The Davao chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines successfully conducted a legal aid mission for 250 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Singapore last Jan. 21.
IBP-Davao chapter president Rogelio Largo said, that there were 39 lawyers who participated in the legal aid services to the 250 OFWs at the embassy of the Philippines in Singapore.
He said that IBP-Davao’s legal mission is to assistsOFWs, who are mostly working as domestic helpers, about their issues and concerns while working abroad.
Largo said among the problems the workers have been experiencing are related to their marriage, finances (as some were victims of scams), work conditions, salaries and benefits, and psychological torture from their employers.
“OFWs have problems dealing with their problems here in the Philippines while they are in Singapore,” he said.
“Problems about their husband or wife, problems about support, and problems about property concerns especially if they have been separated from their partners for quite so long and labor issues were minimal in Singapore,” He added.
Largo said that they were glad to hear all the issues and concerns of the OFWs. He added that they will be doing another round of the legal consultation abroad to help OFWs.
Aside from the one-one-one legal consultations, Largo said that the IBP Davao also conducted lectures on Expanded Trafficking-in-Persons law, Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children, and relevant provisions of the Family Code dealing on marriage, property relations and on support.
He said that the IBP-Davao had its first legal aid mission in Hong Kong last year and they would like to return to Hong Kong to be able to serve more OFWs.
“We are very passionate about it as we intend to do it again. Lawyers are not known for doing humanitarian acts, but here we would like to rekindle the interest of giving back to the community through our legal aid services,” Largo said.
Largo added that the ‘Law Project’ also envisions providing adequate and efficient free legal representation to deserving indigent client/pauper litigants in some cases. It also envisions creating volunteer lawyers.
According to Largo, their next legal aid mission will be in the Dubai and they are now campaigning for more legal volunteers.
