KAKAMMPI News

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on Tuesday said it will launch an "Emergency Skills Training Program" on May 31 to assist returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the country.  "Ila-launch natin itong emergency skills training program dahil maraming taong nangangailangan ng skills agad-agad. Kaya binuksan natin lahat ng skills training centers ng TESDA sa buong bansa," TESDA's Director General Guiling "Gene" Mamondiong said in a press conference held at the TESDA Central Office in Taguig City. "Napakarami ng OFW na umuwi sa ating bansa na kailangan nila 'yung skills training kung gusto nilang bumalik sa ibang bansa. Kasi noong pumunta sila roon, 'yung skills nila ay hindi tugma sa pangangailangan ng kanilang mga employers," he added.  The project aims to assist not only returning OFWs but also other target beneficiaries including out-of-school youth, rehabilitated drug surrenderees and...

NEW YORK - The public prosecutor's office in the New York borough of Brooklyn will change the way it deals with minor infractions by undocumented immigrants to lessen their risk of expulsion under the Trump administration, it said Monday. Brooklyn's acting district attorney, Eric Gonzalez, said in a statement that his office would do everything possible to help those accused of minor crimes "avoid disproportionate collateral consequences such as deportation." The attorneys in his office will be instructed that when possible, "if an appropriate disposition or sentence recommendation can be offered that neither jeopardizes public safety nor leads to removal or to any other disproportionate collateral consequence," they should recommend that option, Gonzalez said.  Assistant district attorneys are being told to "consider alternative offenses the defendant can plead to"—different from those a citizen might face—as well as "reasonable modifi...

Smiles and laughter filled the corners of the Co Su Gian Home for the Agedin Buhangin, Davao City during an outreach program organized byPhilHealth Regional Office XI early this year. At least 46 elders enjoyed fun-filled activities and received gifts during theactivity, an annual undertaking of PhilHealth which celebrated its 22ndAnniversary recently. In her message, Germaine Tan, PhilHealth Regional Office (PRO) XI's program chairperson, underscored the social responsibility of theCorporation in giving back to society as an important part of its successover the years. In the past, PRO XI had chosen younger beneficiaries for its various fund-raising activities like the Kids of Hope and SOS Children’s Village in Davao. Tan said that the elderly, like the youth, are one of society’s vulnerablesectors and they also deserve to be recipients of the agency’s community services. The Co Su Gian Home for the Aged houses neglected, homeless and lessfortunate eld...

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) again warned its members, particularly the Overseas Filipino Workers, against fake official receipts for premium contribution payments circulating in various parts of the country. Reports have reached PhilHealth that a number of recruitment agencies are issuing counterfeit PhilHealth Official Receipts (PORs) to OFWs as part of their document processing. This development prompted the state-run health insurer to issue a series of advisories reminding the public to be vigilant about the proliferation of the fake PORs. “Only PhilHealth Regional and Local Health Insurance Offices are authorized to issue the POR,” PhilHealth said in an earlier advisory. Likewise, PhilHealth called on its OFW members to be more cautious and be watchful of persons or establishments issuing such counterfeit receipts when paying their premium contributions as these may result to non-availment of their PhilHealth benefits. The number of confirmed cases ...

 A regional trial court has sentenced an illegal recruiter to 8 years in jail after finding her guilty of deceiving two Filipina nurses she promised jobs in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Judge Caesar C. Buenagua of RTC Branch 37, Calamba City found Cristina Averion y Ilagan guilty of engaging in the recruitment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) without proper authorization from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).  In a joint affidavit, two complainants in the case alleged that Averion represented herself as an employee of Crosswind International Manpower Services and recruited them to work as nurses in Dubai with a salary of Php30,000 a month. One complainant alleged that Averion collected from her Php35,000 supposedly as visa fee, Php10,000 for airfare to Dubai, and Php3,500 for medical examination.  The other complainant said she paid Averion Php35,000 as initial payment for placement fee, Php3,500 for medical examination, and Php6,200 for OWWA...

 The Department of Health, on March 13, 2017, has revoked the accreditation of God’s Way Diagnostic Center as a medical facility for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The DOH’s Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau issued a notice of violation and Cease and Desist Order against God’s Way Diagnostic Center after it was found non-compliant to various DOH regulations and standards. The medical clinic is located at 128 Alhambra St., corner United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila, OFWs are advised to have their medical examination only with medical facilities accredited by the Department of Health.

 The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration advises jobseekers to ignore emails offering supposed jobs in international cruise ships. In an email forwarded to the POEA , the sender email informs the recipient of being “shortlisted to become a Cruise group crew here in Ontario Toronto, Canada”. Princess Cruise Ship Company, the purported employer, offers a monthly salary of US$3,500 and US$300 allowance, with free food and accommodation and medical insurance. It also offers free visa and work permit.  The catch, however, is that the applicant is required to send US$350 to the company’s account officer through a remittance company. The recipient was told to send payment to a certain Kelvin Jacob Sloan of Maple Grove, Minnesota, USA. The sender used the email addresses princess_cruise17@yahoo.com and princess_cruise17@yahoo.com, a telling sign that the job offer is a scam. The following are other signs that the job offer is a scam: 1. The offer seems too good to be tru...

 The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration is now accepting qualified applicants for nurses for deployment in Germany under the Triple Win Project. The International Placement Service of the German Federal Employment Agency (ZAV/BA). This time, needs qualified applicants to fill up its vacancies for ICU, general, and geriatric care wards. The Triple Win Project is supervised by the POEA through a government-to-government arrangement with the Federal Republic of Germany. Qualified applicants must be Filipino citizen and permanent resident of the Philippines with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (four years professional education), active Philippine Nursing License and at least two years of professional experience as nurse in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and care institutions.  Applicants must have German language proficiency and is willing to undergo German language training in the Philippines to attain Level B1 (to be paid by the employer) or with Bl or B2 langu...

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has ordered the suspension of processing and issuance of overseas employment certificate (OEC) for all directly hired overseas Filipino workers starting April 25, 2017 until further orders. All pending applications for OEC as of date were covered by the suspension.

Some 456 undocumented overseas Filipinos have been given exit visas, with the assistance of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, since the Saudi Arabia government's amnesty program started last March 29, consulate officials said on Monday. Consul General Imelda Panolong said that, of the 456 undocumented Filipinos, some of whom were minors, 104 have flown home using air-tickets provided by the Philippine Government Around 3,500 undocumented OFW’s have so far sought the assistance of the consulate general under the amnesty program, Panolong added. Apart from assisting the undocumented OFWs in the processing of their exit visas at the Immigration counters, the Consulate General also provides free bus services to the Saudi Immigration office in Shumaisy, which is about 100 kilometers from Jeddah; and to the airport once the undocumented OFWs have secured their visas. The DFA, DSWD and POLO/OWWA-Jeddah are providing the plane tickets for those who do not have the means ...

HONG KONG — Despite the distance, Filipino workers here who traced their roots to Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province celebrated Cordillera Day 2017 on Sunday. Dancing their traditional dances and banging their gongs, those who hailed from the region expressed their unity and solidarity to defend their land and ancestral domain. In a statement, the Cordillera Alliance, Abra Tingguian Ilocano Society, and the United Filipinos in HK said, "Thousands of Cordillerans in Hong Kong are living testimonies of forced migration resulting from lack of jobs, decent wages, and displacement from agricultural and ancestral lands back home despite the so-called 'development' propagated by past and present regimes." The group cited the impacts of mining, militarization, quest for just peace, access to social services, employment, and just wages as among their issues of concern. "Many Cordillerans in Hong Kong attest that their families have experienc...

et a US Visa Design by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas Ever wanted to explore Los Angeles' Hollywood Walk of Fame? Breathe New York City night life or enjoy wild, carefree nights in Las Vegas? Whether you're a high-roller or just a simple tourist with simple destinations in mind like San Francisco's Jack Kerouac Alley, the United States of America has a lot in store for you. However, a passport is not enough to gain you entrance to the US. For that, you have to have a visa. Here are some useful information one should know in applying for a US visa. —prepared by  Rie Takumi  and  Jannielyn Ann Bigtas /KBK, GMA News

OFWs can soon purchase airline tickets with much ease and speed as they no longer have to pay terminal fee, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said Monday. Under the recently signed memorandum of agreement between MIAA and air carriers, OFW exemption shall be recognized at any point of sale in the Philippines or abroad beginning April 30, 2017. "As they buy their ticket, one has to state or declare that he is an OFW for exemption to be recognized," MIAA general manager Ed Monreal said. "The selling agent may or may not ask for a proof of entitlement during transaction." "If no proof is shown during transaction, the passenger should be able to present one during check-in at NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) where same shall be validated," he added. Meanwhile, beginning July 31, 2017, air carriers will start honoring OFW exemptions at any point of sale for tickets purchased online, through telephone and mobile applications. ...

Retrenched Filipino workers of Saudi Oger in Saudi Arabia are set to know in two months' time the amount of financial benefits they will receive from the company, according to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jeddah. Citing company officials, POLO OIC Rose Mangahas said the processing of the workers' claims, which include unpaid salaries and end-of-service benefits, is "70 percent done." "Ang sabi po nila ay nasa sitenta porsyento na sila ng proseso at madi-determine na kung magkano ang claim ng bawat isa," Mangahas said. She said the process includes "reconciling" the amount the OFWs said the company owes them and the amount in the company's records. "Asahan daw natin mayroon nang desisyon sa loob ng dalawang buwan," said Mangahas, who recently visited the affected Filipino workers who are still in the Kingdom. Saudi Oger is one of the largest employers of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia. Most of the retre...

Malacañang on Sunday confirmed that former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Roy Cimatu is now a member of President Rodrigo Durterte's Cabinet. In his speech at the opening of the Palarong Pambansa 2017 in Antique, Duterte mentioned Cimatu and addressed the former military chief as "secretary." "The other member of the Cabinet is really Secretary Roy Cimatu," Duterte said. "(He is) an Ilocano. Many, many years ago, he was assigned in a division in Davao. Doon kami nagkakilala," the President said. "He's a candidate for another [position]— Cabinet na siya ngayon, eh. But this time, I transferred him to a busier job," he added. Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement following Duterte's speech that Cimatu's Cabinet position is Special Envoy for OFW Refugees. In his visit to the Middle East during the Holy Week, Duterte announced that he was talking with Cimatu for a possible Cabinet position. C...

A Filipino World War II veteran whose Purple Heart medal got lost in the aftermath of the war received a replica of it earlier this month, according to the US Embassy in the Philippines. A Purple Heart is a United States military honor given to those wounded or killed in the performance of their duty. The replica of the medal was received by Elisea Alagon Jamoralin, the only surviving daughter of hte late Private First Class Adriano Alagon, in a formal ceremony at the historic Fort Shafter headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Wednesday (US time). "Through the horrors and terror of this period, we can take what endures over the years: the freedom and sacrifices made for our two nations by Soldiers like Pfc. Alagon," said Gen. Robert B. Brown, commander of the US Army Pacific, before presenting the medal. Alagon was originally presented the Purple Heart for his service with the 14th Engineer Battalion, Philippine Scouts, a unit that served with US forces during the Jap...

OFWs applying for exit visa in Jeddah. --Ronaldo Concha Philippine foreign officials in Saudi Arabia early on Thursday morning accompanied some 150 undocumented OFWs to the deportation center (shumaysi) in Jeddah to get their exit visa as they take advantage of the Kingdom's amnesty program for runaway foreign workers. Sources from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Jeddah told GMA News Online that the OFWs, together with POLO and OWWA officials, left the consulate on four buses at past 6 a.m.  Aling Leny, wife of a runaway (huroob) OFW who was deported in November last year, told GMA News that she is taking her chances of getting an exit visa to correct her record under the 90-day amnesty program. She said that the amnesty program was her only hope to return to the Philippines with a clean record from the Saudi government. “Binigyan ng release ang mister ko pero hindi na delete ang huroob status niya (runaway) niya....

NEW YORK - With the Trump administration trying to ban travelers from several Muslim-majority countries from the United States, the New-York Historical Society and museum is launching a new initiative to help green-card holders become American citizens. The program will include free workshops and classes, paired with displays and a scavenger hunt at the museum on Manhattan's Upper West Side, all linked to questions on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test—the final hurdle to citizenship. "As far as we are aware, we are the first institution to develop a higher program of on-site workshops using our object collection with the exclusive purpose of promoting citizenship for as many legal immigrants as possible," said Louise Mirrer, the society's president and chief executive. About 13.1 million people across the United States were green-card holders on Jan. 1, 2013, and 8.8 million of them were eligible for naturalization, according to th...

By:   Ed Margareth Barahan   -   @inquirerdotnet President Rodrigo Duterte hands P5000 cash assistance from OWWA to the repatriated OFWs from Saudi Arabia. He was assisted by Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello and Social Welfare Sec. Jusy Taguiwalo. Photo by Nikko Dizon Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday offered a package of services from the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) WELL program to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated under the Saudi amnesty program. WELL stands for Welfare, Employment, Livelihood, and Legal Assistance which will give OFWs a chance to work and sustain their families. In a statement, DOLE said that the agency’s team headed by Bello and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) team extended airport assistance to returning OFWs, such as the travel document processing, use of a special immigration lane, and baggage assistance. ADVERTISEMENT President Rodrigo Duterte, together with Bello and ot...

FILIPINO household service workers (HSWs) bound for Japan must not be asked to pay for their placement fee. This was the stern reminder of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), saying it is not allowed under their newly-released guidelines for the HSW hiring in Japan. “Collection of placement fees from the housekeepers by Employment Agencies, Sending and Specified Organizations for placement of housekeepers is prohibited,” said POEA Governing Board Resolution 08-2016. Similarly, the guidelines indicate that other administrative fees, whether indirectly or indirectly, as well as deduction from their salaries are not allowed. Housekeepers shall only be required to pay for their passports, barangay and NBI clearance, preliminary medical examination, PhilHealth membership, and Pag-Ibig Membership. The reminder comes after the POEA said Filipino HSWs will already be allowed to be deployed in Japan by the private sector but will only be pilot-tested in ...