THE WHOLE SCOPE OF THE ARTICLE SINAPOREAN FROWNS AT FILIPINO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS Another Singaporean chose to vent his frustration online over the plan of Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) government to recruit some 200 Filipino construction workers a month. Calling Filipino construction workers as the “latest cheap labor fad”, the anonymous poster over at therealsingapore said while Filipino workers are better educated, speak English better than workers from China, Bangladesh and India, they are also “widely known to demand a lot more than others.” “It will only be a matter of time (when) more of them will start demanding for Permanent Residency in Singapore and make Tagalog an official language of Singapore,” the anonymous poster said. Branding Filipino workers as “hardworking, hungry and cheap”, the Singaporean who used the alias “Cheated Singaporean” blamed the PAP for setting up training centers in the Philippines without making the same effort to open training centers in Singapore “then choose to complain blindly that no Singaporeans want to be a construction worker.” Cheated Singaporean believes the PAP turned its eyes on “docile” Filipinos after the recent Chinese drivers’ strikes and a riot in Little India. But he or she warned Filipinos of Singapore’s exploitative employment culture. Cheated Singaporean wrote that an unskilled Filipino construction worker will earnP23,000 in exchange for a hard, modest life. “They may or may not get to earn more in Singapore, but their life is definitely going to be very much tougher than they already are in Philippines,” Cheated Singaporean said. The anonymous poster also noted that the fact that Filipinos are getting S-pass and E-pass will make other nationalities jealous and the long-term envy will create an imbalance in mindsets and lead to an increase in crime rate and cause trouble in the long run.S-pass and E-pass are both work permits in Singapore. Usually, mid-level skilled foreigners are given S-pass while professionals with experience and skills get the E-pass. OFWs, Singapore construction workers, Manila Bulletin Migrant workers employed as labourers at a construction site rest during lunchtime in Singapore in this January 13, 2009 file photo. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash Still, Cheated Singaporean said Filipino construction workers are going to sense the seriousness of income inequality and the lack of disrespect as felt by Indian workers. The open letter turned personal when Cheated Singaporean asserted that with the influx of more Filipino workers in the island-state, their enclaves “will go beyond Lucky Plaza and Orchard Road. “Singaporeans has (sic) already become estranged from the influx of foreigners and the further intake of these Filipino workers would make good reasons why more Singaporeans are getting bitter.” Cheated Singaporean claimed that having Filipino construction workers in their country benefits only those in the construction industry and the PAP which stands to gain $750 a month per worker hired. “Singaporeans will not only not gain a single cent from their presence, their public transport will be more crowded than ever,” the anonymous Singaporean added. Atty. Marc Titus Cebreros, Chief of the Human Rights Information and Communication Division, belied that Singapore and other countries do not gain anything from OFWs. “Our OFWs contribute to the economic growth of Singapore and other receiving countries, as they are highly skilled and valued by their employers,” Cebreros told Manila Bulletin Online. Cebreros also defended OFWs from being branded as demanding. “That’s a bizarre, irrational and racist statement,” Cebreros said, adding that the opinions of Cheated Singaporean do not reflect Singapore’s reputation as a fair and educated society. However, some comments online agreed with Cheated Singaporean with one saying how they will “pressure the PAP government not to accept Filipinos who are not Malays and will upset the racial quota. “Time to kick out more foreigners.” Some even labeled overseas laborers as “foreign trash” and noted how Orchard Road, the famous shopping district in Singapore, will be named Pinoy Road in the future and that PAP would mean Pinoy Action Party. Earlier, another Singaporean complained about noisy Filipino maids in Singapore’s buses and proposed for a private bus for them.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 13:29:50 +0000
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