KAKAMMPI News

A Filipino worker who was among the tens of thousands of migrant workers affected by the downsizing of construction companies in Saudi Arabia died on Sunday following a stroke. Rizalino Jacinto, 56, was rushed to the hospital Saturday after he was found unconscious in the room he shares with his wife Brenda, who is also an overseas Filipino worker. "Bagama't masakit [ay] tanggap ko na po ang mga nangyari," Brenda told GMA News in an interview. "Hangad ko na lang na maiuwi ang labi ng aking mister at makuha ang matagal na niyang inaantay." She was referring to her husband's unpaid salary and end-of-service benefits from Saudi Oger, one of the large firms in Saudi Arabia that laid off thousands of its foreign workers late last year due to the slump in oil prices. An estimated 11,000 Filipino workers were affected by the massive retrenchment. Jacinto's friends said he has been depressed since he lost his job in the Kingdom. "Alam mo baon n...

A Grade 11 student from Xavier School won bronze while three other Filipino teens received honorable mentions at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), held this year in Kazan, Russia. Robin Yu took home the bronze while Rizal National Science High School ninth grader Ian Palabasan, MGC New Life Christian Academy 11th grader Farrell Wu, and Philippine Science High School 10th grader Maded Batara III received honorable mentions at the international programming competition for secondary school students. The four students were accompanied by team leader Kevin Atienza and deputy team leader Payton Yao, who also served as their coaches along with Jared Asuncion. This is the second year the Philippines has sent a team to the IOI. This year, the Philippine team went up against 324 participants from 88 countries, including the US, China, Russia, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Australia. The teens who make the Philippine delegation to the IOI were...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is looking into adding more personnel to the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in Saudi Arabia to address the needs of OFWs, particularly those rendered jobless by the slump in oil prices. "Unang-una, we will recommend additional officers kasi dito lang sa Jeddah there are more than 300,000 migrant workers. Ilan lang ang tao dito, wala pa yatang 20," said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who went to Saudi Arabia last week to check on the condition of the stranded OFWs there. "How can you cater the needs of our contract workers kung ganyan lang ang manpower mo?" he asked. In his visit to a labor camp by Saudi Oger that houses most of the stranded OFWs, Bello said they are also looking into transferring the POLO to a bigger office in order for it to accommodate more OFWs in need of government help. He also said they are studying additional logistical support for the POLO. Meanwhile, Be...

Filipinos eyeing to become foreign language teachers in China need to know the new guidelines in securing a work permit to find employment there. Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said in an advisory that the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) has issued the guidelines for new applicants. “The new guidelines will apply only to those who are yet to obtain work permit in China.” He said that Filipino teachers are now required to be a native speaker of the language they wish to teach. The applicant must be a Bachelor's degree holder or higher, and with two years of relevant experience as a native speaker. “He/she is exempted from the two-year work experience if he/she has Bachelor’s Degree in Education (or higher), teacher certificates, or certificates in teaching English approved by SAFEA,” the administrator added.   Also, Cacdac said that foreign teachers already working in China are not co...

Thirteen of the thousands of stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFW) after losing their jobs in Saudi Arabia returned home on Saturday night. The 13 OFWs arrived on an Etihad Airline flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at around 11:25 p.m. All of the OFWs were relieved that they have returned to the Philippines after losing their jobs in Saudi Arabia. Rex Ylagan, who worked as a carpenter in Saudi Arabia, said he was not able to buy "pasalubong" for his family because he had been jobless for several weeks. He said he was grateful for the free flight back to the Philippines. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud had pledged to provide free flights back for the thousands of jobless OFWs. The Overseas workers' Welfare Administration said that at least 9,000 OFWs were displaced in Saudi Arabia. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III led a delegation to Saudi Arabia to assist the stranded OFWs . Bello brought with him President Rodrigo ...

Six Filipinos, one of them pregnant, died in a fire that struck a house in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Initial information from ACTS-OFW partlist Rep. John Bertiz said the incident happened around 9 a.m. Saturday (Saudi time) in Riyadh. Also among the victims were children aged 7, 6, and 1. Bertiz said the victims were sleeping when their house was gutted by fire. Two more Fiipinos were injured in the incident. The father was reported to have been at work when the incident happened. "Nasa work pa siya when it happened. Grabe nakakadurog ng pusko kasi ayon sa tatay, masaya pa siya when he left the house to go for work around 6:00 a.m. then nasa work siya when he received a call that his family died," said Bertiz. The cause of death has been determined as suffocation. According to Bertiz — currently in Saudi Arabia as part of the Philippine mission to assist overseas Filipino workers who have not been payed properly by employers — they are prepared to pro...

Twenty distressed OFWs arrived in Manila from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday noon, bringing to 119 the number of retrenched Pinoys being repatriated from the Kingdom since July  26. A GMA News report said that the OFWs took the Gulf Air flight 154, which touched down at NAIA at about 11:35 a.m. Another batch of 28 OFWs, all former employees of Saudi Oger Ltd., are expected to arrive Saturday evening. Rene Bacalso, whose salary for eight months has been withheld, said that back in Riyadh he and his colleagues could have their meals only when aid comes every Friday. On the other hand, Christopher Labis said he slept off hunger pangs as no food or aid had come to their camp there. Also, he said he had to put off his scheduled return to the Philippines despite securing an exit visa because he had not received his back pay in 10 months. Over 10,000 OFWs have been retrenched from various companies in the oil-producing county due to the continuing slump in the pr...