KAKAMMPI News

MANILA, Philippines - Chip Tsao would go down in the short-term memory of Filipinos, along with Malu Fernandez and the Desperate Housewives slur as one who demeaned hardworking and often harshly treated Filipinos working abroad. His comment triggered an uproar in the Philippines, with one lawmaker urging Filipinos to boycott Hong Kong for a year. It took three days for the publishers and editors of HK Magazine to say sorry for the “politically incorrect" column it ran last March 27 following calls from Manila for an apology. The infamous column by the “best-selling author" called the Philippines nation of servants and even threatened a Filipino maid of being fired should the Philippines finally take over the disputed Spratly Islands. Asia City Publishing House, HK Magazine's publisher, with office at 301 Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, issued the statement on Monday: "The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any o...

MANILA, Philippines - Following calls from Manila for an apology, the Hong Kong based-magazine that ran a column demeaning the Philippines as a country of "slaves" has said sorry for the "politically incorrect column." Asia City Publishing House, HK Magazine's publisher, with office at 301 Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, issued the statement three days after the controversial column came out. "The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao’s column dated March 27," the statement read. "HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community," it added. Despite admitting that Tsao’s column was offensive, the publishing company defended that the column was satirical and could be read “in differe...

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipino community in Hong Kong deserves an apology from Chinese journalist Chip Tsao who called the Philippines a country of slaves and threatened to fire her Filipina maid should the Spratlys be taken over by the Philippines. Deputy Consul General Kira Danganan said Tsao has to say sorry to more than 127,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong as domestic helpers who were insulted by his racial slur. “While Mr. Tsao may have intended his column to be a piece of satire, he has miserably miscalculated in this endeavor," Danganan said in a statement on Monday. “Mr. Tsao and Asia Publishing owe the Filipino community in HK a formal apology for the grave disrespect they have shown." Tsao wrote in his March 27 column for the HK Magazine that the Philippines has no right to lord over the disputed Spratly Islands because it is "a nation of servants" who shouldn’t “ flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter....

MIGRANT WATCH/ BULATLAT.COM MANILA, Philippines - A migrant group urged the government not to lift the deployment ban to Lebanon as the situation remains volatile. John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said that war could spark again any time following the assassination of Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) deputy representative in Lebanon Kamal Naji. Monterona said, “There is strong speculation that this unfortunate event will revive the war between Lebanon and Israel as many believe that Israel could be behind the assassination of Kamal Naji." “What has been reported in the media regarding what is actually happening in Lebanon, specifically the still volatile peace and order situation contradicts what the Arroyo administration is telling our people and aspiring overseas Filipino workers that peace and stability have already been restored in Lebanon," Monterona said. Recently, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has agreed to lift the ...

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday downplayed a Hong Kong columnist's depiction of the Philippines as "a nation of servants" by saying it was the opinion of only one person. Still, DFA spokesperson Eduardo Malaya called columnist Chip Tsao's remark "uncalled for," and declared the Philippine consulate-general in Hong Kong will make appropriate action upon consultation with the Filipino community there. "It's the view of one person and we don't think it is shared by the Hong Kong community and society.... I think we ought to take it as that," Malaya said in an interview on radio dzBB. "It does not come from an official of the Hong Kong government, it does not come from the government itself," he added. Despite this, Malaya said there was no excuse for the remark, which he said failed to recognize the contribution of the Filipino community in Hong Kong. Earlier in the day, House Foreign Affairs c...

MANILA, Philippines - Two lawmakers on Monday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to lodge a formal protest before Hong Kong authorities over a columnist's depiction of the Philippines as "a nation of servants." In a telephone interview with GMANews.TV, Foreign Affairs committee chair Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco said he will ask DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo to lodge a protest after columnist Chip Tsao described the Philippines as a "nation of servants" in his opinion piece "The War At Home" which appeared in the March 27 edition of the widely-circulated HK Magazine. "That comment is uncalled for, it's atrocious. We should protest vigorously against this slur against Filipino workers in Hong Kong," Cuenco said. Likewise, senior deputy minority leader and Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez said the DFA should lodge a formal protest over the incident. In a text message to reporters, Golez also proposed an, at least, six-month boycot...

abs-cbnNEWS.com Hundreds of thousands of local and overseas employment are set to be offered particularly to displaced workers and new graduates in the biggest, simultaneous job fairs nationwide on May 1, 2009. Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said around 1,000 employers and recruitment agencies around the country would join the jobs fair dubbed “Labor Day Tayo Na! Trabaho Na! Jobapalooza 09”. In a statement, DOLE announced that the job fairs will be spearheaded by labor unions in collaboration with government and private sector to hasten assistance extended to workers who have been affected by the global economic crisis. Roque said DOLE’s social partners have recognized the need for collective action and mutual collaboration in mitigating the effects of the global crisis on the workers and the economy. Trade unions and labor groups reportedly approved to celebrate Labor Day with job fairs which will be held simultaneously in 16 regions on May 1. The participating trade u...

By DAVID DIZON/abs-cbnNEWS.com Thirty-four-year-old Rina (not her real name) looks like any capable migrant worker who has endured her fair share of hardship while working overseas. Rina started work as a domestic helper in Qatar in 1992. Since she was only 17 at the time, she had to change her surname and age on her passport to be allowed to work overseas. In the Arab state, she said she was made to work from sunrise to sundown for her employer and for her employer’s extended family. Aside from the long hours, she said she was not given adequate food and would often be subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Her salary was often delayed and was lower than what was promised by her recruiter. “I would get sick but I was never given any medicine. For one whole year, I was only given one day-off. One time, my employer told me to give him a massage while he started mashing my private parts,” she said in a forum at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. Because of homesickness, she said some...

By APPLES JALANDONI, ABS-CBN News There are 25,000 job opportunities exclusively for Filipinos in Canada this year. This is according to Richard Mills of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Mills said these are in health care, engineering, and the oil industry. This was confirmed by Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque. Roque said the job openings are actually part of the four memorandums of understanding that the Philippines signed last year with four provinces of Canada, namely British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Roque admitted they had initially agreed on 40,000 jobs but Canada had to cut the number down to 25,000 because of the crisis. Roque said the job openings are now posted at the Web site of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. He also reminded applicants that they do not have to pay a placement fee when applying. The Philippine’s labor secretary clarified that those who would get jobs would be treated as guest workers. He also said how...

By MARIA ALETA O. NIEVA, abs-cbnNEWS.com The family of a cancer-stricken caregiver in Canada wants to be with their kin who was given just a few months to live. “My wife is dying,” said Celia Mansibang’s husband William Mallinllin in a phone interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com. Mallinllin and their two children, Vincent and La Sandra, were saddened by the news about Celia’s health condition. Celia was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The cancer is reportedly at stage four and treatment could no longer be recommended. “Gusto kong makita ang asawa ko kasi naghihirap siya sa Canada. Gusto kong makasama misis ko kahit ano pa ang mangyari, gusto ko kasama misis ko,” Mallinllin said. Mallinllin said their two children have been deeply affected after learning that their mother was terminally-ill in a foreign land. “Nasasaktan sila, nag-aalala apektado pagaaral nila,” he said. A former teacher, Mansibang spent more than a decade as an overseas worker reportedly to provide her family back home with a ...

By RAQUEL BERNAL-CRISOSTOMO, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau In celebration of International Women’s Month, the European Commission in Brussels stressed its commitment in protecting rights of women. In a statement published by European Union Information Society, Vice-President Jacques Barrot regrettably admitted, however, that despite the worldwide campaign to protect women from violence, it is still true that a lot of them still fall prey to abusive perpetrators. “Despite the progress achieved in equality between the sexes and increased opportunities for women in professional and private life, it is sadly true that women all over the world still suffer serious violations of their fundamental rights through acts of violence, exploitation and abuse,” he said. He went on to quote that “Council of Europe estimates that around 20-25% of women in Europe alone suffer physical abuses once in their adult lives and at least 10% suffer sexual violence”. The figure according to Barrot is “highly unacc...

A 34-year-old Filipino overseas worker allegedly took his own life in Dubai reportedly due to debt and desperation. Reports said Romulo Cañada allegedly committed suicide on the day that he and his roommate were supposed to vacate their rented room. Cañada’s friend and roommate Danny Jones Regencia said that in the past three days, he noticed that the OFW looked bothered and deeply worried. "Parang depressed siya. Then, sinasabi niya sa akin may utang siya sa credit card niya, kailangan niyang mabayaran. Tapos may loan siya,” said Regencia. Cañada had been working in Dubai for two years but reportedly failed pay his debts in the Philippines. It was also alleged that he owed his company and friends some money. "Disturbed talaga ‘yong mind niya for that three days. Minsan hindi na siya tumitingin sa akin ng diretsohan. Minsan pagdating ko sa bahay tulog na siya,” Regencia said. Deep in debt, Cañada reportedly also worried about the ultimatum given to them by their landlord. It ...

MANILA, Philippines –Sen. Pia S. Cayetano has joined calls to demand a public apology from a top Hong Kong publication and one of its columnists over an opinion article that called the Philippines "a nation of servants." The opinion piece – "The War At Home" by Chip Tsao – appeared in the March 27 edition of the widely-circulated HK Magazine. The column depicts the Philippines as a "nation of servants" not worthy of claiming the Spratlys from China, as the latter employs hundreds of thousands of Filipino domestic helpers on very low wages. "Instead of contributing to intelligent discussions on ways to resolve the Spratlys dispute, Tsao only succeeded in eliciting hatred and sowing more confusion not only among Filipinos but maybe even among his fellow Chinese who are not aware of the intricacies of the issue," Cayetano said. Cayetano, chair of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, said Filipinos deserved no less than a formal public apology fro...

MANILA, Philippines - A non-government organization providing assistance to migrant Filipino workers on Sunday scored a Hong Kong journalist for describing the Philippines as a “nation of servants" in his magazine column. Former Labor Undersecretary Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said Chip Tsao should be blacklisted as an “undesirable foreign employer" for allegedly using his Filipino house help as “pawn" in the Spratlys controversy. Ople alleged that Tsao mocked the Philippines as a “nation of servants" in his column called “The War At Home" that appeared in HK Magazine last March 27. Tsao reportedly warned his Filipino maid that she would lose her wages if she would not tell her fellow Filipinos that Spartly Islands belong to China. This, Ople said, “is already a sign of an unstable, irresponsible and racist employer who resorts to verbal abuse for perceived bilateral and historic infractions." Ople asked the Philippine Consulate, pa...

MANILA, Philippines - Supporters of 27 former Sentosa nurses and their lawyer Felix Vinluan recently re-launched their campaign to seek justice against illegal recruitment in New York. With the theme "Up the Ante," the so-called Sentosa 27++ welcomed last March 22 some 150 representatives from various organizations supporting their quest for justice. The nurses, former employees of Avalon Gardens in Woodmere, New York, were charged with patient endangerment by SentosaCare after they resigned from their posts in 2006 due to unpaid back wages, discrimination and being recruited under false pretenses. “We would like to up the ante, to increase the value of our campaign, by giving more attention and focus this time to our civil and federal discrimination cases, and to our Philippine labor cases, as we already won the legal battle in the criminal prosecution front," said Mark Dela Cruz, one of the 10 nurses who were indicted for alleged patient endangerment. Mary Joy Garcia-D...

MANILA, Philippines — A United Arab Emirates prosecutor has sought the "maximum punishment" for a Filipino accused of raping a 12-year-old schoolgirl, an online news site reported Tuesday. Khaleej Times (www.khaleejtimes.com) reported that Prosecutor Tareq Yaqoub Al Khayyat sought the penalty with the Criminal Court of First Instance Monday. Al Khayyat said that while the 29-year-old defendant pleaded guilty, he deserved maximum punishment, to deter “human monsters" like him from hurting vulnerable minors. The verdict is expected on April 6, the report said. Court records showed the 29-year-old man, who stays with the 12-year-old girl’s family, allegedly raped her twice while her parents were away. He also faces a charge of consuming alcohol. The rape was discovered last Dec. 24 when the girl handed over a note to her mother as she returned from work that evening. According to the mother’s statement, the victim said she tried to resist him but could not, and asked her mo...

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino butcher in the United Arab Emirates accidentally minced his hand while trying to unclog an electric grinder he was using, an online news site reported Saturday. Online news site Arab News reported that rescue workers from Dubai police rushed to the supermarket where the butcher worked but failed to remove his hand. The report quoted a police source as saying the police tried to sedate the still conscious victim. The victim, who was not identified in the report, fought off as the rescue workers tried to free his hand from the grinder. This prompted the rescuers to dismantle the grinder and brought it to the trauma center with the butcher's hand still stuck in it. At a hospital, the rescuers freed the hand after doctors fully sedated the victim. They were however forced to chop off the hand since it had been mutilated. - GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - A factory in New Zealand has been accused of favoring Filipinos over native workers. According to the New Zealand Herald, government and union officials are currently investigating allegations made against a factory in New Plymouth that reportedly favors migrant workers, especially Filipinos. In the report, MCK Metals chief executive Pramod Khatri confirmed that his company employed workers from the Philippines in October 2007 under the work skills shortage policy. He said MCK hired the Filipinos to undertake specialized aluminum welding and polishing after the company failed to get skilled New Zealand workers to fill up the vacancies. In October 2008, the factory allegedly fired 28 local workers but retained 24 Filipino welders. "We are asking the question why the migrant workers on short-term visas appear to have been given priority over long-term workers able to give a long-term commitment to the company who have been made redundant," said Engineering...

MANILA, Philippines - The Magistrate's Court has fined a Bruneian employer for failing to pay the salary of his Filipina maid for almost 15 months. The Borneo Bulletin reported on Friday that Awang Haji Mahat bin Ahmad, the employer of Nurina Hadjiota, was ordered to pay a fine of $4,500 or face 30-week imprisonment if he would fail to pay the penalty. Brunei's Labor Act mandates employers to pay salaries not later than 10 days from the stated date, according to the report. The court gave Awang Haji Mahat two months to settle the fine with the help of a guarantor. His license to employ foreigners was also revoked permanently. - Kimberly Tan, GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines – In less than 24 hours, 33 Filipino seamen on board two European chemical tankers were kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Somalia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Friday. DFA spokesman Ed Malaya quoted a report by the Philippine Embassy in Kenya as saying that 18 Filipinos were on board the first ship, while another 15 were on the second vessel. “The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi reported that Greek-owned MT Nipaiya, with 18 Filipino seafarers on board, was taken over by pirates last March 25," said Malaya. Then the following day, chemical tanker MT Bow Asir, carrying the 15 other Filipinos, was also hijacked, according to Malaya. MT Nipaiya is managed bye Lotus Shipping of Athens, while MT Bow Asir is a Bahamas-registered vessel owned by Salkus Shipping of Norway. “The DFA is coordinating with the POEA for the identities of the Filipino crew members of both vessels and for the notification of their families," Malaya said. The depa...

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos serving jail sentences in Spain will soon get a chance to do their time in the Philippines. Lawmakers are pushing for the adoption of House Joint Resolution No. 11, which authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRRs) to effectively carry out the provisions of the treaty on the transfer of sentenced persons between the Philippines and Spain. Rep. Narciso D. Santiago III (Partylist, ARC), principal author, said the Department of Justice, being the central authority in all the treaties on sentenced persons, must be the agency responsible for formulation of the IRRs. Santiago and Reps Matias V. Defensor, (3rd Dist., Quezon City) Chairman of the Justice Committee and Junie E. Cua (Lone Dist., Quirino) stressed the need for the issuance of IRRs to guarantee effective implementation of the treaty. The treaty entered into by the governments of the Philippines and Spain aims to ensure the effective reformation a...

MANILA, Philippines - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will be giving direct assistance to at least five Japanese-Filipino children to make their transition into life in Japan better. In a statement, IOM said that the kids will be given pre-departure and post-arrival orientation, livelihood assistance, and Japanese language skills training. This program, the organization said, will be part of a two- year project funded by the Toyota Foundation, which aims to promote the rights and welfare of Japanese-Filipino (JFC) children and enhance cooperation and improve public awareness on JFC issues both in Japan and in the Philippines. It said the initiative stemmed from recent amendments in Japan’s Nationality Law wherein individuals born out of wedlock to Japanese and Filipino parents would be able acquire Japanese citizenship – provided that the child is recognized by the Japanese father. There are an estimated 200,000 Japanese-Filipino children. Under the project, the IOM ...

The Philippines has entered into an agreement with the transport ministry of Japan to provide for the skills training and upgrading of Filipino seafarers employed in international vessels which have been idled or laid-up due to the global economic downturn, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said. Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said that during his recent trip to Japan, he signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on Development of Asian Seafarers with Minister Kazuyoshi Kaneko of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism to seal the agreement providing for the training of Filipino seafarers under the International Cooperative Training Project for Asian Seafarers. Roque was in Tokyo last week for the signing and also to represent the country, along with tripartite partners from the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) and the Philippine-Japan Consultative Council, at the Philippine-Japan ...

The Gulf Cooperation Council-(GCC) Accredited Medical Clinics Association (Gamca) recently released the list of diseases that would render overseas Filipino workers (OFW) unfit to work in GCC countries Under the hiring policies of GCC states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, foreign workers from the Philippines and other Asian countries are required to pass the medical tests conducted only by Gamca clinics. These include: Infectious category • HIV/AIDS reactive • Hepatitis B surface antifgen, HCV reactive • Microfilaria positive and malaria blood film positive, known leprosy patients • Tuberculosis – any type, X-ray showing active PTB, past evidence of PTB or healed • Pulmonary scar, including minimum fibrosis, calcification (granuloma) pleural thickening, pleural effusion, tuberculosis lymphadenitis • VDRL/TPHA reactive Non-infectious category • Chronic renal failure • Chronic hepatitis failure • Congestive heart failure • Hypertension • Diabet...

MANILA, Philippines - The 17 Filipino seamen on a ship hijacked last weekend in the Gulf of Aden are in good condition, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday. DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said they are contacting the families of the 17 to inform them about the latest update on the hostages. "Sinabi ang mga Pilipinong tripolante are all in good condition at saka yung ating manning agency ay in the process of informing the families of the Filipino seamen [The Filipino seamen are all in good condition and their manning agency is now in the process of informing their families]," he said in an interview on dzXL radio. He said the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi earlier confirmed the hijacking of a vessel carrying 17 Filipino, three Greek, three Romanian and one Ukranian. Malaya added that based on information from Philippine Embassy and the manning agency that sent the Filipinos, the owner of the ship had made contact with the hijackers.- GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has agreed to lift the three-year deployment ban to Lebanon after the safety of Filipinos in that Western Asian country was assured. According to the DFA, the armed conflict in the Middle East state “has already ended and is no longer posing security threat" to overseas Filipino workers (OFW) Presidential envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu, who was sent to Lebanon last month to assess the security condition in the country, said that it was already safe to resume the deployment of OFWs there because peace and stability had returned to the Middle East state. Vice President Noli de Castro supported the DFA's decision and said that Lebanon could provide an alternative destination to laid off OFWs. “There is no more reason to maintain the deployment ban to Lebanon. Many of our countrymen badly need jobs today and Lebanon offers plenty of employment opportunities." But before the ban could be officially l...

MANILA, Philippines - Eighteen Filipino seamen aboard a Japanese ship evaded capture by Somali pirates who fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the vessel. Masami Suekado, a Japanese Transport Ministry official, told the Associated Press on Monday that the 13,000-ton "Jasmine Ace," with an all Filipino crew, was en route to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was attacked by the pirates on Sunday. Suekado said pirates on board two small vessels approached the Jasmine Ace and fired several shots before fleeing. Bullets reportedly broke the ship’s windows and hit the ceiling of the vessel’s bridge. There are more than 3,000 Japanese vessels plying international waters, according to Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, about 70 percent of which are manned by Filipinos. On Thursday, 17 Filipino seafarers on board a Greek-owned bulk carrier were kidnapped by Somali pirates. This development brings to 71 the total number of Filipinos held by the pirates since November last year...

MARK JOSEPH H. UBALDE, GMANews.TV MANILA, Philippines - Seventeen Filipino seafarers on board a Greek-owned bulk carrier were kidnapped by Somali pirates on March 19, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday. This development brings to 71 the total number of Filipinos held by the pirates since November last year. DFA spokesperson Ed Malaya told GMANews.TV that the MV Titan, a St. Vincent-flagged ship with 24 men on board, was en route to South Korea when it was hijacked by Somali pirates in the troubled Gulf of Aden. "The DFA instructed the Philippine embassy in Nairobi to coordinate with proper authorities concerning the safety and well-being of the seamen," Malaya said. Reports from the Philippine Embassy in Kenya said that aside from the 17 Filipinos, three Greeks, three Romanians, and one Ukranian seamen were also aboard the ship. Data from the DFA showed that aside from the MV Titan, three other vessels with 54 Filipinos remain anchored in Somalia. The othe...

MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine recruitment agency is on the lookout for 1,500 workers to fill up positions in Metro Manila hotels until April 15, 2009. Besides waiters and cocktail attendants, local recruiter Mabis Manpower Services will also be hiring accountants, sales executives, housemen, powder girls, room attendants, and receptionists. The local recruiter, which claims to be the first to secure government approval to deploy workers to Australia, will also be hiring laundry attendants, locker attendants, pool maintenance, stewards, kitchen helpers, and cooks. Monthly salaries of hotel staff will be based on an August 28, 2008 Wage Order No. NCR-14, Heidi Sapiandante, Mabis Manpower Services Office Manager said. Employees hired will enjoy health, accident, and death insurance benefits, Sapiandante said. MABIS Manpower Services (DoLE-NCR M-09-00339) is the local manpower provider of MAB Int'l. Services Inc. (POEA-035-LB-101306-UL). Applicants may email their resumes to cvmab...

ROSEMEAD, CA— As a part of its celebration of National Women’s History Month in March, Southern California Edison (SCE) is recognizing employee Gladys B. Delemos for her professional leadership and work in the community. “We are proud to recognize employees like Gladys Delemos who share their leadership skills with their co-workers and with the comm unity," said Frank Quevedo, SCE’s vice president, Equal Opportunity. “As we celebrate National Women’s History Month, we are proud to highlight the achievements and contributions of Gladys and the many thousands of female employees who have contributed to our company’s success." As president of FilBarkada, Southern California Edison’s Filipino employee affinity group, Gladys B. Delemos is proud to celebrate the culture and tradition of the Philippines with her co-workers, especially during National Women’s History Month. “Definitely, one of the positive aspects of working at Edison, especially as a minority woman, is knowing that ...

MANILA, Philippines - A migrants’ group paid tribute to Juana Tejada, the Filipino caregiver who campaigned for overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) and immigrants’ rights in Canada even while waging a fight against cancer. In its tribute, Migrante International called her a “female OFW par excellence". Tejada went to Canada in 2003 to work as a caregiver under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). She completed the 24-month residency requirement, thereby becoming eligible for permanent resident status. However, after going through a medical examination, she was diagnosed with cancer and was informed that she could not stay in Canada as she would be a “burden" to the Canadian health system. She reapplied for permanent residency and was, for the second time, denied. Through her lawyer Rafael Fabregas, she challenged the decisions of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and after that appealed on humanitarian grounds. She won, and after her victory continued to push for changes i...

MANILA, PhilippinesM - The remains of the Filipina live-in caregiver who fought hard to remain in Canada, but finally succumbed to lung cancer has finally been brought home to the Philippines. Q’s Balitanghali reported that Juana Tejada, who fought hard for better treatment of caregivers in Canada died on March 8 in Toronto at the age of 39. Rafael Fabregas, Tejada’s immigration lawyer, recently told GMANews.TV that Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, is looking into a bill that would improve the immigration status of Filipino live-in caregivers. “Minister Kenney also indicated that he will soon be conducting consultations on reforming the live-in caregiver program, and will seriously consider the principle behind our proposed ‘Juana Tejada Law’ exempting caregivers from the requirement of a second medical exam before being granted permanent residence," he said. “Maraming matutulungan na mga caregiver kasi yung Juana Tejada law hindi lamang par...

MANILA, PhilippinesM - The remains of the Filipina live-in caregiver who fought hard to remain in Canada, but finally succumbed to lung cancer has finally been brought home to the Philippines. Q’s Balitanghali reported that Juana Tejada, who fought hard for better treatment of caregivers in Canada died on March 8 in Toronto at the age of 39. Rafael Fabregas, Tejada’s immigration lawyer, recently told GMANews.TV that Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, is looking into a bill that would improve the immigration status of Filipino live-in caregivers. “Minister Kenney also indicated that he will soon be conducting consultations on reforming the live-in caregiver program, and will seriously consider the principle behind our proposed ‘Juana Tejada Law’ exempting caregivers from the requirement of a second medical exam before being granted permanent residence," he said. “Maraming matutulungan na mga caregiver kasi yung Juana Tejada law hindi lamang par...

Manila Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is working on a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to help prevent overseas Filipino workers from being used as “drug mules." PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago said the agreement would include a lecture on dangerous drugs awareness in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars being conducted by the POEA for Filipino workers bound for work abroad. Santiago said the campaign is imperative in view of the rising number of Filipinos being arrested for serving drug couriers or “mules." The PDEA said international drug groups operating in Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa employ West Africans who recruit unsuspecting travelers – who are in dire need of money – as drug couriers. A recent report by the Philippine Ambassador to China, Sonia Brady, said that on March 11 alone, 16 Filipino drug couriers were apprehended in various parts of China. Santiago said h...

MANILA, Philippines — Another feather to the growing cap of the Philippines is in the hands of author Dr. Benito Vergara Jr., a UPLB and Cornell University graduate, for his new book titled “Pinoy Capital: The Filipino Nation in Daly City." The book has recently been published by Temple University Press in San Francisco, California, the city also famous for the historic “Summer of Love." Vergara held his most recent book talk at the San Francisco State University where he shared with students and participants what the book is all about. “It's about Filipinos in the US, how they live, what they left, and what money and nation mean to them," said Vergara. Vergara, 38, said the book was officially released in January 2009 and is set for more book talks and other events related to his book. He said he decided to focus on Daly City, the subject of his book, when he visited one time and was amazed at how many Filipinos he had met. “I was amazed with what I could see and ho...

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment will help Filipino seamen who could be affected by the possible massive layoffs in the global seafaring industry. About 40,000 seamen on board Japanese vessels are currently in danger of losing their jobs because container ships, car carriers, and product transport ships have been cutting down on their cargoes due to the slump in international trade. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Filipino seafarers should not worry because the government is closely coordinating with the Japanese government about the matter. “That was what we went to Japan for, to plead upon the Japanese ship owners that our seafarers should be kept on board as long as possible," he told GMA News in an interview. In fact, the Philippines has already entered into an agreement with Japan’s transport ministry to provide trainings that will upgrade the skills to Filipino seamen. “This will enable us to develop our seafarers particularly as vessel offic...

MANILA, Philippines - The honorary consul general of Lebanon to the Philippines on Friday welcomed the possible lifting of the deployment ban to the Mideast country by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). “This is a positive step in the normalization and improvement of relations between Lebanon and the Philippines," said Consul Joseph Assad in a statement sent to the media. He said this will “perk up" relations between the two countries because it will remove the “barrier" that has prevented thousands of Filipinos from working in Lebanon – which he said was a waste because his country is experiencing an “economic boom." The government stopped sending Filipino workers to the Mideastern state in 2006 when violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces escalated. At that time, some 6,000 Filipino workers – many of them undocumented, were repatriated to the Philippines. Some 26,000 opted to stay out of fear of losing ...

MANILA, Philippines - Money sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) may drop by as much as a third this year, cutting consumption demand and compromising the country’s growth goals. Remittances may decline to $11.4 billion for 2009, Citibank said during its Asia-Pacific market analysis held on Thursday. The cited figure is approximately 30 percent lower than 2008’s $16.4 billion. Lower remittances may compromise the country’s economic growth targets since funds from OFWs boost demand for products ranging from cellphones to condominiums. The “global supply" of OFWs may diminish, Citi analyst Jun Trinidad said in his report. New hires and rehires were seen to decline by anywhere from 37 to 51 percent as the crisis cuts demand for labor in foreign shores, he said, adding that OFW deployment may fall to an eight-year low. In 2001, only 800,000 secured jobs abroad. Currently, 8.7 million Filipinos work abroad. Besides accounting for ten percent of the Philippines’ total populatio...

MANILA, Philippines - Local recruiters have proposed some amendments to Saudi Arabia’s contested “unified contract" policy, with an appeal to the Philippine government to push for its adoption. “If it cannot be totally stopped, perhaps it could be tempered in a way that won’t be disadvantageous to Filipino workers, service providers and the Philippine economy as a whole," said Victor Fernandez Jr., president of the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (Pasei). Fernandez earlier warned that the Philippine government’s inaction on the impending implementation of the contract could lead to the local overseas recruitment industry being placed under the control of the Saudi National Recruitment Committee (Sanarcom). Under the existing system, Philippine recruitment agencies deal directly with Saudi employers. But if the “unified contract" scheme prevails, local recruitment firms will have to deal with a Saudi recruitment agency that is a member of the Sanarcom. F...