On 20th May 2016 UNU-CS hosted an event on Migrant Technologies: (re)producing (un)freedoms in Macau. The one-day event brought together scholars, practitioners and activists to share learning and exchange ideas on the range of migrant technologies research being conducted across Asia and explore future collaborative approaches. The key theme addressed at the event was how the use of mobile technologies adds layers of freedoms and unfreedoms to migration. Speakers of the day include: Introduction and Welcome: Michael Best, Director of UNU-CS Opening Remarks: Tony Roberts, UNU-CS Morning Panel: Emerging themes in Migrant Technology research - Chair: Tony Roberts, UNU-CS - Jack Qiu, Chinese University of Hong Kong - Freedom, Slavery, and Working-Class ICTs: Learning from Chinese Migrant Workers in Foxconn - Nikos Dacanay, Chiang Mai University - ICT usage and how ethnic migrant women in northern Thailand indigenize/mediate human rights’ discourse of gender equality - Odalia Wong, Baptist University of Hong Kong - Transnational Mothers and Mobile Phone Usage: The Case of the Filipino Female Domestic Workers in Hong Kong - Discussant: Rhodora A. Abano, Centre for Migrant Advocacy in Philippines Afternoon Panel: New Migrant Technologies - Chair: Tony Roberts, UNU-CS - Kayoko Ueno, University of Tokushima - Facebook Activism and Networking among Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore - Jude Yew, National University of Singapore - Pemca: A proposed mobile platform for crowdsourcing the reporting and visualization of migrant worker injuries/deaths - Kakit Cheong, National University of Singapore - Kwento: Designing a family storytelling mobile application for domestic helpers - Discussant: Fish Ip, International Domestic Workers Federation

1. RHODORA A. ABANO
Centre for Migrant Advocacy in Philippines
Migrant Technologies:
(re)producing (un)freedoms
Friday, 20th May, 2016
10:00am – 4:30pm
United Nations University Institute on Computing and Society
Join us for a free, one-day event where we bring together scholars, practitioners and
activists to panel discussions to share our understandings and research on information
and communication technology (ICT) use by migrants from Asia.
Register now on Eventbrite by 15th May 2016 to secure your place for the event
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/migrant-technologies-reproducing-unfreedoms-
tickets-24922537982.
Location: Casa Silva Mendes, Estrada do
Engenheiro Trigo No 4, Macau SAR, China
(Opposite to the main entrance of Hotel Guia)
Hosted by:
MIGRANT TECHNOLOGIES:
(RE)PRODUCING (UN)FREEDOMS
Emerging themes in Migrant Technology research
Morning panel
Discussant

2. Migrants accessing assistance
using ICTs-the CMA experience
Rhodora A. Abano
Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA)
United Nations University
Macau, People's Republic of China, May 20, 2016

3. Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA)
Policy advocacy
-legislative
-executive
-research/public
information/educati
on
-national, (local)
international,
regional
Direct assistance to
distressed OFWs
(case referral)

4. Outline:
I. Historical development
II. Current situation
III. Looking forward

5. Overseas Filipinos. Dec2014
Americas: 3,772,393
MiddleEast & Africa:
2,182,442
Europe: 743,826
Asia Pacific: 1.660,667

6. ICT
In ADVOCACY
INFORMATION
RESEARCH
EDUCATION
NETWORKING
INSTITUTIONAL
BUILDING
In CASE REFERRAL

7. ICT in CMA's advocacy etc
2002 -E-mail
Pinoy e-group
website
fax
2008 – website for
Filipino caregivers/
nurses to Japan
2009 – Facebook
Twitter
2010 - Skype
Teleconferencing

8. CMA's case referral and ICT
2002 – e-mail, cellphone/landline, fax +
face2face
2003 – www.centerformigrantadvocacy.com
2006 - + OFW SOS SMS Helpline
2008 – + Filipino caregivers in Japan website
2012 - + Facebook account, mobile phone
2012 - + Skype

12. Case referral
Call from OFW/family
E-mail
Text
SOS
OFW/family
Government ITC/OTC
Partners ITC/OTC
CMA

13. Distress notice
from OFW/family
Thru mobile
call
Thru
Facebook PM
Thru OFW
SOS SMS
Helpline
Thru partner
groups/orgs,
former
clients/
trainees/audie
nce/media
Thru e-mail
Thru website
Thru landline

14. Case channels
E-mail cma@cmaphils.org, E-group pinoy-abroad
Website www.centerformigrantadvocacy.com
OFW SOS SMS Helpline +63 9209 639 787 or
+63 9209 OFW SOS
FB Center for Migrant Advocacy
(public group)'s PM
Call thru landline/telefax/cellphone/mobile:
+632 9905140, +632 4330684, +63 928 795 2222

15. OFW SOS SMS System
DFA/OWWA
Data Base Log SOS
logs all SOS SMS
(cp#, date, time sent)
CMA keeps a folder for each case for documentation
and monitoring of progress
anytime,
anywhere
Text: sos<space><message>
to +63 9209 OFW SOS
OTC
partners
SENT AS SMS OR EMAIL

16. Total Cases (2004-2010)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
TOTALS

17. Country Distribution
ME
Asia
Oceania
Africa
Europe
America
Phil
Unspecified

18. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Cases 245 254 180 162 107 282
Women 50 115 94 87 93 114
Men 31 104 63 47 81 44
Group 421/10
groups
80/8 groups 124/12
groups
Top source
countries
KSA, UAE,
Qatar, Taiwan
KSA, UAE, Qatar KSA, UAE,
Qatar
KSA, UAE,
Qatar
KSA, UAE,
Taiwan,
Kuwait
Top complaints Wage
violations,
detention
overwork
Detention
Benefits
Repat of
irregulars
Abandoned
families
Wage
violations
Excessive
placement
fees,
Wages,
overwork
abuse

19. SOS SMS Helpline replicated
• a. http://connect.bwint.org/?p=469
• – for the Building and Woodworkers
International (BWI) in Malaysia
• b. Migrant Care Indonesia –
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vani-
saraswathi/sms-program-aims-to-combat-
rampant-abuse-migrant-
workers_b_8332680.html

20. Gender Distribution
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
men
women
unknown

21. Challenges
Public SOS on FB:
1. Who will attend to
the case?
2. What about
privacy?
3. Victim culture>
empowerment
Online
violence
→ → →
Online
violence

22. Current situation
Channels
+ network of
partners ITC and OTC
+cooperative, critical
relations with govt/
civil society
+legal and practical
knowledge/skills re
overseas migration
+ COMMITMENT

26. Looking forward
> CMA will still go on given the Philippine
context and ICTs are handy
>OFW SOS SMS Helpline
>Podcasting/Videocasting (+storytelling)
>app for domestic workers
>Tony's (UNU) project

27. Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA)
email: cmaphils@pldtdsl.net/ cma@cmaphils.org
url: www.centerformigrantadvocacy.com
CMA SOS SMS: +63 920 9 OFW SOS
telephone: +63 2 990 5140
Fax: +63 2 4330684