KAKAMMPI News

MANILA, Philippines - About 25 Filipinos remain stranded in Thailand after protesters shut down the Bangkok International Airport amid an escalation in the four-month campaign to oust the prime minister. In an interview on radio dzBB, Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Antonio Rodriguez said the Philippine embassy is attending to the 25 Filipinos who are currently staying in hotels near the airport after they were left behind by their flights back to the Philippines last Tuesday. “Meron tayong humigit kumulang na dalawampu na nasa Twin Towers Hotel…At tsaka merong lima sa Novotel. Yung 20 dun, 18 yung naiwan ng Cebu Pacific sa Manila . Yung dalawa [naiwan] ng PAL [Philippine Airlines Flight] the same day," Rodriguez said. (We have about 20 Filipinos in the Twin Towers Hotel. The other five are staying at the Novotel. Of the 20 Filipinos, 18 were left by their Cebu Pacific Flights to Manila . The other two were left by a PAL flight during the same day.) Except for the 25 Filipinos s...

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino security guard told the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance that he did not intend to kill his wife when he stabbed her last May 2, an online news site said Thursday. Khaleej Times said the guard suspected his wife of infidelity and stabbed her in the chest and neck after a heated argument. The report, which withheld the guard's identity, said the guard had shared a room in a villa at the Al Tawar area in Dubai with his wife and another couple. According to a roommate, the guard attacked his wife with a knife after he suspected her of having an illicit affair. He narrated that at the time, "he had stabbed her in the chest and the wife lodged a complaint with the Rashidiyah police station. She later withdrew the complaint." "At about 4 a.m. on that day, as we were in the room we saw the victim opening the door and falling down. She was asking for help as the suspect had stabbed her repeatedly. When we intervened, he told us not to d...

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) echoed a message to Filipino tourists on Wednesday to postpone “non-essential" travel to Thailand after Thai protesters took over the country’s main airport. Quoting an advisory from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand, DFA spokesperson Claro Cristobal said Filipino tourists should not push through with their travel plans unless necessary. As this developed, local airline company Cebu Pacific, said it has cancelled all flights to the troubled nation. (see related story here.) “In consideration of the Filipino travelers’ safety and convenience … (we) recommend that non-essential travel to Bangkok be postponed," Cristobal said in a text message. Thousands of Thai protesters took over Suvarnabhumi Airport in the country’s capital of Bangkok on Tuesday in an effort to halt the return of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, whom they accuse of being the puppet of a ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Wongsawat was scheduled t...

MANILA, Philippines - An association of Filipino merchants on Tuesday urged the Philippine government to expedite the repatriation of stranded OFWs in the western Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah to end their sufferings. The Filipino Salesman and Merchandisers Association (Filsama) made the appeal after interacting with the stranded workers at the shelter being maintained by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) inside the Philippine consulate compound in Jeddah. Most of the workers are domestic helpers who reportedly ran away from abusive employers. Filsama officers and members led by their president, Abdulmoen “Teng" Laguialam, visited the workers and brought gifts of canned goods, noodles and personal items. Filsama’s other leaders included Edgardo Santos, vice president; Roberto Bato, secretary-general; Rene Valle, treasurer; auditors Manny Manalo and Ogie Nucump; business managers Frank Reales and Jal delos Reyes; public relations officers Romy dela Cruz, Ramil Porti...

CHICAGO, Illinois – The family of Filipino-Canadian Luc Cagadoc, a seven-year-old Grade 2 student who was reprimanded by his lunch supervisor for eating with a fork and spoon, is seeking the help of the Filipino community in Montreal, Canada and everywhere to help them in filing a civil rights lawsuit against the school board and the educators involved. Fo Niemi, executive director of Center for Research Action on Race Relations (Crarr), also said that while Crarr and the Cagadocs had “filed a request for administrative review with the Quebec Human Rights Commission, Maria Gallardo Cagadoc and her family have decided to file a civil rights lawsuit against the school board and the educators." Mrs. Cagadoc also appealed to Filipinos to help her invite a member of the Filipino Human Rights Commission to be a guest speaker in the fund-raising for Luc’s case. In a letter to human rights conscious friends, Niemi said, “We need your help to support equality and dignity for the Filipino c...

MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in trouble in their host countries should get legal assistance from government, the House of Representatives said Wednesday. Quezon Rep. Proceso Alcala filed House Resolution 872 saying OFWs deserve such help for their immense contribution to help the Philippine economy. "We respectfully urge the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration to assure adequate legal representation to our OFWs who may be facing legal problems in foreign countries," Alcala said in an article on the House of Representatives website. Alcala cited the latest such incident involving the controversial conviction and beheading of Jennifer "Dodong" Beduya. Beduya reportedly met his sad fate without due legal representation and support from the government agencies concerned. "Considering their number, many OFWs from time to time find themselves in trouble, fac...

MANILA, Philippines - The threat of the global economic crisis might just come true as wage cuts await the millions of migrant workers worldwide, a recent report conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) said on Tuesday. Referring to the report titled Global Wage Report 2008-2009, ILO Director General Juan Somavia said in a statement on Tuesday that difficult times lie ahead for the world’s 1.5 billion wage earners. “Slow or negative economic growth, combined with highly volatile food and energy prices, will erode the real wages of many workers, particularly the low-wage and poorer households. The middle classes will also be seriously affected," he said. Economists have warned the Philippines to brace itself for the effect of a worsening crisis considering that the economy is highly dependent on the remittances of more than eight million overseas Filipinos. Government data show that in 2007 alone, overseas Filipinos remitted a total of $14.4 billion to the economy. O...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - A cancer-stricken Filipina domestic worker in Saudi Arabia is seeking repatriation and financial help. Fely Borlongan, a 61-year old who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, on Monday said she has not other recourse but to appeal for help from those with “kind hearts." “Hirap na po ako dito, gusto ko na umuwi nang makasama ko ang aking mga anak. Tanging ang mga anak ko na lang ang nagbibigay sa akin nang lakas. Kumakatok po ako sa aking mga kababayan na matulungan nyo ako makauwi (I am having a really hard time here, I want to go home and be with my children, they are the only ones who give me strength. I am appealing to my fellow Filipinos to help me come home)," she said. A widow with five children in Bulacan, Borlongan said that she could not properly come home because she ran away from her employer in Jeddah more than a year ago. Having worked in Saudi Arabia since 1989, she found out that she had lung cancer just last August. She had been relying o...

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino in Kuwait was reportedly stabbed by three unidentified persons, an online report said on Tuesday. Citing a police report, Arab Times Online reported that a Filipino man was found in a pool of blood in Al-Sawaber in Kuwait after three suspected robbers attacked him. The man was stabbed after an eyewitness raised an alarm that the three men were trying to rob the victim, said the report. It said the robbers escaped while the victim was being taken to the nearest hospital. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - Citing various policies or the lack of it, an organization of Filipino-Americans in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday accused President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of neglecting Filipinos in the United States. The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) said in a statement that the Arroyo administration is not doing anything to protect undocumented Filipinos in the US country. “Arroyo is guilty of being silent on the community demand for amnesty and legalization of 12 million immigrants in the US, the US-Arroyo regime shows its brazen puppetry," it said. According to the Migration Information Source, Filipino immigrants made up 4.4 percent of all immigrants in the US in 2006. It also said that two-thirds of the Fil-Am population were concentrated in five states: California (750,056 Filipinos - 45.8 percent), Hawaii (99,341 or 6.1 percent), New York (87,407 or 5.3 percent), Illinois (85,612 or 5.2 percent), and New Jersey (82,356, or 5.0 ...

MANILA, Philippines — At least 893 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been laid off in Taiwan and the figure could hit 2,400 by the yearend, a migrant group based in Hong Kong reported on Tuesday. The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APPM) said the workers lost their jobs after their employers declared bankruptcy as the global financial crisis hit the island-nation. By next year, some 11,500 foreign workers are expected to be retrenched and OFWs are not likely to be exempted, considering that there are about 90,000 Filipinos workers in Taiwan, it added. Based on data gathered by APPM, 93 of the workers were laid off only on Monday by Coretronics in Taipei, with branches in Kaohsiung and Taichung; 261 were employed by GRPS manufacturer Garmin in Linkou, Taipei; 46 by Kingtech in Hsinchu; 44 by Syntech in Tainan; 173 by Hanstar in Kaohsiung; 87 by Optimax; and 120 by Promos. The others are employed by Meiser in Hsinchu, 6; Monterey,27; Acme,11; Chroma,8; Hometec,6; and Gigasolution,...

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine officials are deluding themselves in claiming that the era of cheap labor in Kuwait is over, a group of migrants based in Hongkong said on Wednesday. In a press statement, the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) pointed to news reports quoting Ambassador Ricardo Endaya and Labor Attaché Josephus Jimenez as saying most Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait are now earning 109 Kuwaiti dinar or US$400 per month. Endaya was also reported saying that the Philippine government has requested employers to raise the average pay for those working in the service sector, especially in fast food chains, to at least KD120 (US$444) from the current KD85 (US$315). Jimenez, in a separate report, was quoted saying that the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) will not process the job orders of any placement agency with an absconding domestic worker housed in the Filipino Workers Resource Centre (FWRC). APMM coordinator Gi Estrada said: "That is where their ill...

MANILA, Philippines - Jobs would be awaiting more than 300 Filipino workers who were laid off in Taiwan, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assured on Friday. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the unemployed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could breathe a sigh of relief because the country is willing and able to absorb them should they return home. "We can readily absorb them, mabibigyan kaagad natin ito ng trabaho (we can immediately give them jobs)," Roque said in a radio interview. The laid off Filipino workers in Taiwan are the latest casualties in the US-led financial crisis slowly plaguing various economies in Asia. While Roque admitted that the workers were hit by the crisis since they were employed in the export industry, he allayed fears that a massive lay-off would be the trend in other countries. "We have not seen an abnormal trend. We still process an average of 2,800 contracts for outbound OFWs everyday. Compared to the same period last year, ...

MANILA, Philippines — At least 893 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been laid off in Taiwan and the figure could hit 2,400 by the yearend, a migrant group based in Hong Kong reported on Tuesday. The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APPM) said the workers lost their jobs after their employers declared bankruptcy as the global financial crisis hit the island-nation. By next year, some 11,500 foreign workers are expected to be retrenched and OFWs are not likely to be exempted, considering that there are about 90,000 Filipinos workers in Taiwan, it added. Based on data gathered by APPM, 93 of the workers were laid off only on Monday by Coretronics in Taipei, with branches in Kaohsiung and Taichung; 261 were employed by GRPS manufacturer Garmin in Linkou, Taipei; 46 by Kingtech in Hsinchu; 44 by Syntech in Tainan; 173 by Hanstar in Kaohsiung; 87 by Optimax; and 120 by Promos. The others are employed by Meiser in Hsinchu, 6; Monterey,27; Acme,11; Chroma,8; Hometec,6; and Gigasolution,...

MANILA, Philippines - Another group of Filipinos stranded in the United Arab Emirates will fly home on Tuesday night, no thanks to the Philippine government agency tasked to provide welfare and protection to distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). A press statement of the Migrante Sectoral Party (MSP) on Tuesday said the 30 OFWs are scheduled to depart from Dubai International Airport on Tuesday nightand arrive in Manila on Wednesday at about 10:30 onboard a Cathay Pacific Airlines flight. MSP vice chairperson said John Leonard Monterona said the repatriation expenses for the 30 OFWs, including the plane tickets and payment for their exit fees, cancellation fees, and penalties, were handled not by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) but by Senator Manuel Villar. He said that Villar will also pay for the fares of the workers when they go home to their respective provinces. “Indeed, this is what the 30 OFWs, like the thousands stranded in the Middle East, (have) been ...

MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino seafarers who were freed by Somali pirates last week after 62 days in captivity are scheduled to arrive Tuesday evening, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. The two Filipino seamen were among the 22-man crew of the M/T Stolt Valor, a Japan-owned and India-operated cargo ship hijacked last September 15 as it sailed off to the Gulf of Aden. DFA spokesperson Claro Cristobal said 1/E Israel Lumpas, 28, of Tacloban City and 3/E Ernesto Cuartero, 58, of Las Piñas City would be flown to Manila via CX 193 from Hong Kong around 10 p.m. The M/T Stolt Valor was released November 16 by Somali pirates after ship owners allegedly paid ransom. The number of abducted Filipino seafarers being held in waters off Somalia rose to 134 last week as the DFA confirmed the hijacking of three vessels with Filipino seamen on board. This year alone, a total of 17 vessels with Filipino crewmen were hijacked by Somali pirates, data culled from records of the DFA showed. ...

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino Muslims will showcase the "Singkil" Muslim royalty dance and six other native dances and songs at the 37th United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Day on December 2. Online news site Khaleej Times reported that the Maranao Community (Marcom) Dance Troupe will make the presentation at the amphitheatre in Mamzar. Sahron Tamano, president of the Maranao Community in UAE, said "Singkil" will be the troupe's contribution of the Filipino expatriates to the country's national day celebration. He said the dance, performed to the rhythmic clapping of bamboo poles while the dancers weave expertly through crisscrossed bamboos, will also be performed at the 4th anniversary of the founding of Maranao Community in UAE at Trader's Hotel Ballroom in the morning and at the Philippine Pavilion on the Global Village in the evening on the first day of Eid Al Adha this December. The Marcom Dance Troupe's participation on the national day is upo...

MANILA, Philippines - Like an obedient dog, she kneels on the polished floor, her face devoid of any emotion as her eyes stare blankly to space. This is how abuse on foreign domestic workers is pictured in a print advertisement campaign initiated by a television station in Saudi Arabia. Dubai-based MBC TV shouldered the cost of the three advertisements that show the various forms of abuse experienced by migrant workers, particularly domestic helpers. The TV network paid for the campaigns that began airing last week throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Kaswara al Khatib, MBC’s founder, told online website The National that abuse of domestic workers was an issue that needed to be addressed in Arab countries. “Eventually someone has to speak up and raise their voice. These people need someone to stand up for them," Khatib said. In the same report, MD Moniruzzaman a labor counselor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi, said he hoped Emiratis would be hit by the print and TV ...

NEW YORK — All citizens of the Philippines abroad, who are at least 18 years of age and who wish to vote for President, Vice-President, Senators and Party List Representatives in the May 10, 2010 Philippine elections must file applications for registration/certification as overseas absentee voters from Dec. 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009 at the Philippine Consulate General in New York. The voting period will be from April 10, 2010 until 3 p.m. Philippine time to May 10, 2010. The Philippine Consulate General is located at 556 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10036 between 45th and 46th Sts. Applicants must personally bring the following: 1. A valid Philippine Passport; 2. In the absence of a valid Philippine Passport; a) original/certified true copy and photocopy of Birth Certificate from the National Statistics Office in Manila (BC-NSO) and b) Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card");In the absence of the BC-NSO, a) original / certified true copy of non-availability of birth certificat...

MANILA, Philippines - Racism is defined as a discrimination and prejudice based on a person’s race. It is a very common and very real social problem in our world today. It can be very difficult to deal with. People are so floored by racist slurs that they do not know what to do. As a result, they end up responding negatively causing further problems. Below are a few tips that will help in dealing with racism. Tip 1 – RESPECT YOURSELF For those who haven’t directly experienced a racist attack, advice such as respecting yourself may seem futile. But, those who have landed in the thick of racially charge situations understand the need for self respect. It always goes that you cannot expect others to respect you if you don’t respect yourself. Get rid of that colonial mentality and really believe that you are as good as anybody else – regardless of the color of their skin. Once you have established inner strength, dealing with racism gets easier. You can now stand up against racial slurs an...

SUSUPE, Saipan – A group of foreign workers in the US island of Saipan is raising funds for the family of a Filipino security guard who was murdered while on night duty at the Marianas High School (MHS) on Nov. 17. The United Workers Movement NMI, which consists mainly of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), issued an open letter on Monday morning condemning the killing of Efren L. Ballesteros and launched a fundraising for the victim’s family, specifically his two youngest children who are on Saipan. "Our group condemns the killing of our fellow guest worker and the manner he was killed. The worker community of the CNMI mourns his untimely passing," United Workers Movement NMI president Irene Tantiado, of Cebu, said. Ballesteros, 45, left behind a wife and five children. The youngest is five months old who was christened on Saipan days after his father’s murder. A portion of the proceeds of the fundraising will pay for the transportation of Ballesteros’ body this week from the ...

Role models are needed to combat the "colonial mentality" persisting among Filipino-Americans AP photoSAN FRANCISCO - The more Americanized Filipino students become in the US, the worse they tend to perform in school. Such was the finding of a study of 10 urban communities across America conducted by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) of Washington, DC. Speaking at the quarterly ‘Kapihan’ (‘Coffee time’) meeting of the Philippine American Press Club (PAPC) last November 15 at the West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center in San Francisco, Dr. Anthony Ogilvie, Executive Dean of Seattle Central Community College, spoke on the key notes of the study funded by Wells Fargo providing insight on the academic performance of Filipino students in 10 US metropolitan areas namely: 1) Chicago, 2) Honolulu, 3) Jersey City, NJ, 4) Las Vegas/Clark County NV, 5) Los Angeles County area, 6) Miami-Dade County, 7) New York City, 8) San Diego, 9) San Francisco, and 10...

MANILA, Philipppines - At least 15 Filipino maids found themselves trapped in Muscat after running away from their employers in the United Arab Emirates, an online news site reported Monday. Khaleej Times reported that the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Abu Dhabi and Muscat are working to stop the transport of such workers from UAE to Oman. The report said the 15 Filipino maids who ran away from their employers in the UAE due to abuse and employers' disregard for contracts are now with the POLO in Muscat. Philippine labor attache in Abu Dhabi Nasser Munder said his office is locating partners of the 15 runaway maids' in Manila to demand air tickets for their repatriation. On the other hand, Munder also said five manpower agencies based in Dubai and Al Ain were found transporting runaway Filipino maids from UAE to Muscat. He said the agencies had been supplying these workers to Omani employers already blacklisted by the POLO there. "We have already met with thes...

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are about to leave or enter United States of America (USA) are reminded that there are strict travel policies that they must follow to avoid hassles and embarrassment. Be reminded that a wise traveler is always aware of the immigration rules and travel advisory of any country they wish to visit. As Filipinos are used to helping out one another and are fond of giving gifts, balikbayans in the Philippines or those about to go to abroad would always have pasalubong or padalas with them. There is nothing wrong with that but do check all items that you are carrying including contents of packed items so you avoid violating any travel policy. Here’s a list of some of the prohibited items that a traveler cannot bring in the land of Stars and Stripes. Cash amounting to more than USD 10,000: This is included in the list of things that you cannot bring when traveling to and from America. Immigration policy in US states that it is illegal to import and export o...

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) set to go on a vacation to the Philippines this December are advised by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to secure their exit clearances early. They can do this by going to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in their respective host countries before their flight back to the Philippines. By taking care of their exit clearances even before arriving to the Philippines, they don’t need to go the POEA office in Ortigas to get clearances when it is time for them to return to their host county. It will also prevent long lines and crowds at the POEA so the OFWs and the government agency are spared of the holiday hassle. Accoding to Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili long lines at the Balik-Manggagawa Processing Center has long been a common sight at the POEA office after the holiday season. OFWs that are going back to their provinces may get their exit clearance in POEA offices located in Cla...

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it would ink a deal with the government of South Australia to make jobs available to Filipinos. In a statement, Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque said that preparations are under way for the deployment of workers to South Australia. The program would be similar to previous agreements with various provinces of Canada. The South Australia deal would also "facilitate the flow of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families." The Labor department signed deals with four provinces of Canada this year namely Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. These deals would provide safe and ethical recruitment avenues for OFWs and provide protection for workers and human resource development programs, which would upgrade the skills of OFWs. Mr. Roque said that the agreement with South Australia would provide more opportunities for workers that could be laid off due to the global financial crisis. H...

MANILA, Philipppines - At least 15 Filipino maids found themselves trapped in Muscat after running away from their employers in the United Arab Emirates, an online news site reported Monday. Khaleej Times reported that the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Abu Dhabi and Muscat are working to stop the transport of such workers from UAE to Oman. The report said the 15 Filipino maids who ran away from their employers in the UAE due to abuse and employers' disregard for contracts are now with the POLO in Muscat. Philippine labor attache in Abu Dhabi Nasser Munder said his office is locating partners of the 15 runaway maids' in Manila to demand air tickets for their repatriation. On the other hand, Munder also said five manpower agencies based in Dubai and Al Ain were found transporting runaway Filipino maids from UAE to Muscat. He said the agencies had been supplying these workers to Omani employers already blacklisted by the POLO there. "We have already met with thes...

MANILA, Philippines - Aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are now allowed to organize or join labor unions in their destination countries after the 33-year-old exemption on migrant workers was recently lifted by the Philippine government, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque told GMANews.TV that the prohibition for Filipino migrants to join labor unions was scrapped recently from the OFWs’ model employment contract and would be fully implemented next year. Roque explained that the Philippines adopted the rule in 1975 when the Iranian government under the Shah, declared joining or forming trade unions illegal in the Gulf country. Since then, the rule has been followed by other Gulf countries and was placed in the OFW’s contract. The Labor chief was quick to clarify, however, that despite the erasure of the prohibition, OFWs are still required to follow the laws of their destination country. Most countries in the Middle East such as th...

Democrats in the Philippines celebrate after Barack Obama was declared the winner in the US presidential elections. Benjie CastroMANILA, Philippines - After the dust has settled in the historic US presidential race, Filipinos all over the globe not only witnessed the possibility that a man of color could be elevated to the White House but also that their vote - at least in efficient democratic countries - counts. While the Philippines’ own presidential elections has yet to unfold in the next two years, overseas Filipinos couldn’t help but compare the glaring differences on how the US conducts its elections. "The elections there are lightning fast," said Aurelia Holandes, a 78-year-old grandmother who has relatives in the US. “In the Philippines, the results are known in a month, and even then not all votes are counted. But in the US it only takes one day, one day I tell you." Pinoys have never felt more valued during Election Day in the US where votes are electronically ...

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of Filipino-Americans coming from as far as San Diego and the state of Arizona were here to see Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday night, only to be dismayed when told that she was not coming. On her way to Peru for the 16th Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, President Arroyo was to make a brief stopover in Los Angeles to address a reception of the Filipino-American community at Sheraton Gateway Hotel. However, she failed to make it after her plane made an unscheduled stop in Osaka, Japan when First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo fell ill. Philippine Ambassador Willy Gaa, speaking on the President’s behalf, said Mrs. Arroyo regrets not being able to visit Los Angeles. He said that the Philippines honors the contributions of the Filipino-Americans. Gaa then urged the community to continue to support the campaign for the Filipino WWII Veterans who need recognition and pension. Likewise, he congratulated those who successfully organi...

MANILA, Philippines - A migrant rights advocate on Friday urged concerned offices to investigate the jailing of Filipino worker Pedro “Jamil" Mabanto, who was falsely accused of killing a colleague in Saudi Arabia. Joseph Espiritu of the OFW-SOS group and Patnubay.com, a site for overseas workers, said the inquiry should pinpoint who among the personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila were responsible so that they could be sanctioned. Mabanto suffered more than three years in jail because certain Embassy and DFA functionaries failed to present to the Saudi court medical certificates showing that the Filipino worker Mabanto was accused of killing actually died of a heart attack, Espiritu said. “As an OFW, I would like to demand the ouster of the Embassy officials, Oumwa officials who handled this case for being irresponsible, insensitive and for being corrupt," he said in an e-mail to Vice President Noli de Castro, Sen....

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - The Philippine Consulate General here is in the thick of preparations to assist Filipino pilgrims for this year’s Haj in Makkah. Consul General Ezzedin Tago said that about 4,000 Filipino Muslim pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s Haj, which will be in December. The Haj is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world and is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in an Islam devotee's lifetime if he or she can afford it and is able to do so. The first batch of Filipino pilgrim arrived at the Haj terminal of the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on November 11. Tago said that consulate personnel are all set to assist the pilgrims from their arrival up to their return to the Philippines. The Saudi government has also reportedly expressed its willingness to assist the consulate. He also said that despite the exhaustion brought about by the long trip to Saudi Arabia, most pilgrims still seem to be...

MANILA, Philippines - Canada's British Columbia (BC) has recently elected its first Filipino politician, an online report said. Rod Belleza, 57, is believed to be the first Filipino elected into BC's board of education after receiving a total of 12,414 votes, a report on BC Local News said. A candidate from the Richmond Independent Team of Electors (RITE), he was reportedly all smiles after the final results flashed on a computer monitor last weekend. Belleza said that the result was "overwhelming." "I share the passion, I share the desire to serve the people — bringing the board closer to the people," he said in the report. Belleza immigrated to Canada in 1980. The newly elected board member said that healthier, safer schools are big on his agenda. Moreover, he said he wants to see a school program aimed at developing life skills and leadership in its students. Joining him on the school board are his RITE running mates Chak Au and Carol Day. Meanwhile, thos...

MANILA, Philippines - At least three Filipinos were killed in separate road incidents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)in the last four days, an online news site reported Saturday. Khaleej Times reported that the three expatriates died just a few months after they started working there. Philippine Consul General Benito Valeriano in Dubai said employers of the three are contacting the victims' families and preparing for the repatriation to the Philippines. Christine Catchellar, 21, a hairdresser, was a back rider on a motorcycle when the bike crashed into a vehicle last Nov. 13, and was thrown off the bike. A second worker, house helper Gloria Estrada Bacanay, 40, had just got down from a bus in front of Ansar Mall in Sharjah when a speeding car hit her at around 8 p.m. Nov. 14. Bacanay, a single mother, used to work as a quality controller in a factory in Baguio City, but left for Sharjah to work as a maid just to save for her daughter's future. Joselito Pataksil, her brother-i...

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines — Saudi Arabia is in need of some 2,000 Muslim nurses, with a top official in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) calling on its professional nurses to grab this opportunity. Datu Aladdin I. Ampatuan, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration-ARMM acting director, said that nurses are needed in hospitals in the cities of Medina and Mecca. He lamented, however, a shortage of skilled applicants like engineers and construction workers in the area. Owing to this, Mr. Ampatuan asked the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to provide skills training to those interested to work in the construction industry. There is a stiff competition from other countries in as far as the quality of construction workers is concerned that’s why we need to upgrade our manpower’s skills so that we will not be left out, he said. - BusinessWorld

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - A Filipino domestic helper who left her family in Mindoro to work in Saudi Arabia only last August was sent home earlier this week after exhibiting signs of insanity, Philippine officials in Jeddah said. Arlene (not her real name), 33, an OFW from Oriental Mindoro, arrived in Jeddah on August 3 to work as a domestic helper for the family of a Saudi pilot. Welfare Officer Romualdo Exmundo of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Jeddah said that Arlene's employer took the maid to the Philippine Consulate on Oct. 15 to seek help, saying she started acting strangely after only a month at work. Nagmakaawa ang (asawa ng) employer na iwan muna sa OWWA si Arlene dahil hindi na nga raw nila kaya lalo pa't laging nasa labas ang employer niya na isang piloto (Her employer’s wife pleaded that Arlene stays at the OWWA shelter because they cannot take care of her anymore, especially since pilot employer is always not at home)," said Exmundo. The w...