KAKAMMPI News

Over 50 Filipino seafarers still being held captive by pirates MOGADISHU –– At least 50 Filipino crewmen on board dozens of ships held by Somali pirates are still in captivity almost two years after their vessels had been hijacked on the Indian Ocean, and the actual count could be much higher. Reuters on Monday released details of the vessels still in Somali pirates’ hands since late 2009 after they said at the weekend they had freed the Kuwaiti tanker MV Zirku. Read more at www.ufs.com.ph Joint navy exercise reels off COMBINED navy forces from the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the United States Navy is holding a 10-day annual combined exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and share best practices. The combined exercise, dubbed Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) started Tuesday, June 14, and ends on Friday, June 24, is being held in Malacca Strait, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea. Read more at www.ufs.com.ph Somali pirates free tanker for $12M MOG...

Two distressed overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia are experiencing problems with their repatriation, an Arab news site reported Wednesday. Arab News said the two housemaids — only identified as Leonora and Sofia — were scheduled to leave Riyadh on Tuesday night but had a problem with their plane ticket. The housemaids had earlier escaped from their respective employers in Riyadh. They went to Majma, around 250 km north of Riyadh, where they stayed with five other Filipino housemaids. Leonor and Sofia were later caught by authorities and were detained at a prison for women in Riyadh. John Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said the Philippine government is sorting out the housemaids’ problems so they could eventually be with their families back home. “Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told me that he went to King Khaled International Airport to assist them. He was able to talk to Leonora who told him that there was a problem regarding their tickets," Monterona s...

Labor officials discuss reforms for OFWs in KSA06/15/2011 | 11:09 AM Labor officials from the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) discussed recent reforms in the Saudi labor system that will benefit overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz met with Saudi labor minister Adel Fakeih at the Palais des Nations in Geneva at the sidelines of the 100th International Labor Organization conference. “With the greater cooperation already established between Philippine licensed recruitment agencies with employers in the Kingdom, the Philippines continues to see the (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) as a good OFW destination," Baldoz said. According to a news release posted on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) website Baldoz cited the need to improve the system of protection for low skilled workers, including household service workers, in both the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. She said the “high level of relationship" between the Phili...

A depressed overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who had just arrived from Taiwan on Tuesday tried to commit suicide at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 3. According to airport officials, the man broke his legs and ribs after jumping from the departure area on the second floor of the NAIA, He was rushed to the Pasay City General Hospital but his injuries were believed to be not life-threatening. The victim reportedly arrived from Taiwan at 8:30 pm at NAIA 3 on Tuesday and was supposed to leave for Iloilo at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. “We are trying to get in touch with his family," Manila International Airport Authority spokesperson Connie Bungag said. “We don’t have any idea yet, we are still waiting for the report from the airport police," Bungag said. The incident caused delays in the terminal but

Before returning to the country last Sunday, 95 “runaway" overseas Filipino workers (OFW) completed a first aid training course, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto Asuque presented the certificates of completion to the 95 OFWs sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC). Assistant Labor Attaché Salome Mendoza, Caritas Senior Social Worker Dima Haddad, and First Aid Trainer Lina Raoub assisted Asuque in handing out the certificates. The training course was conducted by Caritas Lebanon Migrants Center (CLMC). “The First Aid Training Course was conducted pursuant to the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Embassy and the CLMC to provide human resource training to Filipinos sheltered in the FWRC while waiting for the completion of their exit papers," the DFA said. Signing the certificates were Asuque, Caritas Board Committee President Kamal Sioufi, and Caritas Director Najla Tabet Chadda, as an indication of the qualit...

Russia recognized the Philippines as one of its “vital and promising" partner in the Asia-Pacific region, as the Philippines marked its 113th Independence Day last weekend. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin disclosed this as he and Ministry of Culture Counselor Leo Dzugaev graced the event as the embassy’s guests of honor. “[Borodavkin] called the Philippines Russia’s ‘vital and promising partner in the Asia-Pacific region, whose role in the global system of international relations and world economy is significantly increasing,’" the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Last weekend’s event also marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia. Philippine Ambassador to Russia Victor Garcia III noted that the partnership was founded on friendship and promotion of shared interests for the benefit of the people of the two countries. Garcia pointed out that even before formal Philippine-Russi...

World leaders at the 100th International Labour Conference (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland aim to address the rising global unemployment and giving social protection to domestic workers — most of whom are female and come from developing countries like the Philippines. Aside from finding ways to protect the basic rights to millions of domestic workers, world leaders at the 100th ILO session are meeting from June 1-17 to highlight challenges in the world of work such as record high unemployment, the global youth employment crisis, the extension of social protection coverage, and fair treatment at the workplace. ILO director-general Juan Somavia opened the conference by declaring that, “Our world of work is in turmoil." The conference will also tackle the proposed international labor standard on domestic work that will impact millions of Filipino domestic workers in many Arab countries and Asian capitals such as Hong Kong and Singapore. World leaders will also tackle the lingering upris...

Thousands of OFWs and their families trooped the spacious Function Room 3 of the SMX Convention Center in celebration of the 1st National Congress of OFWs and Families held June 7th, Tuesday in Pasay City. This event is in celebration of the Migrant Workers Day. Top government officials in the persons of Akabayan Rep. Walden Bello and Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan were there to share in the momentous occasion for the OFWs. OWWA Administrator Carmelita S. Dimzon gave the welcome remarks, the keynote address of President Benigno Aquino III was delivered by DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz. Also mentioned in the speech read by Sec. Baldoz were the other projects launched earlier by the DOLE, OWWA and the NRCO in direct assistance to the overseas workers and their families e.g. “Balik Pinay! Balik Hanapbuhay!” etc. The reading of the Manifesto was led by Ms. Virgencita Lagunsay, a representative from the OFW Family Circles (OFC). The Manifesto was a concerted effort of the OWWA...

Naging mapagbiro ang tadhana sa isang distressed Pinay domestic helper sa Riyadh, Saudi Arabia dahil binawian siya ng buhay sa araw kung kailan sasakay na siya ng eroplano na maghahatid sana sa kanya pauwi ng Pilipinas. Sa impormasyong nakalap mula sa grupong Patnubay, ang pumanaw na OFW ay kinilalang si Lilia Prestado, 44-anyos, mula sa bayan ng Taytay, at mahigit isang taon nang TNT o tago ng tago mula nang tumakas sa kanyang amo. Ang Patnubay ay isang advocacy group sa Gitnang Silangan na tumutulong sa mga nagigipit na OFW. Napag-alaman na nitong Pebrero ay inindorso ng Patnubay si Prestado sa Bahay Kalinga. Ito ay lugar na pinangangasiwaan ng pamahalaan, at kinukopkop ang mga nagigipit na OFWs. Sinasabing may sakit sa puso at goiter si Prestado, bukod pa sa kanyang asthma, at iba pang komplikasyon sa kalusugan. Ayon sa Patnubay, walong buwan lamang nagtrabaho si Prestado sa kanyang amo at pagkaraan nito ay tumakas na. Hindi malinaw kung ano ang dahilan kung bakit iniwan ni Prestado...

A Filipina faced a United Arab Emirates court over the weekend for allegedly delivering her cousin's baby in a reckless manner, an Arab news site reported on Monday. Prosecutors claimed the 54-year-old woman, which the report did not name, intentionally endangered the life of her 30-year-old cousin, who was impregnated by an out-of-wedlock affair with a Pakistani Man, a Gulf News report said. The woman delivered the illegitimate baby in a dangerous and impractical way that caused health hazards to the cousin, the prosecution said. The accused woman was also charged for failing to report to authorities that her cousin has had consensual sex with the 30-year-old Pakistani man. Giving birth outside of wedlock is considered a crime in the Middle-Eastern country. The report said that when the Filipina appeared before the Dubai Misdemeanours Court, she failed to deny or admit her crime before Presiding Judge Ebrahim Khalil Abu Shamma due to language difficulties. The court has since deci...

A Filipina faced a United Arab Emirates court over the weekend for allegedly delivering her cousin's baby in a reckless manner, an Arab news site reported on Monday. Prosecutors claimed the 54-year-old woman, which the report did not name, intentionally endangered the life of her 30-year-old cousin, who was impregnated by an out-of-wedlock affair with a Pakistani Man, a Gulf News report said. The woman delivered the illegitimate baby in a dangerous and impractical way that caused health hazards to the cousin, the prosecution said. The accused woman was also charged for failing to report to authorities that her cousin has had consensual sex with the 30-year-old Pakistani man. Giving birth outside of wedlock is considered a crime in the Middle-Eastern country. The report said that when the Filipina appeared before the Dubai Misdemeanours Court, she failed to deny or admit her crime before Presiding Judge Ebrahim Khalil Abu Shamma due to language difficulties. The court has since deci...

The Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia has called on Filipinos here and abroad to commemorate the contributions of Filipino seafarers to the global economy following the government's declaration of June 25 as the "Day of the Filipino Seafarer." "The Filipino Seafarers deserve respect, recognition and gratitude for their invaluable contribution to the national development efforts of the country, and have become ‘sailing ambassadors’... for having demonstrated before the global maritime community the best traits of the Filipino," the embassy said in a news release posted on its website. In signing Proclamation 183 declaring June 25 as the Day of the Filipino Seafarer, President Benigno Aquino III urged "all relevant maritime agencies or instrumentalities of the government including government-owned and controlled corporations as well as private individuals or organizations... to support the commemoration of this important event." The embassy noted that t...

In time for the country's 113th Independence Day celebrations on Sunday, the government has urged Filipinos in Saudi Arabia and conflict-stricken Yemen to attain "economic independence" by investing in the Philippines upon their return. Philippine Embassy charge d'affaires Ezedin Tago said the Aquino administration is working on economic programs that will benefit the common Filipino, including the overseas Filipino workers. "We urge Filipinos in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen to plan for their eventual integration into the Philippine economy to gain true economic freedom," Tago said in an Independence Day message posted on news site Arab News. "Save what you earn while overseas and invest in our country and economy. There are many investment and business opportunities in various sectors that await any returning Filipino," he added. The Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia also has jurisdiction over Yemen. Tago also extended the embassy's ...

A Filipina domestic helper was killed in a road accident in Kowloon in Hong Kong, a report of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) said. According to the report, the helper was taking a boy to school when they were knocked down by a coach in the Kowloon Tong area. "The 30-year-old woman died but the boy escaped with minor injuries," the RTHK said. RTHL said the incident was one of two road accidents in Hong Kong on Friday. The second incident involved an 85-year-old woman who was killed after being hit by a vehicle while crossing Tin Kwong Road in Hunghom. - VVP, GMA News