KAKAMMPI News

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo handed out a total of 33 checks worth P2.7-million to displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Mindanao as a way to help them rebuild their lives as entrepreneurs. Of the 33, two checks worth P313,500 went to displaced OFWs from Lanao del Norte under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating mga Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) project, Malacañang said in a statement. During Arroyo’s Thursday visit to Cagayan de Oro, she handed out another check amounting to P573,000 to jobless residents from Lanao del Norte under the government’s Integrated Services for Livelihood Assistance for Marginalized Fisherfolk. The remaining 30 checks worth P50,000 each were distributed to OFWs from Davao, Northern Mindanao and the Caraga region. Ten OFWs were selected from the three regions. Aside from the livelihood package, Arroyo also handed out a number of PGMA Scholarship Program vouchers to retrain displaced OFWs in Mindanao. The President also took ti...

MANILA, Philippines - The UK Border Agency International Group (Ukbaig) has announced that it will be limiting the number of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) student visa applications that will be accepted at the British Embassy in Manila. NVQs are vocational awards in England and Wales that are achieved through assessment and training wherein the practical qualifications are based on one’s capacity to do a job. It also has five levels which focus from the basic work activities to senior management. In a memo, the Ukabaig said that instructions have already been given to their commercial partner, VFS Global who operates the Manila Visa Application Center, to put the restrictions into immediate effect. “Our reason for doing so is the overwhelming increase in the number of applications that we have received over the past year," it said. Apparently, the volume of applications rose to 47,000 in 2008 – a 22 percent increase from the previous year. And in order to ensure that a...

MANILA, Philippines - Two senators asked for an investigation into the alleged extortion by several officials on aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). In separate resolutions, Senators Manuel Villar Jr and Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada sought an inquiry into the alleged corrupt practices of several officials from the NAIA, Bureau of Immigration and National Bureau of Investigation personnel in the area. Citing reports reaching his office, Villar said at least 500 OFWs failed to leave for the Middle East since January after failing to shell out “grease money" for the said officials. Some properly documented Dubai and Kuwait-bound workers were allegedly stopped by airport authorities to board their planes, Villar said, even though they have been “thoroughly processed." “And that, even after verifying the documents and securing boarding passes, the NBI and BI agents at the airport departure gates stop OFWs on suspicion of ...

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of a consul in Canada. In a radio interview Friday, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the Palace still has no information on the circumstances surrounding the death of Consul Eloy Luis Bello, 38. "Para maka-follow up agad [We have to follow this up], we direct the DFA to look into that immediately and find out what really happened," Remonde said in an interview on dzXL radio. Bello, 38, was found lifeless after police forced their way to his flat in Canada. No additional details were provided, including whether foul play was involved. Sources from the DFA earlier said Bello could have died from heart attack or died in his sleep after he went home early from work the previous day. Once the autopsy is completed by authorities there, Bello’s remains would be flown to Manila. He served for two years as a foreign service worker in Vienna in Austr...

MANILA, Philippines - M. Lhullier Financial Services Inc. and US-based Moneygram International Inc. entered into a partnership that will allow Filipinos working abroad and their beneficiaries to send and receive remittances in dollars on a 24-hour basis. The agreement, signed on Thursday in Manila, will allow individuals to “hold the greenback for speculation, in hopes that it would go up," said Michael Lhuiller, vice president of M. Lhuilier Financial Services Inc. The service is in demand, he added. Under the partnership, Minneapolis-headquartered MoneyGram would facilitate the transfer of dollar remittances to all 1,200 M. Lhuiller pawnshops throughout the Philippines. The launch is set for April 2009. John Hempsey, CEO of MoneyGram International, said they have competitive remittance rates for OFWs. MoneyGram, with its 176,000 locations worldwide, only charges $14 for every $1,500 sent from Malaysia while they charge only $9.99 for every $500 sent from the US, Hempsey explaine...

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino foreign service official was found dead inside his apartment room in Ottawa, Canada, sources from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Consul Eloy Luis Bello, 38, was found lifeless after police forced their way to his flat. No additional details were provided. DFA insiders said that autopsy is being conducted by Canadian authorities to find out if foul play was involved in Bello’s death. Foreign Affairs acting spokesperson Eduardo Malaya was surprised about the news when GMANews.TV interviewed him on the phone on Thursday and said he would still confirm the details. Meanwhile, the same DFA sources said that Bello could have died from heart attack or died in his sleep after he went home early from work the previous day. Once the autopsy is completed, Bello’s remains would be flown to Manila. He served for two years as a foreign service worker in Vienna in Austria prior to his stint in Canada. He is survived by his parents former Ambassador Eloy...

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino foreign service official was found dead inside his apartment room in Ottawa, Canada, sources from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Consul Eloy Luis Bello, 38, was found lifeless after police forced their way to his flat. No additional details were provided. DFA insiders said that autopsy is being conducted by Canadian authorities to find out if foul play was involved in Bello’s death. Foreign Affairs acting spokesperson Eduardo Malaya was surprised about the news when GMANews.TV interviewed him on the phone on Thursday and said he would still confirm the details. Meanwhile, the same DFA sources said that Bello could have died from heart attack or died in his sleep after he went home early from work the previous day. Once the autopsy is completed, Bello’s remains would be flown to Manila. He served for two years as a foreign service worker in Vienna in Austria prior to his stint in Canada. He is survived by his parents former Ambassador Eloy...

MANILA, Philippines — Relatives of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who reportedly committed suicide in Hong Kong have asked Philippine authorities to investigate her death. Online news site Visayan Daily Star (www.visayandailystar.com) reported Teddy Tarossa, 63, wants to know the cause of death of his daughter Ma. Elena. The remains of Ma. Elena, 27, arrived in Valladolid town in Negros Occidental last Tuesday. Her cousin Rey Limin said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) claimed Ma. Elena died while in the custody of her recruitment agency last Feb. 10. Limin said Ma. Elena, the third of four siblings, had been working in Hong Kong since June 2008. But Ma. Elena’s father said their family does not believe she killed herself because of the conflicting statements given by her recruitment agency. He said the agency initially told them that Ma. Elena, who is single, was found lifeless in her room. But he said it later claimed she fell from the rooftop of the shelter while hanging s...

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will fete overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in a nationwide celebration of Migrants Sunday in La Union province. An article on the CBCP Web site (www.cbcpnews.com) said the celebration this Sunday will be held at Christ the King College High School in San Fernando, La Union. “We want to create a greater awareness for the celebration of migrant Sunday because many people do not understand the reason behind the celebration," CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and itinerant People (ECMI) executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros said. Corros said they expect around 1,500 families of OFWs to participate in the affair. He said the theme for this year's Migrant Sunday, which the Catholic Church observes on the first Sunday of Lent, is “The Sacrifices of the Filipino Migrants mirror the journey of St. Paul." Corros said the CBCP decided to mark the occasion outside Metro Manil...

MANILA, Philippines — Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) attended a seminar on self-defense in Israel recently, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday. An article on the DFA Web site (www.dfa.gov.ph) said Philippine Ambassador Petronila Garcia also attended the seminar facilitated by arnis instructors in Israel. Jon Escudero, arnis master instructor (guro); Neta Shermister and arnis practitioners in Israel taught the indigenous Filipino martial art to participants. The training included single stick techniques (solo baston), double stick techniques (doble baston), stick and knife or dagger techniques (espada y daga) and knife techniques (daga). Escudero stressed the importance of learning the fundamentals of self defense to escape and evade life-threatening situations. But he also emphasized that practitioners should also develop a sense of responsibility and self-restraint in using martial arts skills in everyday life. - GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has sent a three-member team to South Korea to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) facing retrenchment there to find other employment. DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque said the team has instructions to prepare OFWs before they actually lose their jobs by offering them other work opportunities. An article on the DOLE Web site said the team includes personnel from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO). Roque cited DOLE Administrative Order No. 42 that says the team would coordinate with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Seoul in identifying firms in Korea that have OFWs who are likely to lose their jobs due to global financial crisis' impact. The team would immediately meet with vulnerable OFWs in the identified firms to do skills profiling, job matching and referrals. Roque said job ...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - After waiting for one whole year, a mentally ill overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Jeddah has finally returned to the Philippines. Monira Badam Mama, a Filipino domestic helper from Talayan, Maguindanao, went home on a flight via Gulf Air on Monday night and was set to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on Tuesday afternoon with welfare officer Romualdo Exmundo. Mama is one of the many distressed OFWs who have sought refuge at the shelter for distressed workers inside the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah. Because of her condition, she can’t even remember the name of her four-year-old son and to what countries she has previously worked. According to the records of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Mama was brought to the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah on February 18, 2008. OWWA volunteer Jennebel Cuaresma said that Mama was already mentally unstable when they admitted her to the shelter, officially called the Filipin...

SAN ANTONIO, Saipan – Over 40 percent or 118 of the 293 “overstayers" in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are Filipinos, according to the latest list released by the CNMI Department of Labor. “Overstayers" are those who have overstayed the permission granted to them upon their entry into the CNMI for employment purposes. “Persons in an overstayer status are required to depart the commonwealth immediately," the department said. The CNMI is currently home to some 10,000 overseas Filipino workers and Filipino-Americans. The rest of the overstayers are from China, Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh and other Asian countries. Labor said persons who depart the CNMI voluntarily are eligible to return, but once an overstayer is deported, he is no longer eligible to return to the islands. Foreigners whose names may have been erroneously added to the list are asked to report to the CNMI Labor on or before Feb. 23 to correct their records. A private lawyer, however, cal...

GARAPAN, Saipan – Ten Filipina dancers in the US island of Saipan filed a lawsuit against their former employers for unfair labor practices including false imprisonment, forced work during days off, non-payment of overtime compensation, and unauthorized salary deductions. The complainants were previous employees of the now defunct Club Jama, which used to be one of the most popular strip clubs in Saipan. It is legal in Saipan for women to dance naked in front of customers, but prostitution is against the law. On December 2007, Saipan police and Department of Labor investigators raided an apartment where six Club Jama dancers said they were being falsely imprisoned. Club Jama co-owner Ernest J. Strange denied the allegation, but his club never reopened since the day of the raid. As of Monday, Strange and his wife Thelma have not been charged in court. The overseas Filipino workers asked the US District Court for Northern Mariana Islands to order Club Jama and the Strange couple to give ...

MANILA, Philippines - Despite efforts of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) at giving out loans to deserving laid-off overseas Filipino workers, a lawmaker is urging the government to give scholarships to their children. Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin Remulla asked the OWWA to look into the possibility of giving free education to the children of retrenched OFWs. Remulla said that most Filipinos go out of the country for work to provide and sustain the education of their children. "How can these children now go to school if they don’t even have money for transportation, allowance and for books because their parents, who are working abroad, were laid-off?" Remulla said. The Cavite lawmaker requested the OWWA to give “preferential attention" to the educational needs of the displaced workers’ children “instead of their program for scholarship grants available only to the first 1,000 applicants." He also proposed that the OWWA put up an assistance ...

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government is conducting free one-day seminars that would help displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) create businesses that would fit their skills. On February 25, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), will conduct a seminar at the PTTC building located at Sen. Gil Puyat cor. Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City especially for OFWs. Besides discussing entrepreneurship, the program will assist participants in establishing their own businesses and access loans to support their operations. Topics to be discussed during the event will cover franchising, distributorship, dealership, and pig raising; and skills training on commercial baking like pan de sal, ensaymada, pan de coco including no bake cakes. Participants will also be able to attend the training sessions regarding meat processing such as siomai, hamburger, and siopao production, candle making, and the production of soap and similar...

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-one of some 61 Filipino masons and carpenters stranded in the United Arab Emirates have flown home after their South Korean employer paid their due wages and shouldered their travel expenses. Online news site Khaleej Times reported a labor arbiter at the Ministry of Labor gave the company 15 days to pay all outstanding dues as well as the air tickets. The report said the remaining Filipino workers are expected to leave for the Philippines once the company accomplishes the needed paperwork. Also, the report said a general contractor, Bolim, has offered new jobs to at least 14 workers. Meanwhile, a final batch of three workers working for a private company at Business Bay Crossing and other projects also left for Manila last Friday. But one of the three who were left out when their co-workers departed from Dubai in two batches, said the payment for their air tickets was deducted from their last pay. "We do not have enough cash to go to our provinces from...

MANILA, Philippines - A 33-year-old Filipino now faces trial in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly raping a Filipino household helper in September last year. Online news site Khaleej Times reported the man's case was brought before the Criminal Court of First Instance on Sunday. Court records showed the man, who the report did not name, allegedly lured the maid to his apartment in International City and raped her on September 21 last year. The woman said that on that day, she called the defendant to pick her up from her workplace at Arabian Ranches. She said she had wanted him to drop her at the airport to receive her sister whose flight was to arrive at 9:30 p.m. But the man stopped at a gas petrol station on Emirates Road and offered her a drink. After taking the drink, the woman said she felt dizzy and unable to move. On the way, he told her that there was still time and he wanted to go to his place to have dinner, and they went to his apartment. After dinner, the man laid o...

MANILA, Philippines - offA total of 50 laid off overseas Filipino workers had a new lease on life as they were awarded loans by the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA). OWWA chief Carmelita Dimzon told GMANews.TV on Monday that the loans ranged from P30,000 to P50,000. All of the 50 OFWs had been working in Taiwan before the US-led economic crisis forced the export-dependent country to slowdown and lay-off migrant workers. “We gave them the loans on condition that they would set up a business and become entrepreneurs," Dimzon said in an interview. The loans would be paid within 24-months with a five percent annual interest. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque was quoted in reports as saying that 5,400 OFWs had returned home since October 2008 as casualties of the global economic crisis. Most of the workers were laid off from Taiwan and the Middle East. Recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani warned that Dubai, one of the top Filipino destinations in the United Arab Emirat...

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos intending to work in China not only have to secure a valid work permit but also a residence visa to avoid imprisonment, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned. Citing reports from its Philippine consular office in Shanghai, the DFA said that "Filipino nationals" are being detained by law enforcement authorities in China on the charge of illegal residence in China. GMANews.TV tried calling DFA spokeserson Bayani Mangibin for additional information but was unable to get a response as of posting time. The DFA meanwhile told aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to remind their Chinese employers to facilitate the procurement of a residence permit for them. As stated under Article 16 of the Regulation on the Implementation of Law of the People's Republic of China: "Chapter III - Residence - Article - Aliens who hold the visas marked with "D", "Z" and "X" must, within 10 days of entry, go through the...

MANILA, Philippines- Filipinos planning to exit through the border of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman should double-check their travel agency, Philippine labor officials in the UAE advised. Online news site Khaleej Times also reported a Philippine team is now investigating at least three "fixer" telephone numbers. "Filipinos should avoid them at all cost," said Labor Attaché Jeffrey Cortazar, head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) help desk mission from Manila. Cortazar said these three suspected "fixer" telephone numbers are 04-2739555, 050-4209378, 050-4397547. He said the Philippine team can be contacted in Al Buraimi on hotline 00968-96903452. In issuing the advice to double-check the travel agent, Cortazar said this mean the difference between a few days and several months in waiting for a visa. He issued the advice after a three-week investigation and fact-finding mission at the Al-Buraimi border. According to him, the team found onl...

MANILA, Philippines — Labor Secretary Marianito Roque on Saturday said the Philippines could look forward to sending some 30,000 Filipino workers to southern Australia every year with an agreement soon to be signed. Roque said the Philippine government, through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is set to sign an agreement with Southern Australia after the Holy Week. “We will be signing an agreement with Southern Australia to allow the entry of Filipino workers. This is what we called Adelite, mostly in mining, transport equipment operators and all other skills involving the mining community," Roque said on Vice President Noli De Castro’s weekly radio program “Para sayo Bayan." Roque said Southern Australia wants to get Filipino workers only. “In Southern Australia, they will get 30,000 Filipino workers (every year). All of these will be with working visas for the next ten years. So, in the next ten years, we would be able to send 300,000 Filipino workers. Austral...

MANILA, Philippines — Five Filipinas who are victims of white slavery in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, are in need of urgent help from the Philippine government, a migrant group said on Thursday. Migrante-Middle East identified the victims, but GMANews.TV is withholding their names to protect their honor. John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator, said the victims have sought the help of Migrante-Riyadh to bail them out of their deplorable situations. He said Migrante-Riyadh has already sent a letter to Labor Attaché Resty Dela Fuente , head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh, to look into the case and extend immediate assistance to the distressed women. “They need immediate assistance. Some of the victims are not well and haven't been brought to the hospital for proper medical care," Monterona said. The five were among the 30 Filipina domestic helpers recruited by an agency named C.Y. DUBAI/Al Fais Agency under employer Abu Aggaf for ...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Distressed OFWs currently staying inside the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah got a pleasant surprise recently when a concerned Filipina celebrated her birthday with them, it was learned on Saturday. Welfare officer Romeo Pablo of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said the woman asked to celebrate her birthday with the distressed OFWs to share with them food and other personal gifts. "As far as I remember it was the first time an overseas Filipino worker celebrated her birthday party with the less fortunate OFWs. Her style is different, not all people will celebrate a birthday like she did," Pablo said. The celebrator, who requested not to be named, brought a variety of food and assorted goods, medicines and sacks of rice to more than 50 distressed OFWs staying in the OWWA’s Filipino Workers Resource Center inside the consulate’s compound. Pablo said the celebrator also organized some parlor games, during which she gave cash prize...

MANILA, Philippines — A group of migrant workers in New Zealand urged the Philippine government on Saturday to scale down its promotion of Filipino nurses as export products, saying such policy is backfiring against Pinoys. Amie Dural, spokesperson Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand, said the export policy is not only to blame for the crisis gripping the Philippine health system but also leading nurse-importing countries to impose stricter standards on Filipino nurses. "We cannot blame the nurse-importing countries like New Zealand, Canada, Britain and others for imposing stricter standards on Filipino nurses. No less than the Philippine government’s promotion of nurses as export products is to blame for the perception of New Zealand and other countries that the quality of Filipino nurses has deteriorated because of the proliferation of nursing schools in the Philippines," said Dural. She blamed the government's desperate bid for more dollar-earning Filipinos. "It is depl...

MANILA, Philippines - The labor recruitment sector has joined calls for a moratorium on tuition increases to protect children of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the economic crunch. Loreto B. Soriano, executive director of the Federated Association of Manpower Exports, said raising tuition is insensitive to the plight of OFWs. "We keep sending OFWs to be able to pay for their children’s education but all the schools want is to profit from their hardship," said Mr. Soriano in a statement. He added schools should offer more technical and vocational courses to improve worker skills. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has asked colleges and universities to reconsider increasing tuition amid reports 258 schools have said they will raise fees for the incoming school year. Meanwhile. Mr. Soriano said CHED should close under-performing institutions and limit the number of nursing schools. "Foreign chambers of commerce in the Philippines have complained of job...

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 37 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have ended their ordeals overseas as they returned to the Philippines on Thursday. Thirty-one of the 37 Filipino workers who came back home were domestic helpers who complained of abuse from their employers in Saudi Arabia. Helen Sarasaen told GMA News that she worked for ten months as a domestic helper in the Saudi Arabian capital city, Riyadh, but not once did she receive pay or food for her service. “Mahirap mag-abroad, sana mabigyan kami ng trabaho, sana mabigyan ng pagkakataon, mahirap talaga doon," she said in a report aired over Q’s Balitanghali. [It’s really hard to work abroad. I hope we would be given jobs, I hope we would still be given a chance, it’s really difficult to work there.] Domestic helper Judith Camporedondo suffered the same fate as she was not paid by her employer either, prompting her to run away and decide not to work abroad anymore. “Nagpunta 'dun para maghanap ng pera ganun pa rin, ...

MANILA, Philippines - A 25-year-old Filipino man will be fined $500 (more than P24,000) or be jailed for one month after he pleaded guilty to failing to show his passport upon entering Brunei, the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate Court has said. According to the Borneo Bulletin, defendant Rolly Robles Ambal failed to show his passport to the Kula Lurah Immigration Control Post when he entered the Brunei on January 3 from Sarawak, Malaysia. Under Brunei laws, entering without a passport is considered an offense under section 3 (1) of the Passports Act, Chapter 146 and is punishable under section 12 (2) of the same act that institutes a fine of $5,000 or more than P240,000 and imprisonment of three years. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - Citing security concerns, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cautioned Filipinos Friday against traveling to the West Bank and the Gaza strip. The DFA said the current ceasefire in the Gaza Strip remains fragile, as hostilities between Israeli forces and Hamas continue with rocket fires and airstrikes. "Filipinos who travel to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip despite this Travel Warning do so at their own risk. Without a Philippine Embassy or official representation inside the territory, the Philippine Government will be unable to assist its nationals inside Gaza should violence escalate," it said. It warned of the unpredictable occurrence of rocket and mortar launches, gunfire and other military activities, which it said make travels to those areas dangerous. - GMANews.TV

CHICAGO — Officials of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) are going to the Philippines to spell out the details of how Filipino veterans can get their benefits, it was learned Tuesday. Phil Budahn, spokesman of the Office of Public Information of the US DVA office in Washington, D.C., told this reporter in a phone interview that “the details of the mechanics on how a Filipino veteran can get the benefits will be announced by VA officers, who will be traveling to the Philippines." Budahn said details of the trip are still being finalized and will be announced soon. When asked if the VA has already a list of the recipients, he declined to answer. Budahn made the announcement on the day that President Barack Obama signed the $787-billion Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that includes the grant of long-awaited benefits for Filipino World War II veterans. President Obama signed the bill in Denver, Colorado. Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Filner (California-Democrat), chai...

02/18/2009 | 03:40 PM MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Noli De Castro on Wednesday said six of the nine Filipino seafarers reportedly stranded in Lagos, Nigeria, will arrive in Manila Thursday. The announcement came after De Castro - who is also adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers - had ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the local manning agency that contracted the seamen to bring home the group immediately. The Filipinos were part of the 18-man crew of M/T Meredith, and who were said to have escaped from an attack by armed pirates on January 21 at Bonny Terminal in Nigeria. “The families of the seafarers informed our office that their loved ones have already been transferred from a supply boat (EVA 2) to a tugboat (Gallant) and now on their way to Lomé Port in Ghana, West Africa. They reported that 3 of them were not able to join the group that will be repatriated as they were the ones left to man M/T Meredith. We confirmed this with Seagem and with th...

MANILA, Philippines — A government troubleshooting team sent to the United Arab Emirates lashed out at a militant migrant group for its signature drive questioning a benefit fund for laid-off workers. Online news site Khaleej Times (www.khaleejtimes.com) reported that Labor Attaché Jeffrey Cortazar questioned Migrante Middle East's claims of alleged misappropriations of the fund. "Do your homework. Do some pencil pushing instead of maligning government efforts without any basis at all," said Cortazar, head of the labor department's help desk mission in Buraimi. He noted Migrante had been critical of everything the government is doing, but refuses to acknowledge the fact that the OFW funds doubled within a year under Labor Secretary Marianito Roque. Cortazar said the fund had doubled from P5 billion (Dh500 million) to P10 billion (Dh1 billion). "I am sure Migrante knows that. Only it chooses to be silent about what is positive and good," he said. Earlier, Mig...

Time might be running out for the 20,000 remaining Filipino World War II veterans who are already in their 80s. MANILA, Philippines - With time running out on the remaining Filipino World War II veterans, claimants to the lump sum benefits should be thankful for receiving something rather than nothing. Sandiganbayan retired Justice Manuel Pamaran, vice president of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP), said time was of the essence for the surviving war veterans whose average age is 80. "The veterans are fast dying," Pamaran told GMANews.TV on Wednesday. "See, it’s better than nothing." US President Barack Obama signed into law on Wednesday (Manila time) the $787-billion stimulus package. The US Embassy in Manila broke the good news to the war veterans that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was included in the signed bill. "The US Department of Veterans Affairs Manila Regional Office will also be conducting extensive outreach, within...

MANILA, Philippines — Migrants group today urged the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) to blacklist Sage International, a Taiwanese broker for intimidating, exploiting and overcharging OFWs of Jia Chiarng Company. The employer and Philippine agency should likewise be banned for the same offenses. The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) at the same time called on MECO not to accept the proposal of Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) of a new contract between brokers and migrant workers that would make the former the only legal and labor representatives of the latter among others. Many of these brokers are like Sage International and all of them represent the interests of employers and not the migrant workers. APMM said four OFWs — Revilla de Jesus, Michelle Hernaez, Leticia Manalo and Evangeline Ayoc of Jia Chiarng Company — sought refuge at a shelter after they were threatened by the broker to have police arrest them for allegedly issuing a death threat to one of ...

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos in Macau and Hongkong on Wednesday deplored the Commission on Elections’s failure to send a registration unit to Macau and the continued non-functioning of most units in Hong Kong to enable them to register for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV). Buhay Bangcawayan, secretary-general of Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) Hong Kong, said OAV registration has yet to start in Macau because no funding was provided by the Comelec for the shipment of the required machines from HK. “To make matters worse, only two units of the registration machine in HK were operational for two weeks since registration started in February 1," she said. Bangcawayan expressed apprehension that many OFWs will not be able to exercise their right to vote next year if the the Comeec and Philippine Embassy officials do not put their acts together. She said the registration has already been delayed by two months. The OAV registration, which ends on August 31, 2009, was supposed to start Dec....

MANILA, Philippines - An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was injured while working in Saudi Arabia has returned to the Philippines. QTV's Balitanghali reported on Tuesday that Filipino worker Arnold Vicena came to the Kingdom in 2007 to work as driver but was forced to stop after he met an accident in April 2008. His truck reportedly burst in flames when it hit a loose electric cable along a street, burning his skin and amputating his left leg and fingers on the left hand. After he got well enough to travel, his employer sent him home, saying he cannot work in such a condition anymore. A recent case study of work-related injuries in Saudi Arabia conducted by migrant group OFW-SOS and Patnubay.com, a Web site for OFWs, indicated that drivers, construction workers, and field engineers are the workers most prone to injuries. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Saudi Arabia is asking the public to help look for his daughter whom he hasn’t seen for more than 13 years now. In an e-mail sent to GMA 7, Armando Casas Soliman of Sampaloc, Manila said that he hasn’t seen his daughter, Joanna Marie Resureccion, since 1995. “Nagbakasakali ako sa inyo na matulungan n'yo ako. Kahit po sana mailathala sa balita ang hangad kong makita ang anak ko," he said in the e-mail. (I was hoping that you would be able to help, if you could just come out with a news item about my wish to see my daughter again.) Soliman said the last address of his daughter, who is now about 22 years old, was at M9V 4V9 Rexdale, Ontario, Canada. For any information, Soliman could be reached at telephone number +966503024575 or e-mail at armansoliman@yahoo.com. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Attention, all stranded or distressed Filipinos in Saudi Arabia who wish to go back to the Philippines: Don’t take the so-called “Jeddah backdoor exit" because it no longer exists and the host government currently has no amnesty offer for overstayers. This warning comes from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, which expressed alarm that the number of Filipinos congregating under an overpass in Jeddah in hopes of being deported is again reportedly increasing. "The rumors are baseless and untrue and it was just being spread by unscrupulous individuals who would like to take advantage of innocent and distressed overstaying Filipino expatriates, who in their eagerness to go back to the Philippines in any way whatsoever including the so called backdoor which is actually nonexistent are ready to part with their hard-earned money," Consul General Ezzedin Tago said in a press statement. Tago also asked leaders of responsible Filipino community grou...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Attention, all stranded or distressed Filipinos in Saudi Arabia who wish to go back to the Philippines: Don’t take the so-called “Jeddah backdoor exit" because it no longer exists and the host government currently has no amnesty offer for overstayers. This warning comes from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, which expressed alarm that the number of Filipinos congregating under an overpass in Jeddah in hopes of being deported is again reportedly increasing. "The rumors are baseless and untrue and it was just being spread by unscrupulous individuals who would like to take advantage of innocent and distressed overstaying Filipino expatriates, who in their eagerness to go back to the Philippines in any way whatsoever including the so called backdoor which is actually nonexistent are ready to part with their hard-earned money," Consul General Ezzedin Tago said in a press statement. Tago also asked leaders of responsible Filipino community grou...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Cardiac arrest is still the number one cause of death of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in western Saudi Arabia, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah has said. Consul General Ezzedin Tago said a total of 154 Filipinos have died in the region last year alone, 85 or 55 percent of whom died of cardiac arrest and other cardiovascular illnesses. Consulate personnel said the figure could be more than double if other parts of Saudi Arabia were included. Data for the entire kingdom were not immediately available but the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh usually reported far bigger numbers in previous years. The embassy covers the capital city as well as the Central and the Eastern regions, including the key cities of Dammam and Alkhobar. With the latest statistics, Consul General Tago has urged Filipinos within his jurisdiction and other OFWs in the kingdom take extra care in their food intake and daily activities. Medical Moreover, it advised OFWs to regularly monitor...

MANILA, Philippines - An alliance of overseas Filipino workers' organizations in the Middle East warned Tuesday that the impending 25-percent increase in passport fees and other consular charges could spark international protests. Migrante-Middle East, claiming to be the largest OFW group in that part of the world, said the fee adjustment is unjustifiable. "Increase in passport fees and other consular charges by the Arroyo administration ... could not be justified especially in time of global financial crisis and price increases of basic commodities and services," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator. Migrante chapters in Europe last week showed strong opposition to the increase in fees, citing the "drastic drop in the local currencies vis-a-vis the US dollar." "We join hands with our fellow OFWs in Europe in denouncing the impending increase in passport fee and other consular fees as it only an additional burden. Fellow OF...

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine labor officials have set up an online portal in the United Arab Emirates to help retrenched Filipino workers find new jobs. The Khaleej Times reported that the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) set up the portal in Deira for job-matching. The portal will connect to the database of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) in Manila. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) overseas operations coordinating service director Jocelyn Hapal said 830 retrenched Filipinos have so far reported to the team for job matching. She said most of the retrenched workers used to work in the banking, construction and real estate sectors, and the marketing departments of companies in Dubai, Sharjah and Jebel Ali, including the free zone areas. Hapal said labor attache Virginia Calvez will manage the special portal in Deira after the team departs from Dubai. "As we leave the UAE, this special online portal becomes the permanent repository and cleari...

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine officials advised Filipino expatriates at the border of the United Arab Emirates and Oman to coordinate with them before leaving UAE, as Manila has no funds for their hotel bills should they be stranded. The advice came from labor attaché Jeffrey Cortazar and welfare officer Mario Antonio of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and Philippine Overseas Labor Office. Online news site Khaleej Times reported that the POLO and OWWA learned most of the stranded Filipinos expect the Philippine government to bail them out. Cortazar and Antonio said they could only make representations with the hotel managements regarding the pending hotel bills. "A hotel has agreed to write off the hotel bills of a Filipino, who has been stranded for five months and whose bills have reached Dh15,000 (P194,422). But this is an isolated case as not all hotels will give this much assistance," Cortazar said. The team advised Filipinos facing the problem to contact ...

MANILA, Philippines - Countries in the Middle East will continue to be the market for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as their demand for construction workers stays up. Administrator Jennifer Manalili of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said the global economic downturn has also affected oil-rich nations in the Middle East, but some sectors had been spared. "In fact, the construction industry in the Middle East like in Qatar remains to be OK," Manalili said in an interview. According to Manalili, construction firm Alhab Toor Engineering in Dubai has already transferred more than 1,000 of its Filipino workers to Qatar, where the construction industry is booming. "Dubai is affected like Alhab Toor, but instead of having their employees returned to their country the company absorbed and transferred them to their construction firm in Qatar," Manalili revealed. She said that in her meeting with the labor minister of Qatar last month, "they a...