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By Jerome Aning Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines—An alliance of Filipino worker groups in the Middle East Monday called on the government to come to the aid of a Filipino woman who had complained that she was raped by her employer’s son but who ended up being jailed for adultery in the United Arab Emirates. Migrante-Middle East said Wilma (not her real name) was languishing in the Ajman Central Jail in Dubai after she was charged with “sleeping with a man.” “It’s really an unfortunate situation for her. This is usually what happens here to victims of sexual abuse because the perpetrator is clever enough to report the incident to the local police [and claim] that the victim had lured him and slept with him, offering herself, Migrante-Mideast regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a statement e-mailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). Monterona, who is based in Saudi Arabia, said Wilma’s plight was brought to Migrante’s attention...

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, acting on a special directive of its board chairman Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, is assisting the family of Nemencia “Cecille” Armia Alcaraz, with scholarship grants and livelihood and financial packages. Alcaraz, mother of two, is in jail in Taiwan. The Taiwan High court had reduced the death sentence of Alcaraz to life imprisonment for the alleged murder of a Taiwanese national in 2007. OWWA Administrator Carmelita S. Dimzon said that the Alcaraz children, Ephraim and Jerome, will be assisted with full scholarship grants. They are currently in their first and second year high school, respectively. A livelihood package under the National Livelihood Support Fund has also been approved for the family. The application was filed in Alcaraz’ behalf by her sister. Financial assistance of P20,000 for the family has also been approved and is being processed, Administrator Dimzon said.

On May 7, 2009, Senior officials from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) brought home an initial batch of 49 overseas Filipino workers from Poland Thursday morning, arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on board Malaysian Airways Flight 803 via Kuala Lumpur. Director Vivian F. Tornea of OWWA's Policies and Program Development Office and Director Alejandro Padaen of POEA's Adjudication Office, who were dispatched by Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque, assisted the workers who left their jobs at a Polish glass factory over wage and other issues. The workers complained that they were promised a monthly wage of US$500 by the staff of their recruitment agency in Manila, but they received only the equivalent of some $346 at the job site in Lodzki. From the airport, the expatriated workers were accommodated and served mid-day meals at OWWA Central Office in Pasay City. OWWA Administrator Carmelita S....

Filipino Expatriate Livelihood Support Fund (FELSF), the easy lending program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for members displaced by the global financial crisis, has lent over P73,063,155 in loans to 1,473 applicants as of May 11, 2009, as the processing of more applications continues. Launched in January this year, the Fund is part of a P100-million credit facility created by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque under the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) of President Macapagal-Arroyo. FELSF loans are available up to P50,000 for duly registered OWWA members whose work contracts abroad were shortened as a consequence of the economic downturn from October 2008 onwards. OWWA is offering this loan without collateral for two years. The interest rate is only 5% per annum, and borrowers start paying back only after a grace period of 90 days. Loan applicants qualify by attending a three-day course on starting a livelihood business. The course...

PH-061-09, 11 May 2009 – Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Harry C. Angping represented the Philippines in the 2nd Asian Sport Ministers Meeting held at Estenghlal Hotel, Tehran from 4 to 7 April. Iranian Vice President and Physical Education Organization Head Mohd Ali Abadi steered the conduct of the event which aimed to expand sports ties across Asia. Commissioner Angping was joined by Philippine Ambassador to Tehran Generoso S. Senga in the Philippine panel. Thirty-two countries participated in the meeting. END

PR-258-09, 11 May 2009 – The Department of Foreign Affairs warns overseas Filipinos of an internet scam known as ‘419 Scam’ which uses the address of the Philippine Embassy in Nigeria to make it appear authentic. The Philippine Embassy in Abuja reported that many Filipinos have been victimized by the said scam in Nigeria. The Nigerian-based syndicates’ modus operandi involves sending e-mails to unsuspecting victims promising employment in Nigeria, bank loans, lottery winnings or double-your-money schemes using Filipino names to victimize OFWs and other job applicants in the Philippines. The syndicate requires the recipient to remit money to a particular bank account in Nigeria, supposedly as payment for application fees, taxes, and other processing fees. In the latest incident involving Filipino nationals, an e-mail from a certain “Dr Ruben S. Cruz”, supposedly working at the Philippine Embassy in Nigeria, circulated asking recipients to remit US$200 to the Federal Inland Revenue Servi...