KAKAMMPI News

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is encouraging seafarers and their families to submit a business proposal, promising cash prize to the best one. The annual nationwide business plan competition, now on its third year, is a project of DOLE-National Reintegration Center for OFWs, in partnership with the Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines (ISP), and is open to returning seafarers. "We encourage our seafarers and their families who were not able to join in the past years to submit their business proposals,"  said NRCO Director Jeffrey Cortazar. "This is definitely their chance to join the competition." The competition, dubbed  ‘From Seafarers to Entrepreneurs: The 2017 NRCO-ISP Business Plan Competition (Harnessing Seafarers’ Capacities for Business Enterprises Development), was launched on Wednesday in Manila. Cortazar said unlike in the past two years where only agri-business inclined proposals were accepted, this year’s competition wi...

By  VIRGIL LOPEZ , GMA News Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday welcomed the retention of the Philippines' Tier 1 ranking in the United States Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, taking it as a challenge for the government to do more in the fight against modern day slavery. "Here is to more Tier 1 rankings in the coming years.?Together, we can do more to end this evil," Aguirre said in a statement. He said the retention of the Tier 1 status is proof of the country’s continuing "commitment to ending this heinous crime." Being under Tier 1 status means that a government has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem, and complied with the minimum requirements set by the United States Trafficking Victims Prevention Act of 2000. Data from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) show that from July 2016 to June 2017, a total of 1,567 victims were served and 44 traffickers we...

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is studying the feasibility of increasing its retainer agreements with law offices in other countries in order to immediately assist Filipinos with legal troubles, especially those facing death sentences. "The DFA is studying to have more retainer agreements in law offices sa specific areas across the world na makakatulong sa ating OFWs," DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Friday. According to Cayetano, President Rodrigo Duterte wants the DFA to work "double time" in assisting Filipinos on death row. "Yung double time at one hundred percent effort gusto niya (Duterte)," said Cayetano, Duterte's running mate in the 2016 elections. "Preemptive o proactive, sa umpisa pa lang." Cayetano said they are currently reviewing the cases of all Filipinos on death row in other countries, with the end view of appealing them before the relevant courts. "We are going to appeal," he said...

Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN News North America Bureau GLENDALE, California - By dancing Zumba for an entire day, Filipino-Americans here raised at least $3,700 or about P186,500 for Marawi City residents displaced by continuing firefights in the once bustling urban center. The fund, channeled through the La Salle Academy in Iligan City, will be used to buy basic necessities for Marawi evacuees who have been cramped in evacuation centers since the siege in the Islamic City erupted over a month ago. "Although we're having fun, we're also thinking about the devastation that's been going on in the Philippines. We want to make sure that we do our part," Joy Quiza of the Alexis Louis Quiza Foundation told ABS-CBN News. "We've seen all over the news the devastation of the Maute group, and again, this is a way of helping out our Filipino community in Marawi," Roncel Quiza said. The fund-raising project for victims of clashes in Marawi was co...

Reuters Posted at  Jun 30 2017 05:38 AM GENEVA - Qatar is considering launching a complaint at the World Trade Organization against a "blockade" by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, its representative at the global trade body said on Thursday. "We are exploring all possible legal avenues, including, but not limited to, the (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body," Ali Alwaleed al-Thani, director of Qatar's WTO office, told Reuters. The feud erupted this month when the four countries severed diplomatic and travel links, accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism and regional foe Iran. Qatar denies the accusations. Al-Thani said the measures went against the fundamental principles of WTO laws, including agreements on trade in goods, services and intellectual property rights, as well as the WTO trade facilitation agreement, supposed to cut red tape at customs and speed cross-border trade. "They were among the first countries to...

PHILIPPINES The Department of Labor and Employment reminds OFWs that the transfer from one employer to another should undergo a formal hiring process for easier documentation Patty Pasion @pattypasion Published 2:10 PM, June 19, 2017 Updated 7:19 PM, June 19, 2017 FOREIGN WORKERS. This file photo taken on October 03, 2013 shows migrant laborers working on a construction site on October 3, 2013 in Doha in Qatar. Karim Jaafar/AFP MANILA, Philippines –  The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Qatar that they will get help finding new employers in case they become unemployed due to the country’s diplomatic row with several of its Middle East neighbors. “Part of the assistance is finding opportunities within other countries but it has to pass through the process, they can’t [do it] on their own,” Labor Assistant Secretary Amuerfina Reyes said Monday, June 19. Reyes reminded Fil...

Fr. Shay Cullen 23 June 2017 The year 2017 is a good year for the campaign and the fight against child sexual abuse online. Hundreds of men in Europe and America and Asia have been arrested. Police have gathered evidence of their illegal actions viewing and sharing images of children being sexually abused. They are the customers of these images and other pedophiles and criminals are actually abusing children and selling or sharing the images of the abuse. The number of reports of child abuse is pouring in to the police in the developed countries. Interpol and the FBI recently arrested 870 pedophiles caught online connected to an international pedophile ring. They saved hundreds of children in one of the most important operations of investigating child sexual abuse online. After cracking the world’s biggest child pornography website run by a Florida-based 58-year old criminal Stephen Chase, the police got him 30 years in jail and many of 870 caught will receive similar se...

Undocumented migrants, including a "whole load of Filipinos," may have "deliberately disappeared" following the deadly fire incident that hit Grenfell Tower in London, according to a  report on Independent , citing sources. The report said a local volunteer claimed to have heard from other Grenfell residents about Filipinos who have never been seen in the area since last week's fire incident. Volunteers suspect these illegal migrants either fled the area for fear of immigration authorities or have died from the fire. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it could not confirm details of the report. Philippine Consul General Senen Mangalile, in a June 14 interview on Balitanghali, said the 24-storey Grenfell Tower was home to families of various nationalities, although the embassy has no exact figure of Filipinos living there. Sonny Laragan, GMA News' stringer in London, told Balitanghali in a June 19 interview that the tower was also...

INQUIRER.net   A Filipino man received a five-year prison sentence and two years of supervised release from a federal court judge   in Newark, New Jersey, USA, for committing bank fraud through a $9-million (over P400 million) stolen credit and debit card ring. Angelo Virtucio, who hails from Quezon City, Philippines, was proven guilty of purchasing stolen debit and credit card numbers from computer hackers. The 31-year-old used the stolen data and encoded it to new cards,    New Jersey Real Time News reported. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities also confirmed that Virtucio used several skimming devices on ATMs (automated teller machines) to obtain sensitive information from clueless victims. He also partnered with a “global network of cashers” to commit unauthorized purchases and ATM withdrawals, the report said. Virtucio was on the run from the law a few years back and was arrested in South Florida in January last year, where he was extradited back to ...

Reuters Posted at  Jun 30 2017 05:38 AM GENEVA - Qatar is considering launching a complaint at the World Trade Organization against a "blockade" by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, its representative at the global trade body said on Thursday. "We are exploring all possible legal avenues, including, but not limited to, the (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body," Ali Alwaleed al-Thani, director of Qatar's WTO office, told Reuters. The feud erupted this month when the four countries severed diplomatic and travel links, accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism and regional foe Iran. Qatar denies the accusations. Al-Thani said the measures went against the fundamental principles of WTO laws, including agreements on trade in goods, services and intellectual property rights, as well as the WTO trade facilitation agreement, supposed to cut red tape at customs and speed cross-border trade. "They were among the first countries to...

The widower of the Filipino worker who supposedly committed suicide in Saudi Arabia will fly to Jeddah as soon as his visa is issued to learn more about the circumstances behind his wife's death. John Paul Reyes has earlier expressed doubt that his wife, Jenny Reyes, jumped to her death as claimed by her employer. "Hinihintay na lang namin ma-release 'yung visa para makapunta 'yung asawa sa Jeddah," said Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy and Training Center during a forum at the Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City on Thursday. "From there, 'yung ating Philippine Consulate will assist him kasi ang gusto nung asawa makita yung remains ni Jenny Rose, makausap din yung mga Filipino na nagbibigay ng impormasyon, and hopefully makausap din yung Saudi recruitment agency na may contact dun sa employer," she added. The Blas F. Ople Policy and Training Center is a group that assists OFWs and their families. Reyes' accommodations and t...

A Filipina has miraculously survived after being hit by a speeding car in Iraqi Kurdistan, GMA News' Emil Sumangil reported on Unang Balita on Thursday. The incident, which occurred in Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, was caught on CCTV, the report said. Through the help of the Filipino community, the victim was identified as Susan Puso. According to Puso, she just came from a grocery store with her employer when she was hit by the speeding car while at the parking lot. "It's impossible talaga na buhay pa ako sa nakita kong video. Lahat-lahat sabi ko, thanks to God talaga na binigyan pa niya ako ng second life," she said. Puso, who still could not walk properly as a result of the accident, is still recuperating in a hospital. "Hindi pa ako makalakad sa ngayon," she said. "Ayaw ng boss ko na lumabas ako sa ospital hangga't hindi ako nakakalakad." The driver of the speeding car was arrested but was released aft...

A total of 5,176 undocumented Filipinos have returned home after availing of the 90-day amnesty program offered by the Saudi Arabian government, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. The Saudi Arabian government started the amnesty program last March 29 to allow undocumented foreigners, including Filipinos, to return to their home countries without fines or jail sentences. According to the DFA, some 12,000 Filipinos - having trouble with residency and labor regulations in Saudi Arabia - managed to register for deportation before the deadline for the amnesty expired on Sunday. The DFA deployed two response teams to  Riyadh and Jeddah to register and issue travel documents to Filipinos who wished to return to the Philippines. "The teams also coordinated with Saudi immigration officials and the airlines to ensure a smooth and efficient repatriation process," it said. Saudi Immigration had not yet announced an extension, but those who wish to have the...

The family of Jenny Reyes, the Filipina domestic helper who allegedly committed suicide in Saudi Arabia, is seeking justice as they expressed doubt that she took her own life as claimed by her employer. John Paul Reyes, Jenny's widower, said in a report by GMA News' JP Soriano on Balitanghali on Wednesday that he believes his wife was already dead when  she fell from the seventh floor of her employer's flat last May 28 . "Feeling po namin patay na po siya, hinulog po siya dun kasi sabi ng mga kalapit kwarto niya dun may naamoy na daw po sila sa labas ng bahay na may kakaiba daw po," Reyes said. His suspicion was fueled by his last conversation with his wife, when it seemed like she wanted to tell him about an urgent matter but was held back by circumstances. "Saka na lang po siya magkukwento. Parang may gusto po siyang sabihin na hindi niya po masabi kasi nakikigamit lang daw po siya ng cellphone," he said. Susan Ople, who heads the pr...

Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday urged the government to assess its readiness to respond to any possible negative impact on Filipinos in the Middle East, arising from the continued diplomatic row between Qatar and neighboring countries. “In view of the diplomatic tension, there is a need to look into the preparedness of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), including the embassies and consulates abroad, to provide assistance to OFWs in the event that the diplomatic crisis worsens and compromises the safety of OFWs and their families,” De Lima said in filling Senate Resolution No. 406. The senator noted the urgency to anticipate any worst-case scenario should tension drags on indefinitely, including the possible repatriation of OFWs deployed in the Arabian peninsula. Earlier in June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain  severed their ties with Qatar , accusing it of supporting terror...

A Filipino seafarer fell to his death while his crew was preparing to refuel his ship at Malta Freeport, reports said. A  report on Times of Malta  said the seafarer fell from four decks at 4:45 a.m. as he and other crew members were preparing the container ship Ravenna for refueling from a bunkering vessel at Malta Freeport. Emergency services were called but the Filipino was pronounced dead on the spot. A  report on Malta Independent  said Magistrate Dr. Grazio Mercieca is conducting an inquiry into the unnamed Filipino's death. Malta Freeport CEO Alex Montebello sent his condolences to the crew member's family, friends, and colleagues and explained that the port's crew did their best to have medical services on the ship as "quickly as possible." "Although Malta Freeport was not involved in the refueling operation, our duty manager was informed immediately and reacted promptly to ensure medical services were on the scene as quickly as pos...

By  RIE TAKUMI , GMA News A migrant rights group on Thursday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to conduct an investigation into what it believes is the suspicious death of a domestic helper who allegedly committed suicide in Saudi Arabia. The Blas F. Ople Policy Center said Jennifer Ross Acuna-Reyes, who had been working in Saudi Arabia for only two weeks, fell from the seventh floor flat of her employer in Jeddah last May 28. Susan Ople, who heads the center, urged the DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia to conduct an investigation into Reyes' "mysterious" death due to conflicting claims by witnesses, the victim's family, and her employer. "The family is convinced that their daughter did not commit suicide," Ople said. "Her employer is claiming otherwise." "Suicide is never presumed" Sought for comment, Charmaine Aviquivil from the DFA's Office of Public Diplomacy Executive Director said emba...

Fr. Shay Cullen 16 June 2017     Human trafficking is a horrific crime against millions of people, fisher-folks, agricultural workers and especially against women and children and it is increasing in the Philippines. There are 4.5 million people victimized by human traffickers annually around the world. But it could be much more since it is a hidden crime. It is the modern slavery and a crime against humanity. The legal age of a child is 18 years old and below.   The most vulnerable are young women and minors who are lured or forced into the sex trade by human traffickers and sex bar owners and pimps. It is a dehumanizing experience for all victims especially the child victims most of whom are 15 to 17 years of age. It is estimated that 33 percent of the 4.5 million victims are minors. Once they fall into the hands and the control of the traffickers, they are powerless. They become captives. They are taken from villages and cash loans given to their parents...