KAKAMMPI News

The Philippine embassy is seeking executive clemency for three Filipino convicts in Palau, requesting President Tommy Remengsau Jr to do an “act of mercy." Online news site Marianas Variety reported Saturday that the embassy sought clemency for Jose Eller Daguinot, Jose Frias, and Virgilio Esteban. Philippine Charge d’ Affaires J. Anthony Reyes said the embassy appealed to Remengsau to release the three, and allow them to go home. Reyes said that the three had almost served their jail sentence. Daguinot and Esteban are both serving jail terms for illegal drugs, while Frias is in prison for murder. Reyes said that the granting of executive clemency for the Filipino convicts would strengthen the spirit of goodwill between Palau and the Philippines, adding that Manila would appreciate the “act of mercy" from the Palau government. - GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - Leaders of overseas job recruitment agencies have scheduled a meeting with acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque within the week to avert a possible “deployment crisis" following the suspension of licenses of local recruitment agencies with pending cases. Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said on Tuesday that representatives of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) were among those discussing the problem with Roque, who concurrently serves as administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. “They (FAME leaders) will make a courtesy call on Secretary Roque this week (to congratulate him) for his new position and they will discuss the matter of the renewal of licenses of the recruitment agencies with pending cases," Geslani told GMANews.TV on Tuesday. FAME is an umbrella association composed of 12 country organizations with a membership of about 700 licensed agencies sending Filipino workers overseas, according to Geslani....

MANILA, Philippines - The father of the Filipina allegedly raped by a US serviceman in Okinawa last month appealed for public understanding and every one not to prejudge his daughter. This came after it was revealed that “Hazel"(the alias the victim’s father gave his eldest daughter) apparently went out with the American soldier in the wee hours before the sexual assault happened. GMA News reporter Lei Alviz quoted Japanese police reports stating that the Filipina was invited to eat out by a 20-something US serviceman at around 2 a.m. of February 18, the day the alleged rape incident took place in a hotel. “Only when my daughter went to the comfort room did she feel that her pants were soaked in blood," the victim’s father told GMA News in Filipino. The report said that a worried members of the hotel staff took her to the hospital when they saw her bleeding profusely. GMA News quoted Japanese police as saying that Hazel was confined in a hospital for a week after the incident...

MANILA, Philippines - The father of the Filipina allegedly raped by a US serviceman in Okinawa last month appealed for public understanding and every one not to prejudge his daughter. This came after it was revealed that “Hazel"(the alias the victim’s father gave his eldest daughter) apparently went out with the American soldier in the wee hours before the sexual assault happened. GMA News reporter Lei Alviz quoted Japanese police reports stating that the Filipina was invited to eat out by a 20-something US serviceman at around 2 a.m. of February 18, the day the alleged rape incident took place in a hotel. “Only when my daughter went to the comfort room did she feel that her pants were soaked in blood," the victim’s father told GMA News in Filipino. The report said that a worried members of the hotel staff took her to the hospital when they saw her bleeding profusely. GMA News quoted Japanese police as saying that Hazel was confined in a hospital for a week after the incident...

MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic bishop from Quezon province has been designated as new spiritual director of Pontificio Collegio Filippino (PCF), the college of Filipino diocesan priests in Rome. Monsignor Wilfredo Andrey is the 12th PCF spiritual director since 1961, after chairman and Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal installed him in simple rites last Feb. 28. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Andrey was born in 1956 to Apolonio and Enriqueta Epino Andrey, and ordained a priest on Aug. 6, 1981 by Bishop (now Cardinal) Jose T. Sanchez. He specialized in Sacred Scriptures in the Pontifical Biblical Institute from 1987 to 1991, the CBCP said. Andrey worked on the cause for the beatification and canonization of Bishop Alfredo Ma. A. Obviar. He was last assigned as ISPF Director of St. Alphonsus Regional Seminary. PCF is a community that provides a special type of ongoing priestly formation significantly influenced by a proximity to the Pope and the cultural d...

MANILA, Philippines – Japan’s Ministry of Justice on Tuesday reversed a deportation order that would have separated a Filipino woman and her seven-year-old daughter from her Kurdish husband who have overstayed their visa in that country. The Mainichi Daily News reported in its online edition that 32-year-old Taskin, a Kurdish man with Turkish citizenship, his Filipino wife Beltran, 41, and their daughter, Zilan, would soon have their special residence permits. The family that resides in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture is on provisional release status. The justice ministry’s order overturned its earlier decision that upheld a 2004 ruling by the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau deporting Taskin to Turkey and Beltran and Zilan to the Philippines. The report said the decision came after Tokyo’s High Court suggested a settlement in view of the family’s appeal after the district court rejected a petition to reverse the justice ministry’s deportation order. The Tokyo District Court turned down...

By Cynthia Balana Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 10:35pm (Mla time) 03/24/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- The family of a Filipina who was killed -- together with her seven-month-old son -- by her Japanese husband in Tokyo has asked the Philippine government not to allow the cremation of their remains. “The Philippine embassy in Japan requested the stay of cremation of the remains as per wishes of the victims’ family,” Assistant Secretary Claro Cristobal, spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The Philippine consulate in Tokyo has confirmed the murder of Crisanta Mahusay Lopez and her baby Naomasa by her Japanese husband in Japan last week. Cristobal said based on autopsy reports and forensic evidence gathered at the family residence where the crimes were committed, Crisanta died from severe bleeding from multiple knife wounds while Naomasa died from strangulation, in the morning of March 17, not March 18, as earlier confessed by suspect Masayoshi Nagano,...

LOS ANGELES — A pair of prominent immigration lawyers – Daniel E. Korenberg and Steven James Rodriguez – were sentenced for fraudulent employment visa applications, a Department of Justice spokesman here recently announced. A third lawyer, also a partner at Korenberg, Abramowitz & Feldun (KAF), Philip Abramowitz, 54, of Agoura Hills, is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, March 24. He pleaded guilty to two counts of visa fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Many Filipinos work for the law firm, which has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Las Vegas. A former official of the Philippine Consulate in LA allegedly managed the downtown San Diego office of the firm. Korenberg, 58, of Encino, a partner and founder of KAF, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release with a condition that he serve an additional six months on home detention with electronic monitoring. Korenberg was also ordered to pay ...

SUSUPE, Saipan – A Filipino contract worker in Saipan who piloted a boat attempting to smuggle 11 Chinese nationals to Guam in June 2007 has been ordered to depart the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) immediately upon receipt of his repatriation ticket. Saipan, the capital of the CNMI, is less than an hour away from Guam by plane. Edwin Fariola Blanilla, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling a person from the CNMI to the US for commercial advantage or financial gain. CNMI Superior Court Associate Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted Blanilla's plea. The judge sentenced him to five years in prison, all suspended except for eight months and 20 days. Following the plea agreement, the judge gave Blanilla credit for the time he had already served from June 29, 2007 through March 19, 2008. The defendant was released from the CNMI Department of Corrections on Wednesday. He was placed on five years of unsupervised probation and required to pay a $100 court assessm...

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipina who had complained of having been raped in a hotel in Japan reiterated her intent to file charges against the US serviceman who forced her into having sex last month. The father of ‘Hazel’ (the alias the victim’s father gave his eldest daughter) told GMA News correspondent Lei Alviz that his daughter is determined to push with the case despite being traumatized by the incident. “Nagpapasalamat nga ako eh malakas ang loob niya ngayon (I’m grateful she now has the courage)," he said. The 21-year-old first-time overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was said to have been raped just two days after departing from Manila to Okinawa on February 15. GMA News quoted Japanese police saying that Hazel was confined in a hospital for a week after the incident. Worried nurses and doctors attending to the Filipina reported the incident to police officials after the victim bled profusely following the incident, according to the report. Japanese authorities also told GMA...

MANILA, Philippines - Six Filipino women were among 58 foreigners arrested Sunday in an anti-vice raid on two karaoke outlets in Taman Sentosa, Johor Baru in Malaysia, a Malaysian online news site reported Monday. The Daily Star the women, in skimpy attire, were aged between 19 and 33, and are believed to be involved in illegal activities. No other details of the incident were available. Police also rounded up nearly 100 men for documentation during the raids early Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Johor anti-vice, gaming and secret society division deputy chief Deputy Supt Tan Hiap Seng raided a karaoke nightclub after midnight. The raid netted 35 Thai women and an Indonesian. State CID chief Senior Asst Comm Amer Awal said they suspected immoral activity because some of the rooms have mattresses in them. He said another team led by Supt Maszely Minhad from Bukit Aman raided a nearby nightclub and detained 14 Thai women, six Filipinos and two Indonesians. He said there were s...

MANILA, Philippines – The government will help the Filipino workers retrenched by a Malaysian-owned textile company in Namibia, acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque assured on Monday. Roque, who concurrently serves as administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, said members of his staff had confirmed 178 Filipinos terminated by Ramatex Textiles Namibia, not 250 as earlier reported. “Nag-utos na tayo na makipag-coordinate sa pinakamalapit na embassy sa Namibia..the Philippines doesn’t have embassy there.. para malaman natin ang tulong na kailangan nila," said Roque. “Hindi sila pababayaan ng gobyerno natin," he assured. “Our initial information so far is that, Ramatex was banned by POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) last year because of some violations. And so far 178 Filipinos, not 250, were confirmed working in Ramatex," he said. The retrenched workers were recruited in 2006, according to Roque. However, Philippine Ambassador to Sou...

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines remains the third largest recipient of remittances in the world, next to India and Mexico, according to a World Bank report. In its latest Migration and Remittances Factbook 2008, the Washington-headquartered lender said the top four recipients of migrant remittances in 2007 were India ($27 billion), Mexico ($25 billion), the Philippines ($17 billion); and France ($12.5 billion). "The United States was also the top immigration country in 2005, with 38.4 million immigrants, followed by Russian Federation (12.1 million), and Germany (10.1 million)," the World Bank said. Among low-income countries, India had the highest immigration volume (5.7 million), followed by Pakistan (3.3 million). The report provides snapshots of statistics on migration, recorded remittance flows, and skilled emigration for 194 countries and 13 regional and income groups. For 2007, recorded remittances flows worldwide are estimated at $318 billion, of which $240 bill...

KOROR, Palau –The Palau government has entered into a settlement agreement with the owner of the Philippine-based fishing carrier that was apprehended by authorities last month, Palau Vice President Elias Camsek Chin said on Monday. The settlement agreement will be signed between the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) of Palau and the lawyer for the Pescarico vessel, Chin said. Under the agreement, the owner would pay $15,000 to the Palau government and, in return, no charges would be filed against the detained crew members. The fishermen who are under the custody of Palau’s Division of Marine Law Enforcement (DMLE) would also be released, still under the conditions stipulated in the agreement. The DMLE has been holding in its custody five Filipino and five Indonesian crew members since the Pescarico vessel was apprehended last February 21. Chin said he has already informed Philippine Ambassador Ramoncito Marino about the decision reached by the Ministry of Justice on the case. Marino, fo...

KOROR, Palau – A 26-year-old Filipino drowned here Sunday after a still unidentified person allegedly pushed him into the waters under the Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge (Koror side). Rodel Marco, who works at the WCTC Shopping Center, died while he was being saved by Willie Watanabe, a Palauan. Watanabe also drowned and died. Police reports indicated that Marco and Watanabe were spending time with their families and friends under the Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge (Koror side) when the incident happened at around 5 p.m. Unnamed sources claimed Marco was playfully pushed into the water by another person and that Watanabe went in to try and save him. Marco, according to his companions, had been saying that he did not know how to swim. Police said both cases are still under investigation. Patrol division officers, together with Koror state rangers, retrieved the bodies of Marco and Watanabe and brought them to the Belau National Hospital. The Philippine embassy here extended its condolence...

The Philippines’ best practices with regard to migration will be highlighted when the United Nations holds the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development, a global consultative process that will address the multidimensional aspects, opportunities and challenges related to international migration and its inter-linkages with development open to all 192 UN member states. The 2nd GFMD is scheduled for October in Manila and in preparation for this, the Philippines presented last March 10, the themes that will be discussed in the three roundtable sessions at the Manila meeting. The Department of Foreign Affairs said the central theme of the Philippine GFMD is "Protecting and Empowering Migrants for Development." It reflects a growing understanding that the developmental benefits of migration are contingent upon the degree to which migrants are protected and empowered by both home and host countries. In a statement, the DFA added that the country will showcase its migration proce...

Two Filipino legislators and two other immigrants won as the newest members of a prominent political party in an election recently held in Tuscany, Italy. Filipinos Divina Capalad and Wilfredo Punzalan were elected as members of the Partito Democratico of Tuscany. Capalad will represent Florence and Punzalan will represent Firenze. "We are overjoyed to have been included as foreign citizens and we can ensure that we will be able to contribute to more meaningful results toward progress," Capalad said. Meanwhile Lina Callupe, a Peruvian, also from Firenze, and Romanian Elisabetta Nae, who represents Toscana, also grabbed posts in the party. Though the new party members are not still eligible to run in the next elections, they consider winning posts in the organization as an opportunity to be treated the same as the natives in Italy. One of the party’s agenda is the junking of the Bossi Fini law which makes life difficult for immigrants in Italy. Bossi Fini law enforces serious ...

Two Filipino legislators and two other immigrants won as the newest members of a prominent political party in an election recently held in Tuscany, Italy. Filipinos Divina Capalad and Wilfredo Punzalan were elected as members of the Partito Democratico of Tuscany. Capalad will represent Florence and Punzalan will represent Firenze. "We are overjoyed to have been included as foreign citizens and we can ensure that we will be able to contribute to more meaningful results toward progress," Capalad said. Meanwhile Lina Callupe, a Peruvian, also from Firenze, and Romanian Elisabetta Nae, who represents Toscana, also grabbed posts in the party. Though the new party members are not still eligible to run in the next elections, they consider winning posts in the organization as an opportunity to be treated the same as the natives in Italy. One of the party’s agenda is the junking of the Bossi Fini law which makes life difficult for immigrants in Italy. Bossi Fini law enforces serious ...

A migrant advocacy group based in New Zealand announced that it has already raised more than $21,000 to help a Filipino migrant worker diagnosed with cancer. Roderick Catuday originally went to Oakland, New Zealand on a quest for citizenship there. Unfortunately, a few months after his application for a permanent residency, it was discovered that he had acute myeloid leukaemia. Doctors in New Zealand who checked up Catuday said the patient has only a few months to live if the cancer remains untreated. Dr. Simpson, a consultant haematologist at North Shore Hospital, thought an email from him to immigration authorities might help speed the process - but it backfired. When Immigration received news of Mr Catuday's illness, his work permit application was suspended and his wife Emelita, 41, an accountant, was given only a one-year work permit. "I feel totally let down by New Zealand, and really am at a loss," said Mr Catuday, 42, a father of three children aged between 12 and...

Some 400 students of a Philippine school in Kuwait will be displaced after the Ministry of Education of the country cancelled the learning institution’s permit to operate. ABS-CBN News Middle East correspondent Maxxy Santiago reported that Kuwaiti education officials have given the students and faculty of the New Kuwait Philippines International School (NKPIS) until March 31 to operate. The Kuwaiti officials revoked NKPIS license because the government will use the land where the school is situated. As this developed, NKPIS administration has sought the help of the Philippine embassy officials to intervene in the matter. Talal Al-Jeri, NKPIS owner, clarified that the cancellation of the school’s license is not due to the problem in the curriculum but only due to the issue of property where the campus is located. In a meeting with NKPIS, Ambassador Ricardo Endaya said he will communicate the dire problem of the students once the school stops operating. "We will be writing for anoth...

MANILA, Philippines – A Japanese national killed his 33-year-old Filipino wife and their seven-month-old baby last week, Philippine Consul General in Tokyo Sulpicio Confiado has reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Claro Cristobal, DFA spokesman, relayed the news on Saturday about the double murders committed on March 18 in Tokyo. Cristobal said Higashi Kurume, 43 years old, surrendered to the police on Thursday and confessed to the crime. “He confessed that he killed his wife and child because he was worried about an outstanding loan and that he intended but could not kill himself also," Cristobal said. The case is being investigated by the Japanese police. The remains of the mother and her child are set for autopsy. Cristobal said the Philippine embassy in Tokyo is closely monitoring developments on the case and will extend assistance to victims' family. – GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - The government has signed an agreement with seamen’s groups and manning agencies on a labor arbitration system and on voluntary arbitration (VA) in settling labor disputes. Acting labor secretary Marianito Roque signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with representatives of manning agencies' associations and seamen's unions for the Maritime Industry Labor Arbitration Council (MILA). "The move came at the heel of a growing consensus among maritime industry stakeholders on the need to pursue a dedicated effort to advocate the use of VA as a mode of settling labor disputes in the maritime sector," said a statement posted on the labor department website Saturday. Former labor secretary Arturo Brion also signed the MOA as witness at the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen's Union (AMOSUP) Tuesday in Intramuros, Manila. Roque said the MILA, an initiative of Brion, provides for the development of a VA system. He said that all the parties also cons...

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment should redirect its reintegration program for returning Overseas Filipino Workers to rice production to ease the impact of the impending supply shortage. This was the suggestion made by the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) in the wake of a looming shortage of the country's staple food. "Encouraging returning OFWs who opt to settle in the provinces to go into rice production is better than helping them set up sari-sari stores, " FAME vice president Jackson Gan said. Gan noted that the DoLE’s National Reintegration Center for OFWs could tap the help of the Agriculture department in setting up rice farming seminars for retired OFWs. The NRCO is currently involved in providing returning migrants technical assistance for self-employment or entrepreneurship, access to credit/microfinance, counseling on business or savings mobilization schemes, and psychosocial counseling. According to Gan, also the p...

MANILA, Philippines - More than 10,000 Filipino workers are barred from leaving the country for overseas jobs after the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) suspended the operations of many local recruitment agencies. Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said the recruitment groups blamed the new regulation on renewal of licenses imposed by then Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, which directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that agencies with pending cases should not be forwarded to his office for license renewal. "Secretary Brion returned around 50 folders to the POEA with instructions that no license should be forwarded to his office if the agency has a pending case," Geslani said. Brion was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court before the country breaks for the Holy Week. According to Geslani, the 50 agencies are responsible for the deployment of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) a month and because of the problem on li...

MANILA, Philippines - A group of overseas Filipino workers based in the Middle East is urging the Arroyo administration to send representatives to Namibia to help the 250 OFWs who have been terminated from work. The Filipinos had worked for Ramatex Textile Namibia, southern Africa’s largest textile manufacturing industry located in the outskirts of Windhoek. The firm was shut down early this month over claims of losses of up to N$500 million (P2.6 billion). Earlier, the Filipinos vowed to reject any assistance for repatriation until they get their claims from their employer. John Leonard Monterona, Middle East regional coordinator for Migrante International, said in a statement that the Arroyo administration should ensure the OFWs would get the protection they deserve. “There is no Philippine Embassy in Namibia, but this should not be made an excuse of not sending official government representatives to the southern African country to look after the retrenched OFWs," Monterona said...

MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) going back to their jobs abroad are reminded to present their exit clearance or overseas employment certificates (OEC) directly to the airline counters, terminal fee counters and the Bureau of Immigration counters. Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said the new policy aims to "streamline the process in the deployment of OFWs." The new process, according to Baldoz, is expected to benefit thousands of OFWs leaving the country after the short vacation for the Holy Week. Baldoz also said that beginning Monday, POEA’s Labor Assistance Counters (LACs) will only be assisting OFWs with documentation problems, issuing OECs to OFWs leaving within 24 hours, and dissemination of information and education materials. "The implementation of the new procedure coincides with the start of the peak season when thousands of OFWs are expected to return to their job sites after attending t...

SAN FRANCISCO — Nursing home worker William Corpuz, 34, of the Portola District was found guilty of slashing his wife’s throat and sentenced to second-degree murder which carries a term of 16 years to life. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Jerome Benson reduced the initial conviction of first-degree murder of 26 years to life as there was not enough deliberation on the part of Corpuz before committing the murder in September 2004. Corpuz using a fishing knife to kill Marisa, his wife of eight years. They have two children.William is said to have a short temper and a history of beating up his wife. He was on probation in September 2003 for choking his wife and then slamming her head face-first into the headboard of their bed. In attempt to seek help, he enrolled into a 52-week domestic abuse program, but committed the murder before the program was even completed. “This is a strong message that women need to be safe and come forward. He was given 52 weeks to change his behavior, and th...

LOS ANGELES — A pair of prominent immigration lawyers – Daniel E. Korenberg and Steven James Rodriguez – were sentenced for fraudulent employment visa applications, a Department of Justice spokesman here recently announced. A third lawyer, also a partner at Korenberg, Abramowitz & Feldun (KAF), Philip Abramowitz, 54, of Agoura Hills, is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, March 24. He pleaded guilty to two counts of visa fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Many Filipinos work for the law firm, which has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Las Vegas. A former official of the Philippine Consulate in LA allegedly managed the downtown San Diego office of the firm. Korenberg, 58, of Encino, a partner and founder of KAF, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release with a condition that he serve an additional six months on home detention with electronic monitoring. Korenberg was also ordered to pay ...

SUSUPE, Saipan – A Filipino contract worker in Saipan who piloted a boat attempting to smuggle 11 Chinese nationals to Guam in June 2007 has been ordered to depart the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) immediately upon receipt of his repatriation ticket. Saipan, the capital of the CNMI, is less than an hour away from Guam by plane. Edwin Fariola Blanilla, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling a person from the CNMI to the US for commercial advantage or financial gain. CNMI Superior Court Associate Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted Blanilla's plea. The judge sentenced him to five years in prison, all suspended except for eight months and 20 days. Following the plea agreement, the judge gave Blanilla credit for the time he had already served from June 29, 2007 through March 19, 2008. The defendant was released from the CNMI Department of Corrections on Wednesday. He was placed on five years of unsupervised probation and required to pay a $100 court assessm...

MANILA, Philippines – The head of the country’s biggest nursing organization has estimated that roughly 80 percent of the latest batch of more than 28,000 new nurses in the country intends to work abroad. “That is just my assumption (about 80 percent). It was based on the people that I have talked to pero wala talagang study ‘yan, but I think that’s a safe estimate," said Dr. Leah Samaco-Paquiz, president of the Philippine Nurses Association. Economic reasons, such as the lack or absence of better job opportunities in the country and the low salary rates have been cited as primary factors for migration, Paquiz said. They want to learn more (while) they are young. They consider working abroad an adventure," Paquiz said. The unstable political situation in the country also somehow encourages Filipino nurses to leave the country and try their luck somewhere else. Citing a proposal to require new nurses to render service first in the Philippines before they can be allowed to work...

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos traveling to Singapore are warned anew against bringing live bullets or items made from prohibited, illegal or controlled materials commonly used as amulets and talismans. The Department of Foreign Affairs issued the advisory after receiving a report from the Philippine embassy in Singapore that a Filipino traveler was apprehended for having two live bullets during transit at Changi International Airport. The Filipino was given a notice of warning and his passport data were recorded by Singapore airport authorities. “The traveling public is advised to strictly adhere to the travel restrictions imposed by the Singapore and other governments in this regard," the DFA advisory said. - GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - To catch up with the growing global demand for marine officers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has set aside P50 million for skills training and upgrading of Filipino seafarers. Mechanics of the program is still being ironed out, including partner agencies for its implementation, according to OWWA administrator Marianito Roque, who had been concurrently designated as acting secretary of labor. “We want to give assurance to our global employers that we have competent officers and that we are addressing this shortage of officers," Roque told reporters at the sidelines of the signing of the memorandum of agreement with industry leaders and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE)-Establishing a Maritime Industry Arbitration System. Based on a recent study, the shipping industry has a shortage of 10,000 marine and deck officers. Roque said the government wants to keep the country’s status in the global maritime industry as top supplier of compet...

MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino peacekeepers deployed by the United Nations to Kosovo were injured in the violence that broke out in the volatile northern city of Mitrovica, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations reported on Tuesday. The two are Philippine National Police officers and were among dozens of persons wounded in the riots early morning Monday shortly after UN and NATO peacekeepers stormed a UN court seized last week by Kosovo-Serbs. Ambassador Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Philippine permanent representative to the UN, reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippine Mission is closely monitoring the situation in Kosovo and is in touch with Senior Supt. Dencio Duldulao, commander of the 40-member PNP Peacekeeping Contingent, and Supt. Romeo Pillonar, the senior PNP officer in Mitrovica. Davide said the two injured officers, who are assigned to the Prisoner Escort Unit (PEU) of the Specialized Police Unit -under the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), were part...

MANILA, Philippines - Land Bank of the Philippines will launch in Hong Kong on March 30 a new deposit instrument specifically catering to overseas Filipino workers and their relatives. The new product called Long Term Negotiable Certificates of Deposit, or LTNCD, will form part of a package of benefits for OFWs that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she speaks before the Filipino community at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong. “We are pleased to be of help to our OFWs, especially since we know that they are among those most affected by the continuing currency appreciation. We are also encouraging them to participate in the government’s savings mobilization program," said LBP president and chief executive officer Gilda E. Pico. The LTNCD is a peso-denominated certificate that will be issued in P20,000 denominations in 5 ½- and 10-year tenors. It is covered by PDIC insurance up to P250,000 per depositor, and is exempt from withholding tax if investors will opt to hold on to th...

CAPITOL HILL, Saipan – A group of nonresident workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), mostly from the Philippines, hopes a new bill in the US Senate seeking to apply federal immigration laws to the CNMI will be passed this time. Jerry Custodio, president of the Human Dignity Movement, told GMANews.TV on Monday that once enacted, the new omnibus bill, S. 2739, is still a “more fair and more just" law for guest workers than the current CNMI immigration system. The CNMI, a US territory about three hours away from Manila, is home to about 19,000 foreign workers mostly from the Philippines. US Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced S. 2739 on March 10. This is the latest effort by some members of the US Congress to extend US immigration laws to the CNMI. Similar efforts in the past failed in the Republican-controlled US Congress. When Democrats took control of Congress in January 2007, they made CNMI federalization a priority, citing continuous reports of slav...

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has suspended the license of a local recruitment agency and initiated charges against its counterpart in Canada for collecting placement fees from applicants for jobs in Canada. September Star Inc. and JFG Career Agency were found to have collected as much as US$8,000 (P332,000) from Filipinos who applied for jobs with A&W restaurant chain in Canada. POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said JFG Career Agency, the counterpart of September Star Inc in Canada, was cited for default in its contractual obligations to the Filipino workers, and for gross violation of laws, rules and regulations on overseas employment. Tyson J. Kefebre, owner of four branches of A&W restaurants in Canada who hired 16 Filipinos through September Star, filed the complaint to the POEA against the recruitment agencies after learning from his Filipino staff that they each paid $1, 500 (P62,000) and were compelled to sign promissory note...

Poor appetite, lack of sleep, deteriorating health and internal family issues are just some of the effects on families of stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Jeddah. Without enough sleep and with puffy eyes, wives and relatives of stranded overseas Filipino workers faced the press on March 12 and asked the help of Migrante International on their loved ones’ problems in Jeddah. Fenny, wife of OFW Juan Dagampat, told Bulatlat she is now taking anti-hypertensive medicine. “Parang laging mataas ang dugo ko siguro dahil depressed" she said. “Apektado talaga kami kakaisip sa kanila" (My blood pressure seems to be always high because I am depressed. We are really affected as we constantly worry about them.) Another wife, Jenny could hardly speak as she cried hard while talking about husband OFW Marlon Ambil. “Isang beses lang kain nila…tinapay lang…kapiranggot… Nagkasipon pa siya" (They eat just once a day…only bread…just a small piece… Worse, he developed a cold), sai...

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Filipino-Canadian Construction Society (FCCS) for the improvement of training skills of the trainers in TESDA for the construction sector. Amado Mercado, president of FCCS said the MOU to be sign next month would help the Philippine government in addressing the skills requirement of Filipino workers that are hoping to land a job in Canada. The FCCS is composed of Filipino builders, contractors, electricians, plumbers, estimators and project managers based in Vancouver. Mercado flew into Manila recently to discuss with Brion the contents of the MOU that will be signed next month in Alberta, Canada, as well as an agreement that Brion will ink with the province of Alberta. The association would provide training for construction trainers from TESDA free of charge and all expenses paid for the group. The trainer will return to the Philippines and pass on to others the acquired construction techniques and skil...

MANILA, Philippines - Expect illegal recruiters to be more active in the provinces to look for victims by offering them quick departures and easy payment schemes for Canada employment. The warning was issued Sunday by recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani. He advised job applicants to be very cautious with people posing as recruiters of workers for Canada. Geslani also urged authorities, particularly the local government units, to intensify their campaign against illegal recruiters in their localities. The Human Resources and Social Development of Canada reported that 1.9 million new jobs will be created over the next 10 years (2006-2015) particularly in the western provinces of Canada such as Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The high demand was spurred by Canada’s robust economy. The country is offering good job opportunities for skilled workers and professionals from the Philippines. Workers are entitled to permanent and temporary migration programs. He said jo...

CAPITOL HILL, Saipan – A group of nonresident workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), mostly from the Philippines, hopes a new bill in the US Senate seeking to apply federal immigration laws to the CNMI will be passed this time. Jerry Custodio, president of the Human Dignity Movement, told GMANews.TV on Monday that once enacted, the new omnibus bill, S. 2739, is still a “more fair and more just" law for guest workers than the current CNMI immigration system. The CNMI, a US territory about three hours away from Manila, is home to about 19,000 foreign workers mostly from the Philippines. US Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced S. 2739 on March 10. This is the latest effort by some members of the US Congress to extend US immigration laws to the CNMI. Similar efforts in the past failed in the Republican-controlled US Congress. When Democrats took control of Congress in January 2007, they made CNMI federalization a priority, citing continuous reports of slav...

MANILA, Philippines - Globe and SingTel bring OFWs in Singapore closer to their loved ones Globe brings two overseas Filipinos working in Singapore closer to their loved ones in the Philippines, allowing them to see and talk to each other no matter how far apart they are. Globe and SingTel united Susana Ibarra of Manila with her daughters-in-law and grandchildren during a videoconference set up recently by the two telecom companies. Susana, who has been working in Singapore for 20 years now, saw the twin babies Rhiane and Rhaine for the first time. The two grandchildren were with their sister Raisa, brothers Russel and Ryle, and their mother Rose. Another daughter-in-law, Jasmine, with her two kids Jamhela and Roja Dane also got to talk to Susana. The teary-eyed Susana, who comes home to the Philippines once a year, was glad to see and hear her grandchildren. Luisito Mariano of Laguna, the drummer of the band Dress Down Friday, was also given a chance to see and talk to his girlfriend ...

MANILA, Philippines - Four of the five Filipino seamen rescued from a three-ship collision on March 5 off Akashi Strait in Kobe, Japan are due to arrive in Manila on Tuesday afternoon. Philillpine Consul General in Osaka Ma. Lourdes Ramiro-Lopez reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday that the fifth seafarer, 2nd deck officer Jorico E. Mariano, will remain in Japan to complete providing information to authorities investigating the collision of their cargo vessel, MV Gold Leader with two other ships. Those who will be arriving via Philippine Airlines flight PR 407 at around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday are Messman Wilson M. Cura , chief officer Cristavio M Villamor Jr, 2nd engineer Wolfrando Q Israel Jr and bosun Yolando R Generales. Two of the nine-Filipino crew of MV Gold Leader -- Ricardo Jaynario Salvador, Jr. and Rodryan Adio Bracamonte -- are still missing. The accident caused the death of Able Seaman Alexander Mercader, 33, of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, and Captain Tomasniri...