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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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NEW YORK – This past weekend, Filipino domestic workers of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, based in New York and New Jersey, joined about 100 participants from 10 cities around the country to attend the firstever National Domestic Workers Congress, held in Barnard College.
The Congress was organized by the National Domestic Workers Alliance (The Alliance/NDWA). Taking place from Thursday through Sunday, the Congress brought together 18 workers' organizations to develop a national agenda to reverse the history of injustice and exclusion of domestic workers from laws and recognition. According to NDWA, one-third of all domestic workers face some form of abuse from their employers. Most domestic workers have no paid vacations or holidays, and the vast majority work without health insurance or paid sick days.
In the New York City area, there are an estimated 200,000 domestic workers who are vulnerable to the informal and unprotected domestic work industry. Filipinos comprise at least 15 percent of this invisible workforce.
"We were able to connect the local and regional work of each organization towards a common fight for recognition, labor protection, respect and dignity for domestic workers," says lead worker organizer Linda Abad of DAMAYAN. "Through the formation of a national body, we are able to unite the power of immigrant women workers and speak in one voice."
To address the rampant workplace violations and labor exclusions, local domestic workers' organizations have been working on a comprehensive Bill of Rights since 2004, legislation that would establish labor standards for New York's domestic workers. The New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is the first state bill in the nation that would create labor rights for this growing workforce. The Alliance anticipates that the initiative will set the stage for similar initiatives around the country.
This past weekend's Congress was convened in part to support the demand for a New York state-wide legislation, and to build the national movement of domestic workers. To lead the national organizing and implement a program of action, NDWA's membership elected six organizations to the national coordinating committee – three from the west coast, one from Maryland and two from New York. Representing the New York area in the coordinating committee are Domestic Workers United (DWU) and DAMAYAN, ensuring Filipino participation in the lead coordinating body.
According to Abad, the Filipino people's experience is critical in contributing to the domestic workers movement. Ten percent of the Filipino people live and work abroad in 192 different countries. Seventy percent of the 3,400 Filipinos who leave the Philippines every day are women, the majority of whom become vulnerable to abuse and violence as domestic workers.
"We drew the connection between advancing our rights and welfare and giving a global perspective on the roots of our problems: the extreme poverty and lack of employment back home," states Abad.
According to DAMAYAN, the crisis of migrant women domestic workers is due to globalization and US-led plunder of Third World countries like the Philippines. "Women's oppression also intensifies our exploitation because domestic work has historically been devalued as 'natural' and unpaid women's labor," adds Abad.
Congress sessions also included educational workshops on the history of domestic work in the US, gender and sexuality in relationship to the exploitation of domestic workers, and panel presentations on the role of allies in supporting the cause of domestic workers.
DAMAYAN contributed by taking on key roles facilitating workshops and moderating panels. Members of DAMAYAN offered their experiences over the past five years in building a 400-member strong Filipino domestic worker-led organization in New York and New Jersey.
On Saturday, along with the Congress participants, DAMAYAN and Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, the local Filipino youth organization supporting the domestic workers, rallied at City Hall to support the passage of the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
Abad spoke from the stage on behalf of DAMAYAN. "We all came here for the American dream but all we got is the nightmare. Our fight for a Bill of Rights challenges centuries of slavery and racism in the US. It embodies the struggle of immigrant domestic workers for equal recognition, protection and fair labor standards normally accorded to American workers. But this fight goes beyond our rights and welfare. It is a struggle against globalization that exploits our labor, and patriarchy that oppresses us as women."
This weekend's Congress came on the heels of two visits to Albany, on April 15 and May, 20, when more than 300 domestic workers and their allies, including DAMAYAN and Ugnayan, met with more than 50 legislators to call for respect and recognition and to gather support for the Bill of Rights. The Bill currently has 42 Assembly co-sponsors.
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TO ALL FELLOW FILIPINOS:
On behalf of the other officers and members of our Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc.(PIDCI), I thank you all for your continuing participation and active involvement in the commemoration of the declaration of independence of the our and our ancestors' country of birth.
The yearly parade along Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City and the activities before and after that parade are not only a commemoration of Philippine Independence but also a celebration of our Filipino heritage. This celebration has become an anticipated yearly happening among Filipinos in the eastern states of the United States because of your unselfish support and participation and the tireless efforts of PIDCI volunteers.
The PIDCI is a work in progress. The activities it spearheads are works aspiring for perfection. Through the years, they have improved. But like any other human endeavor, certain issues unavoidably occur. Not everyone is satisfied. Criticisms fly. But these are precisely the reasons everybody needs to be involved to make our celebrations less susceptible to irrational
criticisms.
The criticisms circulated by some organizations are far from the truth. The PIDCI is a nonprofit corporation with its own legal existence. It is not a creation of the Philippine Consulate General based in New York State or by the Philippine Government or any of its instrumentalities. It has its own governing Board of Directors and a set of independent-minded officers. It
is therefore, baseless and irresponsible for anyone to claim that any portion of the funds raised by PIDCI go the Consulate or pockets of anyone connected with the Consulate. Their hands do not touch any of PIDCI funds.
It is, likewise, baseless and irresponsible for anyone to alleged 'corruption' by any officer or individual connected with PIDCI. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The PIDCI activities are open to the public. Its records are open to the public's scrutiny. Any one with reasonable issues can come forward and support his claim with other than bald allegations that only bestir
emotions.
The parade along Madison Avenue in Manhattan occurs annually because we are permitted by the government of New York City. Our PIDCI's compliance with the regulations imposed by New York City has become the primary reason why we are able to hold parade every year.
The PIDCI parade marshals, in cooperation with the New York City Police Department, are in charge with maintaining order in the parades. They are bound by their duties to prevent or stop any conduct that tends to disrupt the peaceful and orderly gathering. At last parade on June 1, some groups did behave in a manner disruptive of a peaceful and orderly gathering.
I invite all those who have issues with certain acts of PIDCI or any of its officers to attend our meetings. I believe that their issues will be addressed better during those meetings. I also believe that they will have a better understanding of what it takes to sponsor a gathering as massive as the parade. I further believe that they will admire what PIDCI actually does to showcase our pride in the Filipino heritage.
Sa ngalan po ng pamunuan ng PIDCI, ako po ay muling nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan sa kanilang walang sawang pagtulong at pagtitiwala sa ating samahan. Aking panalangin na sana tayo pong lahat ay mag-kaisa sa panahon ng ating paggunita sa proklamasyon ng kalayaan ng Pilipinas at pagdiriwang at pagbubunyi ng kulturang Pilipino.
Nagpapasalamat din po ako sa ating mga sponsors, sa ating mga volunteers, at sa mga kagawad ng pulisiya ng Lungsod ng New York. Magkita-kita muli tayo sa mga susunod na taon!
MARAMING SALAMAT PO SA LAHAT!
Gumagalang at nagpapasalamat,
RAUL ESTRELLADO
Pangulo ng PIDCI, 2007-2008
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