to support ‘optional’ live-out for migrant workers

The Sun-Hk

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Regina Ip to support ‘optional’ live-out for migrant workers
'I actually would like to call myself a humanist. I studied literature in university, and I am the last person to have racial and gender prejudices,' Regina Ip says


HONG KONG – Embattled legislator and Executive Council member Regina Ip has promised to raise the possibility of restoring the live-out option for foreign domestic worker.

Ip made the promise during a dialogue with representatives of the Filipino community on April 27.

“I will raise this (optional live-out arrangement) with immigration and labour departments,” said Ip during the meeting held at her New People’s Party office in Wan Chai.

Ip sought the meeting in the wake of the outrage sparked by an article she had written in the Chinese daily, Ming Pao. (READ: FULL TEXT: Regina Ip on HK Filipino domestic helpers

The column piece, which suggested that a large number of Filipinas working as domestic helpers were seducing expatriate bosses and wrecking families, prompted hundreds of people to conduct street protests on April 26. 

A smaller protest was held outside Ip’s office building 3 days earlier.

During the meeting, Ip reiterated her apology for the anger caused by her article, but again said it was not her intention to disparage migrant workers, whom she has often fought for as a legislator.

“I actually would like to call myself a humanist. I studied literature in university, and I am the last person to have racial and gender prejudices,” Ip told the 6-person delegation who met with her.

But she agreed with the call made by the protesters that she be more “circumspect” with what she writes about in future.

The Filipino representatives were led my migrant leaders Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, Eman Villanueva, and Eni Lestari, as well as Cyntia Tellez of the Mission for Migrant Workers, Bishop Gerry Vallo of the Global Ministers Association and Daisy CL Mandap, editor of The SUN.

Pelaez opened the meeting by stating how the article written by the seasoned legislator and politician left many Filipinos angry.

“We were very offended by the article,” Pelaez said, but added that her group welcomed Ip’s offer of apology.

“We believe this is the best thing that has come out this (dispute) because it could lead us to working on ways to improve the situation of foreign domestic workers so they can be free from discrimination,” said Pelaez.

Tellez used the chance to ask Ip for help in repealing the 12-year-old policy that prohibits FDWs from living outside their employers’ homes. She presented a study conducted by the Mission which showed that the live-in policy has encouraged abuses against FDWs.

Tellez also handed Ip the Mission’s annual report in 2013, which shows that 26 FDWs reported being raped or sexually abused by their male employers. Another 26 complained of physical assault.

Ip was convinced to take up the possibility of raising the issue with concerned agencies, after Tellez assured her that the call is for optional live-out arrangement, and should not apply to all FDWs.

The former immigration and security chief was also apparently convinced the matter could be revisited by the government policy makers because of what she said was an increasing demand for English-speaking domestic workers in other countries.

“It is getting harder and harder to find a supplier of domestic helpers because of a strong demand in Europe and North America,” she said.

Addressing Lestari, Ip said she was also concerned about the high placement fees charged to Indonesian domestic workers, which she said “could be illegal.”

But when she asked employment agencies about this, Ip said she was told that it is the Indonesian government that mandates the fees charged to the workers.

Lestari replied that Ip should seek clarification directly from the Indonesian consulate on this, as she seems to have already consulted the recruiters.

For her part, Mandap said that as a journalist, she felt that Ip could have avoided the inflammatory words she used in her article. She said the intent of the author was immaterial in this case because the article offended other people.

She also said that the community leaders asked for a full translation of the article so they could better assess what Ip had written.

The consensus was that the article was anti-Filipino, anti-migrant, and anti-women. The meeting ended with a prayer led by Vallo. – Rappler.com 

 

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