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                      EXPORTING LIVES:
STORIES OF FILIPINA MIGRANT WORKERS IN CANADA AND THE PHILIPPINES
                (Radio Documentary and Booklet)
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AMARC (The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters)
recently sponsored a radio production exchange between PINAY, a
Filipina migrant workers group based in Montreal, Canada, and the
Women's Media Circle Foundation, Inc., based in Manila, the
Philippines. A cassette including the documentaries produced
called, "EXPORTING LIVES: STORIES OF FILIPINA MIGRANT WORKERS IN
CANADA AND THE PHILIPPINES" is available from AMARC. An
accompanying booklet provides additional information regarding the
migration of Filipina women overseas. It also provides a list of
organizations supporting the rights of these workers in Canada and
the Philippines.

At present, the government of the Philippines has a policy of
exporting labour to gain foreign currency from overseas workers. At
least 1 600 women leave the Philippines every day to work as
domestic helpers. In addition to the regular problems encountered
by migrants, such as the language barrier, cultural adaptation,
breach of contract, discrimination and poor working conditions,
women labourers suffer from sexual abuse, harrassment, and rape.
With few global or national laws to protect them, these are the
women who were referred to at the recent United Nations Human
Rights Conference (Vienna, 1993) as "modern day slaves".

The first documentary (27 minutes), produced by PINAY, is a
compilation of stories of women from the Philippines who came to
Canada as domestic workers. The documentary provided an opportunity
for the women themselves to discuss their hopes, fears, and
experiences of leaving their homes and families to work overseas.

The second documentary (20 minutes) is a joint production by Radyo
WomanWatch (the radio project of the Women's Media Circle
Foundation) and KALAKASAN Action Hotline, a hotline service for
battered women in the Philippines.  It outlines the relationship
between domestic violence and migration from the Philippines. True
narratives in this documentary recount dramatic stories of the
abuses experienced by Filipinas who have worked mainly in Saudi
Arabia.

This project was supported by the Philippines-Canada Human Resource
Development Program (PCHRD) and by The Canadian Catholic
Organization for Development and Peace.

To order a copy of the booklet and/or cassette via mail, please
send $5.00 to: AMARC, 3575 boul. St. Laurent, #704, Montreal, PQ,
Canada H2X 2T7, Tel: (514) 982 0351, Fax: (514) 849 7129.

To order the booklet by e-mail, or for more information, please
send a message to Justine Akman at: AKMAN@VAX2.CONCORDIA.CA.