Stuck as an Undocumented migrant: Struggles of being a “TNT” OFW

The sacrifices of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) make just to provide a better life for their families, earned them the title of the “nation’s modern heroes”. They make a living by working in other countries and chose to leave their families.

In recent years, the improvement of the economy often attributed to their remittances further cemented their mark in the Philippines yet some of them are treated unjustly in their workplaces. Each year, the number of OFW discrimination and abuses are increasing, and might eventually result to most jail sentences or to worst deaths of them.

But amidst the hardships are efforts to make things better: OFWs helping each other, several non-governmental organizations acting as support groups, and an entire nation seeking to save a fellow Filipino.

As the country continues to laud its citizens who seek greener pastures abroad, overseas Filipino workers should be prioritized through policies and programs that can adequately protect them.

Divina Galabin Velasco, is a 49-year-old OFW mother of 2 children, of whom the first child suffers with Leukemia, and the other is currently in the third year of college taking up, Nursing.

This would be a clear reason why she chose not to leave her job despite the hardships she went through all these years. She’s been a TNT OFW for years and still hoped for a help coming from the government to fix her papers, just so she couldn’t be deported or jailed.

As what her child, Ann Velasco warned her “Ma, ayaw nalang ug larga. Delikado kaayo and it doesn’t guarantee your safety. We are far from you and simbako lang maunsa ka. Nabalaka ko ni jun [her sibling who as Leukemia] pero mas makulbaan ko niya.” She said.

A TNT OFW is an abbreviated form of “Tago Ng Tago” which means an OFW who has to hide and be cautious in his/her movements so as not to be caught by immigration authorities due to lack of legal documents of working abroad. And when caught being one, you are sentenced to jail in the country you are in, deported and banned of going to their country.

She worked in the middle east countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for a total of 21 years without having a vacation leave to go to the Philippines due to being a TNT OFW. According to her, it was not her choice to undergo situations like these but because she needs to earn more money just so her family will have something to eat in their plates and pay bills, she endured and accepted things that might happen to her under different circumstances.

In her first employment in the country of Saudi Arabia as a Domestic worker, she experienced abuses by her employer like burning her in cigarettes, throwing appliances at her, and different kinds of maltreatment that is a clear disregard of OFW human rights. She tried to contact her agency but unfortunately the agency said they won’t be liable anymore after 3 months of their OFWs’ employment. So, she had no choice but to escape and go to the Philippine Embassy.

According to her, “Pagfirst jud kay nagrun-away man ko… Basta mag runaway ka bilin man gyud na imu passport. Nidagan ko ug embassy sa Saudi, pero naa nakoy samad diri [pointed her wound on the forehead], bun-og kay gikulata raba ko nila. Mau to gipadoctor nako nila, gilkwaan kog kuan ba [ebedensiya] nga makiha lang sila, makabayad sila nako.” She spoke.

Her employer was forced to compensate to the damages they owe to Ms. Divina and aside from that, she also filed a case before she was deported to Philippines. However, she realized that she couldn’t earn more in her home country than on the other country. So, she decides to fly again and take the risk but this time, she couldn’t be deported.

Once again, she experienced maltreatment there in Kuwait and decides to run away and apply for other domestic worker employment and that’s how she jumped for one employer to another for 18 years despite knowing her documents and visa was still in her first employer. She eventually became a TNT OFW in Kuwait.

According to her, she took care of everything immediately once she knew that she has an OFW run away case in the police station. “Sakay pakog bus, muadto pakog city… Murag wala lang Then pagkahibaw nako nga naa nakoy kaso… Mau nato, magtaxi nako pirme. Kay mahadlok nako sa bus. Nganong muuli paman ko? Nihangyo gani ko na mangayo kog tabang aron ma okay ko. Unya dili ko ninyo tabangan unya ang inyong kuan nako papauli-on ko ninyos pinas, unsay klaseng embassyha. Wala silay paki-alam sa mga runaway, wala silay paki-alam sa mga nadakpan. Mau bitaw ang uban nga mga nangadakpan dugay kay mauli, kay dili nila matabangan.” she stated.

She recalls how she asked help from her agency and the embassy but her cries were not taken into action until now.

Roldan Paradella, a Head Manager at the Mirben International Man power Agency (A POEA Approved agency) said that, “She contacted us every month for help, but we literally can’t assist her if she’ll change from one employer to another. We admit that we lost contact of her because we just recently resume from the pandemic status and has really delayed help for, we need to associate with her employers first and process documents before she could go home. Rest assured help is coming her way and we are resolving the matters,” he said.

Divina said she earned 110-120 dinar, which was about 17,000 pesos or more in the middle east countries she’s been through. She’s been thinking how can she earn that living in the Philippines at her age. Yet, the eagerness of her going home now weighs bigger than the money she’s ought to earn in work soon. She also added she’s willing to face whatever consequences she would be going to after she’d leave the country, Kuwait.

Divina mentioned he will probably go back to her old job as a waitress again in a "carenderia" and earns lower then 17,000 pesos. “Inig uli nako, alagaan na nako akong mga anak ug ako gyapon sila supportaan bisan sure ko magkadalisud najd ko” she said, even as she pushes aside the possibility that future attempts to go abroad may be more difficult because of her record. Divina’s dreams, his own or for his family, will have to take a backseat for now.

As an undocumented migrant, she may not even get to call himself part of the Philippines’ modern-day heroes. But his family will know, and that is enough for now.

From what we expect, OFWs’ return home at the end of their contracts but in the case of our TNT’s they go home with a burden of case issues they need to deal with.