TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) –You qualified for a government-promoted cultural exchange program and wonder what would it take for you to live with families abroad, what would be their customs, traditions, what would be the rules of social engagement and how would you behave in front of these people?
Actually, there is a government agency that would provide you with an orientation of the customs and traditions, social graces and the nitty-gritty of living in with a family, Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) executive director and undersecretary Valery Brion shared during the weekly Kapihan sa PIA.
Here for a few days of Community Education Program (CEP) on Migration as a way of service to Boholanos who rank high among their clients, CFO officers also said their annual program assists prospective migrants in making informed decisions regarding settlement abroad and trigger community engagement on migration issues and concerns.
The CFO handles Pre Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) to migrating Filipinos.
While the Department of Migrant Workers conduct a one day mandatory PDOS to guide first time overseas Filipino workers on the important, relevant and possibly custom-fit information they would need to succeed in their new work environment in the country of destination, the CFO takes care of the PDOS for Filipino emigrants or those leaving the country to settle permanently abroad.
As these people are required to register with the CFO so the country’s authorities could keep track of their migrants, CFO PDOS or Peer Counseling Session for 13-19 years old, talks of travel regulations, immigration procedures, cultural differences, settlement concerns, employment and social security concerns, and rights and obligations of Filipino migrants.
Their PDOS is for emigrants aged 20-59 years old who are petitioned by parents, siblings, Filipino spouses or immediate relatives, and independent applicants.
According to the CFO, from Bohol, they have facilitated for the PDOS of 2,189 young Boholanos on cultural exchange program under the au pair.
This makes Bohol the number one client for au pairs, according to Eumarlo Tolosa, Senior emigration officer.
Another 15,500 Boholanos passed through the CFO for their orientation as work emigrants.
As for Bohol, CFO in fact wondered why there is so much Boholanos into the program.
Au pair program, which the Philippines engages with other host countries, allows young adults from the Philippines to come and work in a destination country by getting to families needing extra hand in child-care and minor household chores.
In Bohol, where basic education is fairly high and most youngsters can read and write, poverty is never indeed a hindrance to further education with the au pair option made available.
By enrolling in an au pair program, young adults that is, 18 to below 30, can live in a family seeking an extra hand, work in a flexible schedule doing home chores, child care and exchange cultural knowledge while getting paid for a weekly stipend, which can also be used for paying to school.
On the other hand, CFO also facilitated for the PDOS and facilitation of emigrating Boholanos who are on cultural exchange programs like student scholarships for a year or two, individuals who are marrying abroad, or who have been petitioned by parents to permanently live abroad.
While doing this, the CFO also engages communities to act on trafficking in persons, a worldwide crime against humanity.
Also called “modern day slavery,” trafficking in persons has been a source of abuse, and the Philippines is in the middle of the global concern, identified as a source, transit or destination country for men, women and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation.
By simply recruiting, hiring, offering, transporting, harboring, persons, from across national or international boundaries without the victim’s consent or knowledge, trafficking in persons can be done by threat, force, coercion or fraud and deception, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person, to enslave for exploitation, prostitution, forced labor or slavery, and even for the harvesting of vital organs. (PIA-7/Bohol)
