KAKAMMPI News

Published  October 18, 2018 4:12pm  A group of OFWs in Hong Kong has denounced the mandatory insurance the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has imposed on migrant workers. During a protest action held at the Philippine Consulate General recently, a group lead by UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK denounced what they consider as new imposition that would squeeze OFWs dry of their hard-earned money, amid rising inflation and a host of fees being exacted by the government.  Under the POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 4, all returning OFWs with the same employer, or have moved to another, must register with POEA, they must provide a passport valid for at least six months, a valid working visa, and a certificate of insurance coverage similar to that required of those leaving for their first job abroad. “The new POEA order on mandatory insurance is just another money-making scheme for the already burdened OFWs that can very well even cost us our j...

Published  October 18, 2018 2:58pm  By RONALDO CONCHA Distressed overseas Filipino workers who have not been paid their salaries for five months in Saudi Arabia may be reunited with their families before Christmas. In an interview with GMA News, Ryan Javillon —one of the 100 troubled OFWs who went to Al Khobar to seek assistance from Philippine Overseas Labor Office —said Department of Labor Secretary Silverstre Bello III promised them they will be flown back home, possibly before Christmas Day. "Sabi po ni Secretary Bello, tungkol po sa amin hanggang December ay pauwiin daw po niya kami, yun naman po ang pinanghahawakan namin," Javillon said, adding that they have already signed special power of attorney (SPA) for their unpaid salary claims. In photo are OWWA Adminsitrator Hans Leo Cacdac, Labor Attache Nasser Munder, and OWWA Welfare Officer James Mendiola during a dialogue with distressed OFWs in Azmeel Contracting Company in Jeddah. --R. Con...

Published  October 17, 2018 10:05pm  One of the OFWs who have not been receiving their salaries from a troubled company in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia has lost his child. According to a report on "QRT", Kamaloden Kazzan's nine-year-old child died in July. It's been six months since Kazzan last received his pay. Kazzan said he was not able to send money back home for the medical needs of his child because the company stopped paying employees' salaries. Other OFWs have been borrowing money from relatives so their family could survive. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Foreign Affairs are in Saudi Arabia to help the distressed OFWs. In his last interview, Bello said he would talk with officials of the Arab country's Ministry of Labor to ensure that the back salaries would be paid and that the OFWs who want to come home would be safely repatriated....

Published  October 17, 2018 4:59pm  By RONALDO CONCHA A total of 150 OFWs last Tuesday trooped to the Philippine labor office in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia to ask assistance in claiming their unpaid salaries. Saying they have not been paid their wages for three up to six months, 150 Filipino workers from Azmeel Contracting Company decided to raise their complaints to the Philippine Overseas labor Office (POLO) in hopes they could get the money due them. They come from various camps of the company in Saudi Arabia's eastern region, complaining they have not been paid their salaries, equivalent to three and up to six working months. The workers said their residence permits or iqama are already expired, and that they have not been able to renew the document. One of the workers, Jerald Caronan, told GMA News that he works as a painter at Azmeel camp based in Jubai in the Eastern Province, and they have not been paid their salaries for five months. He ...

Published  October 10, 2018 9:30am  The Philippines has dropped from 72nd to 75th spot in a global passport index, although the number of countries and territories it has visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to remains at 66. According to the latest Henley Passport Index by residence and citizenship planning firm Henley & Partners, Japan has the most powerful passport, allowing it visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a whopping 190 destinations. Japan is followed by Singapore (189 destination); Germany, France, South Korea (188); Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Spain (187); and Norway, United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, United States (186). Meanwhile, the 66 destinations that offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival to Filipinos are the following: 1. Armenia 2. Benin 3. Bolivia 4. Brazil 5. Brunei 6. Cambodia 7. Cape Verde Islands 8. Colombia 9. Comores Islands 10. Cook Islands 11. Costa Rica 12. Cote d'lvoire (Ivory Coa...

Published  October 17, 2018 8:48am  By LUCKY MAE F. QUILAO Despite a soaring inflation rate that peaked last month at 6.7 percent, and the reported drop in personal remittances by 1.4% last August, some overseas Filipino workers would prefer to send cash to their families rather than assorted items through balikbayan box. OFWs GMA News Online had interviewed through social media said they will continue to send money especially during the Christmas season, as has been their practice. “Magpapadala ako lalo na’t may asawa’t anak ako. Minsan tumutulong din ako sa mga magulang ko. Nagpapadala din ako sa probinsya para sa mga kapatid ko,” according to John Mark Rosario, 28, barista at the Emirates Leisure Retail in the United Arab Emirates. “Hindi bababa sa P10,000 ang ipinapadala ko,” he said, adding that, “Hindi kasi ako pabor sa balikbayan box. Mas mabuti na ang pera ang ipinapadala para ma-budget ng maayos." On the other hand, Jesus Caoile Mejia, ...

P20K, NOT $50K Published  October 16, 2018 7:56pm  The 1,470 overseas Filipino workers affected by  a company lockout in Saudi Arabia  will each receive P20,000 in financial assistance, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said—a clarification from previous reports that said they would receive $50,000. "Ang maibibigay lang ng OWWA [Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration] ay P20,000 cash assistance," Bello said in an interview with Emil Sumangil on GMA News TV's QRT on Tuesday. He added that DOLE is coordinating with the Saudi Ministry of Labor to ensure that the affected Filipino workers will be able to get their two to six months' worth of unpaid salaries. DOLE's labor attaches have already been in touch with the officials of Azmeel Contracting Corporation, and have reached initial agreements. "We'll make sure 'yung kanilang commitment na every week magpapauwi sila ng 10 overseas workers natin after paying them ...