KAKAMMPI News

There are allegations that Filipina worker Emerita Gannaban, who reportedly died of poisoning, had been maltreated Rappler.com Published 8:30 PM, November 04, 2018 Updated 8:30 PM, November 04, 2018 MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the death of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is under investigation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a statement on Sunday, November 4, the DFA said 44-year-old domestic worker Emerita Gannaban reportedly died of poisoning at the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Riyadh on October 29. According to the DFA, there are allegations that the OFW had been maltreated, and the department "would take a closer look into her death." Gannaban, who hailed from the province of Kalinga, was deployed to Saudi Arabia only last June. The DFA, citing Chargé d'Affaires Christopher Patrick Aro, said the Philippine embassy in Riyadh is waiting for the results of an autopsy condu

Jennifer Dalquez says she plans to start a small business in General Santos City Rappler.com Published 2:04 PM, November 09, 2018 Updated 2:04 PM, November 09, 2018 LIVELIHOOD ASSISTANCE. Jennifer Dalquez, who stayed in a jail in the UAE for 4 years, receives the finance aid from Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, upon instructions from President Rodrigo Duterte, on November 7, 2018. Photo courtesy of the DFA MANILA, Philippines – Jennifer Dalquez, the Filipina who recently came home after being acquitted of murder charges in the United Arab Emirates, received financial aid of P100,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) this week. Dalquez said she plans to start a small business in General Santos City. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Strategic Communications and Research Ernesto Abella handed the assistance to Dalquez on Wednesday, November7. This was a day after President Rodrigo Duterte invited her and her famil

There are 6 other Filipino crew members still in India who will be repatriated 'as soon as their exit clearances are issued' Rappler.com Published 12:50 PM, November 18, 2018 Updated 12:50 PM, November 18, 2018 MANILA, Philippines – Most of the Filipino seafarers  stranded in India since June  are now back home in the Philippines. In a statement on Sunday, November 18, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said 15 of the 21 stranded seafarers returned to the country on Saturday, November 17. They had been stranded  at Kakinada Port, more than 1,800 kilometers from New Delhi. They were crew members of  MV Evangelia M , a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier abandoned by its Greek owners. Philippine Ambassador to India Maria Teresita Daza said the 6 other Filipino crew members still in India  will be repatriated  "as soon as their exit clearances are issued." Daza also said the Philippine embassy in New Delhi and the Consulat

Anuj Chopra, Agence France-Presse Posted at  Nov 20 2018 09:47 AM Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a session of the Shura Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Monday.  Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via Reuters RIYADH - Saudi King Salman stood by the crown prince and heaped praise on the judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst crises. The public prosecutor last week exonerated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son, of involvement in the murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded he had ordered the assassination. The prosecutor called for the death penalty against 5 men, announced indictments against 11 people, and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody in connection with the killing. "The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of

Tom Westbrook and Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters Posted at  Nov 19 2018 04:42 PM APEC leaders pose for a family picture at the APEC Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Saturday.  David Gray, Reuters PORT MORESBY - The C in APEC stands for Cooperation. But when the two biggest members are fighting a trade war and using the forum to attack each other's policies, it was always going to be hard work delivering on that. The weekend's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby was one of open disagreement, led by disputes between the United States and China over trade, security, and who would be the better investment partner for the region. As APEC approaches its 30th anniversary, the failure to agree on a communique for the first time calls into question its relevance in a crowded summit calendar and as the Trump Administration makes clear its aversion to multilateralism. "It does mark the death of APEC's founding trade vision," Eu

ABS-CBN News Posted at  Nov 18 2018 03:54 PM MANILA -- Some of the Filipino seafarers who were abandoned by their ship's owner in India last June have returned to the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Sunday. The DFA said 15 of the 21 Pinoy crew of MV Evangelia M were repatriated on Saturday, while the remaining seafarers will be brought home as soon as their papers are cleared. The agency also said they have coordinated with Evic Human Resource Management for the "payment of their remaining salaries and the provision of legal assistance to the seafarers." "Ambassador (Teresita) Daza said the Embassy and the Consulate General in Chennai also visited the seafarers in Kakinada to look into their situation and provided them with cash assistance," the DFA added.

Andrew BEatty, Agence France-Presse Posted at  Nov 19 2018 08:30 AM Pacific island leaders talk to APEC leaders at the APEC Summit, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Saturday. David Gray, Reuters PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - With Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin absent and leaders unable even to agree a joint statement, some critics are questioning whether the annual APEC summit is still worth the effort. "Expectations are low and probably won't be fulfilled anyway." That was the brutal if prescient pre-summit prediction of William Reinsch, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The 2-day gathering in Papua New Guinea was almost five years in the making, cost untold millions of US dollars and required the deployment of at least one battleship and three cruise liners. And after all that, leaders came away with little more than 3 family photos and a loud shirt unlikely to be worn again. The grouping was born three decade

Published  November 18, 2018 2:44pm  A batch of 56 troubled OFWs, which is a part of over a thousand workers promised to be brought home from Saudi Arabia before Christmas, arrived Sunday morning at the NAIA. Super Radyo dzBB reported Sunday morning that the batch arrived at 9:45 a.m. on PAL flight PR 683. Officials from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) welcomed that repatriates and assisted them through processes needed before they could finally be reunited with their families, the report said. Also, OWWA officials said the new arrivals were given financial assistance they expected from the government. Last month, the Labor department said that a total of 1,470 OFWs affected by the lock-out at the Azmeel Contracting Corporation have not been paid their salaries for five months. The Philippine government promised them they would soon be back home. Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was quoted as saying they will be flown bac

ABS-CBN News Posted at  Nov 14 2018 05:10 PM TOKYO - The Japanese government said Wednesday it expects nursing care businesses to accept the largest number of foreign workers among the 14 sectors to be affected under an envisioned immigration control law revision. In an estimate provided to the parliament, which has just started deliberations on a bill to revise the law, the government also affirmed it expects that up to 47,550 foreign workers will enter the country in the first year and 345,150 workers over five years. In a major policy shift for Japan, the bill would create new visa statuses to accept blue-collar foreign workers in sectors deemed seriously short of labor, ranging from construction and farming to nursing care. The program, which will possibly start next April, may also pave the way for them to live permanently in Japan. By sector, the government said nursing care is expected to accept the largest number of up to 60,000 workers in the five-year peri

Delegates attend the Seafarers Rights International Conference Manila 2018. Photo: SRI Manila More than ten Asian seafaring nations on Tuesday convened to create the Manila Statement on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers, in a bid to ensure that maritime workers' rights are recognized. The regional conference for stakeholders was organized by international research body Seafarers Rights International (SRI) and the Department of Labor (DOLE). "Asia is the largest supplier of seafarers to the international fleet and seafarers are recognised as essential to the conduct of international trade and as a special category of worker," the SRI said. "Given the global nature of the shipping industry and the different jurisdictions that seafarers may be brought into contact with, they need special protection, especially in relation to contacts with public authorities in the event of a maritime accident," it added. Among the delegates were government officials a

Published  November 14, 2018 8:38am  By  MICHAELA DEL CALLAR The Philippine government on Wednesday asked Filipinos in Israel to take the necessary precautions following the escalation of hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza. There are at least 29,400 Filipinos, mostly working as caregivers, in Israel. With the resumption conflict between the two sides, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv asked the Filipino community in Israel to avoid crowded places, which may be possible targets of attacks, and to heed the safety advisories issued by local and national Israeli authorities. "Filipinos were advised to avoid public places, particularly in Netivot, Sha’ar Hanegev, Ashkelon, Eshkol, Ashdod, Sderot, Beersheba, and other areas near Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights," a security notice issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs said. More than 400 projectiles were fired into Israel from Gaza, prompting Israel

Published  November 13, 2018 12:05am  By AYAKA MCGILL, AFP HONG KONG, China - Every Sunday in Hong Kong the city's army of domestic helpers packs into parks or onto pavements, bridges and walkways on their one mandatory day off. With a marginalized position in society and low income, the force of more than 300,000 maids, mainly women from Indonesia and the Philippines, can find it hard to access public facilities like libraries and leisure centers. Some NGOs say as well as difficulties meeting the cost, helpers also face discrimination -- especially if they are in groups -- and can have difficulties providing information for membership such as proof of address if their employers do not supply it. But Marilyn Maliglig has found an alternative way to spend her day off -- confronting her water phobia at a free swimming class for domestic helpers in Hong Kong. "I cannot float, that's the problem," the 41-year-old told AFP before her first cl

Published  November 12, 2018 5:31pm  The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday called on the Filipino Community in California who are in the path of at least three raging wildfires to heed the evacuation order of local authorities. In a report to the Home Office in Manila, Consul General Henry Bensurto said the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco has not received any reports of Filipino casualties from the blaze that required the evacuation of more than 300,000 residents. Bensurto advised the estimated 1.3 million members of the Filipino Community in California to continuously monitor the situation and contact the consulates in San Francisco and Los Angeles in case of emergency. The DFA issued the security advisory as it expressed its condolences to the families of the 31 people killed by the wildfires that are said to be the most destructive in California’s history. The Camp fire, which has been ravaging both ends of California since Thursda

Published  November 12, 2018 4:09pm  A total of 200 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived on Monday after availing the amnesty program of the UAE government. According to a report on GMA News TV's News To Go, financial aid worth P5,000 will be given to each returning OFW. The report said more than 3,000 OFWs have returned to the country due to the amnesty program while 4,500 Filipinos were allowed to legally work in UAE. The DFA earlier said undocumented OFWs may avail of the government's amnesty program until December 1.  — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News

Published  November 11, 2018 4:40pm  New York cops have arrested a 20-year-old Filipino-American man for scaling a building in Manhattan. In a report on "Balitanghali" Sunday, the Fil-Am was identified as Justin Casquejo, who scaled the peak of a construction crane of a condominium building in West Side Manhattan. Before the said incident, Casquejo had been arrested for climbing another building in New York City. In 2017, he was also arrested for scaling the Paramount Tower in East 39th Street. Casquejo has been charged with reckless endangerment and criminal trespass. Police have warned him that he can be imprisoned if he will, again, will climb a building. In 2014, Casquejo went viral after climbing the World Trade Center.  —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News

Published  November 11, 2018 4:07pm  By RONALDO CONCHA JEDDAH —Overseas welfare officials are in high hopes Filipino workers affected by closure of the Saudi Oger firm would soon get their unpaid wages and service benefits soon, an official said last Friday. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration head Hans Cacdac told GMA News that the agency is waiting for the release of the Filipino workers' claims so that the OWWA can immediately disburse the money. “Ang Pinaka isyu lamang sa Saudi Oger ay yung takdang araw ng pag re-release ng claims. Nandudoon pa rin ang commitment ng Saudi Government na maging tapat sa pangako at mismo ang Saudi King ang nagsabing tututukan nito ang kumpanya,” Cacdac said. Cadac is in the Kingdom to personally supervise efforts at helping Filipinos affected mass layoffs due to the closure of a number of companies in Saudi Arabia, including Saudi Oger, Azmeel Contracting, among others. He even accompanied to the Dammam Airport OFWs laid off by

Published  November 11, 2018 11:25am  A  new batch of 54 distressed overseas Filipino workers has arrived in the country from Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning.  Super Radyo dzBB's Manny Vargas reported that the new batch of repatriates was composed mostly of construction workers. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Brigido Dulay welcomed the OFWs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  Terminal 1 at past 9 a.m. at the airport. Quoting Secretary Bello, the report said each one of the OFWs received P10,000 in cash assistance, and the government will give another P10,000 for each of their family. In addition to the initial cash assistance, the OWWA would extend scholarship grant to children of the OFWs and a livelihood package of P20,000.   Hundreds of distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia have continue to arrive in the county in batches through government assistance.  —LBG, GMA News

Published  November 10, 2018 10:10pm  The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised Filipinos in California, USA to keep out of harm's away amid a wildfire that has already killed five people and razed around 70,000 acres of land. The rapidly moving wildfire in Northern California killed five people after flames engulfed their vehicles as they attempted to flee the mountain town of Paradise, authorities said on Friday in the US, as they expressed fears more bodies would be discovered. Nearly 500 miles (800 km) to the south, a blaze forced the evacuation of the upscale oceanside city of Malibu and threatened the beleaguered town of Thousand Oaks, where a gunman killed 12 people this week in a shooting rampage in a bar and dance hall. Since it broke out on Thursday, the so-called Camp Fire has more than tripled in size to 70,000 acres (2,838 hectares) after leveling parts of Paradise, with a population of 26,000 people, and was only 5 percent contained by Friday. In a