KAKAMMPI News

Agence France-Presse Posted at  Aug 29 2017 11:42 AM File: Kim Jong-Un North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has fathered another child, reports said Tuesday, after his wife dropped out of the public eye for several months. First lady Ri Sol-Ju delivered the couple's third child in February, the Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday, citing South Korean lawmakers who were briefed by the National Intelligence Service. Ri had disappeared for an extended period last year, raising speculation that she could be pregnant. News of the new arrival emerged as North Korea fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan. According to previous intelligence reports from Seoul's spy agency, Ri married Kim in 2009 and gave birth to their first child the following year, with their second born in 2013. Kim is the third generation of his dynasty to rule North Korea, but little has been revealed about the country's first family. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, following his tri...

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said it is closely monitoring the case of Filipino crewmen whose oil tanker was seized by the Libyan navy due to suspected fuel smuggling. "DFA instructed our Embassy to closely monitor the situation and exten all necessary assistance to our kababayan," it said in a statement. The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Libya has yet to report back. The Libyan navy announced on Monday the arrest of 20 Filipino crew members of a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, which was seized near the country's maritime border with Tunisia. The tanker belonging to a Greek company was loaded with six million liters (1.5 million gallons) of contraband fuel, accordingto Libyan navy spokesman General Ayoub Kacem. Kacem said the 20 Filipino crewmen were transported to Tripoli to appear before the prosecutor general.  —ALG, GMA News

By  RIE TAKUMI , GMA News The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed in a statement on Monday morning that none of the 70,000 Filipinos residing in Houston, Texas were affected by the Category 4 Hurricane Harvey. In a statement sent by Foreign Affairs Secretary Robbie Bolivar to GMA News Online, Los Angeles Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz received no ill reports from Houston-based Honorary Consul Ethel Mercado. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano expressed sympathies with the  two casualties of Harvey  and  Filipinos affected by the storm  as it continues to batter the southern area of the US. "Our hearts go out to the people of Houston, including the thousands of our kababayan who have to go through this terrible ordeal," Cayetano said upon landing at Kuala Lumpur last night. "We offer our deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in this disaster," he continued. "We will continu...

TRIPOLI, Libya — The Libyan navy said Monday it has seized an oil tanker near t Neil Reyes retreated indoors like other Houstonians as Hurricane Harvey, the most powerful storm to hit Texas in 50 years,  flooded streets , knocked out power for 230,000 people and  claimed at least two lives . Reyes showed Unang Balita on Monday that while Harvey's winds were not as strong in their area as they are in the northwest, the constant rain kept their roads flooded up to their calves. "Nag-ipon po 'yung tubig dito sa kalsada," Reyes said. "Ang mga pamilya okay naman po kasi malapit po sila. 'Yung area po na malayo, 'yun po 'yung mga talagang natamaan po ng seryoso, mga northwest po ata natamaan eh." While a highway near Reyes' home is currently under 16 feet of floodwater, enough had been drained from other areas to prepare them for the next onslaught of heavy rains. "Ready na po kami sa susunod na heavy rain ulit. Pangalawang ba...

'BASURA NA LANG' Published  August 28, 2017 7:43pm An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has accused a cargo forwarding company of mishandling the balikbayan boxes he sent to his loved ones in the Philippines, GMA News' Jun Veneracion reported on 24 Oras on Monday. Ferdinand Acupan, who arrived from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, said the cargo that he sent "looked like garbage" when it arrived in the Philippines. "Parang nagkalkal na lang ako ng basura doon sa box," he said. "Galing abroad, pinadala mo rito as basura na lang." The report said very few items from Acupan's cargo could still be used, as most, specifically the lotions and liquid detergents, have damaged containers. "So sobrang balibag po siguro ng mga box kaya siguro nagkaganyan," he said. The report said Acupan's girlfriend, who is also from Dubai, also had the same experience with her cargo. The report identified the Dubai-based forwa...

Published  August 28, 2017 10:35am Neil Reyes retreated indoors like other Houstonians as Hurricane Harvey, the most powerful storm to hit Texas in 50 years,  flooded streets , knocked out power for 230,000 people and  claimed at least two lives . Reyes showed Unang Balita on Monday that while Harvey's winds were not as strong in their area as they are in the northwest, the constant rain kept their roads flooded up to their calves. "Nag-ipon po 'yung tubig dito sa kalsada," Reyes said. "Ang mga pamilya okay naman po kasi malapit po sila. 'Yung area po na malayo, 'yun po 'yung mga talagang natamaan po ng seryoso, mga northwest po ata natamaan eh." While a highway near Reyes' home is currently under 16 feet of floodwater, enough had been drained from other areas to prepare them for the next onslaught of heavy rains. "Ready na po kami sa susunod na heavy rain ulit. Pangalawang baha na ho 'to. Uulan daw ho bukas, mam...

Trump's administration is considering reducing visas for US cultural and work exchange programs, including au pairs and summer workers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Trump, a former New York real estate magnate who has relied on seasonal workers at his hotels and resorts, campaigned on promises to restore American jobs. The Wall Street Journal said the US government was eyeing "major reductions" for five of the employment-based cultural exchange visas in the J-1 visa program, citing unnamed sources. The J-1 program also includes visas for university students, but the WSJ said those were not under examination for cuts. A US State Department fact sheet says the J-1 visa program has 15 categories that provide "opportunities for around 300,000 foreign visitors per year to experience US society and culture." The State Department said it did not have an immediate comment on the report on Sunday evening.  — Reuters

Train commuters in Canada came to the rescue of a Filipino couple after a woman started yelling racist comments at them. The incident was caught on video, in which the ranter can be heard saying, "Go back to the Philippines." The woman had supposedly asked the Filipinos to lower their voices. The Filipinos responded that it was how they talked back home. Several other Canadian passengers came to the Filipinos' rescue, and commanded the woman to leave the train.  They also called her a racist. "I am not racist!" the woman responded. "I asked them to talk a little low and their excuse was they talk like that in their country."  —  Jon Viktor Cabuenas /DVM, GMA News

A Filipino in Barra, Macau rescued two Chinese nationals from a perilous flood during the onset of Typhoon Hato. As seen on Jun Veneracion's report for Balitanghali on Sunday, an anxious Jhunnafe Mijares was able to film her husband Loreto's life-risking endeavor in the middle of the maximum category 10 storm that hit Macau and Hong Kong a week before. The first Chinese citizen was seen submerged up to the neck, struggling against the furious winds and the strong current. Loreto got on top of a car and got her out of the water using a life preserver. They were surrounded by large wooden debris, drifting rapidly over the raging waters. To help Loreto, other Chinese residents on the third floor of a nearby building threw down some rope. He later used it to reel in a second person to safety. According to the report, the two Chinese citizens Loreto had rescued were on their way home when the storm had caught up with them. Hato had battered through Hong Kong, ...

A migrants' rights group on Friday gathered in Caloocan City to hang white ribbons in memory of Kian delos Santos, the Grade 12 student whose death in a police anti-drug operation last week triggered public outrage. Migrante International placed the ribbons along the streets leading to the place where Delos Santos, 17, was shot after he allegedly tried to elude arrest by shooting at the arresting policemen — a claim belied by several witnesses and a CCTV footage. "Kian is every OFW's son," "Justice for Kian, " and "Stop the killing" were words written on the ribbons. The group also offered candles, flowers, and prayers. Arman Hernando, Migrante International's spokesperson, said OFWs in different countries also showed their outrage to Delos Santos' death by holding protests rallies. He also said the OFWs are also seeking justice for the other victims of the Duterte administration's war on drugs. Migrante on Friday will ...

A Filipino engineer in Dubai has become instant millionaire after winning Dh1 million (roughly P13 million) in a promotional grand raffle draw. "I prayed to win… and I did," Al Dizon Bansil told Gulf News, noting that winning the grand raffle draw of the Al Ansari Rewards – Summer Promotion 2017 is "a chance of a lifetime." The  Gulf News report  said Bansil, 43, is working as a quantity surveyor who has been in the United Arab Emirates for 11 years. It also said Bansil's winning raffle ticket came from a remittance of Dh3,677 sent to his wife in Pampanga. A father of one, reportedly plans to go home for a short vacation in the Philippines to celebrate the win with his family. The annual promotion of Al Ansari Exchange ran from June 15 to August 14. Aside from Bansil, another Filipino, Sylvia Lizardo Valdez, also got lucky when she won a brand new Nissan Patrol at the gala ceremony in Dubai, the Gulf News report said. — KBK, GMA News

10 HRS MAXIMUM WORK PER DAY DOHA - Qatar's ruler has introduced a law giving broad protection to tens of thousands of foreigners working as maids, cooks, cleaners and nannies, addressing some concerns long highlighted by human rights groups. The new rules on foreign domestic staff mandate a maximum of 10 hours per working day with breaks for prayer, rest and eating, along with three weeks of severance pay at the end of their contracts. They limit the working age to between 18 and 60, stipulate three weeks of annual vacation, and order that employers provide proper food and medical care. Like other wealthy Gulf Arab states, Qatar hosts tens of thousands of mostly female domestic workers, mostly from the Philippines, South Asia and East Africa. The measures appear to be the first in the gas-producing country to codify the rights of these employees. State news agency QNA said the measure was promulgated by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and was effective immediately....

Filipinos in Hong Kong were advised to stay indoors as Typhoon Hato, a maximum category 10 storm, battered the territory on Wednesday. "The public is strongly advised to remain indoors and to take necessary precautions while the storm signal is in place," according to an advisory from the Philippine Consulate General. Streets were largely deserted as winds intensified and rain lashed down, with many skyscrapers in the heart of the financial center in darkness as the city battened down for one of the worst storms in years. "Lakas ng hangin sa labas at saka marami nang nalaglag na mga puno kaya hindi kami makalabas," said Lori Brunio, an OFW, in a report by GMA News' Ivan Mayrina on 24 Oras. But despite the inclement weather, it was still business as usual for some Filipino workers in Hong Kong. "Buti naman bukas ang wet market ng Northpoint. Meron pa rin akong mabibiling isda para sa aking employer," said Genie Sacla. Hato forced the canc...

The Dubai Criminal Court has sentenced a watchman to 27 years in jail for stabbing a Filipina 66 times in February last year, according to a  report on Gulf Today . The watchman, who was not identified, was sentenced to 25 years in jail for the murder charge and an additional two-year jail term for stealing the victim's foreign currencies, the report said. During the hearing, the 24-year-old watchman admitted that he "knifed" the Filipina during a brawl but said he did not intend to kill her. He also admitted stealing "an assortment of currencies from her sideboard, but I returned them." The report said the incident happened at the Filipina's second-floor apartment in the International City’s English Cluster on Feb.18, 2016. Her body was found by her boyfriend, an Indian sales manager. The suspect, who was immediately arrested, said he and the victim brawled after the Filipina mistreated him.  —KBK, GMA News

A study commissioned by the Union Network of Migrants (Unemig) showed that Filipino dairy workers in New Zealand are often abused and exploited, reports said. A  report on Radio New Zealand  said 27 Filipino dairy workers in the North and South islands and a few New Zealand workers had shared concerns about health, safety and employment standards One worker said they did not receive any health and safety training in their first farm and were not given a helmet while riding a motorbike at work. Another complained of riding a motorbike "with no lights or brakes" for two years, while another worker said they vomited "all the chemicals" they used as they did not receive protective gear while weed spraying A  separate report on New Zealand Herald  cited other cases where workers did not earn minimum wage nor receive statutory entitlements, or have worked 20-hour days while using heavy machinery without proper breaks. Some Filipino workers also had diffic...

Outrage over the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos during a police anti-drug operation in Caloocan City last week has reached Filipinos in Hong Kong. "He was only 17 years old," said Eman Villanueva, Bayan Hongkong & Macau chair. "He planned to finish schooling to help his family. He planned to go overseas. He planned to be a cop. It's paradoxical that he was killed by a bunch of cops." Police claimed Delos Santos, a suspected drug runner, was killed when he tried to shoot it out with the policemen who were trying to arrest him on the night of August 16. A CCTV footage provided by the barangay, however, showed him being dragged by two plainclothes policemen to the area where his body was found. Witnesses also claimed hearing Delos Santos begging for his life. Villanueva said the killing of Delos Santos should cause OFWs to reflect on the flaws of blindly following President Rodrigo Duterte and his policies. Duterte got the highest ...

Agence France-Presse Posted at  Aug 22 2017 11:23 AM People view damage after an earthquake hit the island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples, Italy August 21, 2017 in this still image taken from video.  Massimo Bottiglieri, Handout via Reuters ROME, Italy - A 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Italian holiday island of Ischia late Monday, causing destruction that left one person dead and one missing at peak tourist season, authorities said. A woman was killed in Casamicciola, in the north of the small tourist island, hit by debris that fell from a church, with around 25 people injured in the quake, for the most part lightly. At a press conference early Tuesday, the head of the local department of civil protection, Angelo Borrelli, said that two small communes, Casamicciola and neighbouring Lacco Ameno, had borne the brunt of the quake. "In Casamicciola, a building collapsed and three people were pulled alive from the rubble -- two women and a man," he sa...

HONG KONG — A group of migrant domestic workers on Sunday launched their bid to increase their minimum allowable wage to $5,500 from the present $4,310. The Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body, mainly composed of Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers in the city, said the higher MAW would allow them to cope with the rising prices of goods and services in Hong Kong. "The measly increases of the MAW for the past years are very much insufficient to reach a living wage for MDWs," the AMCB said in a statement. "Inflation in Hong Kong is constant, yet the wage of MDWs are not adjusted accordingly against the upward trend of the cost of commodities and of living in HK." Besides the increase in the MAW, the group is also pushing for the increase to $2,500 of the migrant domestic workers' food allowance. The Hong Kong government, the group said, should also set clear guidelines to ensure MDWs are given enough and suitable food by their employers. ...

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed that a Filipino was among those who died in the van attack in Barcelona, Spain last Thursday. According to a report on GMA News TV's News To Go, the DFA said the boy, 7, was first reported missing in the commotion following the attack in Las Ramblas. However, his body was found and positively identified by his father, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, citing information from Chargé d'Affaires Emmanuel Fernandez of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid. "It pains us to break the sad news to our kababayans that we lost one of our own in the recent violence unleashed by extremists against the innocent in Barcelona," Cayetano said in a statement. "We join the loved ones of our little brother in mourning his passing and in praying for the eternal repose of his soul." Cayetano directed Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola to make sure that ...

BLASTS ‘PSYCHOPATHIC’ WAR ON DRUGS Migrante International on Sunday expressed sadness and condemnation over the death of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos, himself the son of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), following an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City last week. In a statement, the alliance of overseas Filipinos extended its condolences to Kian's family, particularly to his mother Lorenza, who came home from Saudi Arabia following her son's death. "Lorenza has captured the hearts of OFWs and their families all over the world. We feel her sorrow because it is also ours. We mourn as she mourns. We rage as she rages. Lorenza’s family has become every OFW’s family, and Kian every OFW’s son," the group said. In a "24 Oras" report on Friday, Lorenza said she could not accept Kian's death. "Pero 'pag nakikita ko 'yung sugat ng anak ko dito, dito 'yung bala ng baril e. Sabi ko bakit niyo naman ginanoon, kasi 'di k...

Malaysian authorities has postponed the execution of a Filipino murder convict, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Saturday. The DFA said Ejah bin Jaafar, a Filipino convicted of murder in Sabah in September 2006, was scheduled for execution on Friday. It said that Sabah Governor Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haju Juhar Haji Mahiruddin ordered the postponement of Jaafar's execution following a last-minute appeal by the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. "We would like to thank the Governor of Sabah for responding to the repeated appeals of the Philippine government on behalf of the family of Mr. Jaafar," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said. Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose said the governor referred Jaafar's case back to the Sabah Pardons Board for review. Jose said the governor heads the pardons board. He said the Philippines has been making appeals for the commutation of Jaafar's sentence. Jaafar's ex...

By  MICHAELA DEL CALLAR The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that two other Filipinos — a mother and son — had become victims of Thursday's terrorist attack in Barcelona, apart from the Filipino-Irish family earlier reported. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has already instructed the Philippine Embassy in Madrid to extend all possible assistance to the Filipina mother who was seriously injured in the attack and to exert all efforts to help locate her son who remains unaccounted for. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Cayetano had also ordered Embassy Chargè d'Affaires Emmanuel Fernandez to proceed immediately to Barcelona to assist the Filipina who remains in serious condition at a hospital there. "It saddens us to inform the public that a kababayan of ours from Australia and her seven-year-old son are among the victims of last Thursday's terrorist attack in Barcelona," Cayetano said. "I have directed...

Taiwan is looking for 64 female factory machine operators while Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, and the United States are looking for crew members and domestic helpers, according to a report by GMA News' Lei Alviz on 24 Oras on Friday. Jobseekers have until August 23 to forward their applications at the overseas job fair organized by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), the report said, adding applicants need not drop a single penny for placement fees. Female factory machine operators may try their luck applying for positions in Taiwan that guarantees a minimum monthly pay of P35,000 with overtime pay, meal allowance, and subsidized housing. "Ang preference talaga nila ay mga Filipino. Aside from 'yung patience, hard-working, madaling maka pick-up sa trabaho," POEA Deputy Administrator Jocelyn Sanchez said. Applicants may register with the POEA to check the requirements for the position. Nurses looking for overseas placement may wait until Septem...

At least two Filipinos were hurt when a  van crashed into a crowd  in Las Ramblas District in Barcelona on Thursday, according to an official of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, Spain. In an interview over radio dzBB, Consul General Dr. Emmanuel Fernandez corrected the earlier figure of three Filipinos injured, saying there were only two. Fernandez said the injured Filipinos were a father and his five-year-old child. The father has minor injuries, while the child was seriously injured and needs surgery. In a later interview on News To Go on Friday, Fernandez said the five-year-old needs to have knee surgery, while the father only had minor injuries when he was hit on the side. Fernandez added that the father, son, mother, and another child were visiting the popular tourist spot at the time of the incident. They were Irish citizens who came from Ireland but hail from Cebu. "May isang pamilyang Pilipino na turista na kasama sa biktima ng naturang terrorist at...

The evacuation plan for Filipinos in Guam remains in place despite North Korea's decision to hold off its planned nuclear missile strike on the island, a report on QRT said Thursday. "Mamanmanan natin, magmo-monitor tayo ng situation. Ayaw naman nating magkaroon sila ng problema just in case meron tayong evacuation na hindi naman coordinated," said Consul General Marciano de Borja. The report said in case of an attack, Filipinos will be evacuated by plane. "Nasa contingency ng ating pamahalaan na magpadala ng commercial flights o military aircraft para po meron naman tayong magamit para sa paglikas ng ating mga kababayan," De Borja said. An official news agency in North Korea earlier reported that leader Kim Jong Un received a report from his military on its plans to fire missiles towards Guam and said he will watch the actions of the United States for a while before making a decision. North Korea issued the threat after US President Donald Tr...

Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul Hernandez said on Tuesday that contingency plans for the repatriation of Filipinos were in place in case fighting broke out on the peninsula. "The plan involves several exit points in the south where our kababayans will be picked up for repatriation to our country," Hernandez explained. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) estimated that there were more than 65,000 Filipinos in South Korea. "We constantly update the plan which entails coordination with our area coordinators and Filipino community leaders," the envoy added. Tensions in the Korean peninsula rose after North Korea tested a ballistic missile and US President Donald Trump responded with threats of "fire and fury." Nevertheless, Hernandez said it was "business as usual in [South] Korea." "Filipinos here are monitoring the situation and are constantly in touch with the Embassy for new developments," the ambassad...

By TOM FINN, Reuters DOHA - An Arab embargo on Qatar is inflicting pain on foreign migrant workers struggling amid an oil slump and disruption of deliveries for large construction projects linked to the 2022 soccer World Cup. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposed sanctions on fellow US ally Qatar in June and cut all transport links with the country, accusing it of supporting terrorism, a charge Doha denies. To get around the boycott Qatar has flown in food from Turkey and Iran and chartered ships via Oman to bring in construction materials needed for World Cup projects. But the feud is making life harder for some foreign workers in Qatar, already faced by layoffs caused by low oil prices and a work-sponsorship system that restricts their movement. Fresh vegetables usually trucked across Qatar's land border with Saudi Arabia, a route now blocked, have increased in price. That is indebting some workers from places like In...