KAKAMMPI News

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stand to benefit from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ reopening of its passport extension office at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). The DFA reopened its Passport Extension Office (DFA-PEO) at the POEA building along Ortigas Avenue in Mandaluyong City early this week. “This facility is mainly for the benefit of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and seafarers. Their immediate family may be allowed to file their application simultaneously, provided that they are traveling together," the DFA said in its website. (http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/newsroom/dfa-releases/1466-dfa-re-opens-passport-office-in-poea-for-ofws). It said the PEO was re-opened after passport data-capture equipment was installed to enable electronic passport (ePassport) issuance. Located at the ground floor of the POEA Building, the PEO is open from Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding public holidays. Passport fees range from P950 f...

Recruitment agencies have scored the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the supposed delay in the processing and release of electronic passports (ePassport) despite the agency’s modernized facilities. “This is very deplorable especially [since] overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have to be at their jobsites at the agreed time and any delays in their arrivals are hurting their chances in earning income for their families," said Jackson Gan, vice president for marketing of Federated Association of Manpower Exporters. Gan said passport processing has gone from 20 working days to 40, resulting to backlogs. He said even the more expensive express service to speed up passport processing is now taking longer than usual. “Even if the applicant is willing to pay the express service fee of P 1,200, the current backlog still results in a long processing time of 15 working days, [even as] the applicant was promised that the passport would be released in 10 days," he said. Waiting time ...

The Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia is confirming if the dead body found inside a drum in Riyadh is of a Filipino. Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that the Embassy received reports Sunday of a dead body found dumped inside a drum in Riyadh’s major district of Al Bat’ha. “We have confirmed that there is indeed a dead body found in Al Bat’ha, and we are now verifying the victim’s nationality," Reyes said in Filipino. Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a separate interview that based on reports from the Filipino organization Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, the drum was found in front of the Riyadh branch of Sky Freight Forwarders morning of Sunday. According to Monterona, bystanders first thought the drum was a cargo container scheduled for delivery. The drum, however, was noticeably different from the ones usually used by the forwarding company, prompting the bystanders to open it. Unconfirmed rumors are circulat...

A Filipino engineer in Saudi Arabia died of heart attack last week while at work. Labor Attaché David Des Dicang of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Al Khobar confirmed that 60-year old Wilfredo Bautista suffered a heart attack inside his office past noon on June 14. Bautista's office was on the fourth floor of the Gulf Center Building in Al Khobar. An engineer for Tariq Hajj Architects, Bautista is a native of Baliuag in Bulacan where his family resides. Dicang said Bautista’s family has already been informed of his death.. “Hindi ako makapaniwala dahil limang minuto lamang nang dumaan siya sa harap ng opisina ko at nagbatian pa kami (I could not believe what happened as he even greeted me five minutes before he died when he passed by my office)," said Ricardo Senapilo, a secretary at a nearby office, in an email to GMANews.TV. Senapilo added that the company’s doctor tried but failed to revive Bautista. He said Bautista’s heart attack was caused by extreme heat based ...

For the 17 female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in Saudi Arabia inside a company-owned facility, Father’s Day brought more grief. “Wish naming (We wish) we could personally greet our respective fathers and husbands a happy Father’s Day, if we are only in the Philippines," the workers said in a text message to migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East. Virtually detained in their accommodation for as long as six months for some of them, the 17 have refused to return to work due to several labor malpractice allegedly committed by their employer, the Annasban Group. Among their complaints were unpaid salaries, illegal deductions, extended work hours without overtime payment, and absence of benefits such as health insurance. Annasban’s management has yet to respond to several e-mails sent by GMANews.TV seeking their side, while representatives from the recruitment agencies have earlier said they are assisting their workers in their plight. Help us Migrante-ME regional co...

Many Filipino workers in Sudan are suffering from abusive employers and no longer expect Philippine officials to help them, a Filipino missionary has said. Fr. Melito Pinili, a Filipino Franciscan assigned in Khartoum, said some Filipina home caregivers run away from their employers due to maltreatment and non-payment of wages. “We will no longer seek shelter at the honorary consulate because we will just be turned over to our previous employers," Pinili quoted concerned Khartoum-based overseas workers as saying, in an article posted Saturday on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. He said workers who earlier escaped from their employers usually sought refuge at the honorary consul’s residence but most workers said they are returned to their employers. There are no Filipino diplomats in Sudan as the country falls within the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, he added. “All we have is an honorary consul in Khartoum and a Filipino staff...

Even a shift to high-tech passports might not help the Department of Foreign Affairs in efforts to rid the agency of passport fixers. The DFA admitted this over the weekend as it warned the public anew against fixers charging exorbitant fees, this time for a passport appointment. "DFA-OCA does not authorize any of its personnel to offer passport-related services (particularly appointments) to the public inside or outside of its premises," it said on its website. It noted there are now "unscrupulous and enterprising individuals" who charge exorbitant fees in exchange for a passport appointment. The DFA Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) said getting an appointment for passport processing is free and may be done in two ways. One is to call telephone number 737-1000, while another is to log on to www.epassport.com.ph. "The public is further advised not to deal or transact any business with any of these people or even offices near the DFA offering passport-relate...

Repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFW) renewed their call to remove a welfare officer in Riyadh from his position, this time for allegedly advising a caregiver in distress to jump off the building when she sought assistance. The complaining caregiver, who was repatriated just this week, was accompanied by other repatriated OFWs and migrant rights’ group Migrante International when she went to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Friday. The caregiver who requested anonymity formally filed charges of grave misconduct and neglect of duties against welfare officer Nestor Burayag of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh. “Tinawagan ko si Mr. Burayag para magpasaklolo dahil hindi ko na matagalan ang pang-aabuso ng employer ko sa akin. Pero sinabihan niya lang ako na tumalon mula sa third floor ng aming building para raw may dahilan para matulungan niya ako," the caregiver said in a statement released through Migrante. (I called Mr. Burayag to ask for help as I can no l...

Over 20 overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia are now awaiting repatriation after they quit their jobs due to their company’s alleged contract violations. However, just four days before their resignation’s effectivity, the 26 machine operators from Jeddah have yet to receive the final details of their repatriation and more importantly, a notice on who will shoulder the cost of their tickets. As a result, the workers fear they may either be kicked out of the accommodation provided by their company, or forced to just finish their two-year contracts despite their complaints. In an interview with GMANews.TV, a worker who requested anonymity said their company, Arabian Gulf Manufacturers Ltd. for Plastic, has failed to pay them for overtime work. Moreover, the company has reportedly been making illegal salary deductions. The machine operator added they were given a contract different from the one they signed with their recruitment agency in Manila. “In our original contract, we’re suppo...

GARAPAN, Saipan – At least 22 Filipino nurses and auxiliary personnel in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) have complained they have not been paid on time for as long as three months now. Some nurses received partial payments for their salaries, but are still uncertain whether they would get paid in full or if they would get paid after all in the next pay period. The 22 overseas health workers are employed by a private employment agency, Saipan Employment Agency and Services, for work in the CNMI, a U.S. territory some three hours away from Manila. These Filipino nurses are assigned to the CNMI government-run Rota Health Center and Tinian Health Center, located in two other major islands of the CNMI. In the CNMI’s capital island of Saipan, nurses in the government-run hospital are directly employed by the government and do not experience salary delays. Most of the government nurses in Saipan and in the whole Northern Marianas are Filipinos. “Nagi-stay pa rin kami ...

BEIJING – As the Philippines and China celebrated 35 years of diplomatic relations last week, officials on both sides expressed optimism about the prospects for strengthening economic ties through tourism and export growth. “We are hoping that we will have more Philippine products come into China to capture this huge market for the advancement of our country and people," Ambassador Francisco Benedicto told GMANews.TV on the sidelines of a gathering of Filipinos, Chinese, and members of the diplomatic community on Saturday to celebrate Philippine Independence Day. Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, was equally optimistic about the economic scenario with the Philippines and expressed satisfaction with the growth of bilateral relations. “Although many new things will be there in the future, for example the new president of the Philippines and the new five-year plan for China’s development, China-Philippine friendship will ...

Filipino students seeking education and possible employment in the United Kingdom who will be found submitting fraudulent documents to the British Embassy will be barred from applying for 10 years. The warning was issued by recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani after the student visa applications of two Filipinos have recently been rejected by the UK Embassy. The rejection came after the Embassy’s consular officers were unable to confirm that the bank certifications submitted by the two applicants were genuine, he said. According to Geslani, the bank certifications were issued in a province from Northern Luzon, but the students’ papers indicated they were residents of Bicol province, which is in Southern Luzon. As a result, the consular officers denied the applications, citing they had “concerns" that the bank documents may be fraudulent. Bank certifications are required as proof that student visa applicants have the financial capacity to live in the UK, and pay for their tuitio...

Two Ecuadorean tradesmen have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of a Filipina housekeeper in Canada in 2007 — a case that was considered as “highest-profiled" that year. An eleven-member jury found Cristian Figueroa and Fabian Loayza-Penaloza guilty of killing Dulnuan, a housekeeper of a huge mansion in Toronto’s suburb of Mississauga. The decision was handed down on June 11, according to a report on Canada-based news site The Star. Dulnuan was strangled in October 2007 after the suspects broke into the $15-million mansion where she worked as a live-in housekeeper, shocking the residents of the posh Mississauga neighborhood in Ontario. She was found with a thin braided copper wire wrapped twice around her neck and tightly tied with a knot at her throat. Her left hand was likewise bound with the same wire, while her feet were tied using her sweater. Figueroa, 37, and Loayza-Penaloza, 30, showed no emotion when the verdict was read Friday afternoon in a Brampton Ci...

A Catholic Church official on Saturday advised Filipino homosexuals working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to look for work elsewhere, noting the ban imposed by the country on gay and lesbian migrant workers. “It’s much better if they don’t go there. They should look for another country where there is no discrimination," Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People Executive Director Fr. Edwin Corros said in an article on the CBCP news site. Corros said he had nothing against the decision of the Saudi government, which adheres to Shariah law prohibiting homosexuality. “There are countries which have their own laws so we have to respect them," he said. Gay groups as well as the overseas workers rights group Migrante International earlier slammed the new rules. “We were shocked because this is discrimination. This deprives us of our right to earn and the right to livelihood, that's why we are sad," said Bermz Benedic...

A Filipino lawyer received an award for academic excellence and leadership from the prestigious Harvard University in the United States late last month. Lawyer Gerard Mosquera received the 2010 Lucius N. Littauer Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government last May 25. Lawyer Gerard Mosquera at Harvard University. Photo by Enrique Pahm. “I plan to continue to do work that will help fight corruption, promote transparency and accountability, and improve governance, either in government or as an active member of the civil society," Mosquera said after receiving the award. The award is the highest recognition given by the Harvard Kennedy School for exemplary academic achievement, public service and leadership. Mosquera holds a Masters degree in Public Administration and was at the top five percent of Harvard Kennedy School’s Class of 2010, with 577 students from 80 countries. Mosquera, a native of General Santos City, mad...

Jason Aguilar is unaware that June 7 marks Filipino Migrants’ Day. Less than two months after he started working as a welder in Doha, Qatar, he was deported on suspicion of being a high-profile suspect on the run. He still considers working abroad, but only as a last option. “Pagkatapos nito, wala pa akong nakikitang trabaho. Pero maghahanap pa rin ako ng trabaho, ‘yung dito lang sana sa Pilipinas," Aguilar told GMANews.TV in an interview with a hint of hesitation. (I haven’t found a job where I could transfer after this. But I will still keep on looking for job, hopefully just here in the Philippines.) Right now, Aguilar works as a security aide of outgoing Bulacan Governor Joselito Mendoza, but his employment contract is set to expire on June 30 when the governor steps down. Aguilar was deported January this year after authorities suspected him of being Jason Aguilar Ivler, who was the subject of an international manhunt for fatally shooting the son of a Malacañang official in a...

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East received an advance Independence Day gift with the launching of a new Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) office in Riyadh. PhilHealth president Rey Aquino and representatives from Enjaz and Development Bank of Philippines (DBP) signed Friday night a manifesto during the launching at the Riyadh Palace Hotel. “The manifesto is in support of PhilHealth’s campaign to serve Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom by looking after their health insurance needs as well as those of their beneficiaries," Aquino said, according to a report Sunday on Arab News. PhilHealth offices had been established in Hong Kong and Macau. Another office will also be set up in Singapore soon. Enjaz correspondent banks’ manager Amanat Ali represented Sami Al-Rajhi, head of Enjaz Network Group, while Abdullah Gacuan represented DBP. PhilHealth’s OFW members will exclusively remit their memberships dues to the Philippines through DBP-Enjaz....

Filipino medical workers in Jeddah trooped Wednesday to the Philippine Consulate General there to request action against their erring employer and on the impending closure of their workplace, six months after they sought assistance from the Philippine post. The workers, numbering over 200, are nurses and clinic staff of the Al Ansar Hospital, located at the Al Salama district of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. “They are complaining of non-payment of their salary for six months now which they would like to be released immediately amid the impending closure of the hospital, and are demanding that they all be given their release papers so that they could look for possible employment," said Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona, who has been assisting the workers. The facilities of Al Ansar include a hospital and two polyclinics where about 236 Filipino workers are deployed. Only one polyclinic remains in operation. According to Monterona, only 59 workers have so fa...

A retiring Philippine envoy ended her career on a doubly positive note after she secured the release of nine Filipinos detained in Maldives and in Sri Lanka. Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed ordered the release of seven overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Maafushi Prison as a farewell gift to Ambassador Zenaida Rabago. "This was as a gesture of goodwill and as a farewell gift to the Ambassador, who is retiring from the foreign service," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in its website. For his part, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered officials to work on the release and deportation of two Filipinos jailed for illegal recruitment. Rabago paid farewell calls to high officials of the Maldivian and Sri Lankan Governments from May 22 to 25. Until her retirement, she served as the country's non-resident Ambassador to Maldives and Sri Lanka. The DFA said the seven OFWs in Maldives, who were working in the hospitality industry there, pleaded guilty to credit ca...

The Foreign Affairs Department assured over the weekend it is ready to repatriate children of overseas Filipino workers born in Israel. Israeli law orders the sending of migrant workers' children born there back to their home countries if the overseas workers are to continue their employment. The Israeli government vowed the deportation would be in "the most humane way possible," Philippine Ambassador to Israel Petronila Garcia said. "The (Philippine) Embassy (in Tel Aviv) has made representations with the Israeli government about the imminent deportation of Filipino children, and we were informed by the Foreign Ministry that it will be handled in the most humane way possible and in the best interest of our two countries," Garcia said in an article posted Friday on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. Garcia added, however, that the final decision of the Ministerial Committee in Israel is still pending. Militant migrant workers' group Migrante earlier ...

The Philippines has lifted its warning to Filipinos against traveling to Thailand, saying the peace and order situation in the country’s capital city has improved. “In view of the improved peace and order situation in Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok said Filipino nationals may now undertake travels to Thailand," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a release posted on its Web site. “Filipino travelers are advised to still exercise extra caution if traveling to Bangkok or other cities or provinces," the release added. Red Shirt protesters took to the streets of Bangkok mid-March to demand the resignation of the country’s prime minister, but a subsequent military crackdown resulted in widespread violence leaving at least 83 people dead and more than 1,800 injured. - GMANews.TV

06/03/2010 | 07:44 PM No Filipino in Central America was affected by the powerful tropical storm that lashed the region last week. “The Embassy was able to contact a number of Filipinos from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, who said they were all safe," said Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Francisco M. Ortigas III in an article posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) website. A total of 131 people perished due to the flooding and landslides that were caused by Tropical Storm Agatha. Dozens are also missing while thousands lost their homes. Agatha made landfall near the Guatemala-Mexico border on May 29 as a tropical storm with winds up to 45 miles per hour (75 kilometers per hour). - Jerrie Abella/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

The Philippines has lifted its warning to Filipinos against traveling to Thailand, saying the peace and order situation in the country’s capital city has improved. “In view of the improved peace and order situation in Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok said Filipino nationals may now undertake travels to Thailand," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a release posted on its Web site. “Filipino travelers are advised to still exercise extra caution if traveling to Bangkok or other cities or provinces," the release added. Red Shirt protesters took to the streets of Bangkok mid-March to demand the resignation of the country’s prime minister, but a subsequent military crackdown resulted in widespread violence leaving at least 83 people dead and more than 1,800 injured. - GMANews.TV

No Filipino in Central America was affected by the powerful tropical storm that lashed the region last week. “The Embassy was able to contact a number of Filipinos from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, who said they were all safe," said Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Francisco M. Ortigas III in an article posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) website. A total of 131 people perished due to the flooding and landslides that were caused by Tropical Storm Agatha. Dozens are also missing while thousands lost their homes. Agatha made landfall near the Guatemala-Mexico border on May 29 as a tropical storm with winds up to 45 miles per hour (75 kilometers per hour). - Jerrie Abella/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Two babies whose mothers were convicted for drug-related offenses in China were repatriated to the Philippines Wednesday night. Representatives of the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou accompanied the 11-month-old baby of Rosabeth Villapando and the 14-month-old baby of Karren Andojar. "While their respective mothers remain in detention and could not be helped at the moment, the babies needed to be saved from the horrible experience of being in prison," Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) executive director Enrico Fos said in an article posted Thursday on the DFA website. He added that this particular case is more meaningful to the people of the Consulate General and the DFA-OUMWA than past repatriation cases because those that were saved were innocent babies. Fos and representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as the babies' relatives in Manila, welcomed the b...

For nine years, Ramil Autentico had to watch his moves as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That was because as a homosexual, Ramil knew very well that the Saudi government didn’t approve of his sexual preference. “Once na nakita nilang kumembot ka, nag-makeup ka doon na lalaki ka, alam na nilang bakla ka. Ikukulong ka. Kapag nakita ka nila, alam na kasi nila ang word na bakla, sisigawan ka nilang 'bakla', ‘harami’. Ang ibig sabihin ng ‘harami’, delikado ka," Autentico said in an interview aired over “24 Oras" Wednesday night. (Once they see you swaying your hips or applying make-up and you’re a man, they’ll conclude that you’re gay and detain you. They call you ‘gay,’ or ‘harami’, which means you’re in danger of being arrested.) The Saudi government follows Shari’ah or Islamic law, which strictly prohibits open display of homosexual behavior. Last month, the Saudi government took its drive against homosexuality a step further when it b...

Repatriated overseas Filipino workers trooped on Tuesday to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to demand the recall of a welfare officer in Riyadh, whom they accused of neglecting OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) in distress. The workers, who were formerly caregivers of the Annasban Group, staged a protest in front of the OWWA office in Pasay City to demand that welfare officer Nestor Burayag, who heads the Repatriation and Assistance Division of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, be removed from his post. “Dahil kay Burayag, umabot ng halos limang buwan ang aming pagdurusa. Sa halip na kami ay tulungan, lalo lamang niyang pinatitindi ang paghihirap na dinadanas namin sa kamay ng Annasban. At hanggang sa ngayon, ganito pa rin ang kanyang ginagawa sa mahigit 30 kababayan nating kababaihan na ipiniit ng aming employer," said Eppie Bellarma, one of the workers who lead a work stoppage to protest their former company’s alleged contract violations. (Because of Burayag, o...

MANILA – Maghanap ng bansa na walang diskriminasyon sa mga bakla at tomboy. Ito ang payo ni Fr Edwin Corros, opisyal ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, kaugnay sa pinaigting na kautusan ng pamahalaan ng Saudi Arabia laban sa mga migranteng manggagawa na bakla at tomboy. Ang pag-iwas umano sa Saudi Arabia ay paraan para makaiwas din sa problemang legal ang mga homosexual na overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at pati na kanilang mga recruiter. “Maghanap na lang sila ng ibang bansa na walang discrimination, yung mga walang pinipiling sexuality. Kasi sayang naman kung capable enough ang isang tao na magtrabaho tapos just because bading s’ya eh bawal na," pahayag sa Veritas Radio ni Corros, executive secretary ng Episcopal Commission on Migrant and Itinerant People ng CBCP. Kamakailan ay nagbigay ng direktiba ang pamahalaan ng Saudi Arabia sa mga recruitment agency sa Pilipinas na salaing mabuti at tiyakin na walang homosexual na maipapadalang OFWs sa kanilang bansa. For ...

Nearly a month after she escaped her employer, a Filipino domestic helper in Saudi Arabia who accused her sponsor of raping her finally left for the Philippines. The victim, who was not named in the report, thanked officials at the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah before she left Sunday, Arab News reported. According to the report, the Filipina, who was separated from her husband with whom she has two children, had been working in Taif for eight months. She is from Cavite province. Police rescued the victim on May 15 after she sought help from the Philippine Consulate coordinator in Al-Salamah district. The Filipina reportedly first contacted Philippine authorities last January but could not tell them her whereabouts. She was then advised to escape, and when she did she called again from the Ministry of Education in Taif, a school in Al-Qumriyah. The report also did not identify the suspect, but said he was working at a government hospital in the Kingdom. He reportedly was asked to pay t...

Filipino jobseekers, especially those with only tourist visas, were warned Tuesday against seeking work in Macau as the special administrative region is giving priority to local hires. It is no longer easy to get jobs as walk-in applicants in the region, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said, citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Macau. In an article on the Labor Department website, Roque also warned Filipino jobseekers against falling for unscrupulous individuals or entities who may bring them to Macau as tourists with promises of jobs. Instead of finding jobs, he said these jobseekers may find themselves in dire straits due to the new Macau restrictions against foreign workers. Roque advised workers to verify first with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the legality of jobs being offered in Macau. In 2009, POEA deployed 6,729 OFWs to Macau, most of whom were employed in the tourism sector. But the Macau government passed the Law for...

Overseas Filipinos have asked presidential front-runner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III to work toward self-sufficiency and the creation of local jobs so that migration would no longer be a “forced option." In an open letter circulating on the Internet, the group Overseas Filipinos Worldwide said the advent of a new administration is a good time to examine where the country is heading regarding its migration policies. “Shall we continue to send out our people and rely on remittances without any development objectives in sight?" wrote the letter’s signatories, which included organizations like Habagat Foundation and Damayang Pilipino in The Netherlands; the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc.; and the Wimler Partnership for Social Progress in Hongkong. Individual signatories include Filipinos from the US, Germany, Luxembourg and Saudi Arabia. The group said government-managed deployment of Filipino workers abroad has resulted in dire social costs, such as th...

DUBAI, UAE - With the repercussions of Dubai’s worst financial crisis still hanging thick in the air, life for most Filipinos working in this Middle Eastern cosmopolitan enclave goes on, their resilience hanging tough against yet again another litmus test. Christopher Benecio, a 30-year-old civil engineer from Roxas City, Panay, came to Dubai in November last year along with four other Filipino engineers. At the time, Dubai, where the bulk of overseas contract workers from the Philippines were, was already beginning to feel the effect of the global recession as companies started downsizing and retrenching in bulk. By March the following year, all three of Benecio’s batch mates had already been terminated, with the first to lose job in January. Benecio has gone back to the Philippines, having left Dubai on Dec. 5 this year on a paid vacation. But, he said, given the situation at the company where he was employed—Arif & Bintoak Consulting Architects and Engineers—he said he might opt...