12/10/2015 Pinay trafficking survivor scores victory over abusive employers | ABSCBN News
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Pinay trafficking survivor scores victory overabusive employersDon Tagala, ABSCBN North America News Bureau
Posted at 12/09/15 2:44 PM
Filipina trafficking survivor scores victory over abu...
NEW YORK – Worker trafficking and exploitation are unfortunately all too common to manyoverseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially for those under the H2B visa program.
But thanks to a Filipino organization of mostly nannies and housekeepers, not only did aFilipino trafficking victim score a victory against her abusive employers, she will soon bereunited with her children that she left in the Philippines.
The Damayan Migrants Association has helped at least four dozen victims of trafficking in thelast two years.
One of them is OFW Len Ramos. Ramos came to the US in 2009 as a housekeeper under anH2B temporary visa. She paid almost $3,000 for placement and immigration fees. She waspromised a 40hour work week and $7.50 an hour overtime pay.
"Yung unang two weeks, 40 hours. Then after that, nareduce na siya tapos mayroon times na
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12/10/2015 Pinay trafficking survivor scores victory over abusive employers | ABSCBN News
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$50 na lang yung sinusuweldo namin a week," Ramos said.
She was then transferred to a hotel and casino in Louisiana. But her working and livingconditions became even worse.
"Bale, single mattress lang, nasa floor pa at saka madumi. Nacontaminate pa ako ng bedbugs dahil kinuha lang sa dump yung mga gamit. Naputulan kami ng ilaw," she said.
The agency failed to renew her visa and she became undocumented, broke, in debt andafraid.
"I was expecting na maganda yung buhay na maibibigay ko sa mga anak ko. Mapapagaralko sila sa magandang school pero ang nangyari halos wala nang natitira sa akin, sa sweldoko," she said.
Damayan Executive Director Linda Oalican said these are clear signs of modern day slavery.
"Kaya po kailangang magsalita tayo. Itaas natin ang mga boses natin and let's fight for ourrights and dignity. Ang victory ay nandyan lang," Oalican said.
With the help of Damayan and the Urban Justice Center in New York, Ramos applied and wasapproved for a trafficking Tvisa that would allow her to legally stay and work in the US andeven petition the kids she left in the Philippines.
After spending six Christmases and birthdays away from them, Ramos and her husbandwould soon be spending the holidays with their children.
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