KAKAMMPI News

April 21, 2019   By Ryan Ponce Pacpaco   People's Journal SOME 2,890 Filipino nurses hoping to practice their profession in America took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time from January to March this year, a lawmaker said yesterday. The number is up 46 percent against the 1,988 Philippine-educated nurses who took America’s eligibility test or the NCLEX for the first time in the same three-month period in 2018, excluding repeaters, according to House Deputy Minority Leader Aniceto Bertiz III. Citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bertiz said Filipino nurses in American hospitals receive an average of $6,292 (or P327,870) in monthly wages. Even Filipino nurses already gainfully employed in the Middle East are steadily relocating to America, he said. “Drawn by superior pay and their strong connectedness to the Western culture, many Filipino nurses in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are now...

April 08, 2019   By Cristina Lee-Pisco   People's Journal THE Philippine Embassy in Tripoli has recommended to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise to level III the alert there amid intensified fighting that claimed the lives of 21 people and wounded more than 90 others. In his appeal to Filipino workers in Libya that was posted to his facebook account, Philippine Charge d’Affaires to Tripoli Elmer Cato urged overseas Fipino workers (OFWs) in Tripoli to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety if they do not want to be repatriated. “You all have your reasons why you chose to remain here in Tripoli. We understand those reasons. While we urge you to consider getting repatriated back to the Philippines, we also know that we could not force you to go,” Cato said. He told the OFWs if they cannot convince them to go home, “all that we ask you to do is to take the proper precautions to ensure your safety in the coming days.”...

ABS-CBN News Posted at  Apr 30 2019 07:36 AM  | Updated as of  Apr 30 2019 08:03 AM Share Save Facebook Twitter GPlus LinkedIn Two girls hold placards during a public vigil in memory of the victims of a suspected serial killer, outside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 26, 2019.  Stefanos Kouratzis, Reuters MANILA -- The Cyprus police "did not take seriously" reports of missing Filipinas who are now feared to be among the victims of a serial killer, a community leader said Tuesday, as the search for bodies continued.  The body of a fourth victim was found Sunday stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of a toxic man-made lake next to a disused mine southwest of the capital Nicosia, police said. The suspect, a 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer, has allegedly confessed to killing 5 foreign women and 2 of their daughters in a crime spree that went undetected for nearly 3 years.  Among the identified victims...

Published  April 29, 2019 10:53pm  A Filipina domestic helper in Dammam, Saudi Arabia sought for help and had hoped to be rescued from her alleged abusive employer. According to a report by Ivan Mayrina in GMA News TV's State of the Nation with Jessica Soho on Monday, the OFW has been working with her employer for two years and was hurt multiple times. "'Yung amo kong babae, minsan, sisipain niya ako. Sasampalin niya ako, tapos babatukan, hihilahin niya po 'yung hijab ko," said the worker, who was not named due to safety concern. Her fellow OFWs, who also sought for assistance in social media said that aside from physical injuries, the victim allegedly suffers from alleged long working hours, lack of decent meals, and limited communication with her family. GMA News sought the comment of the agency that sent the victim to Saudi Arabia. However, someone from the agency said their spokesperson is not available to give an official st...

Published  April 29, 2019 11:21am  Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin is "begging" Filipinos in Libya to evacuate to the Philippine Embassy as soon as possible amid the escalating violence there. “Please go to the embassy, I beg you,” Locsin said via Twitter. Locsin's appeal came after Charge d'Affaires of the Philippine Embassy to Libya Elmer Cato called on at least 60 Filipinos working at the Ali Omar Ashkr Hospital in Esbea and their dependents to evacuate as soon as possible. “The area is no longer safe. Please don’t want for more artillery rounds to fall. Please move to the Embassy now,” Cato said in a separate tweet. At least 32 Filipinos in Libya have been repatriated to the country since violence broke out last April 4. There are at least 1,000 Filipinos in the Libyan capital of Tripoli based on the records of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Despite repeated appeals, many Filipinos in Libya continued to hold ...

posted  April 12, 2019 at 10:05 pm  by   PNA The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday called on overseas Filipinos in Sudan to exercise caution in light of the uncertainty caused by the current political crisis in the African country. “The Department [echoes] the call of the Philippine Embassy in Cairo for Filipinos in Khartoum to avoid crowded areas and stay inside their homes while the protests are ongoing,” the DFA said in an advisory. It also called on Filipinos to inform the embassy of any developments which may affect Filipinos in Sudan. Filipinos in need of assistance are advised to contact the Philippine Embassy in Cairo through +202-252-13062, the “Philippine Embassy in Egypt” Facebook Page, or the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Khartoum through the numbers +249-183-468717 or +249-183-468716. Demonstrations against the 30-year rule of President Omar al-Bashir began last year, with thousands recently marching outside the Sud...

posted  March 28, 2019 at 10:50 pm  by   Vito Barcelo Filipinos who will be hired in Japan under its new specified skilled worker residency law will receive pay equivalent to local workers,  Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Thursday. Bello who signed a memorandum of cooperation with Japanese officials in Tokyo, Japan also guaranteed the payment of better salaries for Filipino workers. “This is why we are very thankful to the government of Japan. Aside from giving preferential priority to Filipino workers for the requirements of their industries, our workers are assured of better benefits,” he said. He said Japan chose the Philippines to be the first to ink the agreement under the new specified skilled worker law which takes effect next week “because of Japan’s high regard for the Filipinos.” The Department of Labor and Employment estimated that Filipino workers would corner at least 30 percent of the 350,000 available jobs Japa...

posted  April 01, 2019 at 10:40 pm  by   Manila Standard Overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong have not been spared by measles as at least four of them were infected with the disease amid an outbreak there. According to a television report, no less than the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong confirmed that the four Filipinos infected were working as household helpers in Hong Kong. The measles outbreak has prompted Hong Kong’s Department of Food and Health to advise Filipinos who went on vacation in the Philippines to undergo vaccination against measles before going back to work in Hong Kong. The same advisory from Hong Kong’s Department of Food and Health has also been sent to Overseas Filipino Worker organizations. A dialogue was held by Hong Kong’s Health department officials and OFW groups to set clear guidelines on how to implement the policy, especially on OFWs who already had the anti-measles vaccine even before the outbreak in H...

April 26, 2019   By Cristina Lee-Pisco   People's Journal THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through the Philippine Embassy in Athens, is monitoring developments in the investigations involving the murders of three Filipinas in Cyprus. The DFA also extended its condolences to the families of the victims, whose identities were withheld at the request of their next of kin. Embassy Charge d’ Affaires (CDA) Judy Barbara Robianes said the Embassy has reported the cases of the missing Filipinas to Cypriot authorities and have continuously followed up with them on those cases. It is also providing updates on the case to the families. Embassy representatives are now in Cyprus to meet with authorities on the case and provide assistance to the investigation, including the provision of DNA samples to help in identifying the victims. It also stands ready to provide assistance to the victim’s families. The three Filipinas -- one of whom was wi...

April 22, 2019   By Cristina Lee-Pisco   People's Journal THE Philippine Embassy in Libya yesterday said the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are willing to return home have increased as fighting in the Libyan capital and its neighboring areas escalate. Philippine Embassy to Libya Charge d’Affaires Elmer Cato said if the fighting continues to escalate and expose more  Filipinos to danger, they may be compelled to recommend raising the alert level to IV. Amid the present situation in Tripoli, majority of the OFWs still want to stay. “Despite the jump in the number of Filipinos who want to go home, majority of our kababayan in Tripoli and surrounding areas still want to stay in Libya,” he said. Yesterday, the Philippine Embassy evacuated four more OFWs from Tripoli, bringing to 11 the number of Filipinos who have been escorted out of the Libyan capital as intense fighting broke out  more than two weeks ago. Two...

April 21, 2019   By Ryan Ponce Pacpaco   People's Journal SOME 2,890 Filipino nurses hoping to practice their profession in America took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time from January to March this year, a lawmaker said yesterday. The number is up 46 percent against the 1,988 Philippine-educated nurses who took America’s eligibility test or the NCLEX for the first time in the same three-month period in 2018, excluding repeaters, according to House Deputy Minority Leader Aniceto Bertiz III. Citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bertiz said Filipino nurses in American hospitals receive an average of $6,292 (or P327,870) in monthly wages. Even Filipino nurses already gainfully employed in the Middle East are steadily relocating to America, he said. “Drawn by superior pay and their strong connectedness to the Western culture, many Filipino nurses in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are now...

April 14, 2019   By Marlon Purificacion   People's Tonight WITH the onset of the overseas absentee voting, reelectionist Senator Cynthia Villar urged all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Filipinos already living abroad to exercise their right to vote. This was after the OAV officially started in 85 Philippine posts in countries around the world last Saturday. “I urge our kababayan overseas to make sure their voices are heard and elect the persons that will continue to work for the protection and well-being of overseas Filipinos and their families,” Villar said. Villar added that  given the significant contribution of overseas Filipino workers to the country’s economy, it is only right that they are given this chance to take part in the election of our leaders and policy makers even if they are away. The Nacionalista Party senator also lauded the report indicating the rising number of overseas Filipinos participating in OAV. “We a...

April 08, 2019   By Cristina Lee-Pisco   People's Journal THE Philippine Embassy in Tripoli has recommended to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise to level III the alert there amid intensified fighting that claimed the lives of 21 people and wounded more than 90 others. In his appeal to Filipino workers in Libya that was posted to his facebook account, Philippine Charge d’Affaires to Tripoli Elmer Cato urged overseas Fipino workers (OFWs) in Tripoli to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety if they do not want to be repatriated. “You all have your reasons why you chose to remain here in Tripoli. We understand those reasons. While we urge you to consider getting repatriated back to the Philippines, we also know that we could not force you to go,” Cato said. He told the OFWs if they cannot convince them to go home, “all that we ask you to do is to take the proper precautions to ensure your safety in the coming days.”...

April 08, 2019 By Cristina Lee-Pisco   People's Journal THREE ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet docked at Pier 15 yesterday to bolster naval cooperation with its Filipino counterparts. “The main objective (of this visit) is to enhance our naval cooperation,” Russian head of mission Captain Sergey Alantiev told reporters. This is the second time that the Russian ships made a port call after their first visit in January 2018. During their  five-day stay in Manila, Russian navies will engage in joint drills on navigation and communication as well as special trainings with the quick response forces of the Philippines. Alantiev said the port call  of  large anti-submarine ships Admiral Tributs and Vinogradov, as well as the large sea tanker Irkut, serves as “clear evidence” to the implementation of relevant bilateral agreements between the two governments. “Such port calls make tangible contribution to the peace and stab...