KAKAMMPI News

Over 50 Filipino seafarers still being held captive by pirates MOGADISHU –– At least 50 Filipino crewmen on board dozens of ships held by Somali pirates are still in captivity almost two years after their vessels had been hijacked on the Indian Ocean, and the actual count could be much higher. Reuters on Monday released details of the vessels still in Somali pirates’ hands since late 2009 after they said at the weekend they had freed the Kuwaiti tanker MV Zirku. Read more at www.ufs.com.ph Joint navy exercise reels off COMBINED navy forces from the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the United States Navy is holding a 10-day annual combined exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and share best practices. The combined exercise, dubbed Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) started Tuesday, June 14, and ends on Friday, June 24, is being held in Malacca Strait, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea. Read more at www.ufs.com.ph Somali pirates free tanker for $12M MOG...

Two distressed overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia are experiencing problems with their repatriation, an Arab news site reported Wednesday. Arab News said the two housemaids — only identified as Leonora and Sofia — were scheduled to leave Riyadh on Tuesday night but had a problem with their plane ticket. The housemaids had earlier escaped from their respective employers in Riyadh. They went to Majma, around 250 km north of Riyadh, where they stayed with five other Filipino housemaids. Leonor and Sofia were later caught by authorities and were detained at a prison for women in Riyadh. John Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said the Philippine government is sorting out the housemaids’ problems so they could eventually be with their families back home. “Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told me that he went to King Khaled International Airport to assist them. He was able to talk to Leonora who told him that there was a problem regarding their tickets," Monterona s...

Labor officials discuss reforms for OFWs in KSA06/15/2011 | 11:09 AM Labor officials from the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) discussed recent reforms in the Saudi labor system that will benefit overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz met with Saudi labor minister Adel Fakeih at the Palais des Nations in Geneva at the sidelines of the 100th International Labor Organization conference. “With the greater cooperation already established between Philippine licensed recruitment agencies with employers in the Kingdom, the Philippines continues to see the (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) as a good OFW destination," Baldoz said. According to a news release posted on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) website Baldoz cited the need to improve the system of protection for low skilled workers, including household service workers, in both the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. She said the “high level of relationship" between the Phili...

A depressed overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who had just arrived from Taiwan on Tuesday tried to commit suicide at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 3. According to airport officials, the man broke his legs and ribs after jumping from the departure area on the second floor of the NAIA, He was rushed to the Pasay City General Hospital but his injuries were believed to be not life-threatening. The victim reportedly arrived from Taiwan at 8:30 pm at NAIA 3 on Tuesday and was supposed to leave for Iloilo at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. “We are trying to get in touch with his family," Manila International Airport Authority spokesperson Connie Bungag said. “We don’t have any idea yet, we are still waiting for the report from the airport police," Bungag said. The incident caused delays in the terminal but

Before returning to the country last Sunday, 95 “runaway" overseas Filipino workers (OFW) completed a first aid training course, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto Asuque presented the certificates of completion to the 95 OFWs sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC). Assistant Labor Attaché Salome Mendoza, Caritas Senior Social Worker Dima Haddad, and First Aid Trainer Lina Raoub assisted Asuque in handing out the certificates. The training course was conducted by Caritas Lebanon Migrants Center (CLMC). “The First Aid Training Course was conducted pursuant to the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Embassy and the CLMC to provide human resource training to Filipinos sheltered in the FWRC while waiting for the completion of their exit papers," the DFA said. Signing the certificates were Asuque, Caritas Board Committee President Kamal Sioufi, and Caritas Director Najla Tabet Chadda, as an indication of the qualit...

Russia recognized the Philippines as one of its “vital and promising" partner in the Asia-Pacific region, as the Philippines marked its 113th Independence Day last weekend. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin disclosed this as he and Ministry of Culture Counselor Leo Dzugaev graced the event as the embassy’s guests of honor. “[Borodavkin] called the Philippines Russia’s ‘vital and promising partner in the Asia-Pacific region, whose role in the global system of international relations and world economy is significantly increasing,’" the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Last weekend’s event also marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia. Philippine Ambassador to Russia Victor Garcia III noted that the partnership was founded on friendship and promotion of shared interests for the benefit of the people of the two countries. Garcia pointed out that even before formal Philippine-Russi...

World leaders at the 100th International Labour Conference (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland aim to address the rising global unemployment and giving social protection to domestic workers — most of whom are female and come from developing countries like the Philippines. Aside from finding ways to protect the basic rights to millions of domestic workers, world leaders at the 100th ILO session are meeting from June 1-17 to highlight challenges in the world of work such as record high unemployment, the global youth employment crisis, the extension of social protection coverage, and fair treatment at the workplace. ILO director-general Juan Somavia opened the conference by declaring that, “Our world of work is in turmoil." The conference will also tackle the proposed international labor standard on domestic work that will impact millions of Filipino domestic workers in many Arab countries and Asian capitals such as Hong Kong and Singapore. World leaders will also tackle the lingering upris...