KAKAMMPI News

The Philippine government is considering Damascus and Aleppo in Syria as relatively secure areas where Filipinos seeking repatriation can be picked up and brought to Manila. In a radio interview on Wednesday, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said there are places in Syria that are relatively secure from violence, at least for now. "Ang mga protest and violence, karahasan, ito hindi naman sa... buong Syria, may pockets lang. So may safe places like for example Damascus at Aleppo, there have been (reports) that these are still very secure places for our OFWs. "So sa mga ganoong lugar pwede magtipon-tipon at later on kung maari sila dalhin sa place where they can be repatriated," Hernandez said over radio dzRH. (Protests and violence are not everywhere, at least for now. There are still safe places for our OFWs, including Damascus and Aleppo. Those who wish to avail of voluntary repatriation may want to gather there for now.) In the sa...

The Philippines imposed a deployment ban to Syria as hostilities there continue to escalate, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said Tuesday. POEA administrator Carlos Cao said they will temporarily stop the deployment of overseas Filipino workers there until the situation there improves. “Kapag ang level three is confirmed all over the country, banned ang deployment — both ng balik-manggagawa at new hires," he said in an interview with reporters. Violence in Syria continues as anti-government protesters are demanding for the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, to step down. — JE, GMA News

A Filipino dentist practicing on Harley Street in London’s high-end medical district is being haled to court for allegedly duping her fellow Filipinos to land a job in the United Kingdom. Dr. Ressie Reyes Macaraeg, who runs Ocean Implants & Cosmetic Dentistry and Ocean Care Recruitment, is at the center of a brewing scandal after at least three Filipinos complained of her alleged dishonest operations. Every applicant paid £4,000 (P277,171) to Macaraeg to process their papers, but they never got the certificates of sponsorship (COS) they were promised, according to Balita Pinoy. A COS is needed for work permit applications, which, in turn, are needed to apply for a visa to either enter or remain in the UK. Balita Pinoy said many of her supposed clients are facing the prospect of being illegal immigrants as their original visas are about to lapse. Macaraeg disputes fault While Macaraeg admitted she owed the money claimed, she disputed being at fault. She said she is...

Almost a year after the Manila hostage tragedy, two survivors and a relative of a fatality are seeking compensation from the Philippine government. Survivors Chan Kwok-chu and Yik Siu-ling applied for legal aid to pursue their claim, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reported on Thursday. The two survivors, together with Tse Che-kin — brother of slain tour guide Masa Tse — are planning to go to the Philippines later this month to meet with some government officials, the RTHK report said. A separate report on Hong Kong’s "The Standard" on Friday said the three are planning to go to Manila August 21, two days before the first anniversary of the tragedy on August 23. On Wednesday, the group sent a letter to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen seeking the help of the Hong Kong government to settle the incident through diplomatic channels, the report said. However, a spokesman said the Chief Executive's Office is not in a position to intervene because it is a ...

Amid persistent reports of "premature" terminations in Saudi Arabia, Philippine officials there advised overseas Filipino workers in the Kingdom to report terminations "without valid cause" to the Philippine Embassy. The Embassy particularly urged OFWs who receive questionable termination notices to get in touch with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) nearest their place of work (Riyadh, Jeddah and al-Khobar). "Amid persistent reports on the termination of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia, Filipino workers who receive termination notices from their employers or who have been terminated without valid cause are advised to get in touch with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) nearest their place of work (Riyadh, Jeddah and al-Khobar). POLO officers will provide the necessary assistance to the complainants," the Embassy said in an advisory posted on its website. The embassy also urged the Filipino community to regularly visit the Philippine Em...

JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO, OFW Journalism Consortium An OFW Journalism Consortium news flash exclusive MANILA—THE Philippine embassy in Baghdad said Filipino workers are not affected by the plan of the Iraqi government to deport illegal foreign workers. This is even if 2009 stock estimates on overseas Filipinos by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas show that there an estimated 2,800 irregular Filipino workers in Iraq. Filipino volunteers in Baghdad told the embassy that the ruling to deport illegal foreign workers does not include Filipino workers in American military facilities there. Attache Donnie Fetalino told the OFW Journalism Consortium that the overseas Filipino workers in Iraq are “in their duty stations carry badges with them which is respected by Iraqi authorities". “This is the reason why OFWs were not included in the news," Fetalino said. News about the deportation of illegal foreign workers in Iraq was reported in the Himalayan Times newspaper of Nepal, which sai...

Filipino migrant workers in Saudi Arabia who get terminated from their jobs without a valid cause should get in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. In a statement amid “persistent" reports on the termination of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia, the DFA said OFWs may ask for the embassy’s assistance through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) that is closest to their place of work. Located in Riyadh, Jeddah, and al-Khobar, POLO offices will assist affected OFWs, the DFA said. The agency also advised OFWs in the Kingdom to regularly visit the Philippine Embassy website for updates on the Nitaqat or “Saudization" system, which prioritizes the employment of Saudi nationals over foreign workers in Saudi-owned firms. The Saudi government is scheduled to begin implementing the Nitaqat system next Sept. 11, and companies that fail to comply with the Saudization targets will get a grace period of six...