KAKAMMPI News

abs-cbnNEWS.com MANILA, Philippines – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is still tracking down its officers who have gone AWOL (absence without official leave) without remitting collections amounting to about P8 million. “Unfortunately, there were collecting officers who went on AWOL and we've been trying our best to locate them using their last known addresses,” OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon told ABS-CBN News Channel. Dimzon said the collecting officers just left without securing any clearance from OWWA. “The addresses that were left with OWWA are no longer their present addresses. But we have asked help from some quarters to help us locate them,” said Dimzon. The estimated P8 million amount is part of the P21 million in dollar and euro collections that OWWA officers from foreign posts have failed to remit, according to the Commission on Audit (COA) report. “We are looking at a 10-year period. Itong pinaguusapan na ito ay magmula 2000 hanggang 2010,” ex...

MANILA, Philippines - The exodus of expatriate Filipinos wanting to spend the holidays in their homeland in the longest Christmas season in the world had apparently started on Sunday following the arrival of six planeloads of mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East. Separate flights from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia also flew in, adding to the flood of passengers that suddenly filled the airport arrival area. The addition of some 30 personnel from the Immigration Bureau helped facilitate the processing of documents of an estimated 3,000 passengers taking only one hour. The first plane was an Etihad Airways Flight EY 424 which landed at 3:30 p.m., followed in succession by Emirates, EK-332; Saudia, SB-870; Gulf Air, GF-156; Kuwait, KU-411; and Qatar, QR-646. All of the airplanes that came from the Middle East are wide-body type, such as EY-424, a B777 that has a capacity of 300 passengers. The other aircraft were A330 and A340, while Cathay Pacific CX-919 from ...

Filipino nurses and dentists in Saudi Arabia have organized themselves to help distressed overseas Filipino workers in the kingdom. According to a news release of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, the new chapters of nurses and dentists associations that were formed were: • the Philippine Nurses Association-Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia (PNA-ERSA) Chapter, and • the Filipino Dentists in KSA (FDK). Citing a letter of PNA-ERSA founding president Mary Jane Tupas, the embassy said the nurses association intends to: • establish links with government institutions to assist distressed Filipinos; • promote continuing education among its members, and • promote health and wellness among Filipinos in the Kingdom. Earlier, the Philippine Nurses Association chapter in Jeddah was also organized with Zeny Concepcion as the founding president. On the other hand, according to FDK president Dr. Lourdres Madayag, their group’s objectives include: • promoting fellowship and camaraderie among its memb...

MANILA – Ikinalungkot ni Sen Manny Villar na hindi dinagdagan ng pamahalaan ang pondong inilaan para sa mga magigipit na overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sa susunod na taon. Sa pagbubukas ng unang OFW and Family Summit sa World Trade Center nitong Huwebes, sinabi ni Villar na hindi patas ang pondong inilaan para “Distressed National Fund ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), kung ikukumpara ang malaking remittances na ipinapadala sa Pilipinas ng mga OFW bawat taon. “Nakakadismaya na malaman natin na kakarampot lamang ang pondong inilaan ng ating gobyerno upang tulungan ating mga kababayan na nagigipit sa abroad. Paano na lamang iyong mga nakukulong, pinagmamalupitan ng kanilang amo, o hindi makauwi dahil minalas sa kanilang trabaho,” pahayag ni Villar patungkol sa 2012 budget na inaprubahan ng Senado noong Martes. Ang OFW and Family Summit na isasagawa na taun-taon ay naisakatuparan sa pagtutulungan ng Villar Foundation at GoNegosyo. Pangunahing layunin nito na bigyan pagkilala an...

GARAPAN, Saipan -- Non-US citizen Filipinos in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) might be able to extend their stay until December 2012, after the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday (Manila time) that it will consider granting parole to immediate relatives of US citizens and certain "stateless" individuals in the area. The parole will allow eligible individuals lawfully present in the CNMI by November 27 to maintain legal status until December 31, 2012. However, the DHS -- through its US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) -- clarified on Thursday that it will be granted on a case-to-case basis. USCIS also asked people not to apply for this parole "until [it] announces more specific details on how to" do so. The federal agency said it is providing this initial information in order to address concerns of this group of CNMI residents in light of the pending expiration of umbrella permits on November 27, to...

A support group for abused Filipino women was recognized at the Avon Foundation for Women Global Voices for Change Awards in New York in the United States early this month. The Women’s Crisis Center (WCC) in Quezon City received this year’s Global Community Advocacy Champion award for its advocacy work in supporting victims of domestic violence. Serving as secretariat for the National Network of Family Violence Prevention Programs, the group aids abused women through: crisis intervention; counseling; temporary shelter; education, and training services. WCC Executive Officer Theresa Balayon accepted the award at the Avon’s gala event in New York last Nov. 2, where other organizations from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Poland, and the United States were also hailed for their respective advocacy works. Pinay finalist Meanwhile, Joy Loria—the lone Filipino at the finals of the Avon Voices online singing competition—performed together with her fellow contenders. Loria, who joined the competit...

24/7 Card Offers Powerful New Prepaid Visa® Debit + Remit Card Special Advertising Feature Los Angeles, CA, — 24/7 Card, a financial services company supported by world boxing champion and Philippine congressman Manny Pacquiao, today announced its powerful new 24/7 Visa® Prepaid Debit + Remit Card (“24/7 Card”). Consumers can now sign-up for 24/7 Card at www.247Card.com or by calling (888) 247-7400. 24/7 Card is a prepaid debit and remittance card designed for Filipinos and other immigrants living in the United States. The Smarter Way to Bank and Send Money™, 24/7 Card features a unique one-two combo “Debit + Remit” benefits in one card, offering the convenience of shopping, paying bills and sending money overseas directly from the card account – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Recipients can either pick up funds at any of 24/7 Card’s remittance partners throughout the Philippines; have the money deposited directly into a bank account; or have the money hand delivered to their ho...

UPDATED 2:20 p.m. - The activist group Sanlakas is calling on the Indonesian government to release seven protesters—including four Filipino women— who were arrested for participating in a demonstration that coincided with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit last week. In a statement issued last Saturday, Sanlakas said the Indonesian government should “swiftly release” the detainees “without charges, threats, or harassment,” because they “were merely protesting.” Releasing them would be part of the host country’s obligation as “a state-signatory to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights,” it added. The group identified one of the Filipino detainees, Manjette Lopez, is its secretary general. Lopez is also the vice president of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), the statement read. Meanwhile, the other three—all members of the Jubilee South-Asia Pacific Movement for Debt and Development (JS-APMDD)—were identified as: * Lidy Nacpil (regional coordinator), ...

Philippine officials are promoting in the provinces the hotline number 1343 for victims of human trafficking also called as “modern-day slavery." A news release of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) said the "1343 Actionline Against Human Trafficking" is a project of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. The program aims to assist human trafficking victims who seek help at these hotline numbers: (02) 1343, if calling from the Philippines, and (632) 1343, if calling from abroad. Education program on migration Meanwhile, the CFO also has a Community Education Program on Migration to prevent people from becoming victims of human trafficking. In a recent symposium in Butuan City in southern Philippines, Ariel Cruz of the CFO’s Migrant Integration and Education Division said “some foreigners do human trafficking in a guise of marriage." “We do not prevent...

The Philippine government can provide legal assistance to two household service workers (HSW) who were abused by a Taiwanese official in the United States (US). Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Carmelita Dimzon on Tuesday said the two helpers may approach either the Philippine embassy or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the US for assistance. Dimzon said they are trying to identify the two HSWs because US authorities withheld their identities. “The names had been withheld by the US authorities for confidentiality. The embassy and the POLO don’t have them," Dimzon said. “We are prepared to extend all possible assistance within the mandate given to us," she said. Director Liu Hsien-hsien of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) based in Missouri was recently arrested after being charged by a federal court of committing labor violations against the two Filipino HSWs. The TECO told the court that Liu illegally hired, underpaid, a...

The Philippine government can provide legal assistance to two household service workers (HSW) who were abused by a Taiwanese official in the United States (US). Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Carmelita Dimzon on Tuesday said the two helpers may approach either the Philippine embassy or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the US for assistance. Dimzon said they are trying to identify the two HSWs because US authorities withheld their identities. “The names had been withheld by the US authorities for confidentiality. The embassy and the POLO don’t have them," Dimzon said. “We are prepared to extend all possible assistance within the mandate given to us," she said. Director Liu Hsien-hsien of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) based in Missouri was recently arrested after being charged by a federal court of committing labor violations against the two Filipino HSWs. The TECO told the court that Liu illegally hired, underpaid, a...

Filipinos in Egypt are safe amid the clashes that erupted between the military government and protesters calling for its downfall, an official from the Philippine Embassy in Cairo said on Tuesday. In a phone interview in GMA News TV’s “On Call," Vice Consul Querubine Lacay assured the families of Filipinos in Egypt that they should not worry because the chaos is “localized." Lacay also noted that no Filipino has been reported dead or injured in the clashes, where 33 people have been killed and 1, 700 others were hurt. “Ito ay isyu sa pagitan ng lipunan ng Egypt at ng gobyerno nila. Ang atin naman pong mga kababayan ay naka-focus sa mga obligasyon nila sa kanilang pamilya at sa trabaho nila, kaya marami po sa kanila [ay] hindi sumasama sa ganitong kaguluhan," she told “On Call" host Connie Sison. For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV There are about 2, 600 Filipinos registered in Embassy records, 95 percent of them based in the capital, ...

A 30-year-old Filipino was found bloodied and dead inside his living quarters at a shipyard in Malaysia over the weekend. A report of Malaysia's "The Star" said the Filipino is suspected of having committed suicide by stabbing himself with a knife. The report said there was nothing at the scene to indicate that a fight ensued. GMA News Online tried to confirm this report with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). However, DFA spokesman said they have not yet received a report about this incident. "The Star" said the Filipino may have stabbed himself at about 2:30 p.m. last Saturday. He was rushed to Miri Hospital but later died due to massive internal bleeding from multiple stab wounds, the report said. - VVP, GMA News A 30-year-old Filipino was found bloodied and dead inside his living quarters at a shipyard in Malaysia over the weekend. A report of Malaysia's "The Star" said the Filipino is suspected of having committed suicide by s...

Filipino filmmaker Sheron Dayoc's movie "Halaw" won the 2011 Asia Pacific Screen Awards' (APSA) Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award in Australia last November 17. A news release of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the film represents the multi-cultural groupings of Mindanao, bound by an opportunity to earn a living. "Written, produced and directed by Dayoc, 'Halaw' follows the journey of a kaleidoscope of characters hoping for a better life in Sabah, Malaysia, despite the dangers of illegal immigration and the uncertainty of a true job in Malaysia," the DFA said. Dayoc said the award inspires him to do more films which distinctly capture not only the Filipino spirit but also represent the Asian value of resilience. Dayoc is a Mindanao independent filmmaker, editor, videographer and writer. His documentaries focus on untold stories of people from the grassroots level. The 2011 APSA NETPAC Jury included APSA Nominations...

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) appealed for the public’s understanding as it vowed to continue its “offloading" policy in combating illegal recruitment and human trafficking. The policy bars passengers from flying to certain countries on suspicion that they could be victims of human trafficking. According to a news release on the BI website, Associate Commissioner Abdullah Mangotara urged travelers to give specific information when filing complaints “for alleged extortion or arrogance" against immigration officers. “While the BI recognizes [every Filipino’s] right to travel, human trafficking poses a threat to the people’s right to life and liberty. [These] can be [confusing, but] the preservation of life and liberty is a higher calling, a higher duty that we must discharge—and discharge without hesitation," Mangotara said. Human trafficking and illegal recruitment is expected to continue, he added, because many Filipinos still see overseas work as the solution to povert...

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded the “real commitment" the Philippines has shown in fighting against human trafficking, also called as “modern-day slavery." At a forum dubbed “A Conversation in Manila" at the National Museum on Wednesday, Clinton cited the improvement in the country’s enforcement of laws against human trafficking, the illegal trade in human beings for forced labor or sexual exploitation. “Now you’re prosecuting — that sends a very strong message to the traffickers that you have to beware, that you’re not gonna get away with this," Clinton said. “I can’t speak for what the evidence will accumulate. We have this whole process that I’m not a part of, I [just] get the final recommendation. But I think it’s fair to say that we’re very proud of the progress that the Philippines is making," she added. ‘Sea change of difference’ In an interview with CNN in June this year, Clinton praised the Philippines for the progress in the fi...

BALI – The Philippines on Thursday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to adopt a legally-binding agreement on the protection of migrant workers. Communications and Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang, delivered the Philippine statements at the plenary session of the ASEAN summit, said the regional bloc should consider a rules-based accord that will protect the rights of migrant workers. The Philippines wants to see "more binding set of rules" on the treatment of migrant workers, Carandang said. “There should be certain standards between the receiving country and the deploying country," he said. “There is a need for greater protection for migrant workers and we want something that is more binding with regard to how we treat and assist migrant workers," Carandang added. “We want action on it sooner rather than later." However, getting the consensus of all ASEAN states may be a tough task. Carandang noted that Indonesian President Susilo Bamba...

The Abu Dhabi police issued a set of guidelines for vehicle owners for the National Day celebrations of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Dec. 2. According to a Gulf News report, the police warned motorists on Monday “about the excessive use of decorations on their cars" and behavior on the road during the event. The guidelines—released by the Abu Dhabi police and published in the Gulf News—are as follows: Motorists should not change the color of their vehicles and post inappropriate and/or obscene words and phrases on their car’s body. Windscreens should be free from posters. License plates should not be removed or covered with stickers or any decoration. Vehicle owners are prohibited from attaching any noise-making accessory or device. Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrol Department head Hussai Al Harthi also warned motorists against stopping their vehicles in the middle of the road to spray paint on other cars. Passengers must not stick any part of their body out of the vehicle, especi...

With Asian immigrant workers subject to “widespread wage violations" in the United States, an organization advocating the rights of Asian Americans is offering free legal advice in line with the National Days of Action Against Wage Theft on Nov. 17 to 20. What is wage theft? Some of the most common examples of wage theft occur because workers do not know the laws that most employers in New York and New Jersey must follow. How well do you know your rights? 1. Minimum wage Did you know that most workers in New York and New Jersey must be paid at least $7.25 an hour for the first 40 hours they work in one week? 2. Overtime Did you know that most workers in New York and New Jersey must be paid 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for every hour they work over 40 hours? 3. Delayed paycheck Did you know that all workers have a right to be paid regularly and on time, regardless of economic conditions at their workplace? 4. Meal breaks Did you know that many workers in New York who work mo...

Overseas Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were warned this week against patronizing three cargo firms when sending Christmas goodies to their families back home. The warning from the Trade Department's Philippine Shippers’ Bureau stemmed from complaints of hundreds of UAE-based OFWs that their BB (Balikbayan) boxes remain undelivered for over a year now. News site Khaleej Times cited an advisory released through the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai indicating two of the three cargo firms are based in Dubai and one in Sharjah. The freight-forwarding firms are Smooth Express and Express Link Cargo Services in Dubai and Dagupan Cargo Packaging Services in Sharjah. These companies allegedly send the cargo through Urgent Cargo Express International Forwarder and Brokerage Inc. in Sucat, Parañaque [in southern Metro Manila], the Khaleej Times report said. According to the report, OFWs in the Middle East send a large number of BB boxes containing valuables for their...

Undocumented students who were brought to the United States as children should be given a chance to stay there, visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Manila on Wednesday. Responding to a question via Skype by Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, Clinton said it is “important" for undocumented immigrants to “be treated with a humane approach," especially if they are young. "If you were brought to the US as a child, that's not a decision you made," she said. "If you're a student and you want to remain in the US, I believe you have to be given the opportunity to do so." Vargas—who confessed in a New York Times article last July that he was an undocumented immigrant—asked the US Secretary of State: "Given the important role that documented and undocumented Filipino immigrants play in society, how would you define American?" Speaking before the audience of the forum "A Conversation in Manila...

Overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong should be "vigilant" on sending packages to their relatives for Christmas, the Philippine Consulate General there said. In an advisory posted on its website on Monday, the Consulate General warned OFWs to be careful especially in sending boxes through Ford Cargo International, which "has already victimized several Filipinos in Hong Kong." "This company… has a pending criminal case here," the Consulate General said. Ford Cargo International is among the sea freight forwarders earlier listed as "delinquent" by the Philippine Shippers’ Bureau (PSB), an agency under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The companies that made the PSB list last May had been noted for delivery delay and non-delivery of Balikbayan boxes and pilferage, over-charging, and lost and damaged cargoes. Aside from Ford Cargo International, the list included: Associated Consolidations Express (ACE) Cargo of Northern and South...

Visitors to Macau, be forewarned — a new rule is now in place that imposes stiff fines for those who overstay for more than 30 days after their permit expires. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Friday said offenders will be made to pay a fine of US$26 or more than P1,200 for every day that they overstay in Macau. Moreover, the agency said offenders who commit the same violation within 180 days will not be able to “legalize" their overstaying by paying fines and will have to leave the special administrative region immediately. Illegal immigrants will likewise be deported and prohibited from entering Macau for a certain period as indicated in the deportation order. With these new rules, the POEA advised Filipino tourists, especially those who intend to overstay in Macau to look for a job, to use the “legal channel" in seeking overseas employment. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

Ten Filipino hairdressers and makeup artists reaped awards in an international hair and makeup competition last November 8 to 10, the Philippine Consulate General in Macau said. According to a news release issued on Tuesday, Stefanie Ilagan led the Philippine delegation with a first runner-up finish in the Bridal Makeup category of this year's Asia-Pacific Hair and Makeup Cosmetologists Association (APHCA) Hair and Makeup Competition held at the Venetian-Macau Hotel and Resort. Pinoy hair and make-up artists bagged 1 first runner-up finish and 9 honorable mentions in an int'l tilt in Macau. DFA.gov.ph More than 40 major hairstyling and makeup experts from the Asia-Pacific region competed for 60 awards in the competition, which is also known as the “Asia-Pacific Hair and Makeup Olympics." Aside from Ilagan, nine other Filipinos received honorable mentions in several categories, including Evening Hairstyle, Evening Makeup, Party Makeup, and Ladies’ Cut and Creative Color: Ni...