This really got me angry!

A friend of mine told me about an issue that concerns Filipinos in the Maldives and I immediately checked the web and yes, it was on Twitter and in numerous Pinoy publications..... Inquirer Story on 300 Filipinos in the Maldives

I just cannot resist......how can they publish such incorrect articles!!!! Hehehe....you can read my comments below:

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Yvonne10:50 pm

I am a Filipino working here in the Maldives. For majority of us here, this is a good place to work as the conditions are above average. As per Maldivian laws, every expat employee should be provided a yearly ticket back to home country (which is something that cannot be said for majority of the other countries we sent OFWs to) + 30 days paid annual leave (more than what we have in the Phils) + 10 days Public holidays (which u can add to your A/L if you want to go home) + 30 days Sick leave per year.....and this is only for junior staffs.....for supervisors up....you get at least 1 ticket for Rest & Recreation + 8 days paid leave every year.....for dept heads it will be twice that and more.....

Yvonne10:51 pm

Yes, we do have isolated incidents like these happening here in Maldives and I have even helped repatriate 2 of them from the same island of Vilingili but they were paid until the last month (their work extended for 15months) and sent home through Malaysian Airlines thru the help of the Labor Ministry.
Yes, the government here helps you with your grievances if you complain to them.

Yvonne10:53 pm

What I suggest that you focus on is the "plight of Filipino workers who go through Phil recruitment agencies in the Phils and their conditions here when they arrive in the Maldives"....there will be a huge difference coz most of the agencies must have taken money already even before they have left the country. Please reiterate in your articles (if u will do more on this issue) that there is NO NEED TO GO THROUGH A RECRUITMENT AGENCY!!! It is a common complaint here now that agencies back home have scalpeled our OFWs bound for the Maldives for placement fees. Only in recent years that these had happened, only after recruitment agencies from the Phils have started to come into the picture that you start getting all these stories.
The Maldives has one of the most relaxed working environments around Asia and for most of us here, this has been our second home for the past 5 years, and for others, even 25 years!

Yvonne11:03 pm

If our politicians want to use this issue to ride on for their political dramas....please spare us from your efforts and focus it somewhere else! and make sure that you don't generalize the whole country as we are treated fairly by our host country.
On a footnote, I would like to state that as of last Nov '08, when I checked with the Labor Ministry they only gave me the figure of 1,200 registered Pinoy workers in the country. And out of that, you would have us believe that 1/4th is living in subhuman conditions? I do still get my 54days paid leave per year plus my 2 tickets home....don't sensationalize issues, check first your facts before you generalize and publish it.

Yvonne11:32 pm

I would like to request from the writer of this article to check first the Labor Laws in the Maldives (and yes, unlike us, they do adhere to their laws!) and make a comparative analysis of the expatriate employee benefits with other countries.
One example, if you work in the resorts, each employee (expat or local) will be paid 100% of the service charge....in some resorts, they pay up to 800usd or more per month to ALL employees for service charge.....i have not factored in the basic salaries + bonuses....
I'm not saying that everything is rosy & perfect, no place is...but I do implore you, to set your facts straight.

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Do you think I'm justified in defending my host country? For me, I really hate it when "guests insult their hosts"....