"Natatangi..." search - Beneficiary: OFW Jennifer Perez

The following article appeared in Global Pinoy, a free newsletter for overseas Filipinos. Jennifer arrived home on May 3, 2006 from Amman, Jordan where she was confined in a hospital for almost nine months. From the airport she was brought directly to PGH where she was to stay for a few days before being brought to their home province, Alaminos, Pangasinan, where she died on May 17 - just three weeks before the "Natatangi" search took place.

Jennifer Perez: from aspiring teacher to OFW to quadriplegic for life

By Rhoel Raymundo Mendoza

She decided to seek work abroad so she could buy her own personal computer, a dream she has nurtured since high school. Today, however, not only has that simple dream been shattered, Jennifer is now a quadriplegic for life due to a fall from the second floor of her employer’s house. Did she jump or was she pushed deliberately?

On September 12, 2005, while waiting at the office of OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque with whom I had an appointment regarding Global Pinoy, seated not far from me was a woman who seemed to be in very deep thought. I knew from the look on her face that she was there for a very strong reason. Moved by the teary-eyed lady, I talked to her. She was Mrs. Lydia Perez, a teacher at the Garrita High School in Bani, Pangasinan. I learned that she was there to seek OWWA’s help with her daughter Jennifer’s case.

Jennifer Ramiscal Perez, 23, is the youngest of five children. Her father, Herminio, was a former OFW in Saudi Arabia. Two of her siblings, Heidi and Rommel, are also OFWs, both in Brunei. She is a graduate of Education and was awaiting acceptance into the public school system when she decided to try her luck in Jordan as a domestic helper (DH).

Jennifer was deployed on July 18, 2005 to work for a family in Irbid, about 100 kms. from Amman. The following day, she was rushed to the Princess Basma Hospital due to severe injuries sustained from a fall, and on July 24 was moved to the Al Haytham Hospital (in Amman) which was better equipped.

Jennifer sustained a broken neck that pressured her spine. Her left thighbone was also fractured. Although the two operations that were performed on her had saved her life, she is now quadriplegic and, according to the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Jamal Shanableh, will need nursing care and mechanical ventilation for the rest of her life.

According to the statement made later by Jennifer regarding the incident, her employer’s wife wanted to confiscate her celfone. When Jennifer resisted she was pushed, causing her to fall from the second floor balcony.

Quite expectedly, the employers persistently maintained innocence, claiming that it was all Jennifer’s fault because after resisting confiscation of her celfone she locked herself up in her room and later jumped from the balcony.

The case needs very thorough investigation and if the employer is proven guilty of any wrongdoing, she should be made liable. What the Perez family wants for now, however, is for OWWA to work on Jennifer’s immediate repatriation. But that can happen only after the hospital bills are paid. The Perezes thought things were moving very slowly. So we sought the help of Usec. Susan Ople who followed it up personally with OWWA. As a result, Aling Lydia and Mang Herminio were asked to come immediately to OWWA on September 19 to sign an agreement that OWWA will pay Jennifer’s hospital bills. The agreement also stated, however, that should the court order Jennifer’s employers to compensate her, the amount that was shelled out by OWWA would have to be deducted from it. The Perezes were fine with that, they just wanted their daughter home ASAP.

As of September 22, 2005 Jennifer’s outstanding account totaled US$ 26,704.81 or a little less than P1.5 million. Her continued stay at the hospital costs US$500-600 per day excluding medicines.

Aling Lydia also laments that media hasn’t picked up Jennifer’s story, while other incidents involving OFWs have been tackled in the news lately. On September 27, in their behalf, I called the ABS CBN newsdesk and detailed the case to them. By coincidence, news reporter George Cariño would be going the following day to Alaminos to cover the turn-over of The Hundred Islands from the DOT to the city government. ABS CBN called Aling Lydia to tell her that they would be passing by their place to interview her. (As of this writing, October 24, the interview is yet to be shown on TV).

On October 13, a presscon was held in Salasa, Bugallon with the presence of their bishop, Most Rev. Jesus A. Cabrera, and CBCP-ECMI Luzon Coordinator, Edmund Ruga, to launch a worldwide fundraising campaign. The Diocese of Alaminos, in cooperation with OWWA-Region I, has opened a bank account for this purpose. For those who wish to help, you can send your donations to Equitable-PCI Bank (Alaminos) Account No. 1473-13028-5 under Jennifer R. Perez’ name. After sending your donations, please text Sr. Maritess N. Perez (no relation to Jennifer) who is in-charge of the account so she could acknowledge receipt, her number is 0915-690-7569.

The Perezes are appealing for help. Although the prosecutor handling the case advised against Jennifer’s immediate repatriation as it might adversely affect the outcome of the case, it is very clear that she does need to be repatriated ASAP by having her hospital bills settled. And whether or not Jennifer’s repatriation is done in haste, however, much remains to be done once she is home. Jennifer is permanently quadriplegic and would require a breathing machine for the rest of her life.

Mga kababayan, tulungan po natin si Jennifer. If you wish to speak with Aling Lydia, you can reach her through celfone number 0917-977-4753.

As of this writing (October 30), Jennifer’s case has been tackled in TFC’s Kwentong Disyerto and will soon be the subject of the SOS segment of Magandang Umaga Pilipinas. RRM