March 2015
THE ASEAN PRO
BONO NETWORK
FOR MIGRANT
WORKERS
(A Concept Paper)
By Atty. Purificacion Pingki B. Bernabe
The problem of providing adequate legal
representation to migrant workers who
encounter legal problems in their host
country is pressing and widespread.
HOW WE CAME UPON THE PROBLEM
We, members of the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines, Bulacan Chapter (IBP Bu-
lacan), a provincial or local branch of the
national bar association of the Philippines
known as the Integrated Bar of the Phil-
ippines , encountered this problem first-
hand during the conduct of our interna-
tional pro bono missions in Vietnam, Ma-
laysia and Singapore.
How were these international pro bono
missions conducted? First, we coordinat-
ed with our Embassies in the aforemen-
tioned countries for them to contact our
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) so we
can visit and meet them on a particular
date. Then, during these pre-scheduled
visits, we gave one-on-one consultations
on problems that the OFWs have in the
Philippines and delivered lectures on laws
which address these problems.
That was the limited scope of service be-
cause of two reasons: a) we did not know
the laws in the host countries b) even if
we studied the laws of the host countries,
the restrictive policies of their respective
governments limit the practice of law
only to citizens.
Inevitably however, some of the OFWs
we served during our one-on-one con-
10
sultations brought to us legal problems
which are covered by the laws of the host
countries which we did not know and
could only be adequately addressed in
local courts or tribunals where we could
not appear. This is aggravated by the fact
that the OFWs cannot afford to engage
local lawyers because of financial con-
straints. Hence, their problems of such
nature remained unaddressed.
During our trip to Singapore for another
international pro bono mission, we also
attended the Third Asian Pro Bono Con-
ference. This was organized by the BAB-
SEA - CLE or the Bridges Across Borders
Southeast Asia Community Legal Edu-
cation Initiative which is, among other
things, an international access to justice
organization.
In the said conference, the problem of
migrant workers and providing long-term
strategic solutions thereto were focal
points. Attending the lectures and the
small group discussions highlighted for
us that the problem of Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFWs) which we learned dur-
ing our international pro bono missions
is mirrored in the experience of migrant
workers from countries all over the South-
East Asian Region and even beyond that.
This brings us to the very same problem
we mentioned in the beginning: how to
provide adequate legal representation
to migrant workers who encounter legal
problems in their host countries.
IBP: Sentinel of the Rule of Law
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Drawing on the lessons learned during
our international pro bono missions, the
Asia Pro Bono Conference which we at-
tended and the friendships formed and
goodwill generated by these experiences,
the concept of a network of Pro Bono
Lawyers all over the ASEAN Region (and
even beyond) came about.
In the simplest terms, the network will
function by this illustration: a distressed
Filipino worker in Ho Cho Minh City who
has a problem with the enforcement of his
employment contract in the host coun-
try will be aided by a Vietnamese lawyer
who is part of the Pro Bono Network. By
reciprocity, a Vietnamese migrant worker
who is deployed in Manila and who en-
counters some discrimination in his work
place will be assisted by a Filipino lawyer
who is part of the Pro Bono Network in
filing the appropriate case.
This arrangement will be replicated in
other countries which are part of the net-
work.
At present, there are several Filipino law-
yers, law professors, a local bar associa-
tion and lawyers from Malaysia and Viet-
nam who have signified their intention
to be part of this Pro Bono Network. We
have written bar associations in Vietnam
and a law school in that country and they
are very much willing to explore the pos-
sibilities of setting up the network and
being a part thereof. We are also actively
 The Bar Tribune

recruiting other individual lawyers and
organizations of lawyers.
Once we have gathered a substantial
number of volunteers in target countries
-- Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indone-
sia, Philippines, Thailand -- we can launch
the network on the web, while continuing
to add to our list of volunteers. We can
use social media to recruit volunteers and
to make known the availability of our ser-
vices to the broadest audience possible.
Aside from the use of social media, we
will notify our Embassies and known mi-
grant workers organizations all over the
ASEAN Region to give them access to our
services. At the same time, an efficient
administration of our web links and an
over-all coordinating body must oversee
the following: a) where the legal service
is needed; b) the availability of a lawyer
or lawyers group to meet the demand; c)
the deployment of such a lawyer to meet
the demand; and d) monitoring each case
after it has been assigned to a particular
lawyer to ensure the effective delivery of
services.
Later on, we can expand our service terri-
tory to other countries in Asia, the Middle
East or even Europe where our migrant
workers face the problem of underem-
ployment.
At first, the problem of funding will not
pose a problem because our services are
essentially free, the lawyers are deployed
in their own country, and are not strang-
ers to pro bono work, i.e. working free of
charge. Our first resources will be the in-
ternet and volunteerism. As the network
expands, which we expect it to do rapidly
in order to be truly responsive, we will
need logistics support for our administra-
tion and monitoring stations.
How does one qualify to be a client of
the network? We can use the general
guidelines of Means and Merit Test. Only
migrant workers within a certain income
range and with a meritorious case (as de-
termined in a pre-screening process) may
avail of the network services. The income
range may vary per country.
The benefits of this project will be im-
mense. There are countless experiences
of migrant workers whose contracts were
replaced by more onerous ones, once
they reached the host country. Worse
than that, migrant workers who are in-
volved in criminal litigation languish in
jail for the longest time because of lack of
legal representation in courts. These are
just two of the widespread and pressing
problems which the network will be able
to address immediately.
CONCLUSION
The need for the immediate setting up of
this Pro Bono Network cannot be over-
emphasized. Recruitment of volunteers,
setting up an administrative and monitor-
ing group and seeking funds for the pur-
pose should be done at the soonest pos-
sible time.
Anyone interested in this initiative will
please contact the author at pingkibart@
yahoo.com, or at 063 0917 507 5769 or
044 662 4768.
Atty. Purificacion Pingki B. Bernabe is
the incumbent president of IBP Bulacan
Chapter.

The People of IBP:

Erlinda Ganac Sanchez
ERLINDA GANAC SANCHEZ supported herself
through college working at the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines. She stayed on after her graduation
in 1977, devoting a total of 41 years of service to
the national organization of lawyers. Sanchez re-
tired as senior accounting assistant at the Finance
Department in June 2013.
with the first batch of graduates when the
PCC became the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines. I continued working for IBP even
after graduation.
3. How was work like in your first few years in
IBP?

The Bar Tribune takes a peek into Sanchezs career,
family and the days ahead.
1. When did you start working in IBP? What
was your first work assignment?
I started working in IBP in l972, when it was
still called the Commission on Bar Integration.
I first worked as a clerk typist in the Account-
ing Department. My immediate supervisor
then was our accountant Eladia Cayetano. We
reported to the treasurer, Atty. Charito Pla-
nas.
2. Tell us about your working student days in
IBP.
After high school, I had to find work to pay
for my college tuition. I worked for a time at
Rustans Department Store in San Marcelino,
Manila. After raising enough funds, I enrolled
in the evening classes at Philippine College of
Commerce. I took up Bachelor of Science in
Commerce, majoring in Secretarial Studies.
That was when I started working in IBP. I was
I had a difficult time adjusting to work in my
first few years in IBP. We prepared the first
index cards of lawyers, recording member-
ship payments as well as remittances from
the chapters. Ako rin po ang naghahanda ng
honorarium ng mga clerk at lawyers all over
the Philippines pero dapat tingnan muna
kung complete ang mga required papers bago
gawan ng vouchers. Quarterly po ang hono-
rarium at sweldo ng clerks at lawyers.
Cagayan de Oro City for the Committee on Le-
gal Aid. Memorable moments din ang bowl-
As a working student, I would commute from
ing tournament namin at yearly excursion.
the IBP office in Quezon Boulevard to the PCC
Excited ako pag ganoon. Ang saya-saya!
campus in Lepanto, Manila. The work, how-
ever, got easier as the years passed and after I
5. Who are your favorite IBP officers?
graduated from college.
My favorite IBP officers are Chief Justice Ro-
4. What are your memorable moments in IBP?
berto Concepcion, Justice JBL Reyes, Atty. Es-
ter Sison Cruz, Atty. Teofilo Pilando and Atty.
Yung Christmas Party namin tuwing Decem-
Jaime Vibar. They are my favorites because
ber ay sobrang saya. May sayawan, gifts at
they are kind to employees like me at alam
raffle. May napanalunan akong T, refrigera-
nila ang pangangailangan ng employees ng
tor at Sony DD. Ha ha ha.
IBP.
Minsan nakasama ako sa out of town sa - continued on page 17

No Master but Law; No Guide but Conscience; No Aim but Justice 11