KAKAMMPI News

A Filipino-American artist was named one of the finalists for a card design contest by a prominent airline company. The entry of 40-year-old  Marconi Calindas  was one of the five entries shortlisted to the Emirates Airlines' Skywards design contest for its 2016 membership cards, a  report on Trade Arabia  said.   Calindas' design stylized Dubai's Burj Al Arab in his mural-like style that sharply divided and textured bold colors with thick, black lines and highlighted colors with sharper white stubs. Prior to this, the San Francisco-based artist co-wrote and illustrated the children's book  “Of Petals and Hope: Sunny Sunflower Triumphs Over Bullying” with his husband and served as the art director of the short film "Prinsesa." An  article on Write to Empower (W2E)  said Calindas, a communications graduate from UP Los Banos, identified painting as his preferred way of communicating with others after a brief stint in journalism. ...

HONG KONG — Overseas Filipino workers here seeking to secure their overseas employment certificate (OEC) will no longer have to queue up to get their form to apply for the document. Instead, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) will be distributing free copies of the OEC forms, which indicate the time and date of the applicant's appointment, at the Admiralty Bridge. "Kung matagal pa ang oras na nakasaad sa OEC Form, maaring bumalik na lamang ilang minuto bago sa nakatakdang oras," said the POLO announcement signed by officer-in-charge Maria Nena German. On Tuesday, POLO officials met with the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) and the Hong Kong chapter of pro-OFW group Migrante to discuss solutions to the long lines of OFWs who are securing their OECs. Migrante said it proposed the adding of more places where OFWs could apply and get their OECs during peak seasons. However, the Department of Labor and Employment in Manila has yet to approve the recommend...

A group of Filipino lawyers in Southern California has submitted a proposal to name a Long Beach school facility after Larry Itliong, the Filipino labor leader who was among those who advanced the rights of grapevine workers in the US in the 60s. Ireneo A. Reus III, a Philippine American Bar Association board member, told  Press Telegram  last December 5 that Itliong's heritage and contributions to the US would "inspire students" and highlight the achievements of Filipino-Americans. "Filipino leaders are not highlighted very much," Reus noted, adding that their proposal, which was submitted to the school district on November 16, "will highlight Long Beach's rich diversity and make it more inclusive and historically accurate." "Larry Itliong worked with Cesar Chavez, but his contributions are many times omitted," Reus said. Meanwhile, funding for the renaming of the Alvarado Middle School after Itliong and fellow Filipino-American...

The Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong promised Filipino workers that it's streamlining the process of acquiring the Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) to reduce long lines. Henry Tienero, a labor officer, said multiple counters were opened by the consulate to accommodate more Filipinos. "Ang magawa ng konsulado para mapabilis ito, regular na natin na counter is tatlo lamang. Ngayon na nag-open tayo ng walong counter para ma-serve natin ang ating mga kababayan," said Tienero in a report on "24 Oras." The consulate made the promise after receiving  complaints from overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong who queued for up to seven hours to get their OECs in time for the holiday season . "Sana naman yung sistema e mabago, 'di ganito. Ang haba ng pila, nagtitiis ng gutom, ng lamig sa labas," an OFW waiting in line said in the report. OFWs are required to obtain OECs before departing the Philippines to their employment destination. Those i...

A hospital in New Jersey has recently launched a medical program aimed at Filipino-Americans — the first of its kind in the United States, an online report said. The  report on NJ.com  said the program, launched by the Holy Name Medical Center, will cater to the state's population of more than 10,000 Filipinos. Dr. Ray Villongco, an internal medicine specialist, said the program will have a “keen understanding of Filipino dietary and health habits" as it will add Filipino dishes to the hospital menu. Aside from serving Filipino dishes, the hospital will also provide Filipino newspapers and TV shows in patient rooms. It will also translate patient guides into Filipino and make available 20 Filipino-American physicians. Health screenings for diabetes, hepatitis B, and body mass were already carried out within the Teaneck, Bergenfield, and Jersey City communities as part of the Holy Name's new initiative, the report said. "I want more Filipinos to get screened...

A pro-migrant group is urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to review its travel and deployment ban on Guinea due to the Ebola virus following appeals by several OFWs there who want to come home during the holidays. In a statement Tuesday, Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-government organization that assists distressed OFWs, said some Filipinos in Guinea have left them a message on Facebook expressing worry over the travel ban and quarantine restrictions being imposed by the Philippine government. "Our compatriots in Guinea are appealing to government for a review of the continuing travel ban and quarantine restrictions," said Ople, noting that the World Health Organization has said that the situation in Guinea has tremendously improved from a year ago. One of these distressed OFWs, a chef named Arnold Sanciangco, wrote to the Center that the 21-day quarantine for travelers from Guinea will take up most of their 30-day holiday vacatio...

A Filipina was killed in a fire incident in Doha, Qatar, blamed on a faulty airconditioning unit, a News TV Live report said Monday. The report said the Filipina died of suffocation while her husband was in critical condition. It added that the Filipina's son was able to escape the burning building while her daughter was wounded. The Philippine Embassy in Doha has refused to identify the victims, the report said.  — Rie Takumi /KBK, GMA News