Medical expenses of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have fallen ill are killing them faster than their real ailment.

This prompted a group of Filipinos based in Abu Dhabi to launch a signature campaign to press for the establishment of the long-dreamed of OFW Hospital in Manila. "Many physically ill OFWs would rather get their medication overseas than go home because the medical expenses there would make them want to die sooner," said Emily Inocalla, founding member of Global OFW Foundation.

The foundation is main vehicle for the signature drive.

Several Filipino community leaders are expected to attend the signature drive launch to be held on November 28 at Suite 205, Al Gaith Tower on Hamdan Street in the UAE capital.

"It's time for the global Filipino community to work together to get something we deserve," said Romy Gulapa, one of the prime movers of the foundation. Their clamour is for a medical facility similar to the Philippine Veterans Hospital in Quezon City as the number of OFWs is expected to double to 14 million in 10 years.

Dado Caluya, a Pangasinense in Abu Dhabi, said: "This is more of an appeal to the government to establish an honest-to-goodness medical facilities for us."

Several administrations, including the Arroyo government, have promised to establish an OFW hospital while several bills were filed in Philippine Congress calling for its creation.

In August, Rep. Augusto Boboy Syjuco filed a bill to establish an OFW Medical Centre in addition to the creation of Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, merging the functions of the Philippine Overseas Employment Admini-stration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). OWWA currently sits on nearly P3 billion pool collected from OFWs.

"I've paid my Medicare dues during the last 15 years, but neither me nor my family members really benefited from it. Thank God we didn't need to. But one day, who knows, I - or my family - will," said Inocalla.

"Since economic migration has become institutionalised in the Philippines, it's better they institutionalise the healthcare for OFWs as well." The foundation and its allied groups in other countries seek to gather as many signatures they can.

"We will begin to approach concerned officials with these signatures. This might be a long campaign. But if President Arroyo is willing to talk to terrorists or rebels, then surely she can talk to us. We will present the signatures to her through her son Mikey, who is the vice governor of Pampanga," said Gulapa, who has worked in Abu Dhabi since 1979.

The East Avenue Medical Centre has allocated a separate wing purportedly for OFWs. But that project did not push through because the hospital director had died during the negotiations.

"If we'll be a labour-exporting country for a long time, our children will most likely be the OFWs of the future, not by choice but by necessity. An OFW hospital is the best way for the government to turn words into something concrete," said Inocalla.

The group already has coordinators in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Hong Kong and Singapore.