KAKAMMPI News

After more than four years in captivity by Somalian pirates, the five Filipino crewmembers will finally be home on Friday, days after they were freed. Relatives of Arnel Pregillana Balbero, Elmer Salvador Balbero, Ferdinand Jacinto Dalit, Akes Tininggal Edwas Jr., and Antonio Auxtero Libres Jr. will be at the airport to meet them, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The five are scheduled to arrive at 4:30 p.m. via Emirates EK 322 and will be welcomed by the officials and representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and OWWA. OWWA officer-in-charge Carmelina Velasquez assured full government assistance to the five seafarers. ?"We imagine the nightmare that our 'kababayans' went through all those times, so much so that we wish that they, together with their families, will be able to  adjust and be back to their normal lives," Velasquez said in a statement Thursday. Among th...

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) have uncovered a strategy allegedly being used by human traffickers for their victims to evade detection at airports. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente on Thursday said a female suspected trafficking victim attempted to slip past the BI departure counter at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  (NAIA) Terminal 3 on September 10  using a fake departure stamp. The woman was scheduled to board a flight bound for Dubai when she was spotted by an immigration officer who referred her for secondary inspection to members of the BI's travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU). During an interview with immigration personnel, the woman said  she was going to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates not as a tourist but to work as a maid at the house of her niece's Arab employer. "Afterwards, she brought out of her handbag a departure stamp and a stamp pad which she would use to stamp her passport and boarding pass upon reaching the boardi...

A Catholic bishop is offering pastoral support and other assistance to the five Filipino crewmen who were recently freed by Somali pirates after more than four years in captivity. "We in the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) are greatly gladdened by the news that five Filipinos were among 26 crewmen freed by Somali pirates," said Bishop Ruperto Santos, ECMI chairman, in a statement Thursday. The five Filipinos were identified as Arnel Pregellana Balbero, Elmer Salvador Balbero, Antonio Auxtero Libres, Jr., Edwas Akes Tininggal, Jr., and Ferdinand Jacinto Dalit. ECMI is under the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). "We offer to them our pastoral and spiritual support and other assistance that are in our commission’s capacity to provide," Santos said. "We welcome them home. We assure them of our continued prayers, that the loving embrace of their families and friends and the entire country will ease th...

With only a liter of water to share every day, the 28 crewmen of Naham 3, among them Filipinos, spent the last four and a half years in torment — hunting rats for food, enduring violence from their Somali captors, and watching fellow captives die. Libres is one of the 26 sailors who survived the crew's four-year captivity by Somali pirates, who seized their ship in the western Indian Ocean near the Seychelles on March 26, 2012. The sailors were released after the pirates accepted an amount that would cover the costs of holding the captives, a pittance compared to the millions of dollars they initially hoped to get, according to reports. Arnel Balbero, another Filipino sailor, told  BBC  they were only given a "small amount of water" every day and were forced to eat rat they caught and cooked in the forest near the village where they were held. The sailors were held in Dabagala, a fishing hamlet that became base of operations for Somali pirates at the height of the pir...

Government assistance has been assured to OFWs who are living in cramped quarters in Saudi Arabia and performing jobs different from what was promised to them by their recruiter in the  Philippines. An exclusive report by GMA News' JP Soriano on "24 Oras" on Wednesday said Labor attaché Jun Rasul has already met with the affected OFWs and urged them to make a formal written complaint that can be forwarded to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for action. "Sabihin niyo lahat ng reklamo niyo. Walang sweldo, walang iqama [at] accommodation. Sabihin niyo pangalan ng agency niyo para ma-forward ko sa POEA agad," Rasul told the OFWs during their meeting. One of the OFWs, Prince Wharen Kian, accused his recruiter of duping him when he got a job in Jeddah different from what was promised to him. "Hindi po nasunod yung pangako sa 'kin na HVAC/building electrician. Nagtanong ako kung bakit iba nakalagay sa visa ko, ang sabi nila al...

A Filipina living in Saitama prefecture int he Greater Tokyo area emerged victorious in the 8th Soy Sauce Recipe & Story Contest held at the Royal Park Hotel on September 30,  The Japan Times reported. Clair Ocampo's dish, pork back ribs adobo and banana with burned brown sugar, outdid 74 other non-Japanese contestants to win the Gold Prize. "I have loved adobo since my childhood. I used soy sauce and brown sugar to better bring out the pork’s flavor. Also, to give it an interesting taste, I used hakkaku spice and laurel leaves. My dish is unique and original," Ocampo was quoted saying. Coming in second is Justin de Jesus, another Pinoy living in Saitama. He cooked a  "Philippine beef steak with a yuzu citrus and soy sauce flavor." De Jesus shares the Silver Prize with Canadian Florence Zappia, who made "deep-fried, stewed eggplant with Italian sauce." The competition was organized by the Japan Soy Sauce Association in commemoration of W...

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has revived its website where Filipinos living and working overseas can offer prayers for their departed loved ones in the Philippines in time for All Souls' and All Saints' Days. "For those who cannot make it to your parishes, especially Filipinos in other countries or the seafarers, you may request for Masses to be celebrated for your beloved dead," said Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, CBCP Media Office director, on Wednesday. Overseas Filipinos who want to offer prayers should visit the website,  www.undasonline.com , click "Prayer Request," and then list down the names of their beloved dead for whom they wish to offer Mass. The CBCP said starting November 1, Masses will be held at the CBCP chapel in Intramuros, Manila. Aside from prayer request, the website also features donate button for those who would like to make a donation or give Mass stipends that will be given to the priests who will b...

The government is offering a one-time cash relief assistance to OFWs and their families who were affected by supertyphoon Lawin, which left many areas in northern Luzon devastated last week. Covered by the Cash Relief Assistance Program being offered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are OFW members and their families who reside in areas put under Storm Signal No. 5 during Lawin's onslaught. These include cities and municipalities in Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Northern Abra and Ilocos Norte.  OWWA said it will begin releasing  the financial assistance "at the soonest possible time." "The financial grant is in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s instructions to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello lll  to immediately extend assistance to OFWs and their families who experienced the wrath of typhoon Lawin," OWWA said in a statement Wednesday. The agency has allocated P30 million for the program. Under it, a cash assistance ...

A group of OFWs is living in prison-like condition in Saudi Arabia and working on jobs completely different from what was promised to them by their recruiter in the Philippines, an exclusive report by GMA News' JP Soriano on "24 Oras" said Tuesday. Butchoy Halasan, one of the OFWs, said a recruitment agency promised him a monthly pay of 1,600 riyal or P20,000 plus good accommodations for work related to graphic design. His companions, former teachers and IT experts, were promised the same deal in their respective fields, but all ended up working as hotel cleaners and other low-paying jobs upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia, the report said. These OFWs were also forced to live with almost a thousand other Filipinos in the building of Old Bhara Abu Sarhad International Recruiting Agency and share instant noodles and rice as their daily meal. "Halos sa lapag na lang po yung iba natutulog sa sobrang siksikan. Halos isang libo na po kasi ang tao dito na Pilipi...

In an effort to make life comfortable for overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs), President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Tuesday that he has been mulling over creating a bank solely for the OFWs. "I'm thinking really seriously now na magkaroon kayo ng sariling bangko ninyo," Duterte told members of the Filipino community in Tokyo shortly after his arrival there for a three-day official visit. "Maybe iyong postal bank ng gobyerno. Wala namang sumusulat ngayon," he added, referring to the Philippine Postal Savings Bank (PostBank), a state-owned thrift bank targeted to areas where banking services are not yet available. In his visit to Hong Kong in September, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the government is planning to use the P20 billion pooled by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration from the contribution of OFWs to buy a bank and name it OFW Bank . A bank catering to OFWs was one of Duterte's promises to migrant Filipino workers during the ca...

A total of 154 more Filipino workers stranded in Saudi Arabia arrived home on Tuesday, bringing the total number of repatriated OFWs since July to 2,031. The OFWs arrived on Tuesday afternoon aboard Saudi Airlines flight SV 872 and were oriented upon arrival by government officials on the programs and services available to them. In a statement, the Overseas Worker's Welfare Association (OWWA) said these OFWs are entitled to the Relief Assistance Program (RAP) and other financial and business assistance packages.  Those staying at the OWWA Halfway Home may also have their post-repatriation service expenses covered, including land  transportation, food, and toiletries. OWWA said it has distributed P400,804,031.06 in the form of RAP to 18,255 stranded OFWs as of October 21. The agency has also distributed food and hygiene kits worth P2,310,295,82 to 13,245 OFWs in Saudi Arabia and P68,516,000.00 to 10,846 OFW families in the Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte order...

Facing Filipinos in Japan, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday made a new vow: that the next generation of Filipinos will not be overseas workers. Speaking before the Filipino community in Tokyo shortly after his arrival in Japan for a three-day official visit, Duterte reiterated his earlier promise to work hard to improve the country's economy. "Ang pagtrabaho n'yo sa ibang bansa, hanggang diyan na lang. Next generation, [sa] Pilipinas na [magtrabaho]," he said to laud applause from those present.  Later in his speech, Duterte said, "We have to improve the economy na hindi ka na babalik dito, na kung bumalik ka rito, baka-bakasyon na lang."  In his pre-departure statement delivered at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Duterte said he and his Cabinet secretaries will "seek the sustainment and further enhancement of our important economic ties" with Japan. "I look forward to meeting business leaders in Japan. I will tell them ...

A Filipino couple was arrested by Kuwaiti police after packs of processed pork were found in their home. Citing Arabic news site Al Rai,  Arab Times Online  reported that Al Fintas and Ahmadi authorities found 30 kilos of smuggled pork in the couple's apartment in Mahboula. Authorities said the couple, identified only as M and J, sold the meat for KD 9 per kilo. Kuwait police made the arrest after local authorities were tipped off by an agent about the couple's activity. The two were charged for carrying out an illegal business activity. All "alcoholic beverages and associated materials, beef, pigs, pork, pigskin products (such as handbags, wallets)" are denied entry into Kuwait, a Muslim country, according to its  laws and regulations . — Rie Takumi /KBK, GMA News

A pro-migrant rights group in Hong Kong is pushing for a new law that will protect foreign domestic workers from dangerous window-cleaning work, a  report on Hong Kong Economic Journal  said. The report said the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) is likewise urging the Hong Kong government to revisit its work safety regulations after Filipina maid Rinalyn Dullulog fell to her death while cleaning the windows of her employer's flat in a high-rise building in August. Eni Lestari, IMA chairperson, said Hong Kong should adopt a law similar to Singapore where foreign maids are barred from cleaning windows of high-rise buildings without adequate safety restrictions. In a 2012 safety circular, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said employers or their representative must be "physically present to supervise the foreign domestic workers" when cleaning the exteriors of their flat's windows. Window grilles must also be installed and locked during the entire c...

Noted Filipino-American community leader Alice Bulos passed away last week at the age of 86. Before her death on October 21, Bulos served the Filipino-American community for nearly half a century and was known as the "Grand Dame of Filipino American Politics," according to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. "With the passing of Alice Bulos, the Filipino community has lost a great advocate and leader," Lee said in a statement, as reported on  Patch.com . For her part, Filipina Women's Network CEO Marily Mondejar said Bulos "almost single-handedly" amplified the Filipino-American voice in politics, "encouraging more FilAms to run for elected office and hounding elected officials to appoint more FilAms to powerful boards and commissions." "She had a clear vision for our community's future, always persuading rather than demanding, that we set aside our personal differences for the common good. Alice's legacy summed up: Beacon of Fi...

A party-list lawmaker on Monday appealed to the Duterte administration to work out the legalization of around 200,000 undocumented overseas Filipino workers in China. ACTS-OFW party-list Rep. Aniceto "John" Bertiz III made the appeal on the heels of President Rodrigo Duterte's four-day visit to China from October 18 to 21, in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. "Iba't iba ito (na OFWs), household workers, tutors, private teachers na wala po talaga itong formal agreement sa ating bansa at ang China, hindi po nagbibigay ng work visas on those categories," said Bertiz during a media briefing at the House of Representatives. "Sa ngayon kasi, ang mga OFWs (nasa) 200,000 very undocumented. Very few lang ang documented. "Ang sa akin lang, sana lang magkaroon ng balance," said Bertiz. The lawmaker described the economic relationship between China and the Philippines as being "negative" to the latter. He s...

A total of 111 examinees passed the Licensure Exam for Teachers given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in the Middle East last month. According to the PRC, 37 elementary teachers out of 120 examinees and 74 secondary teachers out of 200 examinees passed the LET. [ Click here for list of passers in LET-Elementary ] [ Click here for list of passers in LET-Secondary ] The exam was given in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Al-Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Doha, Qatar; and in Kuwait.  —KBK, GMA News

A 26-year-old former OFW in Qatar who suffered health problems due to severe overwork has won his labor case against his recruiter and employer before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). After a year of handling the case, the NLRC ruled in favor of Rafael Alejo Ambrad, who had to stop working in 2015 after being permanently debilitated due to overwork. Ambrad, who is from Cebu province, went to Qatar in September 2014 to work as a carpenter but had to resign months later after he experienced acute pain due to a lumbar sprain. According to him, on one occasion, he was forced to do five days' worth of work in only two days with only one helper, adding the job would normally require at least four workers. He said he also wasn't provided a lifting device by the company. A statement from the Associated Labor Union (ALU), one of the groups that helped Ambrad pursue his labor case, said the OFW's condition meant he could no longer lift heavy objects and thus c...

JAKARTA - Cyril Goliava cut an elegant figure in her yellow evening gown as she won a beauty pageant in Hong Kong, smiling to cheers from the crowd as she was presented with a tiara and trophy. But the euphoria faded as the Filipina beauty queen removed her purple eyeshadow and fake eyelashes on a bus ride home, and thought of her week ahead. "When I go home, it's sad all of a sudden because your time with friends is over," Goliava said. "It's another week of work. Six days of stressful work, I'll be eating alone again and a full day of a repetitive job." The story of Goliava, a Filipina domestic helper, and her fellow workers is the subject of a new documentary that seeks to shatter stereotypes about the millions of women employed in households across the world. Directed by filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama, "Sunday Beauty Queen" follows five domestic workers as they gear up for the annual Miss Philippines Tourism Hong Kong, a pageant o...

NAIROBI - Some 26 Asian sailors freed after more than four years of captivity in a small fishing village in Somalia arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Sunday, ahead of flights home, a maritime expert said. The crew from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan were seized when the Omani-flagged FV Naham 3 was hijacked by Somali pirates close to the Seychelles in March 2012, when pirate attacks were common in the area. The pirates handed the group to authorities in the northern Somali town of Galkayo on Saturday morning.  Follow Reuters Top News   ✔ @Reuters Asian sailors freed by Somali pirates arrive in Kenya for flights home  http:// reut.rs/2eHf4OH   12:54 AM - 24 Oct 2016 Asian sailors freed by Somali pirates arrive in Kenya for flights home 26 Asian sailors freed after more than four years of captivity in a small fishing village in Somalia arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Sunday, ahea...