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Showing posts from February, 2023

'Nearly 300,000 dead': Russia's invasion of Ukraine in numbers Cecile Feuillatre and Joris Fioriti, --- Agence France-Presse

PARIS, France - When Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he started a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, ravaged cities, and pummelled the country's economy. A year on, here is the cost of the conflict: Military losses According to the latest estimates from Norway, the conflict has wounded or killed 180,000 Russian soldiers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops. Other Western sources estimate the war has caused 150,000 casualties on each side. In comparison, some 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed in a whole decade of fighting in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. Ukrainian soldiers often use the term "cannon fodder" to describe the Russians sent to their death along the frontline. They are often poorly trained conscripts who stand little chance against Ukrainian forces determined to defend their country. Others are convicts recruited in Russian jails to swell the ranks of Russian paramilitary group Wagner, ...

Turkey quake death toll nears 40,000; new aid route to rebel-held Syria opens Turkey-Syria quake death toll nears 40,000

ANTAKYA, Turkey - An aid convoy on Tuesday passed through a newly re-opened border crossing into rebel-held north Syria, where help has been slow to arrive since last week's earthquake, which killed nearly 40,000 people in the region. Rare survivors were pulled from the debris eight days after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck Syria and Turkey, but the focus has switched from rescue to providing food and shelter to millions in need. A caravan of 11 United Nations trucks entered Syria through the re-opened Bab al-Salama border point, after Damascus agreed to let the world body use the crossing for aid. Before the earthquake struck, almost all the crucial humanitarian aid for the more than four million people living in rebel-controlled areas of northwest Syria was being delivered through just one crossing. The trucks were loaded with essential humanitarian assistance, including shelter materials, mattresses, blankets and carpets, Paul Dillon, a spokesman for the UN's Internation...

Japan says past aerial objects likely Chinese spy balloons --- Agence France Presse

TOKYO, Japan - A fresh analysis of unidentified aerial objects that flew over Japan's airspace in recent years "strongly" suggests they were Chinese spy balloons, according to Tokyo's defense ministry. "After further analysis of specific balloon-shaped flying objects previously identified in Japanese airspace, including those in November 2019, June 2020 and September 2021, we have concluded that the balloons are strongly presumed to be unmanned reconnaissance balloons flown by China," the defence ministry said in a statement late Tuesday. It said it had "strongly demanded China's government confirm the facts" of the incident and "that such a situation not occur again in the future." "Violations of airspace by foreign unmanned reconnaissance balloons and other means are totally unacceptable," it added. Japan said last week it was re-analyzing a series of incidents involving unidentified aerial objects in light of a Chines...

Marcos to OFWs in Tokyo: My dream is Filipinos will no longer be constrained to work abroad --- By TED CORDERO, GMA Integrated News

TOKYO — Concluding his five-day official visit in Japan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday met members of the Filipino community here, praised overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and expressed his aspiration that job opportunities will be enough in the country so working abroad would only be an option. The President also praised OFWs in Japan for their hard work and diligence. “Ang maisusukli namin sa naging suporta ninyo sa amin ay ‘yung aming gagawing trabaho para pagandahin ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas,” Marcos said. (What we can give you in exchange for your support is our commitment to improve the lives of our countrymen in the Philippines.) “At ang aking pangarap talaga ay masabi na natin na sapat ang trabaho sa Pilipinas at pagka nagkaroon ng OFW —pagka ang isang Pilipino ay nag-abroad para magtrabaho ito ay dahil pinili niya na pumunta sa abroad, hindi napilitang pumunta sa abroad dahil may trabaho, may magandang buhay sa ating bansa,” he said. (And my...

Filipinos bound for Kuwait rue deployment ban --- By GMA Integrated News

Several Filipinos who had been bound for Kuwait shared their distress over the recent temporary deployment ban on first-time overseas Filipino workers (OFW), particularly domestic helpers, according to JP Soriano’s “24 Oras” report on Thursday. advertisement Rubylyn Samuyag said she had amassed a pile of debt while processing her application to go to Kuwait, and only needed her Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) after her recruitment agency found an employer for her. She had been anticipating a $400 monthly salary as a household service worker in Kuwait. “Three months na po kami dito. Para makatulong po kami sa pamilya namin, yung papa ko na may sakit, tapos po makapag-aral 'yung mga kapatid ko at saka yung pamaangkin ko at aking anak,” she said. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) imposed the temporary deployment ban in Kuwait after the killing of OFW Julleebee Ranara. “Tayo po ay magbibigay ng paraan, magrerekomenda po tayo kung saan po natin pwede silang ipadala,” D...

DFA: 12 more Filipino trafficking victims in Myanmar seek rescue --- By RICHA NORIEGA, GMA Integrated News

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said at least 12 more Filipino human trafficking victims in Myanmar had asked to be rescued. The DFA earlier repatriated eight Filipino human trafficking victims from Myanmar, four of whom were made to work as online scammers in cryptocurrency farms. advertisement Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said they estimated that around 50 or 60 Filipinos were being made to work as online scammers in cryptocurrency farms. “We expect there are many as 50 or 60, and they are not in one farm. Iba't ibang compound yan. However, hindi lahat nagpaparinig na gustong umuwi. Right now, we have maybe about a dozen or less than a dozen, in fact mayroon akong mga bagong nagme-message sa akin tungkol dito,” De Vega said on Super Radyo dzBB. (We expect there are 50 or 60 Filipinos, and they are not on one farm. They are in different compounds. However, not everyone was asking to be repatriated. Right now, we have maybe about a doze...

DFA: No reported Filipino casualties in Syria after earthquake By RICHA NORIEGA, GMA Integrated News

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said there were no reported Filipino casualties in Syria following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the said country and Turkey. advertisement Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said there were 60 Filipinos in the Northwestern Syria where the strong quake hit. “There are 60 of them in the Northwestern Syria where the quake hit. Thankfully, there are no casualties,” De Vega said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. De Vega said a team from the Philippine Embassy in Damascus will provide help to the affected Filipinos. “Mayroon tayong embahada sa Damascus. Pero anim sa kanila, 6-man team pupunta doon at magdidistribute ng tulong. Kung kailangan may dalhin sa Damascus at iuwi [na mga Pilipino], gagawin namin,” he added. (We have an embassy in Damascus. About six of them, a 6-man team will go there and distribute help. If there is a need to bring Filipinos to Damascus and bring them home, we will do it.) Howev...

No Pinoys hurt in U-Haul truck rampage in New York

NEW YORK - No Filipinos were hurt when a U-Haul truck struck pedestrians in Brooklyn, New York City on Monday (US time), New York Consul General Senen Mangalile said. advertisement Eight pedestrians — one of them a police officer — were however injured in the incident, authorities said, according to a report by Reuters. Two of the victims are in critical condition while the others are being treated at hospitals. Three of the injured had been on mopeds, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). There was no indication the incident was terror-related or the driver hit people intentionally, NYPD chief Keechant Sewell told reporters. The driver, identified as Weng Sor, 62, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was first stopped by police around 10:50 a.m. in the Bay Ridge neighborhood after he had hit some pedestrians. However, Sor drove away and struck some more pedestrians as police gave chase. He was finally stopped after 20 minutes and arrested. The NYPD said it is investigating if M...

Language barrier, extreme weather pose challenge to Philippine rescue team in quake-hit Turkey === By JOVILAND RITA, GMA Integrated News

Language barrier and the extreme cold weather are among the challenges the Philippine rescue team are facing in their operations in quake-hit Turkey, the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) said Monday. advertisement "Ang major challenge po natin, Number 1, is yung extreme weather ... Pangalawa po yung language barrier,” PEMAT leader Dr. Alfonso Danac said at a press conference. [Our major challenge is, number 1, the extreme weather. Second is the language barrier.] According to him, many people in Turkey cannot speak in English. The Office of Civl Defense (OCD) said interpreters are present in the area of operations. OCD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said PEMAT field hospital has served a total of 55 patients so far. Meanwhile, the Philippine urban search and rescue team has conducted operations in 20 collapsed buildings, according to Alejandro. The Philippine rescue team is on their fourth day of operations and is ass...

Marcos says OK with Japan-US-Philippine deal if it doesn't provoke sea tensions --- Joyce Balancio, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday said he was open to the idea of the Philippines having a "tripartite agreement" with its close allies Japan and the United States if it would not provoke tensions in the South China Sea. Marcos told reporters aboard the presidential plane en route to Manila that he had Filipino fisherfolk in mind when considering the military deal with Washington and Tokyo. "Ang iniisip ko lang iyong ating fishermen kailangan maprotektahan, kailangan maliwanag na tayo sa Pilipinas na we are patrolling our waters and be sure it is well recognized na iyan ang talagang maritime territory ng Pilipinas iyan, that is the intent," he said after a 5-day visit to Tokyo. (I am only thinking of our fishermen who need to be protected, it should be clear that we are patrolling our waters and be sure it is well recognized that that is the maritime territory of the Philippines.) "If we can achieve that, if it is appropriate, if it does n...

'Unidentified object' shot down over Canada: Trudeau Agence France-Presse

OTTAWA, Canada — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday an "unidentified object" was shot down over northwestern Canada, one day after US officials said they had shot down a similar object over Alaska. "Canadian and US aircraft were scrambled, and a US F-22 successfully fired at the object," Trudeau tweeted. The operation came one week after US forces downed an alleged Chinese spy balloon that sparked a diplomatic rift with Beijing and triggered alarm over serial intrusions into the continent's airspace. Trudeau said that Canadian forces in the Yukon "will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object." He said he spoke with US President Joe Biden over the latest incursion. The object was shot down Saturday over the Yukon, which borders Alaska, where US fighter jets off the state's north coast downed another object Friday. Search and recovery operations for the remains of that object continued Saturday but were hindered by Arctic ...

US military downs unknown object over Alaska --- Kyodo News

WASHINGTON — The US military on Friday shot down an unknown high-altitude object off the coast of Alaska on the order of President Joe Biden, the White House said, citing a threat to the safety of civilian flights. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the object, first detected Thursday night, was much smaller than a Chinese surveillance balloon that recently flew over the United States and was taken down by the military off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday. Kirby described the object as "roughly the size of a small car," and said it was brought down by a fighter jet near the U.S.-Canada border after the pilots were able to determine that it was unmanned. He said the object will be recovered from U.S. territorial waters there, which are now frozen. "We're calling this an object, because that's the best description we have. We do not know who owns it, whether it's state-owned or corporate-owned or privately-owned," he said. ...

US military downs unknown object over Alaska --- Kyodo News

WASHINGTON — The US military on Friday shot down an unknown high-altitude object off the coast of Alaska on the order of President Joe Biden, the White House said, citing a threat to the safety of civilian flights. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the object, first detected Thursday night, was much smaller than a Chinese surveillance balloon that recently flew over the United States and was taken down by the military off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday. Kirby described the object as "roughly the size of a small car," and said it was brought down by a fighter jet near the U.S.-Canada border after the pilots were able to determine that it was unmanned. He said the object will be recovered from U.S. territorial waters there, which are now frozen. "We're calling this an object, because that's the best description we have. We do not know who owns it, whether it's state-owned or corporate-owned or privately-owned," he said. ...

Japan analyzing previous aerial objects after China balloon Agence France-Presse ---

TOKYO - Japan said Thursday it was coordinating with Washington as it analyzed unidentified aerial objects spotted over the country in past years after US forces shot down an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon. "We are communicating with the United States but we decline to comment on diplomatic exchanges," chief government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Thursday. "Having said that, we are analyzing objects observed above Japan in June 2020 and September 2021, including any links to the case in the United States." A mysterious balloon-like object was spotted over northern Japan in June 2020, with locals posting pictures on social media. Authorities said then that they were baffled by the object, which in close-up images by residents and media appeared to be composed of a balloon attached to crossed sticks with propellers. Japan's meteorological agency said at the time that the balloon looked like a weather-monitoring device but did not belong to...

2 dead, 5 injured in east Jerusalem car attack --- Agence France-Presse

Two people including a child were killed Friday in car ramming attack on a bus stop in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, Israeli authorities said. "As a result of the ramming, there are two dead and another five injured," an Israeli police statement said. Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek hospital said those who died were eight and 20 years old. "The suspect was neutralized on the spot" in Ramot, a Jewish settlement in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Israeli police said, describing it as a "terror" attack. "Forces of the Jerusalem district, including a detective who was off duty, arrived quickly at the scene, and fired at the terrorist who as neutralised on the spot," the police added in a separate statement. An AFP journalist at the scene saw a blue car which had crashed into a bus stop. A pink children's doll was among debris nearby. A helicopter circled the scene overhead. Dozens of onlookers gathered at the scene, many of them ultr...

Domestic worker wins compensation for abuse in Hong Kong ---Holmes Chan and Irwanda Saputra, Agence France-Presse

An Indonesian woman who was beaten and burned by her former Hong Kong employers was awarded more than $110,000 in damages on Friday. The abuse meted out to Kartika Puspitasari, 40, made headlines a decade ago and sparked calls for better protections for the army of women who come to the city to cook, clean and care for its children and elderly. Her employers were convicted and jailed in 2013, with a court hearing that they burned her with an iron, beat her with a bike chain and assaulted her with a paper cutter, leaving her physically scarred and traumatised. Initially unsure who to turn to, Puspitasari endured the abuse for two years, with her mistreatment only coming to light after she sought consular protection. She returned to Indonesia in 2014 without having received any wages. On Friday, a judge ruled that Puspitasari had been "treated inhumanely" and awarded her HK$868,607 ($110,650). At the home she shares with her husband and three children in Padang city on I...

South Korea ends COVID-19 visa restrictions for China travelers ---Agence France-Presse

SEOUL — South Korea said Friday it would begin issuing short-term visas to travelers from China again, ending a COVID-linked restriction that sparked a furious response and tit-for-tat measures from Beijing. In January, Seoul imposed travel requirements, including visa restrictions and PCR testing, on all visitors from China, as the world's most-populous country battled a surge in coronavirus cases. But South Korea said the rate of passengers from China testing positive on arrival had dropped to 1.4 percent last week, down from 20 percent when the curbs were first introduced. As a result, Seoul will "remove short-term visa restrictions on China and resume issuing them starting from Feb. 11", the country's disease control centre said in a statement. The drop reflects the current situation in China, it said, where there have been "no signs of new coronavirus spread or mutations after the lunar new year holidays". Days after Seoul stopped issuing the visas...

8 Filipino human trafficking victims in Myanmar arrive home

Eight Filipino human trafficking victims have been successfully repatriated from Myanmar, JP Soriano reported in Unang Balita on Monday. advertisement The Filipinos arrived in the Philippines on Monday morning and were welcomed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega and other officials, a separate Unang Balita report said. The Filipino victims, four of whom were made to work as online scammers in crypto currency farms, were rescued by Myanmar authorities and the Philippine Embassy in Yangon. Among the repatriates were four other Filipinos who were held in Myanmar after using an unauthorized route to enter the country. The Filipinos said they were recruited to act as tourists in Thailand then illegally brought to Myanmar to work as online scammers. The victims said they were abused and threatened if they refused to follow orders. Myanmar authorities are currently conducting an investigation to unmask the persons behind the illegal activity. The Department of Forei...

IN WAKE OF MASSIVE QUAKE PH Embassy in Turkey seeks help for missing Filipino mother, kids By GISELLE OMBAY, ---- GMA Integrated News

The Philippine Embassy in Ankara said Sunday it tapped search and rescue teams to look for a Filipino woman and her children, who have remained missing since the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. In a statement, the Embassy said the information about the missing Filipino and her kids was brought up to them by her Turkish family. “The Embassy has sought the assistance of search-and-rescue teams in Hatay City on the status of a missing Filipino and their children, feared to be still under rubble. This has been confirmed by her husband and her sister-in-law, both Turkish nationals,” it said. Filipino Community in Turkey vice president Weng Timoteo said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview on Sunday that details about the missing mother and children were already relayed to the Philippine consulate in Istanbul and Embassy of the Philippines in Ankara. As of Friday, two Filipinos were confirmed dead due to the earthquake, according to the Philippine Embassy. The Philip...

Marcos to OFWs in Tokyo: My dream is Filipinos will no longer be constrained to work abroad --- By TED CORDERO, GMA Integrated News

TOKYO — Concluding his five-day official visit in Japan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday met members of the Filipino community here, praised overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and expressed his aspiration that job opportunities will be enough in the country so working abroad would only be an option. The President also praised OFWs in Japan for their hard work and diligence. “Ang maisusukli namin sa naging suporta ninyo sa amin ay ‘yung aming gagawing trabaho para pagandahin ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas,” Marcos said. (What we can give you in exchange for your support is our commitment to improve the lives of our countrymen in the Philippines.) “At ang aking pangarap talaga ay masabi na natin na sapat ang trabaho sa Pilipinas at pagka nagkaroon ng OFW —pagka ang isang Pilipino ay nag-abroad para magtrabaho ito ay dahil pinili niya na pumunta sa abroad, hindi napilitang pumunta sa abroad dahil may trabaho, may magandang buhay sa ating bansa,” he said. (And m...

PH team in Turkey in high spirits as search for quake survivors continues —OCD --- By GISELLE OMBAY, GMA Integrated News

The efforts of the 82-man Philippine Search and Rescue Group sent to Turkey continue on the third day of their deployment, with several survivors of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake given assistance, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Sunday. advertisement OCD Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro said the Philippine contingent has so far helped check nine buildings, found five possible alive victims, and gave medical assistance to 14 outpatients. “They are in high spirits. Okay naman sila. Wala pong problema so far. Mayroon na silang assignment doon. Gumagawa na sila ng search, ‘yung ating team together with the local authorities doon. May na-assign na po doong area o site sa kanila,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. (They are in high spirits. They are okay and have encountered no problem so far. They already have an assignment there. Our team together with the local authorities there are doing a search. An area or site has already been assigned to them.) Alejandro said the...

Family worried they won't be able to view body of OFW killed in Turkey quake --- By JAMIL SANTOS, GMA Integrated News

The family of a Filipino who died in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey worried that they would not be able to view her remains before she was buried. According to a report by Andrew Bernardo of GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog on 24 Oras Weekend, the family of Wilma Tezcan in Ilayang Dupay, Lucena City, Quezon, was struggling to take care of the requirements for the repatriation of her body. They were also worried that her Turkish husband might arrange for an immediate burial in Turkey, as it was the Muslim custom. “Maiuwi nang agaran, maagap ‘yung aking anak at nang hindi na magtagal doon at nang makita namin nang kabuuan ‘yung katawan niya, dito na mapalibing,” said Tezcan's father, William Abulad. (I wish that my daughter be brought home immediately and promptly so that we could see her whole body and she can be buried here.) Abulad said he was shocked to find out his daughter was among the casualties in the province of Hatay, as she was residing in Istanbul. ...

Speaker Romualdez seeks no-placement fee policy for OFWs in Japan --- By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA Integrated News

Speaker Martin Romualdez on Friday called on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to push for a no-placement fee policy for Filipinos seeking to work in Japan. Romualdez said Japanese companies and employers had promised to employ more Filipinos in dialogues with President Marcos. "I hope that the DMW can engage the recruitment industry and Japanese employers on how to make Japan a 100-percent no placement fee labor market,” Romualdez said. Romualdez said his proposal should cover seafarers, professionals, and non-skilled workers. He said Japanese employers held Filipinos in high regard. "We are happy to hear directly from our OFWs in Japan on how much they are valued by their employers, and vice-versa," Romualdez said. He said while trainees under the Technical Internship Training Program and specified skilled workers need not pay placement fees, “there are Filipino job seekers who fall outside these categories that are being asked to pay, such as professiona...

Myanmar police rescue 4 Pinoys forced to work as crypto farm scammers Published ---

According to Philippine Embassy officials in Yangon, four Filipinos forced to work at a crypto farm in Myanmar had been rescued by the Myawaddy police. advertisement Philippine Chargé D'Affaires Enrique Pingol said in JP Soriano's Monday "24 Oras" report that the Filipinos had sought help from the embassy after being compelled to work as scammers at the crypto farm. Meanwhile, with the help of Myanmar authorities, the repatriation of four other Filipinos was being processed. The Filipinos were brought over across a river from Thailand without passing through immigration. Only Myanmar nationals were allowed to cross the river border. "We are always given the assurance that they are ok," said Pingol. "We also requested for us to be given consular access para makausap natin sila. And we are hoping to do that in the coming days." (We also requested that we be given consular access so we can talk to them. And we are hoping to do that in the coming...

OFW in Kuwait in hospital after jumping from building to escape employer --- By GMA Integrated News

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Kuwait sustained injuries after jumping from a building while trying to escape her alleged abusive employer. advertisement Victim Myla Balbag jumped from the third floor of her female employer’s house after she was allegedly beaten for watching TikTok videos on her phone, according to Raffy Tima ’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday. Balbag sustained broken legs and a possible spine injury, the report said. She is currently being treated at the Jaber Al Ahmad Sabah Hospital. “Binabantayan na siya taga DMW-OWWA [Department of Migrant Workers-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration], kasama niya, hanggang siya ay ready na para sa therapy then pag naisyuhan na siya ng clearance na fit to fly, iuwi na natin siya,” said OWWA Administrator Arnel Ignacio. (Members of the DMW-OWWA are watching over her. They will be with her until she is ready for therapy and will be issued clearance that states she is fit to fly. And then we will repatriate her.) Due to t...

248 Filipinos affected by 7.8-magnitude Turkey quake —envoy --- By JOVILAND RITA, GMA Integrated News

At least 248 Filipinos in Turkey were affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the said country and Syria on Monday, according to the Philippine Embassy on Tuesday. Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Ambassador Maria Elena Algabre said so far, there have been no reported Filipino casualties due to the quake. “Ang mga Pilipino na 248 na nasa region na 'yun ay apektado kasi po marami pong building ang nasalanta, walang electricity, malamig, umuulan,” she said. (Two hundred forty-eight Filipinos in that region were affected because many buildings were damaged, there was no electricity, and it was cold and raining.) “May mga Filipinos po na umalis sa kanilang mga building kasi hindi safe at gumuho, na nasa shelter. Yung iba po kinupkop ng mga kaibigan na nasa safer na lugar,” she added. (There were Filipinos who left their buildings because it was not safe and damaged, who were staying in shelters. Some of them were staying in the house of their friends in safer are...

Filipinos in Turkey fear returning to homes after deadly earthquake --- By GMA Integrated News

Several Filipinos living in areas hit by the deadly earthquake that struck Turkey are afraid to return to their homes, some of which have been declared as danger zones. “Pahirapan kami makalabas papunta rito sa farm. Parang ghost town na 'yung banda doon sa bahay namin kasi medyo parang natakot na 'yung mga tao. Bumalik lang kami doon kumuha ng damit, pero 'di rin kami pinagtagal kasi danger zone na nga,” Madelyn, a Filipina resident in Turkey, said in Marisol Abdurahman’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday. (It was difficult for us to get out here at the farm. It was like a ghost town in our house because the people were scared. We just went there to get some clothes, but we did not stay too long because it was already a danger zone.) Madelyn said her house which newly constructed in December was among those damaged by the quake. Another Filipino resident in Turkey, Meral Demirezen, shared that it was her first time to experience a powerful earthquake since living in the coun...

Slain OFW Jullebee Ranara's remains buried in Las Piñas By GMA Integrated News

The remains of Filipina household worker Jullebee Ranara who was killed in Kuwait were buried on Sunday morning in a cemetery in Las Piñas City. The slain 35-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW), whose burned body was found in the desert in Kuwait, was buried at Golden Haven Memorial Park. Her remains were brought back to Manila on January 28. She was reportedly raped and impregnated by the suspect, the 17-year-old son of her employer. The suspect is already under police custody, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said. Kuwait Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah earlier vowed that the perpetrator in the killing of Ranara will be punished for the crime. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said a bilateral meeting is being scheduled with Kuwait to check if there are "weaknesses" in the labor agreement between the two countries following the brutal murder of Ranara. Marcos previously went to Ranara...

Marcos vows to protect welfare of OFWs, strengthen partnerships with host countries By RICHA NORIEGA, GMA Integrated News

Published February 4, 2023 10:41pm President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has vowed to strengthen partnerships with countries that host overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). In his vlog released on Saturday, Marcos said the national government will ensure the protection of OFWs and their families in the Philippines as a way of acknowledging their contributions to the country. “Ang tanging maisusukli ko sa inyong hindi matatawarang kontribusyon sa ating lipunan ay masiguro ko ang inyong proteksyon, ang inyong kalagayan, at ang kalagayan ng mga naiwan ninyong pamilya sa ating bansa,” Marcos said. (To reciprocate your contributions to our nation, I will make sure that you and the families you left behind in our country are protected and taken care of.) “Ang tanging maisusukli ko ay ang patuloy na pagpapatibay ng ating ugnayan sa mga kinatawan ng bawat bansang kinaroroonan ninyo ganyan ang pakay natin lagi. Gaya noong isang araw tinipon natin ang ambassador ng iba’t ibang bansa sa Pal...

DMW halts deployment of first-time domestic helpers to Kuwait --- By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News

Published February 8, 2023 12:45pm The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is imposing a temporary ban on the deployment of first-time overseas Filipino workers (OFW), particularly domestic helpers, to Kuwait, Secretary Susan Ople said Wednesday. advertisement In a statement, Ople said the processing of applications for first time OFWs in the Gulf state will be deferred until "significant reforms have been made resulting from upcoming bilateral talks" with Kuwait. “'Yung mga baguhan, never before nag-work as kasambahays abroad or 'yung nag-work as kasambahays pero hindi sa Kuwait ay kailangan maghintay muna dahil nais tiyakin ng department na may mas maayos na monitoring at mas mabilis na response system in place bago sila tumungo doon,” the DMW chief said. (Those who have never worked as domestic helpers abroad, including those who have worked as household helpers in other countries but not in Kuwait, would need to wait for their deployment because the departmen...