KAKAMMPI News

The parents of Mary Jane Veloso on Thursday rejoiced over the guilty verdict against two recruiters who allegedly tricked their daughter into smuggling illegal drugs into Indonesia. On Thursday, a Nueva Ecija court  convicted Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao of large-scale illegal recruitment in a separate case involving three other women. Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes sentenced them to life imprisonment and ordered them to pay a fine of P2 million. Cesar and Celia Veloso believe the verdict will help their daughter’s case. “Alam ko makatutulong ‘yun…malaking tulong,” Celia said in a video posted by Migrante International on Facebook on Thursday. Mary Jane Veloso’s testimony tentatively set for December Cesar also expressed his joy over the decision. “Talagang masayang-masaya ako noong narinig ko ‘yung basa kanina na guilty,” he said. According to Migrante, the conviction of the recruiters shows their inclination to the crime that brought Vel...

The air quality in Australia has become “unbearable” due to the bushfires that have been ravaging the country for months, a Filipino living in Sydney said Monday. Interviewed on Balitanghali, Mario Urrutia said the weather has become “hazy,” forcing people to wear masks whenever they go outdoors. “Karamihan sa 'min ang nagma-mask na paglabas ng bahay kasi hindi na bearable ang air quality dito. There are times talaga na parang post-apocalyptic na ‘yung feel dito sa Sydney dahil sa lala ng weather condition,” he said. Urrutia said the fires are around 50 to 100 kilometers away from Sydney, but there have been fears about the bushfires eventually making their way to Australia’s biggest city.  The Philippine Embassy in Canberra earlier assured that they are closely monitoring the situation of Filipinos in Australia.  Urrutia said that despite the fears over the bushfires, many Filipinos in Australia have expressed willingness to volunteer to the Rural Fire Services or...

Three administrators of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's Kingdom of Jesus Christ church in the United States were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for alleged human trafficking, according to a  report on ABC News  on Thursday. The offices of the church in Los Angeles were raided after a criminal complaint was filed against leaders Guia Cabactulan, Marissa Duenas, and Amanda Estopare. Citing information from investigators, the report said that the leaders force church members to solicit money for a children's foundation it was using as a front. The collection, however, actually goes to the church's operations. Since 2013, the church has allegedly arranged visas for its members who were disguised as musical performers for events in the US but they would later on be forced to become "volunteers" soliciting donations with certain quotas. The FBI said that these "volunteers'" passports were supposedly being withheld and they have be...

Filipinos living in China are split on repatriation amid the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a 24 Oras report by Sandra Aguinaldo on Wednesday. “Dianna” said she and other Filipinos fear for their health even though they live in Jiangsu, a province far from the outbreak’s epicenter of Wuhan City. "’Yung mga kasama ko, 'yung tatlo, gusto nila umuwi. They can't stay without pay, so paano sila makaka-survive? Ayokong mamatay dito sa China,” she said. Marife Cabales and other Filipinos in Hefei City, which is near Wuhan, have said they wish to return home as well but added that they are held back by financial constraints. On the other hand, Filipinos in Wuhan said they have no intention to evacuate the city. “We are still alive, healthy, safe and kicking. Parang nag-vo-volunteer po kami ngayon sa mga kababayan natin dito sa Wuhan na na-trap sa hotel na wala nang food supplies,” said Edda, a Filipina worker in Wuhan. “Ang amin na lang po, just include...

Russia has imposed new rules on territories that have been regulated for visits by foreigners, the Department of Foreign Affairs. In a statement, the DFA said a resolution by the Russian government mandates that visits to the following territories would require prior permission: In the Kamchatka Region: Ivashka, Voyampolka Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, Syvuchiy cape (except for the south slopes of the volcano, named inhabited areas, and east coast of the peninsula of 20 kilometers width) In Kalgyr cape, Koryaki: Automobile road Koryaki-Elizovo-Termalniy-Mutnovskaya Sopka volcano Russkaya Entrance bay (except for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatky City, Elizovo, inhabited areas - Paratunka, Termalniy, and automobile roads connecting them "Mutnovskaya Sopka volcavo - Russkaya Entrance bay" in the list of territories that require prior permission has also been replaced with "Barkhatnaya sopka - Saranniy cope,” according to the DFA. The department advised Filipinos t...

Two overseas Filipino workers who arrived in the Philippines from China's Wuhan City—the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak—are being monitored by authorities, according to a Bureau of Quarantine official on Wednesday. "We have two OFWs that came from Wuhan the other night... They are being monitored by our surveillance officer once or twice a day," BOQ Director Dr. Ferdinand Salcedo said at a press briefing. He added that they have not been exhibiting any symptoms, so far. The two are staying by themselves in a condominium unit, according to the Department of Health. There are 23 other persons under investigation for possible novel coronavirus infection. These patients are admitted in various hospitals across the country.   — RSJ, GMA News

By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS, GMA News A special team of officers will handle immigration procedures for Filipinos who will be returning from the Chinese province of Hubei, whose capital is the epicenter of an outbreak of a new strain of the coronavirus. The team has been briefed by the Bureau of Quarantine and will be provided the necessary protective gear, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said Wednesday. "A dedicated team of IOs (immigration officers) will conduct the formalities," he said in a message to reporters. The Philippine consulate in Shanghai has been ordered to immediately start processing Filipinos in Hubei who wish to be repatriated. There are 300 Filipinos in Hubei, half of whom are in Wuhan City. Fifty Filipinos have reportedly indicated their wish to return home as of Tuesday night. Perete said the returning Filipinos still need to undergo immigration formalities as authorities need to verify the identity of every person who en...

By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News Filipinos in China who would like to return to the Philippines at the height of the novel coronavirus threat will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine period upon their arrival, Health and Foreign Affairs officials said on Tuesday. “For those who choose to return, you will be taken care of in a health facility for monitoring and further medical management,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a press conference. “We are now arranging one place where we can quarantine all of them for case management rather than assigning them to different facilities,” he added, without disclosing yet the exact location of the quarantine area. Duque said that the government will shoulder the logistical and medical costs of being quarantined for two weeks. “We will have to spend for that, certainly. As part of the quarantine measure, we will have to sustain them within the 14 days that they are isolated. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary B...

No Filipino in Wuhan has been infected with the novel coronavirus, the country's ambassador to China has said. “As far as we know, wala namang nagkakasakit, wala namang anybody infected. So far so good,” Ambassador Chito Sta. Romana said in an interview on "QRT". Sta. Romana said there were some 150 Filipinos living in Wuhan. “The Shanghai Consulate, which is the nearest diplomatic outpost to Wuhan, is in touch with them,” Sta. Romana said. Sta. Romana said the Chinese government was making sure that Wuhan residents had enough food, face masks, and medicines amid the lockdown of the city in a bid to contain the outbreak. A Filipino woman living in Wuhan earlier said Filipinos were doing well in the city despite the lockdown. She allayed fears over the outbreak caused by some videos and photos that had made rounds online. The Chinese government said there had been  106 deaths  in the country due to the virus as of Tuesday morning. ...

As a quick response to the calamity and in order to provide continuous health care services from the affected Health Care Institutions (HCIs) brought about by the Taal eruption, PhilHealth shall release funds under the interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) to provide substantial aid to affected HCIs in the aftermath of the calamity.  The IRM is pursuant to PhilHealth Circular 34 s-2013 on the provision of special privileges to those affected by a fortuitous event. The said FUNDS will enable hospitals, primary care facilities, ambulatory surgical clinics, freestanding dialysis centers, and maternity care package providers to continuously provide health care services to affected Filipinos, provided that they are accredited as of December 31, 2019 and have applied for renewal for CY 2020             . More than a billion will be made available to affected hospitals based on a facility’s average reimbursement per day. An...

Skilled and professional Filipino workers who were just on vacation in the country and are set to return to Kuwait are not covered by the total deployment ban imposed by the Philippine government, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Thursday. "Ang sakop po ng total deployment ban ay lahat ng HHWs (household workers) natin maging sila ay new hires o balik-manggagawa, hindi na natin papayagan... Sakop din ho ng ating deployment ban 'yung new hires na skilled at professionals," POEA Administrator Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV. "Ang hindi lang ho sakop, 'yung exempted kung tawagin natin, ay 'yung mga balik-manggagawa na skilled at professionals... 'yung nag-bakasyon lamang," he added. The Philippine government implemented a partial deployment ban to Kuwait after the death of Filipina household worker Jeanelyn Villavende. It was later on amended by the POEA Governing...

The Kuwaiti government said it is willing to allow Filipino experts to join the investigation into the killing of Filipina household worker Jeanelyn Villavende, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday. In a statement, the DFA said Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns, Secretary Abdullah Mama-o, and Philippine Embassy in Kuwait Chargé d’Affaires, Mohd. Noordin Pendosina Lomondot, met with Kuwaiti foreign affairs officials last Sunday to discuss the welfare of over 150,000 Filipino workers in Kuwait. “To show Kuwait’s commitment in the case, Deputy Foreign Minister Al-Jarallah said that his government is willing to allow investigators from the Philippines to join the investigation in Kuwait of the murder of OFW Villavende,” the DFA said. Villavende was killed allegedly by her own Kuwaiti employers last December. An  autopsy  of her body found “multiple, severe, traumatic injuries” and indications of sexual ...

By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News The first batch of Filipinos who were repatriated from Iraq last week had difficulty in leaving the country after their respective employers demanded $10,000, some P500,000, from each of them before they could travel back to the Philippines. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the country's special envoy to the Middle East, made the remark during the hearing of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs on the issues affecting Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East. Cimatu indicated that the Iraqi employers wanted to be reimbursed for the $10,000 they paid recruiters so they could hire the Filipinos  He said Filipinos had not been allowed to work in Iraq due to the Philippines' employment ban in the country, but some managed to do so by having their employers pay their recruiters. "And when they volunteered to come home, the employer would not allow them until they have to pay US$10,000," he added. RELATED CONTENT A ...

Published  January 21, 2020 6:34pm By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News Another batch of overseas Filipino workers is set to return to the Philippines from Iraq before the month ends amid the heightening tension in the Middle East due to the US-Iran conflict. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola made the announcement Tuesday during the hearing of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs on the recent issues affecting Filipino migrant workers. "Most recent update from Baghdad is there is going to be another batch of repatriates leaving January 23. Five from Baghdad, four from Erbil," Arriola said during the meeting. Alert Level 4 has recently been raised over Iraq after the death of top Iranian military general Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike sparked turmoil in the Middle East, resulting in the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos there. Last week, 13 Filipinos from Iraq have been returned to the Philippines, nine of them came from Baghdad and four f...

With regards to the National Bureau of Investigation filing graft complaints against PhilHealth officials over the issue of WellMed Dialysis Center’s accreditation, we trust that due diligence has been exerted in the investigation in order to protect the rights and welfare of the officials implicated in these complaints. We are cautious on its implications on our workforce. We will be closely watching these developments, and remain committed to cooperate with the authorities regarding this matter. Reference: Dr. Shirley B. Domingo, Vice President for Corporate Affairs  and Official Spokesperson   Mobile No: 09171360964      

IN the light of  on-going crisis situation resulting from the recent eruption of Taal volcano in Talisay, Batangas,  the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is extending certain privileges to ensure continued provision of responsive health care benefits to members at all times especially during fortuitous events where help is needed the most. Pursuant to its  Circular 34, s. 2013,  claims of non-accredited health care facilities on behalf of members or their beneficiaries shall be covered, provided that the concerned facilities are duly  licensed or certified by the Department of Health. The same also extends to  services by non-accredited health care professionals but are holders of valid license issued by the Professional Regulations Commission. Also covered are claims for medical treatments done as an outpatient or inpatient relative to both direct and indirect effects of a fortuitous event within improvised or satellite fa...

ABS-CBN News Posted at  Jan 18 2020 05:17 PM Watch also in  iWant  or  TFC.tv Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, is calling on the Philippine government to find alternative markets for Filipino household workers amid the deployment ban on Filipino workers to Kuwait.

Malacañang: Kuwait OFW deployment ban stays until labor agreement implemented The Philippine government says terms in a 2018 labor agreement with Kuwait must be incorporated in every contract with overseas Filipino workers in the Gulf State Sofia Tomacruz Published 4:00 PM, January 17, 2020 Updated 4:00 PM, January 17, 2020 MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Friday, January 17, said President Rodrigo Duterte backed the labor department's decision to impose a  total deployment ban to Kuwait , saying it would only be lifted when the Gulf State implemented terms in an agreement signed by both countries in 2018. "PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] is for a total ban until the memorandum of agreement between the two countries is fully implemented and the terms contained therein are incorporated in every labor contract with our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers)," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement...

Mye Mulingtapang, ABS-CBN News Posted at  Jan 19 2020 03:20 PM  | Updated as of  Jan 19 2020 06:46 PM A house covered with ash, is damaged by a fallen tree in Lemery, Batangas City, Jan. 13, 2020.  Eloisa Lopez, Reuters MILAN, Italy — Kae Mendoza, a worker here, wipes tears as she looks at photos of the house in Batangas province that her parents built with years of savings and loans. The overseas Filipino worker was still some 6 months away from paying off a loan for her house's renovation when the volcano erupted, Mendoza said. But now, Mendoza's house showed cracks due to the quakes caused by Taal Volcano. "Sobrang nalulungkot, hindi sila maka-concentrate sa pagtatrabaho, iyak ng iyak. Nagsimula kasi ang bahay namin sa isang kubo, unti-unting pinapalaki kasabay ng paglaki ng pamilya, hanggang sa mas pinaganda," she told ABS-CBN News. (It's so saddening. My family can't concentrate on working, they keep crying. Our house started as ju...