KAKAMMPI News

   Various Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) groups and advocates have formed a united front against the implementation of the integration of airport terminal fees in all  airline tickets  by November 1, 2014. “OFWs have already sacrificed so much for their families and their country. It is unjust and unfair to ask them to sacrifice even more as a result of this new policy that deprives them of one of the few benefits granted by law,” the #noto550 coalition wrote in their position paper which they recently presented to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. Among the members of the #noto550 Coalition are Kenji Solis and Gemma Comiso of PinoyExpats/OFW Blog Awards, Engrs. Nelson Ramirez and Bienvenido Lorque of United Filipino Seafarers, Carmelita Nuqui of Philippine Migrants’ Rights Watch, Ellene Sana of Center for Migrant Advocacy, Loreto Soriano of the LBS Recruitment, Elso Cabangon and Rashid Fabricante of Filipino Migrant Workers Group, Sis. Teres...

The Social Security System (SSS) has recognized 12 companies as national winners of the 2014 SSS Balikat ng Bayan Awards for  their significant contribution to the attainment of SSS' goals and mission. The “Balikat ng Bayan” plaques, specially made by renowned Filipino sculptor Dr. Antonino Raymundo,were presented to the winners by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando V. Tetangco, Jr, who was the guest of honor and speaker, together with Social Security Commission Chairman Juan B. Santos and SSS President and Chief Executive Offcer Emilio S. de Quiros, Jr. during the awarding ceremonies held at the SSS corporate headquarters on September 25. SSS Balikat ng Bayan Awards Committee Chairman and Chief Legal Counsel Voltaire P. Agas said the 2014 Balikat ng Bayan awardees consisted of two top employers, four best collection partners, three best paying partners and three best media partners. “Every year, we mark our anniversary by honoring institutions that have helped us...

The Social Security System (SSS) has opened a voluntary provident fund program that offers its members an additional way of saving for their retirement. SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio S. de Quiros, Jr said the new retirement savings scheme called the SSS Personal Equity and Savings Option (SSS PESO) fund is an alternative and tax-free investment that would help members accumulate adequate income in retirement and earn a reasonable rate of return. “ SSS PESO savings can be used to supplement the benefits available under the regular SSS program. It offers guaranteed earnings based on rates higher than those at brick-and-mortar banks.” De Quiros said. The SSS PESO fund is open to all members below 55 years old with six consecutive SSS contributions within the last 12 months prior to enrollment and have not yet filed final claims with the SSS. Qualified members can participate for a minimum contribution of P1,000 up to a maximum of P100,000 per year. “ One...

Authorities are moving back by one month the integration of the terminal fee to the price of   airline tickets , as a consideration to passengers who may be adversely affected by the move. This means the integration will be implemented not this Wednesday but on November 1, according to a report on Unang Balita. Transportation authorities expect the one-month period will particularly benefit those who had been exempted from paying the terminal fee. Exempted from paying the terminal fee are overseas Filipino workers, pilgrims endorsed by the National  Commission on Muslim Filipinos, athletes endorsed by the Philippine Sports Commission, and those authorized by the Office of the President. Also exempted are children two years old and younger. Earlier, the Manila International Airport Authority said the integration would mean passengers going through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport can expect less queuing. MIAA general manager Jose Angel Ho...

MANILA, Philippines–The integration of the  airport terminal  fee into the cost of an international  airline  ticket will be implemented effective Nov. 1 and not Oct. 1 as earlier announced to give passengers more time to learn its mechanics, the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) said on Monday. To avoid long queues of international passengers paying the terminal fee, the Miaa announced last week that the P550 international passenger service charge or terminal fee was to be included in the  AIRLINE TICKET  cost starting Wednesday. The start of the one-year transition program, however, had to be delayed another month “to give more time for affected passengers, especially those exempted from the terminal fee,” the Miaa said. Vicente Guerzon Jr., Miaa officer in charge, said the postponement of the fee implementation was decided after consultation with OFW party-list Rep. Roy Señeres on Friday. “Transportation Secretary Joseph Emil...

The Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong assured on Monday that Filipinos in the former British colony are safe as pro-democracy advocates surround the city's government headquarters in a bid to shut down what a news service tagged as "the heart of the global financial hub."   In an interview with GMA News' "News To Go," Consul General Bernardita Catalla said the situation was "normal" despite the presence of protesters and barricades on the streets, adding that they were still able to walk to the consulate for work.   She added that they are not really worried about the Filipinos there, most of whom are household workers, since it's rare for them to take a day-off during weekdays.   "Hindi naman ho kami nag-wo-worry dahil ang mga Filipino po dito, nakakalabas kapag Sunday lang. Weekday ho kaunti lang talaga ang mga Filipino na nag-de-day off. Ang day-off nila ay Sunday at statutory holidays, so wala sila sa labas," she said...

No overseas Filipino worker has so far been reported injured in the protest rallies in Hong Kong as of Monday morning.   Some OFWs spent their day off Sunday near some of the protest venues without incident, GMA News stringer Azon Cañete reported on GMA News TV's News TV Live early Monday.   The report cited initial information from the Philippine Consulate General indicating there was no report of Filipinos affected or injured due to the protests.   In some cases, some even pushed through with their usual day-off activities such as eating out and singing, though some of the OFWs decided to go home early.   On Sunday,  Hong Kong police fired volleys of tear gas  to disperse pro-democracy protests and baton-charged a crowd blocking a key road in the government district in defiance of official warnings against illegal demonstrations, Reuters reported.    Hong Kong's The Standard said on Monday  at least 10 men and four wome...

A Filipino patient fell to his death from the ninth floor of Singapore's Tan Tock Seng hospital, a Singapore news site reported Sunday. The Straits Times report did not identify the Filipino, but described him as in his 40's, and that paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. According to a hospital spokesman the patient broke through a fire escape-stairwell window at a general in-patient ward. Though foul play is not suspected, the investigation into the Filipinos's death would continue.  —  Joel Locsin /DVM, GMA News

Malacañang on Sunday dismissed as “baseless” claims that President Benigno Aquino III snubbed members of the Filipino-American community in California on the final leg of his five-day working visit to the United States last week. According to Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., the President did not have a scheduled appointment with Filipinos living in San Francisco. “During the short period of time that his plane stopped at San Francisco, the President met with the leaders of two multinational entertainment and banking companies that have expressed interest in investing or expanding their current participation in our country’s economy, “ Coloma said in an interview over the state-run dzRB radio station. Members of the Filipino-American community in California have expressed disappointment over failing to meet with Aquino during his short stay in San Francisco, with some leaders remarking to the Asian Journal that the President appeared to have “chose[n] guns, burgers and ja...

In a clear voice, Filipino writer Merlinda Bobis read sections of her new book to a select audience inside the Plaridel Hall at the University of the Philippines Diliman last week. Her new book, "Dream Stories," is a re-issue of "White Turtle," first published in Australia in 1999 and Philippines and the US in 2000, and contains some of her "younger" stories. The University of Wollongong professor said these stories shuttle between the Philippines and Australia, and chronicle her writing before it was influenced by her geography change. "Geography influences your sensibilities. When I was still here, I was writing based on this geography, Bicol especially... but when I went there, it's a different geography and different culture," she said. Staying in Australia even changed her mode of language and sentence construction. While Bobis wrote in English before coming to Australia, she wrote epic poetry in Filipino and even in Bicolano. Long years...

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong will be closed on October 1 and 2, in observance of two holidays there. In an announcement, the consulate general said October 1, a Wednesday, is the national day of the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. On October 2, the consulate general will remain closed for the Chung Yeung festival, which falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It is an occasion where families congregate at cemeteries to engage in ancestor worship. In case of emergency,  Filipinos may contact : Consular assistance: 9155-4023 Labor: 6080-8323 OWWA: 6345-9324 Facebook: Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong Email: hongkongpc@philcongen-hk.com Fax: 2866-9885 —  Joel Locsin  /LBG, GMA News

After five seasons with German club TSV Altenholz, Filipino-Australian handball star Bevan Calvert switched to a new club for the 2014-2015 season, news site The Filipino Australian reported. The change in club, however, changed nothing in Calvert's game, as the 28-year-old scored nine goals in his latest match with his new club, SV Mecklenburger Schwerin. The Handball Australia team captain said he appreciated his time with Altheholz Wolf, but looked forward to a new experience with the Mecklenburger Bulls. Calvert added that he would "never forget" his time with the fans, the management, and his "fantastic team mates", and hoped to see them soon. Deemed an "absolute gain" by Bulls President Friedrich Diestel, Calvert told fans that his new team had “much potential,” and despite the opposition, they could still achieve their goals. From his Filipino mother Violi, Calvert picked up a bit of Filipino. He also enjoys spending time with his other relative...

VALLETTA - Malta has turned away a ship travelling from Guinea with a Filipino passenger with suspected Ebola and seeking medical assistance, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Thursday. The sick Filipino passenger was taken in by Italy, and an initial medical assessment suggested he has hepatitis, port authorities in Sicily told Agence France-Presse.   Muscat said it was "morally and legally correct" to have prevented the Hong Kong-flagged ship from entering Maltese waters late Wednesday, despite a request from the captain for assistance.   The MV Western Copenhagen, with 21 people on board, was on its way from Guinea -- one of the three countries worst hit by west Africa's Ebola epidemic -- to Ukraine.   An army patrol boat was dispatched to make sure the ship did not enter Maltese waters.   "We had no way of ascertaining whether the captain was understating or overstating the situation. We do not even know if there is more than one suspec...

(Updated 1:14 p.m.)  Filipino peacekeepers in Golan Heights will be repatriated sooner after they were repositioned to territory controlled by Israel, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Friday.   In a statement, AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala cited the "volatile operational environment" in Golan Heights and "logistical constraints" following the repositioning as reasons for the earlier repatriation of Filipino troops.   "Because of this repositioning of all peacekeepers to the Israeli side of Golan Heights and its attendant logistical constraints on UNDOF [United Nations Disengagement Observer Force], it was deemed practical that PH contingent be repatriated earlier than expected," Zagala said.   The Philippines was supposed to pull out all 331 of its troops serving in the UNDOF after their tour of duty in October. Last week, the head of the Philippine peacekeeping force in Golan Heights,  Col. James Ezra Enriquez, already ret...

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday suspended passport and authentication services at its offices in Metro Manila due to heavy rain from Tropical Storm Mario (Fung-Wong).   In a statement, the DFA also said other consular services at DFA-Aseana (Macapagal Boulevard) and all mall-based DFA Satellite Offices in Metro Manila are suspended. "Operations at DFA-Aseana will resume on 22 September 2014  (Monday). Operations at mall-based DFA Satellite Offices will resume tomorrow, 20 September 2014 (Saturday) if weather conditions improve," it said. Also, it said it will post an advisory if it needs to suspend consular operations at DFA satellite offices on Saturday. For passport applicants who have a scheduled appointment on Friday, they will be accommodated from September 22 to 26, but will have to present proof of their appointment. Those who have questions may contact the DFA via phone at: - DFA Aseana 651-9429, 651-9430 passportconcerns@dfa.gov.ph - DFA NCR Central 631...

CHENGDU CITY, China - The Philippine government is expected to open a Consulate General in the capital city of Sichuan province in China within the next three years, an official of the Embassy of People's Republic of China in the Philippines said. "Last year, the Philippine government decided to build a Consulate General here in Chengdu because more and more Chengdu people wants to visit the Philippines," said Charlie Liu, Third Secretary of the embassy's political division, in an interview with reporters on Thursday.   Earlier this month, China issued an advisory cautioning against travel to the Philippines.   The documents needed to make the consulate project happen have been finished and the search for a site in underway. "We hope to finish in three years," Liu said.   Liu noted that the Philippine government may have noticed the increase of chartered flights from Sichuan province to and from the country "so they may have decided to bui...

VALLETTA - Malta has turned away a ship travelling from Guinea with a Filipino passenger with suspected Ebola and seeking medical assistance, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Thursday. The sick Filipino passenger was taken in by Italy, and an initial medical assessment suggested he has hepatitis, port authorities in Sicily told Agence France-Presse.   Muscat said it was "morally and legally correct" to have prevented the Hong Kong-flagged ship from entering Maltese waters late Wednesday, despite a request from the captain for assistance.   The MV Western Copenhagen, with 21 people on board, was on its way from Guinea -- one of the three countries worst hit by west Africa's Ebola epidemic -- to Ukraine.   An army patrol boat was dispatched to make sure the ship did not enter Maltese waters.   "We had no way of ascertaining whether the captain was understating or overstating the situation. We do not even know if there is more than one suspected case,...

A Filipino fashion personality in Canada is now in the center of controversy after volunteers for the fashion events he organized accused him of mishandling funds. A report on the news and entertainment website Now Toronto  said Jeff Rustia,  executive director of Toronto Men's Fashion Week (TOMFW), allegedly donated only proceeds of one show to Kol Hope Foundation when in fact it was supposed to receive all of TOMFW's earnings.   Jeff Rustia, founder of Canada Philippine Fashion Week, is not a stranger to controversy. 'At any large event,' he said, 'circumstances occur beyond one's control.' It said materials printed for the event stated that the foundation donated $85,000 to Sickkids in 2013, but in truth that was the amount it has donated since 2001, the year it was established. The report said Rustia had explained the discrepancy as “a typo missed in the hectic days leading up to the event” in late August. He also said promotional materials for TO...