Posted by Administrator
Monday, 16 August 2010 07:12
Four or five months ago, I received an invitation from the Philippine embassy for a dialogue on work-related and social issues concerning the Filipino community in Thailand. I bet other leaders were also invited. Since then, I haven’t received any resolutions or whatsoever about it. A few weeks ago, I received an invitation from the Philippine embassy for a dialogue, again, on work-related and social issues concerning the Filipino community in Thailand. Now, I hope that the next email that we will receive from the Philippine embassy would be copies of resolutions and developments of plans.
It’s nice to be talking about the same matter over and over again as long as there’s something new added on the discussion…a positive development, as they always say. This time, the Philippine embassy, under the leadership of the new ambassador, HE Lacanlale seems to have taken the roughest road instead of sitting pretty and idle with friends in high places. I think her leadership is very promising.
The goal is to sign a bilateral agreement on anything concerning the resolution to the plights of the Filipino teachers. After all, they comprise the biggest number of expatriates in Thailand. The last time I checked the “archives” of the Philippine Embassy in Thailand’s site, the last bilateral agreement signed by both countries was in 2001. In other words, there was no pushed bilateral agreement for almost nine years. It is high time for both countries to sit down together and discuss the ever growing labor concern of both countries. But what are those labor concerns anyway? Is a bilateral agreement the answer to the problems of the Filipino teachers?
As far as I’m concerned, there are two major issues that need to be resolved: salary disputes and illegal workers. I may be wrong, but there are existing directives and laws that protect the rights of the foreign workers in Thailand. Take for instance, the low salary that a Filipino teacher gets compared to a “farang.” There was this “standard salary scale” drafted by the government. It clearly states that Asian teachers should get a salary ranging from 30,000.00 Baht and above while the “native speakers” should receive 40,000.00 Baht or higher. The Philippine embassy needs to secure a copy of this.
Also, we should keep in mind that, those who are teaching without work permits are definitely punishable by law. Clearly, the Filipino teachers are caught in a situation where law enforcement seems a little bit weak. As a consequence, many Filipinos who are unqualified and untrained to teach are also taking advantage. And when law offenders are taken lightly, many continue to victimize. The school employers, placement agencies and the concerned bureaucracy should be held responsible. But the problem has become a moral and ethical issue and not a legal one. Imagine if school employers will strictly screen their applicants. It will yield good results. And when school employers offer attractive salary and benefits for the desirable applicants, it will yield better results. But when schools employ the “undesirables”, putting them under protection from the law, then it will be disastrous.
And so, the creation of the Teachers’ Council of Thailand (TCT) in ensuring highly-qualified foreign teachers is one big step. Unfortunately, the TCT lacks proper monitoring system. There are many schools who continue to disregard the law. Due to some loopholes in the provisions set by the TCT in exempting language schools and centers from licensing their teachers, many business opportunists are taking advantage of the situation. The solution for an affordable “teacher” and getting away with the strict and tedious licensing laws of the TCT is in the hands of placement agencies under the guise of a “language school.” And so, many Filipino “teachers” are taking advantage of this system. The problem is this prevailing system is pulling down the integrity of Filipinos including the pay cheque of those who deserve a better renumeration.
Here is the situation: There are guidelines and laws to protect the rights of foreign teachers from salary disputes and illegal working situations. There are entities that take advantage of the loopholes in the implementation and monitoring of laws. There seems to be schools and placement agencies that employ “questionable tactics” in securing their teachers, based on stories heard from teachers employed by them, and which needs to be further investigated and checked out for accuracy. There are many Filipinos who take advantage of the border runs and loopholes in law enforcement, not knowing fully well what kind of risks they expose themselves to. After all, if they get into trouble, it is the embassy they will run to for help. But how can the embassy extend them help, when they do not have the necessary documents to help them avail of their rights and privileges as foreign workers in this country?
Perhaps, there is a need to refocus our attention to the bigger picture rather than just a part of it.
The big question is: What should the bilateral agreement need to include then?
I guess we have to wait for the Philippine embassy’s proposal.
Four or five months ago, I received an invitation from the Philippine embassy for a dialogue on work-related and social issues concerning the Filipino community in Thailand. I bet other leaders were also invited. Since then, I haven’t received any resolutions or whatsoever about it. A few weeks ago, I received an invitation from the Philippine embassy for a dialogue, again, on work-related and social issues concerning the Filipino community in Thailand. Now, I hope that the next email that we will receive from the Philippine embassy would be copies of resolutions and developments of plans. 
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