“All of a sudden, Filipinos matter” is an opinion piece recently published by the South China Morning Post. The title sounds derogatory for us, but the author, Alex Lo, was just trying to explain something impressive about President Duterte. His words: “The Philippine President is making everyone sit up and take notice, and that includes Hong Kong.”
Lo wrote that many people in Hong Kong look down on Filipinos, particularly the quarter of a million Pinays working as domestic help in this autonomous territory. A radio commentator who shares this offending attitude, Chip Tsao, once had to publicly apologize for calling the Philippines a “nation of servants”.
After Beijing rolled out the red carpet for Duterte during his recent state visit, Lo believes that Hong Kong would see which way the wind is blowing in its treatment of Filipino workers. Definitely, the Duterte administration is getting things done for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong. Specifically, Duterte has forced a new condition in the contracts of Filipino helpers that bars them from having to clean the exterior of windows. This came after several domestic help fell to their deaths while cleaning windows.
The senseless deaths of Filipino domestic help from falls could have been prevented. But they have been happening again and again for years, because the Aquino administration did nothing to protect our workers. With Duterte’s order to stop the practice, Hong Kong employers’ groups are worried Filipino domestic help would now refuse to clean windows. They have lobbied with Hong Kong’s Labor and Welfare Bureau, which convinced the Philippine consulate to suspend the ban for 30 days as they work out contract details.
For our 15 million overseas workers, Duterte is seen as someone fighting for the dignity of the country and its people. They believe that the goal of the Duterte administration is to improve the economy to make overseas employment no longer a necessity. Just recently, Duterte promised to provide assistance to 129 overseas Filipino workers who lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia and have not received salaries from their employers. “Give me time to fix the economy, and you will have the opportunity to work here,” the President said, as he welcomed them at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Our OFWs just love the President. In his state visits in Brunei, China and Japan, thousands of OFWs met him with cheers, as some of them carry placards saying, “We love you, President Duterte.” To them, “President Duterte has accomplished a lot in his 100 days in office, and is the right leader to serve and protect the integrity of all Filipinos.”
A Cebuano said: “I think it’s good that he is addressing issues like crime, drugs and corruption. I used to worry about getting robbed downtown, but it’s much safer now to walk around.”
And these are the words of an obvious fan: “He is a man of and for the people. Yes, he is vulgar, foul-mouthed, and says what he thinks without a filter. But he is also sincere, honest and hardworking, and he loves the poor and the weak. And he has a sense of humor to boot. Despite his rough rhetoric and unpolished behavior, he is intelligent and clever, and he thinks and plans strategically.”
Yes, Virginia, say what you will about Duterte, but our President is, indeed, making everyone sit up and take notice.
10 comments
The power of political will!
Stop reading/ watching Inquirer, Rappler, ABS CBN and TFC
The Philippines is not yet North Korea, people can read whatever they want and not only the praises for the dear leader! Sorry for you if you cannot accept any critics because you will always have very narrow views and shallow mind…
Critical thinking is what we need which clearly you do not have.
Yes, and instead read the mocha uson blog and satire sites or hoax sites or other fake/unknown writer sites for facts and info.
Manila Times and Manila Standard. Contrary to what you think anti duterte people do not have the monopoly on the thinking class
Ok, Manila Times and Manila Standard may be acceptable. I’m not belittling the minds of pro duterte people. After all, I wasnt the one who said: “Stop reading/ watching Inquirer, Rappler, ABS CBN and TFC”. If one trusts the intelligence of pro-duterte people, one wouldn’t ask them to stop reading specific newspapers, just maybe because they do not publish all pro-duterte side news.
There will always be advantages and disadvantages to any position. The question is: Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages/costs?
Clearly, an anti Pnoy and pro Duterte writer.
1 plus point for Du3rd’s redemption, against 3,999k and rising, innocent dead souls. Keep working at it!