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Agence France-Presse Posted at  Nov 29 2019 01:01 PM Share Save Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Former Japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone speaks during an interview at his office in Tokyo, Japan November 22, 2005.  Toshiyuki Aizawa, Reuters/File Photo TOKYO- Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, an ardent conservative who worked to forge a stronger military alliance with the United States, has died at the age of 101, local media said Friday. In office for 5 years from November 1982 to November 1987, Nakasone was known for trying to integrate the nation defeated in World War II as a full-fledged member of the West during the Cold War era. He poured his efforts into strengthening security ties with the US at a time of intensifying trade friction with the world's biggest economy, building a first-name friendship with America's then-president Ronald Reagan. In his inaugural speech in 1982, Nakasone said Japan's basic foreign poli

Published  November 26, 2019 4:01pm Lodging concerns and inquiries to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has been made easier for overseas Filipino workers through a mobile application. Easy access to hotline numbers and contact details of the labor department and the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in various countries is provided through the app. “This application is intended to provide a major channel for our workers and OFWs to get in touch with DOLE and the POLO. Through the use of modern technology, they can relay their labor related concerns and complaints,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said. With just a few clicks, complaints or violations of employers may be submitted by the users to the authorities through a form that is readily available in the app. When users open the GPS location on their mobile devices, the app can also help them locate the nearest POLO in their area. Another feature of the app is the 'Wag

Published  November 28, 2019 6:43pm President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to step up the campaign against illegal recruitment. Duterte gave the directive as recalled anew the abuses committed against overseas Filipino workers in a speech at the awarding ceremony of child-friendly municipalities in Malacañang. “I am sending him a message now that you have to do more,” the President said, addressing Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, who was in the audience. “I hope you can come up with a structure, a bigger one to go after itong recruitment. And so goes for the Department of Labor and everybody. My orders are really to get them.” Duterte is pushing for the creation of a department of OFWs that will put Philippine-based recruitment agencies under strict government regulation. He also said the creation of such department will ensure the OFWs’ welfar

Published  November 23, 2019 11:43am A batch of 49 Undocumented OFWs on Friday night flew back to the Philippines assisted by of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa said the OFW repatriates were expected to touch down Saturday morning at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on a Philippine Airlines flight. Mustafa said all of them were household service workers who had problems with their employers, and had been accommodated at the POLO's Bahay Kalinga (half-way house). Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa assists Manila-bound 49 OFWs inside Riyadh Airport as they prepare to depart for the Philippines. RONALDO CONCHA According to Mustafa, the batch were part of distressed OFW group that benefited  from the fruits of the visit to Riyadh last August of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac. "Tuloy tuloy po ang pagpapauwi natin sa

Published  November 23, 2019 8:45am The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a private company to establish a passport renewal center at Wafi Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This will allow Filipinos in UAE and Saudi Arabia to have an alternative venue where they can renew their passports aside from the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai. The DFA signed the MOU with VFS Global at the same time the first passport renewal center was inaugurated in Dubai Health Care City. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and VFS Global head of business development Chris Dix witnessed the MOU signing. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. (standing, left) and VFS Global Regional Group COO Vinay Malhotra (standing, right) look on as Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Brigido J. Dulay (seated, left) and Head of Business Development for VFS Global Chris Dix, sign the Memorandum o

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has released a new contribution schedule for its Direct Contributors in accordance to the Universal Health Care Law of 2019 and its implementing rules and regulations.  Direct contributors refer to those who are gainfully employed and bound by an employer-employee relationship. In addition, Kasambahays, self-earning individuals, practicing professionals and Overseas Filipino Workers belong to this membership category as well. In its PhilHealth Circular No. 2019-0009 published on November 23, 2019, premium rate for Direct Contributors shall still be at 2.75% of their monthly basic salary with an adjusted ceiling of P50,000. In 2020, PhilHealth will increase the rate to 3% and henceforth adjusted to increments of 0.5% every year until it reaches the 5% limit in 2025 as provided for by law. Income floor is fixed at P10,000 during the 5-year period, while salary ceiling will gradually increase by P10,000 each year until

Published  November 13, 2019 2:51pm At least five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) including three women who were allegedly sexually molested have filed complaints against their employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah on Monday sent a team to Al Ula in Madinah province to assist the five female OFWs in distress. According to the DFA, three of the five OFWs claimed they have been sexually assaulted by their employer and were being passed to different employers to do odd jobs for a fee. The victims were assisted by a lawyer and a translator in filing their complaint against the employer at the Al Ula Public Prosecutor’s Office. Following the resolution of a preliminary investigation, the accused employer was immediately detained. The victims will also be assisted in their criminal and labor complaints, and will be brought to the Consulate for temporary shelter, the DFA said.  — Joviland

Published  November 13, 2019 9:01am By RONALDO CONCHA MANILA —Over a hundred former overseas Filipino workers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia staged a protest rally on Tuesday to press Malacañang to act on their unpaid end-of-service benefits from a Saudi company that shut down three years ago. Brandishing placards, they appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte as they massed up on the historic Mendiola Bridge (now Chino Roces Bridge) to intervene for the facilitation of the release of their unpaid benefits. OFW rally at Mendiola. --R. CONCHA Thousands of Filipino workers in the Saudi Oger Construction company lost their jobs when the firm shut down when the financial crisis struck KSA's  economy in 2016. Most of the retrenched foreign workers until now have not yet received their back pays, end-of-contract benefits, and other perks. At the rally, they reminded Labor Secretary Sivestre Bello III of his promise when he visited KSA a few months back

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia:  We want to ensure every pregnancy and birth are wanted, and that every Filipino is able to contribute productively to national development Philippine government officials and civil society leaders led by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia expressed strong support for the Statement of the Nairobi Summit, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25), in accordance to Philippine laws. Secretary Pernia, who is also the Chair of the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM), vowed to fulfill the promise on the ICPD that had been expressed in 1994 in Cairo, Egypt through the Philippine commitment in the Sustainable Development Agenda of 2030.  “The ICPD principles have been our legal framework—our north star—in the pursuit of our population and family planning program objectives. This has been supported by the Responsible Parenthood a

Summit on Nov. 14 to address OFW welfare issues, OFW Dept bill A coalition of placement and recruitment agency organizations has asked Congress to create a government body similar to the National Labor Relations Commission that would be devoted to labor cases of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) abroad. The Alliance of Bonafide Recruiters for OFWs' Advancement and Development (ABROAD) said the NLRC-type commission can be integrated into the proposed Department of Overseas Filipino Workers bill. ABROAD Co-convenor and Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI) President Raquel Bracero said the Overseas Labor Relations Commission (OLRC) would be a quasi-judicial tripartite body that would hear cases of employment contract violations overseas. “The creation of the OLRC is meant to stop the vicious cycle of abuses against OFWs, especially vulnerable home service workers, or HSWs,” said Bracero, during the premiere night of a new film, 'Damaso' w

Published  November 11, 2019 12:31pm Two Filipina workers were rescued by authorities in Dubai after they were victimized by human traffickers facilitating illegal deployment to Iraq, according to the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad. In a report by Mao Dela Cruz in Dobol B sa News TV on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against Dubai-based recruitment networks offering household service job openings in the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. The DFA also reminded the public that deployment ban in Iraq remains in effect. It advised the OFWs to consult the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration before accepting job offers from recruiters abroad.  —Dona Magsino/KBK, GMA News

Published  November 13, 2019 2:51pm At least five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) including three women who were allegedly sexually molested have filed complaints against their employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah on Monday sent a team to Al Ula in Madinah province to assist the five female OFWs in distress. According to the DFA, three of the five OFWs claimed they have been sexually assaulted by their employer and were being passed to different employers to do odd jobs for a fee. The victims were assisted by a lawyer and a translator in filing their complaint against the employer at the Al Ula Public Prosecutor’s Office. Following the resolution of a preliminary investigation, the accused employer was immediately detained. The victims will also be assisted in their criminal and labor complaints, and will be brought to the Consulate for temporary shelter, the DFA said.  — Joviland

Published  November 13, 2019 9:01am By RONALDO CONCHA MANILA —Over a hundred former overseas Filipino workers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia staged a protest rally on Tuesday to press Malacañang to act on their unpaid end-of-service benefits from a Saudi company that shut down three years ago. Brandishing placards, they appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte as they massed up on the historic Mendiola Bridge (now Chino Roces Bridge) to intervene for the facilitation of the release of their unpaid benefits. OFW rally at Mendiola. --R. CONCHA Thousands of Filipino workers in the Saudi Oger Construction company lost their jobs when the firm shut down when the financial crisis struck KSA's  economy in 2016. Most of the retrenched foreign workers until now have not yet received their back pays, end-of-contract benefits, and other perks. At the rally, they reminded Labor Secretary Sivestre Bello III of his promise when he visited KSA a few months back

Published  November 12, 2019 7:58pm By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA News Malacañang on Tuesday said Labor Secretary SIlvestre Bello III was handling the kidnapping cases of Filipino seafarers in Africa. “We are concerned about the kidnapping and Secretary Bello is handling it,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference. Two more Filipino sailors were abducted  by pirates in West Africa, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.  The Filipinos were kidnapped in Togo a week after nine seafarers from the Philippines were kidnapped in the neighboring African state of Benin. This latest incident brings to 11 the total number of Filipinos being held hostage in West Africa. The DFA was “actively tracking” developments in the abductions, with the embassy in Nigeria continuing its coordination with relevant authorities to ensure the safety and security of the Filipino seafarers. Piracy and ransom kidnappings of Filipino sailors by

Published  November 11, 2019 8:06pm By  MICHAELA DEL CALLAR Two more Filipino sailors were abducted by pirates in West Africa, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The DFA said the Filipinos were seized in Togo a week after nine seafarers from the Philippines were kidnapped in neighboring African state of Benin. This latest incident brings to 11 the total number of Filipinos being held in West Africa. "The Philippine government is actively tracking the development of the case with the embassy in Abuja continuing its coordination with relevant authorities to ensure the safety and security of the Filipino seafarers," the DFA said in a statement. Philippine officials are also in close contact with the seamen's manning agency and their immediate family for updates on the case. Piracy and ransom kidnappings of Filipino sailors by pirates in the dangerous African waters have long been a problem for the Philippine government as they

Published  November 11, 2019 12:31pm Two Filipina workers were rescued by authorities in Dubai after they were victimized by human traffickers facilitating illegal deployment to Iraq, according to the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad. In a report by Mao Dela Cruz in Dobol B sa News TV on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against Dubai-based recruitment networks offering household service job openings in the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. The DFA also reminded the public that deployment ban in Iraq remains in effect. It advised the OFWs to consult the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration before accepting job offers from recruiters abroad.  —Dona Magsino/KBK, GMA News

Published  November 9, 2019 10:59am By LUCKY MAE F. QUILAO In attempts to ditch their cigarette smoking habits, some Filipinos abroad turn to vaping despite medical research findings showing that the convenient, "clean"  alternative to cigarettes has harmful effects on users. “Hindi ako makatakbo ng maayos noon nung nagyoyosi pa ako. Now, I started vaping, nakakatapos na ako ng isang laro ng basketball kasama mga friends ko. Hindi lang isang laro, dalawang laro pa,” said Randolf Francisco, 28, a service crew in Salmiya, Kuwait. In an interview through Messenger in October 28, he also told GMA News Online that he has not fallen ill —except for common diseases —since he turned to vaping. “I only had usual illnesses like fever, cough, and cold. Yun lang gawa din kasi ng klima dito. Aside from those illnesses, wala ng mas malala pa,” the member of the “ Filipino Vaping Community-Kuwait ” added. Ransel Ladera, 36, an in-room dining staff at a casino

Published  November 9, 2019 10:58am The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said no Filipinos were hurt so far in the earthquake that hit Iran on Friday morning. "So far, there is no report of Filipinos among those affected by the deadly earthquake," the DFA said in a statement. The DFA said it has contacted the Filipino community in Tabriz City to check on the 32 Filipinos living in the area. At least six people died  and more than 300 were injured after the magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.8 quake (magnitude 5.9 according to the DFA) struck at 2:17 a.m. (2247 GMT) 83 km (52 miles) southwest of Ardabil in East Azerbaijan province. More than 60 aftershocks were recorded, causing panic among residents who rushed out of their homes. The DFA said it continues to monitor the aftermath of the earthquake together with the Philippine Embassy in Tehran. "The DFA stands ready to provide assist

Published  November 8, 2019 11:06pm By  MICHAELA DEL CALLAR WASHINGTON - The United States is seeking cooperation with the Philippines to abolish exorbitant placement fees for Filipino workers applying for jobs overseas as many applicants end up in debt bondage and leave them at the mercy of human traffickers. John Cotton Richmond, US State Department’s ambassador at large to monitor trafficking in persons, said his office was looking into a prevention strategy that would restructure the recruitment system. Under the plan, an “employer pays” model could be adopted instead of passing all the fees to job-seekers. “The reason that it’s important because for far too long, for decades, we’ve seen so many people going through tremendous amount of debt in order to find a job,” Richmond told Filipino journalists at a briefing. “That debt can be manipulated by someone who is a trafficker and a forced laborer,” he said. Although the debt itself is not illegal, Richm