KAKAMMPI News

MANILA, Philippines — An Italian national was sentenced to six months in jail for forcing a Filipino woman to have sex with him in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in July 2008, a news report said Tuesday. Online news site Khaleej Times (www.khaleejtimes.com) said the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance has ordered the 43-year-old Italian deported upon completing his jail term. However, the court acquitted the Italian of the charge of illegally confining the woman in an apartment. The court also cleared a 54-year old Iraqi businessman of the charge of forcing the Filipina to have sex with the Italian defendant by holding her up in the apartment. Initially, the Italian was charged with raping the woman repeatedly for three consecutive days. But the court reframed the charge to sex out of wedlock, while the Iraqi was accused of helping the Italian commit the crime by threatening the Filipina with death. In her testimony, the 37-year old Filipina said Iraqi took her to an apartment in th...

MANILA, Philippines - The Saudi government has tightened up its enforcement of rules for the prevention of A(H1N1) flu in time for the holy month of Ramadan. A report from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah said the Saudi government expects nearly three million pilgrims to visit the Holy Land during Ramadan. "Post reported that the Saudi government has strictly enforced World Health Organization rules on prevention of A(H1N1) in anticipation of possible outbreak of A(H1N1) in Saudi’s holy sites during the month of Ramadan with the expected arrival of close to three million pilgrims from around the world," it said on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. A comprehensive information campaign about the virus was launched, it added. For this year, Ramadan is expected to start in the second half of August and will continue for 30 days. Earlier, a Filipino nurse confirmed with A(H1N1) in Saudi Arabia. [See: Pinay nurse is first case of A(H1N1) in KSA] The infected Fili...

FALLING DOWN. Activists protest the alleged government inaction to massive retrenchments of Filipino workers due to the economic crisis. APMANILA, Philippines - An estimated P100 million will be made available to migrant Filipino workers who lost their jobs on account of the global crisis, the Philippine agency tasked to look after their welfare said. Under the Livelihood and Credit Program for Displaced Workers, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) may borrow up to P50,000 with an interest of five percent a year, payable in two years, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said. The loan is collateral-free. Recently approved by the OWWA board, the program will help OFWs fund their livelihood projects and transform them into entrepreneurs, the agency said. The said facility is just one among the many credit windows launched by the labor department and other state agencies to assist laid off OFWs. As of March 31 this year, 60,000 OFWs have already lost their jobs. In the meantim...

KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMANews.TV MANILA, Philippines - A local manufacturers' group on Saturday said that the patronage of Filipino products could in the long run stop the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW). “Kasi ang paniwala namin, kapag bibili ka ng produktong lokal, eh tinutulungan mo ang manggagawang Pilipino at mamumuhunang Pilipino at maiiwasan mo rin ang smuggling [Our belief is that if you buy local products, you help Filipino workers and investors, you also avoid smuggling]," said Jesus Arranza, president of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), in an interview aired over Vice President Noli De Castro’s weekly radio program. This, he said, may be achieved through the “Buy Pinoy, Buy Local" campaign, which is the joint advocacy of the FPI and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. Arranza said “Buy Filipino, Buy Local" means the patronage of any Filipino-made product, whether it is a foreign brand, made fr...

MANILA, Philippines - Quirino Sison, the 50-year-old heavy equipment mechanic who was suffering from a work-related head injury in Saudi Arabia, finally had the piece of metal embedded on his head removed. Sison was accidentally hit by a broken bearing from a colleague’s working area in Al Qassim, central Saudi Arabia. With the help of Filipinos in the oil-rich kingdom who were touched by his plight [See: Donations pour in for injured OFW], he was repatriated to the Philippines on May 8. Upon his return, the worker was brought to the Manila Adventist Medical Center. Dr. Francisco La’O, the surgeon who examined Sison said the continued presence of the metal near the patient’s temple area could spread infection and pose a risk to his life. Fortunately for Sison, Senator Manuel Villar, who has declared as his mission to rescue overseas Filipinos in trouble, agreed to sponsor the operation, which was set on May 18. Villar on Saturday said the medical procedure was successful and the patien...

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino nurse confirmed with A(H1N1) in Saudi Arabia has recovered but she and her family will remain under observation for some more time. Online news site Arab News (www.arabnews.com) reported Saturday the nurse and her family will be released once clinical reports are completed. “The others, including her own family members who were kept under observation, have not shown any signs of the virus so far," said Abdullah Al-Hokail, chief of the Department of Infectious Diseases at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. The infected Filipino nurse is working at Riyadh’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. Also, the Saudi Ministry of Health requested passengers who flew with the Filipino nurse infected with A(H1N1) to contact its hotlines to ensure they are not carrying the virus. It appealed to passengers who have not responded to its telephone calls to contact its Primary Health Care Center by telephone on 01 4875511-...

MANILA, Philippines - The search is on for the ten outstanding children of Filipinos abroad for 2009. On its third year, “The Search for Ten Outstanding Expat Pinoy Children" was introduced by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Overseas Banking Group in 2007 as part of its efforts to give recognition to Filipinos overseas. “Hand in hand with providing financial and banking needs, we also aim to inspire the overseas Filipino by lauding the source of their motivation and hard work: their children," said Teresita B. Tan, head of the BPI Overseas Banking and Channels Services Group, in a statement. With this campaign, she said BPI wants to raise public awareness regarding the great contribution of the Filipino expatriates not only to the Philippine economy, but to “nation building" as well. The competition is open to all children of Filipinos working abroad aged 15 to 21 years old. To qualify, nominees must be presently enrolled, have parents or relatives who are BPI d...