Based on POEA annual deployment, the numbers for the professional, techinical, managerial levels is roughly around 10% only of the annual deployment. The big bulk is low paying service jobs some as low as $300, that's according to a couple I've talk to. That's where the government should put in their efforts. As for the highly technical OFW's, a friend here in TO hired 6 Filipinos to work in the jungles of a South American country. They earn more (in net pay because they don't pay taxes), than him, and he is a VP of this company! So it is possible but who wants to work in the jungle.

I'd say this is pretty accurate because there are more blue collar jobs being hired overseas such as the middleast, asia and part of europe, in jobs like nannys, domestic helpers, family drivers, construction workers, partly caregivers , dump truck drivers, there are more of them comparing to professionals like Anone who is an engineer or others in managereal level. It's a bit different from those who work/reside in the US, Canada and Australia because alot of these do not have to go through POEA, unless... they are a contract worker, but, if they landed in the US or Canada as permanent resident, it would be hard of half of them to declare the position and income they would be having, especially if these are dependent or petitioned by family members.

VIEWPOINT
Kababayan connection: the kindness of strangers
By Rene Ciria-Cruz
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:39:00 12/22/2010
Filed Under: Migration, Americas - Canada

SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States—I once met a 90-year-old man who, as a teenager in 1917, ran away from his home in Ilocos Norte to work aboard ocean-going merchant ships.

All that he could recall of his decades of travel around the world were the best places to procure women in various ports-of-call and the locales where one was apt to meet fellow Filipinos. His memory of brothels shortly became a blur; how different could paid anonymous sex be from place to place? His account of encounters with compatriots, however, remained vivid and richly detailed.

There were “30,000 Filipino men” in Shanghai in the 1920s, he said. You could meet Filipino traffic policemen in Buenos Aires. There was a park in old downtown Honolulu where “kababayan” plantation workers hung out. Many Filipinos settled in Barcelona and had mestizo children. An Ilocano “lived under the ground” in Alaska with an Eskimo wife. On and on he went.

In the dimming memory of this once-wandering man, his communion with kababayan the world over remained indelible, for a good reason. The kababayan impulse, the urge to connect with compatriots one meets abroad, was driven by necessity. That connection, based simply on the mutual recognition of a common nationality, enabled lonely travelers to find good meals of sinigang or pinakbet, quick games of cards, or boozy conversations in their native tongue to while away restless nights in strange lands. Making the connection was an important element of coping.

Something of the kababayan impulse survives among present-day immigrants to the United States, although it may not be as strong as it was for the itinerant bachelors of the early part of the 20th century. It’s not as strong among us because we can rely on our families and relatives as lifelines and safety nets. We now also take for granted the presence of numerous other Filipinos, and meeting kababayan is no longer a novelty. I was even warned not to bother greeting compatriots in the streets of New York City for I would be plainly ignored. I was told they’d just presume that I want to pry into their circumstances, their immigration status, and the like.

Sure enough, when I raised my eyebrows—our customary silent greeting—at kababayan in public places there, most of them refused raise their eyebrows back at me. Meanwhile, the first Pinoy who deigned speak to me asked if I had a green card, 30 seconds into the conversation. My most distressing encounter was at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida, where I asked a woman if she was a kababayan and she answered, “Hindi.”

These rebuffs, however, have been overshadowed by the delightful instances of spontaneous kababayan bonding. For merely saying “Kamusta” to a Pinay server at a Mrs. Fields in San Francisco, I received a free cookie with my croissant, and a “Kamusta rin po.” By ordering a regular slice of pizza in Tagalog at a Wolfgang Puck outlet, I was served a “special with salad” at the price of a regular instead, with the Pinoy server explaining to another Pinoy at the cash register, “Kababayan, pare.” When my wife said, “Salamat po,” to the man who sold apples from his orchard at a farmers’ market he dropped four extra granny smiths into her bag, gratis.

I asked people at work—a Korean, a Chinese, and a Chilean—whether they had a similar “custom” among their compatriots. All looked at me in amazement. “They really do that? Even if you don’t know them?” one asked, and then everyone wanted to come to lunch with me at the generous pizza place.

The kababayan impulse apparently can be inherited by succeeding generations. I once recklessly changed lanes and was promptly stopped by a young cop whose body language, facial features, and accent indicated he was a US-born Filipino. A flicker in his eyes indicated that from my name, face, and accent he could detect I was an immigrant kababayan. He went back to his patrol car and riffled through his codebook for a good 15 minutes. He came back half-apologetically explaining that he had been trying to figure out what to charge me with. My license had expired, he said, and normally he should be calling for a tow truck to impound my car. Susmaryosep! I had completely forgotten to renew it, I confessed.

“Look,” he said softly, “go home, leave your car, and go to the DMV to renew your license right away. Make sure you drive carefully on your way home so other cops won’t stop you. I’ll ticket you only for reckless driving, and I suggest you attend traffic school to erase that.”

Needless to say I thanked him profusely. I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles where my license was renewed in 10 minutes because the processing clerk at my window was—you guessed it—another kababayan. My co-workers were amazed once more. They had heard of racial profiling aka “driving while black,” but this was the first time they heard of a reverse, happy phenomenon called “driving while Filipino.”

Of course, not every compatriot one meets displays a fraternal spirit. But for every officious Pinoy US Customs officer there’s a solicitous Macy’s salesclerk who will give a fellow Filipino additional discounts, as has happened to a friend. Another friend was given a hefty credit when she complained about her long-distance bill, and the AT&T rep on the line happened to be a kababayan.

In many European countries Filipino immigrant workers will welcome you like a special guest if you’re friendly. On cruise ships Filipino chefs have been known to treat some of their kababayan to especially prepared Filipino dishes. In an article for Filipinas Magazine, a Filipina in the US Navy wrote of speaking in Tagalog on her ship’s radio to merchant vessels passing in the night, and Filipino crewmen on those ships responding with glee.

These quick gestures of solidarity are a way of saying, “We’re in the same boat,” or “We’re in this together,” “this” being the immigrant experience. By simply acknowledging our shared nationality we can find in each other a piece of home abroad. For a fleeting moment we’re all equals, regardless of profession or station in life. We’re all travelers on an uncharted course who could use a touch of the familiar as a respite from our common fate.

Perhaps the kababayan impulse is rooted in our long agricultural past, when meeting the challenges of a rural existence required the constant exchange of courtesies and favors—or the spirit of bayanihan, which is one of our vaunted Filipino values. But it could as well be the offshoot of a pernicious social syndrome. The poorly functioning Philippine state has never been able to adequately deliver justice and a better life to its citizens. So, for economic survival and social advancement, Filipinos have learned to rely entirely on family or powerful relations, or on whom one knows. We’ve mastered the art of weaving gainful “connections.”

Is the kababayan impulse part of this pathology? There seems to be a thin line, after all, between being given a break by a kababayan cop and being accorded special treatment over other traffic violators. When is the urge to offer a compatriot an extra discount, at the proprietor’s expense, virtue and when is it vice? What’s the difference between a heartfelt act of solidarity and a seminal act of corruption?

I prefer to look at my slice of pizza as half-whole instead of half-eaten. I didn’t offer the police officer a bribe nor did he ask for one. Sure I was spared a heftier fine and a huge inconvenience (while another erring motorist may not have been as fortunate), but I certainly learned my lesson. The incident didn’t make me more reckless; it made me a more careful and law-abiding driver. Wolfgang and Mrs. Fields may have lost a few cents on me, but they earned everything back and more with my loyal patronage. Give me the kababayan treatment any time.

Many more Filipinos are going overseas looking for a better life. The Philippines is the second largest exporter of labor after Mexico, according to the New York Times. We’re bound to bump into one another in many corners of the globe. Whenever we do let’s keep giving in to the kababayan impulse. We’re all in the same boat after all, on the same uncharted course, and it’s but right that we connect with one another even for a fleeting moment through small courtesies and spontaneous acts of grace.

A slightly revised version the original published in Filipinas, January 2000.


http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20101222-310422/Kababayan-connection-the-kindness-of-strangers

So, tinatanggap mo pala ang sinabi ni fengrun na
ang mga nagabroad at nasa america mga walang skills. kulang sa diskarte at
mahihina ang ulo kaya hindi umasenso sa filipinas at nag abroad na lang, aba
ay bakit nasa America ka nag duktor kung ganoon???:lol::lol: PEACE, yan
naman talaga ang panabi nuon, pero otherwise, may tamang punto din siya.
Nasisira nga lang ng pagiging mapintasin , pagiging mapang mata at kulang ng
exposure kahit man lang leisure travels. Review hin mo ang kauna unahang
sinabi nuon.

Hindi po ako ayon sa panlalait niya sa lahat ng OFW. Dahil tama man o mali
tinuturing ko po ang aking sarili na kaisa sa ating mga mamayang Pilipino na
nag-ibang bayan. Kung sinabi niya sanang may ilan sa mga OFW at hindi niya
ni-lahat, malamang naintindihan ko pa po siya. Subalit bakat sa kanyang mga
pananalita na makitid ang kanyang pag-iisip at nabubulagan siya dahil sa mga
matinding hirap na pinagdaanan, ng siya ay lokohin at abusuhin ng mga
recruiter at pagtawanan siya at alipustain ng kanyang mga kaibigan na lahat
ay pinalad na makapag OFW. Isa siyang nakaaawang nilalang. :nuts:

Pasensya na wala lang akong magawa rito at mukhang nabulilyaso ang lakad
we have be waiting here at JFK for the past 6 hours, since our connecting
flight to Manila via LHR & SIN has been cancelled. We are chance passengers
now waiting for JFK to NRT instead. Porbida 8inches of snow lang and LHR is
already paralyzed.:ohno: Eniway, maybe it's a blessing in disguise.


:cheers2:

""It has been raining hard here in Los Angeles. We have gotten so much water, illegal immigrants are literally coming in waves."


-- Jay Leno :lol:

I don't think so. The way he insult people here even those ones in the Philippines with him was really uncalled for and irrational, given that he had some good points he layed down on the table which I agreed as well, it's the fact that he would tell filipinos who leave the country to have no backbone and lacking skills is a tad wrong when you and I knew that it was infact due to the country's poverty that compelled Marcos to send filipinos overseas, and the fact that it was really hard to survive in the Philippines if you are a small business owner. We knew that in the past, there are gangs supported by the Philippine police to extort money from business men, and the fact that it has been chaotic ever since until the later part of Arroyo's term when the economy started to show some improvement inspite of the continueing number of unemployment in the country.

So, basically are you agreing with fengrun that people like xxrain who is a degree holder and is a professional just like you and me are all useless because we all lack skills. I mean I can ask you yourself why did you chose to stay in the US and practice your profession first before thinking of returning to the Philippines when you know as a doctor, you are very much capable of making decent money in your own country without having to leave? Why do we think there are many filipino doctors who would go back to school to be a nurse or a therapist ? I am not insulting you what-so-ever because i know you're very polite and respectful to all of us but since you raised an issue that perhaps includes me because I was the very first person fengrun insulted inspite of the fact that I was keeping the discussion healthy. If I was very disrespectful, i am sure xxrain and NTprime would of told me I was out of line, I mean, i was just giving this an example, I know you have other people in mind who really did attack fengrun.

^^ Mas delikado pa nga sa Iraq o Afghanistan, nagulat ako nuon, meron mga Pinoys na mga drivers, sikyu, tindero sa fastfoods at iba pang pinag tra-trabahuhan nila.

Ako rin, pangarap ko makapunta sa jungles of South America, baka nga meron ng McDonalds daw sa gubat. :D

ako gusto ko rin pumunta sa brazil. to see the almost naked dancers.


hehehe. actually, second lang to world cup. kasi world cup sa brazil 2014. :banana:

ako gusto ko rin pumunta sa brazil. to see the almost naked dancers.


hehehe. actually, second lang to world cup. kasi world cup sa brazil 2014. :banana:

:lol: Rio festival is really a must see or to be part of it. Masaya nuon, medyo tame na ngayon daw. Mas wild pa nga sa Bourbon St. in New Orleans basta me beads ka...pati lalakweh, will pull up their shirts... Yay!!!

Ang laki ng mga soccer stadiums dun, national pastime nila yun besides dancing in the streets... :D

yung ka batch ko na engineer na nag-tratrabaho dun, naka apat ng asawa.... hehehe

VIEWPOINT
Kababayan connection: the kindness of strangers
By Rene Ciria-Cruz
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:39:00 12/22/2010
Filed Under: Migration, Americas - Canada

SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States—I once met a 90-year-old man who, as a teenager in 1917, ran away from his home in Ilocos Norte to work aboard ocean-going merchant ships.

All that he could recall of his decades of travel around the world were the best places to procure women in various ports-of-call and the locales where one was apt to meet fellow Filipinos. His memory of brothels shortly became a blur; how different could paid anonymous sex be from place to place? His account of encounters with compatriots, however, remained vivid and richly detailed.

There were “30,000 Filipino men” in Shanghai in the 1920s, he said. You could meet Filipino traffic policemen in Buenos Aires. There was a park in old downtown Honolulu where “kababayan” plantation workers hung out. Many Filipinos settled in Barcelona and had mestizo children. An Ilocano “lived under the ground” in Alaska with an Eskimo wife. On and on he went.

In the dimming memory of this once-wandering man, his communion with kababayan the world over remained indelible, for a good reason. The kababayan impulse, the urge to connect with compatriots one meets abroad, was driven by necessity. That connection, based simply on the mutual recognition of a common nationality, enabled lonely travelers to find good meals of sinigang or pinakbet, quick games of cards, or boozy conversations in their native tongue to while away restless nights in strange lands. Making the connection was an important element of coping.

Something of the kababayan impulse survives among present-day immigrants to the United States, although it may not be as strong as it was for the itinerant bachelors of the early part of the 20th century. It’s not as strong among us because we can rely on our families and relatives as lifelines and safety nets. We now also take for granted the presence of numerous other Filipinos, and meeting kababayan is no longer a novelty. I was even warned not to bother greeting compatriots in the streets of New York City for I would be plainly ignored. I was told they’d just presume that I want to pry into their circumstances, their immigration status, and the like.

Sure enough, when I raised my eyebrows—our customary silent greeting—at kababayan in public places there, most of them refused raise their eyebrows back at me. Meanwhile, the first Pinoy who deigned speak to me asked if I had a green card, 30 seconds into the conversation. My most distressing encounter was at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida, where I asked a woman if she was a kababayan and she answered, “Hindi.”

These rebuffs, however, have been overshadowed by the delightful instances of spontaneous kababayan bonding. For merely saying “Kamusta” to a Pinay server at a Mrs. Fields in San Francisco, I received a free cookie with my croissant, and a “Kamusta rin po.” By ordering a regular slice of pizza in Tagalog at a Wolfgang Puck outlet, I was served a “special with salad” at the price of a regular instead, with the Pinoy server explaining to another Pinoy at the cash register, “Kababayan, pare.” When my wife said, “Salamat po,” to the man who sold apples from his orchard at a farmers’ market he dropped four extra granny smiths into her bag, gratis.

I asked people at work—a Korean, a Chinese, and a Chilean—whether they had a similar “custom” among their compatriots. All looked at me in amazement. “They really do that? Even if you don’t know them?” one asked, and then everyone wanted to come to lunch with me at the generous pizza place.

The kababayan impulse apparently can be inherited by succeeding generations. I once recklessly changed lanes and was promptly stopped by a young cop whose body language, facial features, and accent indicated he was a US-born Filipino. A flicker in his eyes indicated that from my name, face, and accent he could detect I was an immigrant kababayan. He went back to his patrol car and riffled through his codebook for a good 15 minutes. He came back half-apologetically explaining that he had been trying to figure out what to charge me with. My license had expired, he said, and normally he should be calling for a tow truck to impound my car. Susmaryosep! I had completely forgotten to renew it, I confessed.

“Look,” he said softly, “go home, leave your car, and go to the DMV to renew your license right away. Make sure you drive carefully on your way home so other cops won’t stop you. I’ll ticket you only for reckless driving, and I suggest you attend traffic school to erase that.”

Needless to say I thanked him profusely. I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles where my license was renewed in 10 minutes because the processing clerk at my window was—you guessed it—another kababayan. My co-workers were amazed once more. They had heard of racial profiling aka “driving while black,” but this was the first time they heard of a reverse, happy phenomenon called “driving while Filipino.”

Of course, not every compatriot one meets displays a fraternal spirit. But for every officious Pinoy US Customs officer there’s a solicitous Macy’s salesclerk who will give a fellow Filipino additional discounts, as has happened to a friend. Another friend was given a hefty credit when she complained about her long-distance bill, and the AT&T rep on the line happened to be a kababayan.

In many European countries Filipino immigrant workers will welcome you like a special guest if you’re friendly. On cruise ships Filipino chefs have been known to treat some of their kababayan to especially prepared Filipino dishes. In an article for Filipinas Magazine, a Filipina in the US Navy wrote of speaking in Tagalog on her ship’s radio to merchant vessels passing in the night, and Filipino crewmen on those ships responding with glee.

These quick gestures of solidarity are a way of saying, “We’re in the same boat,” or “We’re in this together,” “this” being the immigrant experience. By simply acknowledging our shared nationality we can find in each other a piece of home abroad. For a fleeting moment we’re all equals, regardless of profession or station in life. We’re all travelers on an uncharted course who could use a touch of the familiar as a respite from our common fate.

Perhaps the kababayan impulse is rooted in our long agricultural past, when meeting the challenges of a rural existence required the constant exchange of courtesies and favors—or the spirit of bayanihan, which is one of our vaunted Filipino values. But it could as well be the offshoot of a pernicious social syndrome. The poorly functioning Philippine state has never been able to adequately deliver justice and a better life to its citizens. So, for economic survival and social advancement, Filipinos have learned to rely entirely on family or powerful relations, or on whom one knows. We’ve mastered the art of weaving gainful “connections.”

Is the kababayan impulse part of this pathology? There seems to be a thin line, after all, between being given a break by a kababayan cop and being accorded special treatment over other traffic violators. When is the urge to offer a compatriot an extra discount, at the proprietor’s expense, virtue and when is it vice? What’s the difference between a heartfelt act of solidarity and a seminal act of corruption?

I prefer to look at my slice of pizza as half-whole instead of half-eaten. I didn’t offer the police officer a bribe nor did he ask for one. Sure I was spared a heftier fine and a huge inconvenience (while another erring motorist may not have been as fortunate), but I certainly learned my lesson. The incident didn’t make me more reckless; it made me a more careful and law-abiding driver. Wolfgang and Mrs. Fields may have lost a few cents on me, but they earned everything back and more with my loyal patronage. Give me the kababayan treatment any time.

Many more Filipinos are going overseas looking for a better life. The Philippines is the second largest exporter of labor after Mexico, according to the New York Times. We’re bound to bump into one another in many corners of the globe. Whenever we do let’s keep giving in to the kababayan impulse. We’re all in the same boat after all, on the same uncharted course, and it’s but right that we connect with one another even for a fleeting moment through small courtesies and spontaneous acts of grace.

A slightly revised version the original published in Filipinas, January 2000.


http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20101222-310422/Kababayan-connection-the-kindness-of-strangers

Nice article. I can relate to the highlighted text above. On a Baja California cruise many years back our assistant waiter was Pinoy and our head waiter was Pinoy. However our cabin attendant was of Indian descent and our waiter was from Trinidad and Tobago. All of them were very polite, but one special was our assistant waiter (who is normally in charge of serving drinks as the waiter was in charge of the entrées and main courses) who would always ask me if I wanted a second serving of the main dish. It was a great experience, but instead of tipping our Pinoy waiter the customary dollars, we gave him a P1000 bill plus more pesos as he was ending his tour in a few weeks.

On another experience on Emirates, as I was seated in the first seat in business class, immediately 3 Pinay stewardesses approached me and asked me what I wanted to be served...on top of that, they made "chismis" about their purser who was Brit, saying she was "masungit"... hahaha ... nagsusumbong sa kapwa Pinoy.:lol:

Even in nearby places like Hong Kong Disneyland, many of the performers are Pinoys, and they will start talking in tagalog when they know there are Pinoys around. And one memorable one was the opening act before the Killer Whale show at Ocean Park, the performers were Pinoy and before they left, they waved to the crowd and shouted "Mabuhay mga Kababayan!" :cheers:

^^pati ang 2016 rio de janeiro olympics..... :D

I don't think so. The way he insult people here even those ones in the Philippines with him was really uncalled for and irrational, given that he had some good points he layed down on the table which I agreed as well, it's the fact that he would tell filipinos who leave the country to have no backbone and lacking skills is a tad wrong when you and I knew that it was infact due to the country's poverty that compelled Marcos to send filipinos overseas, and the fact that it was really hard to survive in the Philippines if you are a small business owner. We knew that in the past, there are gangs supported by the Philippine police to extort money from business men, and the fact that it has been chaotic ever since until the later part of Arroyo's term when the economy started to show some improvement inspite of the continueing number of unemployment in the country.

So, basically are you agreing with fengrun that people like xxrain who is a degree holder and is a professional just like you and me are all useless because we all lack skills. I mean I can ask you yourself why did you chose to stay in the US and practice your profession first before thinking of returning to the Philippines when you know as a doctor, you are very much capable of making decent money in your own country without having to leave? Why do we think there are many filipino doctors who would go back to school to be a nurse or a therapist ? I am not insulting you what-so-ever because i know you're very polite and respectful to all of us but since you raised an issue that perhaps includes me because I was the very first person fengrun insulted inspite of the fact that I was keeping the discussion healthy. If I was very disrespectful, i am sure xxrain and NTprime would of told me I was out of line, I mean, i was just giving this an example, I know you have other people in mind who really did attack fengrun.

Every forumer in SSC has his or her opinion, and they are entitled to express this but in a respectful way. I wouldn't have engaged fengrun in discussions if he didn't have a point, but in many cases, it was obvious that his posts were off-center to the extent of below the belt, mostly because of his ignorance and lack of actual experience in the overseas arena. Now if he would ask for the opinion of overseas Pinoys like mwg12a, xxxriainxxx, Ephesus29, bitoy, Juan Pilgrim, etc. and seek to understand where they're coming from, then the discussion would have been interesting at the very least. But since he chose to judge even before seeing the other's point of view, then he is guilty of prejudice and even bias. And finally, the choice of words and sentences was obviously from a mal-educated person (I say mal-educated because he is obviously schooled but from what kind of school I don't know), which is already very disruptive and a turn-off for majority of the forumers watching this thread. Look, after fengrun was banned thrice, we've had a very good discussion with the folks from Canada chiming in, something which I have learned a lot from compared to the time fengrun was bashing people all over the place.

Now as for mwg12a, he is a very cool person, I have hardly seen him get angry except in the Population thread when he went up against dandelione, considering of course that the point of views from his profession (medical industry) is the bone of contention there. But overall, mwg12a makes a lot of sense, I am in fact awed considering he is a natural born American with Filipino roots (correct me if I'm wrong), and he knows the Philippines and developments far more than some people who are right on ground zero. The rule in dealing with passionate people is to know one's limits, not get too carried away, and if you don't win an argument, acknowledge the other party for their contribution to the discussion, and move one. We don't have to be disagreeable when it comes to non-agreement in certain issues here in SSC.

And if indeed mwg12a were out of line, we would tell him in a nice way without having to follow the style of fengrun. That is why I think discussions with him are very healthy in threads like this, as he has direct first hand experience of what it is to be a Pinoy worker abroad.

Damn my post still went through it seems like, I tried changing my comments again because I misunderstood his message and partly I was not able to read everything @Juan Pilgrim wrote. My apology on that one. Hopefully that didn't spark anymore commotion about the previous issue.


:lol: Rio festival is really a must see or to be part of it. Masaya nuon, medyo tame na ngayon daw. Mas wild pa nga sa Bourbon St. in New Orleans basta me beads ka...pati lalakweh, will pull up their shirts... Yay!!!

Ang laki ng mga soccer stadiums dun, national pastime nila yun besides dancing in the streets... :D

yung ka batch ko na engineer na nag-tratrabaho dun, naka apat ng asawa.... hehehe

I've got tons of pics of my NO days he he. maybe I can scan some and post it here, I just have to black out the obsene part and the faces of the ladies he he

^^ :lol: ako rin, me na kunan ng letrato, me Pinay at Koreana sa grupo.... after ilang bote ng beer at hagis ng beads, gumanda na ang gabi hanggang umaga.... :D

on article posted re: Kababayan connection: the kindness of strangers
.....On cruise ships Filipino chefs have been known to treat some of their kababayan to especially prepared Filipino dishes.....

Yes, friends of ours who had been at the receiving end of a special request Filipino dish on board a cruise ship had mentioned this to me. Our cruises had always been a delight engaging Filipino servers in the dining halls in the vernacular - a welcome respite from the mundane. Best treat we ever had was from our last cruise ship on board Pacific Princes when serenaded by a Filipino server who doubles up as a singer/entertainer with his spectacular voice on our anniversary.

Maligayang Pasko sa Inyong Lahat!

Greetings for the Holiday Season!

Wishing everyone in the forum a wonderful Christmas, Peace, Good Health and a Prosperous 2011 and beyond.:cheers:

This is the season that I trully miss in the Philippines.

Greetings for the Holiday Season!

Wishing everyone in the forum a wonderful Christmas, Peace, Good Health and a Prosperous 2011 and beyond.:cheers:

This is the season that I trully miss in the Philippines.

fengrun is totally right! homesickness is something no ofw money can buy. cheers to him and to all. malipayong pasko!:cheers::cheers::cheers:

fengrun is totally right! homesickness is something no ofw money can buy. cheers to him and to all. malipayong pasko!:cheers::cheers::cheers:

I guess that makes me the exception. I don't feel that much homesickness. This is considered my second home but of course nothing beats the Pinoy Christmas. :)

Nothing beats a Pinoy Christmas! :)

Nothing beats a Pinoy Christmas! :)

I think what is most unique about the Pinoy Christmas is the Nativity Scene (Belen), and the Xmas lanterns (parol). Christmas trees are too common nowadays. The C.O.D. display of the 70s to the 90s was really the only treat for many kids back then...now, you have the houses in Policarpio St. in Mandaluyong as a recent attraction from the last decade.

I think what is most unique about the Pinoy Christmas is the Nativity Scene (Belen), and the Xmas lanterns (parol). Christmas trees are too common nowadays. The C.O.D. display of the 70s to the 90s was really the only treat for many kids back then...now, you have the houses in Policarpio St. in Mandaluyong as a recent attraction from the last decade.

I think more than that it is the Christmas cheer around you. People are happier. Here in VN, they don't understand what Christmas is, kaya malungkot dito.

I think more than that it is the Christmas cheer around you. People are happier. Here in VN, they don't understand what Christmas is, kaya malungkot dito.

Wait till you see them start preparing for Tet (Tết Nguyên Đán), then it'll be really happy for the Vietnamese in their country. There aren't that many Catholics/Christians in VN, maybe you should hang around at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi to experience the joys of Christmas over there :lol:

aHBxyz4AEeY

^^ haaay... 4 na taon na rin kami dito pero nakakamiss talaga ang paskong pilipino..:D
as for the food, di naman kami magkukulang, sa linggo may party at mayroon ding lechon...:banana::lol:

merry xmas sa iyo jan sa Vietnam at sa mga pinoy na nasa ibang bansa din... inggit ako kay doc juan, umuwi sa pinas...:D

:cheers:

Wait till you see them start preparing for Tet (Tết Nguyên Đán), then it'll be really happy for the Vietnamese in their country. There aren't that many Catholics/Christians in VN, maybe you should hang around at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi to experience the joys of Christmas over there :lol:

Tahimik dito pag Tet, walang buhay. They are cracking down on Christians as well..

SANA ITIGIL NA NG GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS ANG PAGPAPADALA NG MGA KATULONG DITO SA MIDDLE EAST.KARAMIHAN SA MGA KATULONG AY NAABUSO PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.KAWAWA ANG MGA KATULONG DITO,ISA PA DI RIN MATULUNGAN NG KAPWA PINOY KASI MAKAKASUHAN KAPAG NAG KANLONG KA NG KATULONG NA TUMAKAS SA AMO.ISA PA NA DEDEGRADE ANG PAGKATAO NG PILIPINA KASI ANG TINGIN NG IBANG LAHI SA MGA PILIPINA AY KATULONG LANG KAHIT NA BUSINESSWOMAN PA SYA.MAGPADALA NA LANG ANG GOBYERNO NG MGA SKILLED WORKER PARA NAMAN TUMAAS ANG TINGIN NILA SA ATING MGA KABABAIHAN.SANA MAGAWAN ITO NG GOBYERNO NG PARAAN.:ohno:

^^Galit ho ba kayo...
:chill:


Tahimik dito pag Tet, walang buhay. They are cracking down on Christians as well..

Oee? (To Tang-ing ina fashion) Baka may ipost kang Christmas Tree diyan :D

I think what is most unique about the Pinoy Christmas is the Nativity Scene (Belen), and the Xmas lanterns (parol). Christmas trees are too common nowadays. The C.O.D. display of the 70s to the 90s was really the only treat for many kids back then...now, you have the houses in Policarpio St. in Mandaluyong as a recent attraction from the last decade.

Yeah, there is certainly uniqueness about "Pinoy" Christmas celebration. The nine (9) nights mass service("Misa de gallo") before Christmas is truly a "PINOY" tradition that attracted a lot of attentions from the mass media and main stream Canadians. Pete Martin of Vancouver Sun followed the event from December 16 until Christmas eve, the 24th. One particular event that caught Pete's eyes literally awestruck was the pageantry played by church members portraying Joseph and Mary, in search for a place to stay during the night. The couple (played by parishoners) walked along the church's aisle literally begging/asking for a room in the "INN", only disappointed when they get a resounding respond of "NO ROOM AVAILABLE", Go away. And what is amazing too is how the pageant started from the 16th, and slowly culminate on the eve of 24th, with selecetd reading of passages from the scripture related to the Advent. At 12 midnight, when Jesus is born in the manger (Church Sanctuary) with all its entourage, the angels sing (choir) a wonderful Christmas Hymn, that almost give you a goose bumps. "Joy to the World" and "Helleluja". When the service finally over, My wife and I listens with glee when non-pinoy parishoners, voiced their delight, contentment.:cheers:

fengrun is totally right! homesickness is something no ofw money can buy. cheers to him and to all. malipayong pasko!:cheers::cheers::cheers:

Yeah....I agree, "homesickness" is pricey. However, if I miss Christmas in the Philippines, it doesn't meant that I am also homesick.
Merry Christmas to you and all the best for the holiday season and a wonderful year for 2011.:cheers:

I need additional inputs about this;

What alternative/s can you suggest to Filipinos in your locality so that they would remain and not leave for 'greener pastures'?

VP Binay to visit OFWs around the world in 2011 (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101226-311008/VP-Binay-to-visit-OFWs-around-the-world-in-2011)
By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:33:00 12/26/2010
Filed Under: Philippines - Metro, Overseas Employment


MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries hosting overseas Filipino workers are the priority destinations of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay in his foreign trips in 2011.

Binay will be taking those trips in his capacity as Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns.

And like President Benigno Aquino III, Binay does not plan to bring large delegations nor dine in expensive restaurants during such trips.

The Vice President plans to "hold dialogs and consultations with OFW communities abroad," Joey Salgado, Binay's media officer told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday.

In a statement, Binay said he would like to "hear from our OFWs directly about their concerns and assure them that our government will always put priority on their welfare."

Last month, Binay joined the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in bringing home a total of 161 troubled OFWs from Lebanon.

It was the first mass repatriation of OFWs undertaken by the Aquino administration.

Early this month, Binay met with Filipino migrant workers in Guangzhou, China, where he also attended the Asian Para Olympics upon the invitation of the Beijing government.

Earlier, Binay flew to South Korea where he held a dialog with OFWs in Seoul.

Binay stressed the need for government agencies to "work together and pool resources in handling OFW concerns."

"Our OFWs deserve nothing less than the full attention of the concerned government agencies," he said.

On Sunday, the Riyadh-based OFW group Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) welcomed Binay's plan to visit Saudi Arabia.

John Leonard Monterona, M-ME regional coordinator, said they would be "more than willing to accompany Vice President Binay in his visits to the facilities for runaway OFWs."

The Bahay Kalinga, an OFW facility attached to the Philippine embassy at the Saudi capital, is currently home to some 120 runaway OFWs.

"They include women, some of whom were victims of sexual abuse, and their young children. Many of them have been staying at the center from six months to one year," Monterona disclosed.

In Al-Khobar, which is located in eastern Saudi Arabia, about 80 troubled OFWs are "under the care of the Saudi Social Welfare Agency."

"In Jeddah in the west, up to 100 runaway OFWs are awaiting deportation to Manila," said Monterona.

The M-ME affiliate Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) plans to bring to Binay's attention the "deplorable conditions of runaway OFWs," like 70-year-old Irene Sto. Domingo.

The Sta. Cruz, Manila native began working in Saudi Arabia in 1984 as a maid. She ran away from allegedly "abusive" Arab employer in 2000.

Both KGS and M-ME had referred Sto. Domingo's case to the embassy to no avail.

"The embassy isn't helping her because she is undocumented," claimed Monterona.

Also on Sunday, M-ME appealed anew to the Aquino administration to exhaust all legal remedies to save over 100 OFWs on death rows worldwide.

In an e-mail, the group said the OFWs have been languishing on death rows in China and Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, among others, "for years without clear actions from government agencies like DFA."

Earlier, DFA spokesman J. Eduardo Malaya disputed the M-ME's claims.

"Most, if not all, of the decisions of the courts in the OFWs' host countries are not yet final," said Malaya.

He added the DFA's office for migrant workers' affairs was "looking into the plight of jailed OFWs abroad."

Over 3,000 Filipinos are in jail in different countries around the world, according to DFA records.

About 70 percent of the detainees are facing immigration-related charges and would be deported after serving their brief sentences.

The rest are in custody for committing common crimes, including theft and drug trafficking, said the DFA.

I need additional inputs about this;

What alternative/s can you suggest to Filipinos in your locality so that they would remain and not leave for 'greener pastures'?

Simple: Factors that matter to me such as political and social stability, crimes, quality educational opportunities for every children without breaking the bank.

Livability is another factor; living comfortably, without making hundred thousands of "Pesos". (Affordability)

Aminities: ie; Recreational facilities, sports center,outdoor activities sites, hospitals, health clinics. (again, affordability)

Infrastructures: Roads and bridges, transportation, accessebility to urban centers without wasting time driving or communting. Mind you, how much economic losses attributed to poor infra and even just traffic jams along the way.

Some health problem and social issues could also arise from traffic jams.
ie: frequent ranting and apprehension could impact one's health; (hypertension, and even heart disease); frustrations and hostility creates animosity among drivers and commuters.:ohno:

A person can only enjoy a quality of life in the Philippines, only when the government leaders, prioritize their goals. Education, Employment, and social stability.:)

I would have opted to stay in the Philippines 36 years ago. :)

Never too late though, Philippines is now coming out from the hole of economic drudgery and on to productive and positive outlook in the future. However, there are still a lot of creases to be iron out in order for the Philippines to fare up to its Asean neighbours. Is it posssible, to even out perform other countries in Asia? it is highly likely, if only the leaders reduces the sizzles in the pan (totally iliminate) and produce more steak.:cheers:

I need additional inputs about this;

What alternative/s can you suggest to Filipinos in your locality so that they would remain and not leave for 'greener pastures'?


The Philippine government can not provide what other countries provides. I am here in Australia. Cheers

I need additional inputs about this;

What alternative/s can you suggest to Filipinos in your locality so that they would remain and not leave for 'greener pastures'?

First, do not expect the government to provide everything for its citizens. Many residents of the country, especially Metro Manila, are of the "Squatter mentality" - they don't want to pay taxes, they don't want to help tidy up their surroundings (i.e. they throw trash anywhere they please), they expect the government to give them dole outs without them contributing to the SSS or Pagibig in return, and so on ... you get the picture.

The Filipinos have to realize that it is only they, themselves alone can ensure that choosing to live and stay in their country (or whatever country for that matter) will be comfortable and worthwhile. Which is why those who are successful local entrepreneurs are the true embodiment of why Pinoys should not leave for abroad (greener pastures) for good.

If Pinoys have strong roots to their locality, then the chances of them leaving are smaller. However that hasn't prevented a lot of OFWs from leaving, and "strong family roots" is one of the criteria the US Embassy and others takes into consideration if the visa applicant should be granted such or not. Pinoys are very flexible and adaptable; they blend well with their surroundings, so it is relatively easy for them to start a new life anywhere else in the world except Antarctica (most Pinoys loathe the cold). But Pinoys are also homesick, but that motivational factor is overturned by the need to provide for a better living for folks back home, or OFWs use it as an escape out of poverty.

So if the government will be able to minimize, if not eliminate poverty, corruption and unfair practices, plus allow for opportunities to succeed in one's undertakings, you will see a lot of potential OFWs staying here and not leaving for abroad.

VP Binay to visit OFWs around the world in 2011 (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101226-311008/VP-Binay-to-visit-OFWs-around-the-world-in-2011)
By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:33:00 12/26/2010
Filed Under: Philippines - Metro, Overseas Employment


MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries hosting overseas Filipino workers are the priority destinations of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay in his foreign trips in 2011.

Binay will be taking those trips in his capacity as Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns.

And like President Benigno Aquino III, Binay does not plan to bring large delegations nor dine in expensive restaurants during such trips.

The Vice President plans to "hold dialogs and consultations with OFW communities abroad," Joey Salgado, Binay's media officer told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday.

In a statement, Binay said he would like to "hear from our OFWs directly about their concerns and assure them that our government will always put priority on their welfare."

Last month, Binay joined the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in bringing home a total of 161 troubled OFWs from Lebanon.

It was the first mass repatriation of OFWs undertaken by the Aquino administration.

Early this month, Binay met with Filipino migrant workers in Guangzhou, China, where he also attended the Asian Para Olympics upon the invitation of the Beijing government.

Earlier, Binay flew to South Korea where he held a dialog with OFWs in Seoul.

Binay stressed the need for government agencies to "work together and pool resources in handling OFW concerns."

"Our OFWs deserve nothing less than the full attention of the concerned government agencies," he said.

On Sunday, the Riyadh-based OFW group Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) welcomed Binay's plan to visit Saudi Arabia.

John Leonard Monterona, M-ME regional coordinator, said they would be "more than willing to accompany Vice President Binay in his visits to the facilities for runaway OFWs."

The Bahay Kalinga, an OFW facility attached to the Philippine embassy at the Saudi capital, is currently home to some 120 runaway OFWs.

"They include women, some of whom were victims of sexual abuse, and their young children. Many of them have been staying at the center from six months to one year," Monterona disclosed.

In Al-Khobar, which is located in eastern Saudi Arabia, about 80 troubled OFWs are "under the care of the Saudi Social Welfare Agency."

"In Jeddah in the west, up to 100 runaway OFWs are awaiting deportation to Manila," said Monterona.

The M-ME affiliate Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) plans to bring to Binay's attention the "deplorable conditions of runaway OFWs," like 70-year-old Irene Sto. Domingo.

The Sta. Cruz, Manila native began working in Saudi Arabia in 1984 as a maid. She ran away from allegedly "abusive" Arab employer in 2000.

Both KGS and M-ME had referred Sto. Domingo's case to the embassy to no avail.

"The embassy isn't helping her because she is undocumented," claimed Monterona.

Also on Sunday, M-ME appealed anew to the Aquino administration to exhaust all legal remedies to save over 100 OFWs on death rows worldwide.

In an e-mail, the group said the OFWs have been languishing on death rows in China and Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, among others, "for years without clear actions from government agencies like DFA."

Earlier, DFA spokesman J. Eduardo Malaya disputed the M-ME's claims.

"Most, if not all, of the decisions of the courts in the OFWs' host countries are not yet final," said Malaya.

He added the DFA's office for migrant workers' affairs was "looking into the plight of jailed OFWs abroad."

Over 3,000 Filipinos are in jail in different countries around the world, according to DFA records.

About 70 percent of the detainees are facing immigration-related charges and would be deported after serving their brief sentences.

The rest are in custody for committing common crimes, including theft and drug trafficking, said the DFA.


Spell Junket and early early campaigning.

First, do not expect the government to provide everything for its citizens. Many residents of the country, especially Metro Manila, are of the "Squatter mentality" - they don't want to pay taxes, they don't want to help tidy up their surroundings (i.e. they throw trash anywhere they please), they expect the government to give them dole outs without them contributing to the SSS or Pagibig in return, and so on ... you get the picture.

The Filipinos have to realize that it is only they, themselves alone can ensure that choosing to live and stay in their country (or whatever country for that matter) will be comfortable and worthwhile. Which is why those who are successful local entrepreneurs are the true embodiment of why Pinoys should not leave for abroad (greener pastures) for good.

If Pinoys have strong roots to their locality, then the chances of them leaving are smaller. However that hasn't prevented a lot of OFWs from leaving, and "strong family roots" is one of the criteria the US Embassy and others takes into consideration if the visa applicant should be granted such or not. Pinoys are very flexible and adaptable; they blend well with their surroundings, so it is relatively easy for them to start a new life anywhere else in the world except Antarctica (most Pinoys loathe the cold). But Pinoys are also homesick, but that motivational factor is overturned by the need to provide for a better living for folks back home, or OFWs use it as an escape out of poverty.

So if the government will be able to minimize, if not eliminate poverty, corruption and unfair practices, plus allow for opportunities to succeed in one's undertakings, you will see a lot of potential OFWs staying here and not leaving for abroad.

I agree on a lot of issues being brought here; underground businesses (evading taxes), lack of discipline, "beggar mentality", inherent laziness, etc. But, since Hakz asked the question re alternatives, we might as well be obliged to supply what he is asking.

Bluntly, since the reason offered was "greener pasture", I'd say something must be done to provide that "greener pasture" here in our country! But that doesn't give us any idea!

First, there are three sectors that I have identified as important: 1.) government, 2.) private businesses, and 3.) each and everyone's capability. Government because it is the largest employer in any country; should agitate the business through making more infra projects, employment/ hiring of professionals to fill in the need for professional services and take care of the citizens (teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.--> but their salaries should be raised), etc.

Second, the private businesses must be taken cared of. This sector is an important player as they move goods and services around and cater to the various activities to help improve peoples' lives. Government should make sure that the playing fields are level (i.e. no preferential treatments to classmates, party mates, relatives, and buddies -->competitive and fair business environment). With more private businesses coming in, more people get employed.

Third, we must admit that for any business to prosper, it needs to have a place to operate in, where everyone is free from fear of being killed or kidnapped for ransom, assured that the government agencies are there to help and not milk money from them, etc. Peace and order should be achieved in our country.

Fourth, help each and every Filipino find ways to try new ways; invent, innovate or perhaps be an entrepreneur--> make their own businesses! Government support through incentives, assistance to start-up businesses, sponsorships or grants to research and development sector. This is utterly lacking in our country! We have lost so many brilliant minds to other countries because there is no agency provided for this. If there is, that agency is not functioning as contemplated!

Just take those few items above, perhaps we could make it. But let's hear from other posters on how to keep our skilled workers from going abroad!

Very well said @NTprime and @Parchie, it is what I would be saying.

Just something to give proper credit but it's a Mexican tradition that was brought to the Philippines: Las Posadas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas) and Misa de Gallo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misa_de_Gallo)

Yeah, there is certainly uniqueness about "Pinoy" Christmas celebration. The nine (9) nights mass service("Misa de gallo") before Christmas is truly a "PINOY" tradition that attracted a lot of attentions from the mass media and main stream Canadians. Pete Martin of Vancouver Sun followed the event from December 16 until Christmas eve, the 24th. One particular event that caught Pete's eyes literally awestruck was the pageantry played by church members portraying Joseph and Mary, in search for a place to stay during the night. The couple (played by parishoners) walked along the church's aisle literally begging/asking for a room in the "INN", only disappointed when they get a resounding respond of "NO ROOM AVAILABLE", Go away. And what is amazing too is how the pageant started from the 16th, and slowly culminate on the eve of 24th, with selecetd reading of passages from the scripture related to the Advent. At 12 midnight, when Jesus is born in the manger (Church Sanctuary) with all its entourage, the angels sing (choir) a wonderful Christmas Hymn, that almost give you a goose bumps. "Joy to the World" and "Helleluja". When the service finally over, My wife and I listens with glee when non-pinoy parishoners, voiced their delight, contentment.:cheers:

Filipino band in Koh Samui, Thailand

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1358.snc4/163034_1458100861819_1512323587_30923451_708258_n.jpg

Filipino arrested at Riyadh airport over copper cargoBy RODOLFO ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS

Published: Dec 27, 2010 23:58 Updated: Dec 27, 2010 23:58
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article224689.ece
RIYADH: The Philippine Embassy failed recently to help a 30-year-old Filipino worker leave on final exit, according to the human rights group Migrante-Middle East.

The worker, identified only by the pseudonym “Vicente,” was reportedly stopped at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh and prevented from leaving because he had with him 150 kg of copper.

Police believe the worker stole the estimated SR3,000 worth of copper from his employer after he resigned and they arrested him on suspicion of the theft.

“The embassy was not fast enough to send a legal advocate which could have saved Vicente from being jailed. This is probably due to the fact that the embassy's limited resources to resolve so many cases involving OFWs,” said John Monterona, coordinator of the group in the Middle East.

The embassy would not comment on the case on Monday.

Vicente had worked as furnace operator in a molding shop using copper as primary material and resigned after his two-year contract. He is from Jaen, Nueva Ecija, northeast of Manila.

“The brother in Riyadh called me for help on the day Vicente was held. I informed the embassy about it so that official representation could be provided and prevent the filing of a case against Vicente,” said Monterona.

He was able to talk to an official who normally acted expeditiously on cases referred to the embassy but this time he failed to act.

Monterona said the employer might waive his private rights on the matter, an action that would absolve the suspect if any punitive measures in favor of the victim — such as paying a court-ordered punitive fine directly to the victim for the crime. However, the waiving of private rights still means a theft suspect faces punishment on criminal charges, which would most likely involve jail time if found guilty. He is currently incarcerated.

Monterona warned Filipinos leaving the country not to take with them anything that could raise suspicions that they have committed crimes. Under Saudi migration law, workers leaving on final-exit visas are given criminal background checks and must be cleared of holding any outstanding debts. Any red flags that appear, even at the checkout counter of the airport, can lead to exiting workers being detained or prevented from departing pending further investigation.

^^How stupid can some OFWs get? Don't they realize that 150kg of heavy metal will at the very least, set off metal detectors at the airport? And unless the OFW were a metal sculptor, shouldn't he have shown the proper documentation to bring out of the country large amounts of metal (in this case)?

He'd be lucky if he still has his hands complete after his case is heard and judgment is passed.

I don't think the embassy should condone thieves and other criminals if indeed they are guilty. Sure, provide them legal assistance during their trial, but once the courts have decided, maybe try and see if they can appeal to lessen the sentence if convicted (but in which case the embassy does look like condoning crimes like that).

The Philippine Embassy is better off educating all OFWs in Saudi Arabia about the proper behavior, especially warning housemaids how to avoid getting abused by their employers, and so on.

Prevention is better than cure.

Just something to give proper credit but it's a Mexican tradition that was brought to the Philippines: Las Posadas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas) and Misa de Gallo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misa_de_Gallo)

Thanks for the Info, I am not aware of.:cheers:

Very well said @NTprime and @Parchie, it is what I would be saying.

I agree. I just want to add: (re-Squatters Mentality/Tax evaders and lazy people, who are just waiting for doleout from the government).

It is very hard to bring significant changes in any human group without changes in individual behaviours.

It is very hard to sustain a significant changes in behaviour without significant changes in individual's underlying meanings, that may give rise to their behaviours.

It is very hard to lead on behalf of other people's changes in their underlying ways in making meanings without considering the possibility that the leaders themselves must also have to change. (by Michael Fullam)

A Filipina nanny, named Elinor Diaz, after she was scammed by a Pinoy travel agency in the Philippines(AFTER POCKETING PLANE TICKET MONEY) almost lost hope of reuniting wih her husband and three childrens. A Canadian Good Samaritan was so generous to step up to the plate and sent $4,000.00CDN, to Elinor's family in the Philippines. Elinor apparently was absolutely sure that her family would arrived as scheduled on the 23rd of December, time for Christmas. Elinor's Family, when at the Mla Airport, were denied boarding the Aircraft, when their tickets found that wasn't authentic. In Canada, Elinor was devastated after hearing what happened to her family in Mla. Mass Media did a marathon reporting about the unfolding of the event, until a Samaritan came forward to help. Elinor's family arrived just few hours ago in Canada. In time for the New Year.

Malta wants more Filipino workers
MANILA, Dec. 30 (PNA) - Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said on Thursday that jobs are awaiting Filipino workers in Malta , a small country in the Mediterranean

Citing a report of Nasser S. Mustaffa, Philippine labor attache stationed in Tripoli , Libya, she said that Maltese nationals wanted the services of Filipino caregivers primarily because of their efficiency and love of work.

Aside from caregivers, the possible job opportunities there will be seafarers, and service industry workers.

“Labor attache Mustaffa reported that he had traveled to Valletta , the Maltese capital, to meet with the 1,000—strong Filipino community and assess the prospects of deploying more workers there. His assessment was positive,” Baldoz said in a statement.

Labatt Mustaffa said Filipino caregivers he had spoken to in Malta , a prime tourist destination, expressed preference to stay and work in this prime tourist destination in the Mediterranean because of high salaries.

“Malta ’s minimum wage is 620 Euro (US$ 820) and Filipino workers there receive not less than this minimum wage amount. Besides, Filipino workers in Malta are allowed to do part-time jobs after eight hours of regular work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Baldoz warned jobseekers desiring to work in Malta to check their prospective employers, as well as their recruitment agencies, with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to ensure that there are valid job orders and that they would undergo legal application and deployment processes.

“There is no Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Malta . It is under the jurisdiction of our POLO in Libya and it is our POLO in Tripoli which will verify employment contracts for Malta ,” she said.

The Labor chief advised applicants to visit the POEA to check if the job vacancies in the said country are valid.http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=3&rid=321210

The Philippine government can not provide what other countries provides. I am here in Australia. Cheers

good riddance :cheers:

Anyway, I greet everyone a Happy New Year in advance. Hindi ko na kayo magigreet bukas as I would be on my way to Colombo. :)

HAPPY NEWWWWW YEEEEEAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!

A blessed, Victorious, and flourishing New Year!

An article from the ArabNews Newspaper

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUR FILIPINOS (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=462479503860&set=a.462479378860.245560.735003860)
by: Abdullah Al-Maghlooth/Al-Watan
almaghlooth@alwatan.com.sa

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says "When they left,I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite."

Al-Maghrabi the flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. "There is no comparison between Filipinos and others," he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.

Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers - 1,019,577 - outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world's seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason,who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? |We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique id their ability to speak very good English and the technical training theuy receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital area.

When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world's total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work aboard in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.

Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because "Iam surrounded by my compatriots everywhere." Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt. a nurse, used to take her to hospital and as her to watch the work. "She used to kiss me wheever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather's blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections," she said.

This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.

The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

We should learn and educate out children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.

We have to remember that we are very much dependent on theFilipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.

That is a good news. No mention about engineers.

Dim prospects for OFWs in 2011
By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO
January 1, 2011, 7:22pm

MANILA, Philippines — An alliance of Filipino expatriates based in Saudi Arabia said it sees “bleak job prospects” for overseas Filipino workers in 2011, mainly due to the downtrend in OFW deployment last year and labor policy changes by host countries.

“The downtrend in the deployment of OFWs is a serious concern, not only to the government, but more to the 4.6-million unemployed and underemployed Filipinos who are seriously considering to work abroad due to worsening economic condition and rising unemployment rate in the Philippines,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East (ME) regional coordinator.

Last Tuesday, the POEA reported that 1.079 million OFWs were deployed between January and October, 2010, compared to 1.112 million deployed during the same period in 2009. This equates to more than a three percent drop in deployment rate.

The POEA cited some of the reasons that resulted in the decrease, such as continuing effect of the global financial crisis; the massive deployment of other workforce-sending countries like Indonesia, and partly due to the implementation of compulsory OFW insurance.

However, Monterona said the agency failed to mention one of the important factors that slowed down the hiring of OFWs – the labor market reforms, which is being introduced by receiving countries, especially in the Middle East.

He cited as an example the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government, which is implementing 20 percent job reservation for its nationals as part of its labor market reforms.

Monterona said the UAE Labor Ministry is expected to implement a quota system in hiring expatriate workers in line with its aim of boosting the employment of local citizens over foreign workers.

“Though OFW deployment in UAE keeps on increasing yearly, the percentage of such increase slows down notably from 2008 to 2009, as the POEA record shows,” Monterona observed.

He added that even Saudi Arabia, with a relatively stable economy compared to other Arab nations, are also implementing what he called “Saudization,” a version of UAE’s policy, requiring private companies to hire local citizens as five percent of its staff.

Monterona noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been the top two OFW-receiving countries from 2003 to 2009. “Since these countries are now introducing labor market reforms geared towards more restrictions, then we are seeing a dim prospect of OFW deployment by 2011,” he pointed out.


http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/295993/dim-prospects-ofws-2011-section-featurespecial-report

Schedule of mobile PH embassy in Saudi
INQUIRER.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110103-312301/Schedule-of-mobile-PH-embassy-in-Saudi
First Posted 13:16:00 01/03/2011

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine embassy in Riyadh has announced its schedule for outreach consular services missions, commonly known as the “Embassy on Wheels” (EOW), for the year 2011.

While the schedule is tentative, the embassy said it will exert its best to stick to the schedule, provided that venues are confirmed and approvals of the host government are obtained for each consular mission.

The following is the tentative schedule of the outreach activities:

January 27 to 28 - Al Khobar
February 10 to 11 - Al Jouf
February 24 to 25 - Al Khobar
March 24 to 25 - Al Khobar
April 14 to 15 - Hail
April 28 to 29 - Al Khobar
May 19 to 20 - Al Khobar
June 9 to 10 - Sana’a, Yemen
June 23 to 24 - Al Khobar
July 7 to 8 - Buraydah
July 21 to 22 - Al Khobar
August 11 to 12 - Al Khobar
September 15 to 16 - Jubail
September 29 to 30 - Al Khobar
October 20 to 21 - Al Khobar
November 3 to 4 - Sana’a, Yemen
November 17 to 18 - Al Khobar
December 8 to 9 - Al Khobar

Starting January 2011, the EOW will adopt the appointment system for its passport services, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in an advisory.

This is to avoid the inconvenience associated with the long queues during the past EOWs.

The new appointment system is free of charge and the applicants shall enlist themselves directly through email or text.

For email, passport applicants should e-mail eowappointment@philembassy-riyadh.org and indicate the applicant/s full name, contact number, and their city in Saudi Arabia.

They can also reserve a slot thru text message by sending the following format: EOW(space)full name(space)city in Saudi Arabia to 0540269731 (example: EOW Juan Santos Dammam).

Family applicants must indicate all the names of its members, otherwise only one slot would be provided to them.

One week before the scheduled EOW, the list of those who would be served during the EOW passport services will be posted on the Embassy website (www.philembassy-riyadh.org).

Those who could not be accommodated for the particular EOW outreach mission will be automatically listed for the next EOW outreach mission.

The next EOW is tentatively scheduled on January 27-28 at the International Philippine School in Al Khobar (IPSA) in Al Khobar, Eastern Region.

New Zealand dairy relies on Pinoy labor

NEW Zealand’s dairy industry is increasingly depending on Filipino farm workers to meet a labor shortage in the face of rapid expansion, a placement agency said Wednesday.

“Demand has been very strong for dairy farm workers from the Philippines following the recovery in milk prices last year,” said Immigration Placements, which opened a branch in Manila in 2008.

“Over the last few years, the demand for experienced and reliable dairy farm workers has grown rapidly as the industry continues to expand,” the company said.

The Filipinos who had worked in the dairy farms in the Middle East, Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom were the top candidates for New Zealand farmers who were unable to find suitable workers at home.

The placement agency said most of the migrants going to New Zealand were there to stay permanently and become residents, and they often brought their families once they had settled.

The company offered no numbers, but it said it had supplied hundreds of dairy workers to farmers around New Zealand, from Northland to Southland.

By some estimates, Filipinos already account for close to 1 percent of New Zealand’s population, or about 40,000.

In a speech at the De La Salle University in July last year, MP John Hayes said the Philippines was now New Zealand’s fourth most important source of skilled migrants and sixth most important source of residents.

Many were working on New Zealand’s dairy farms, making products that often were exported to the Philippines.

“They have a good reputation as hard-working and loyal employees, and as positive and law-abiding members of the community,” Hayes said of the Filipino migrants.

“Especially in rural New Zealand, Filipinos are developing an excellent reputation as hard workers with a great sense of loyalty. Some farmers are even saying they’d rather hire a Filipino than a New Zealander.”

“We have a number of Filipino workers in the local dairy industry,” said Greg Frater, who offered his assessment of the migrant workers in a comment on the blog of New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson.

“Dairy workers have been at the bottom of the heap in many ways—most Kiwis don’t like the hours. Dairy farmers are frequently heard complaining about the difficulty in getting reliable workers, with drug and alcohol problems commonly cited. For at least one local farmer, getting a Filipino crew has been a godsend. They are a reliable, hard working, pleasant people.”


http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011/january/6/news6.isx&d=2011/january/6

Japan to help boost hiring of caregivers
Thursday, 06 January 2011 21:10 Anjo C. Alimario


STANDING as a strong ally of the country and the biggest source of official development assistance (ODA) loans—53 percent of the total, on average for the last 10 years—the government of Japan has pledged to strengthen its ties through more assistance in the hiring of Filipino caregivers and nurses.

In a meeting with President Aquino, visiting Sen. Hirohiko Nakamura, the chairman of the Special Committee on Official Development Assistance and Related Matters in the House of Councilors of Japan, said he tackled the issues related to the acceptance of caregivers and nurses in Japan. Also present at the meeting was Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, whom Nakamura said he made aware of the factors pertaining to the “obstacles to acceptance” of caregivers in Japan.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror on Thursday, the senator conceded that the acceptance is “not yet that much.” Because of such scenario, Nakamura said he told President Aquino Japan can put up a center for caregivers, to teach the Japanese language and provide training in caregiving.

“The Japanese demand for caregivers is different from the demands of Canada, US, Europe or Saudi [Middle East region] or other countries. Japanese people who need caregivers require more professionals [because] there are more [patients with severe problems]. So those who attempt [to apply] must have knowledge of medicine, physical therapy and language,” he said.

The interview was conducted on the sidelines of a visit by the senator to the Makati offices of Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, chairman emeritus of the ALC Group of Companies, of which the BusinessMirror is a part.

Nakamura told the BusinessMirror that President Aquino mentioned the 10 priority projects under its flagship public-private partnerships (PPP) program for 2011.

“So senators try to discuss with the President what can be assisted through Japanese ODA funds for these 10 priority projects in the Philippines,” he added.

Details of a terrestrial digital broadcasting system for the Philippines were also discussed. According to Nakamura, in the previous administration the Japanese side decided to pitch the Japanese system called ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) for adoption by the Philippine government, but they still need to do some final adjustments to actually implement the broadcasting system. The project, he said, would entail “technological and economic assistance.”

He believes the digital broadcasting technology has “a lot of things to do” that could boost the information technology (IT) industry in the Philippines. He had underscored to President Aquino how important it is to coordinate the digital broadcasting service among different companies in the local IT sector.

Explaining his “mission” in his Manila visit, Nakamura said he is in Manila to strengthen the relationship between the Philippines and Japan through ODA-funded programs.

According to the National Economic 2009 ODA Portfolio Review data, Japan remains the biggest source of ODA loans in 2009; and in the last 10 years.

The Government of Japan accounted for 36 percent of the ODA loans in 2009, or an aggregate amount of $3.465 billion.

In the past 10 years, Japan accounted for an average of 53 percent of ODA loans.

Before he leaves the country on Friday, he will visit some of the ODA projects that Japan has already implemented and one of those is the Philippine Coast Guard project.

For his two-and-a-half-day stay in the Philippines, Nakamura admitted that he learned a lot again about the Philippines.

“I’ll bring back what I have learned from the Philippine system and make use of that knowledge and information in my activity in ODA promotion,” he said.


http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/5869-japan-to-help-boost-hiring-of-caregivers

New Zealand dairy relies on Pinoy labor
...

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011/january/6/news6.isx&d=2011/january/6

a very heartwarming read!
thanks for sharing.

New Zealand dairy relies on Pinoy labor

NEW Zealand’s dairy industry is increasingly depending on Filipino farm workers to meet a labor shortage in the face of rapid expansion, a placement agency said Wednesday.

“Demand has been very strong for dairy farm workers from the Philippines following the recovery in milk prices last year,” said Immigration Placements, which opened a branch in Manila in 2008.

“Over the last few years, the demand for experienced and reliable dairy farm workers has grown rapidly as the industry continues to expand,” the company said.

The Filipinos who had worked in the dairy farms in the Middle East, Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom were the top candidates for New Zealand farmers who were unable to find suitable workers at home.

The placement agency said most of the migrants going to New Zealand were there to stay permanently and become residents, and they often brought their families once they had settled.

The company offered no numbers, but it said it had supplied hundreds of dairy workers to farmers around New Zealand, from Northland to Southland.

By some estimates, Filipinos already account for close to 1 percent of New Zealand’s population, or about 40,000.

In a speech at the De La Salle University in July last year, MP John Hayes said the Philippines was now New Zealand’s fourth most important source of skilled migrants and sixth most important source of residents.

Many were working on New Zealand’s dairy farms, making products that often were exported to the Philippines.

“They have a good reputation as hard-working and loyal employees, and as positive and law-abiding members of the community,” Hayes said of the Filipino migrants.

“Especially in rural New Zealand, Filipinos are developing an excellent reputation as hard workers with a great sense of loyalty. Some farmers are even saying they’d rather hire a Filipino than a New Zealander.”

“We have a number of Filipino workers in the local dairy industry,” said Greg Frater, who offered his assessment of the migrant workers in a comment on the blog of New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson.

“Dairy workers have been at the bottom of the heap in many ways—most Kiwis don’t like the hours. Dairy farmers are frequently heard complaining about the difficulty in getting reliable workers, with drug and alcohol problems commonly cited. For at least one local farmer, getting a Filipino crew has been a godsend. They are a reliable, hard working, pleasant people.”


http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011/january/6/news6.isx&d=2011/january/6

I'd have to tell my dad about this...

^^ Pinoys would be like Mexicans in the US, they fill up the lack of farm workers in their countries. It's not really a bad thing but heck, i guess we gotta do what we got to do.... I hope they would give opportunities to filipinos who are unfortunate to have less education than those who area degree holders.

^^ Pinoys would be like Mexicans in the US, they fill up the lack of farm workers in their countries. It's not really a bad thing but heck, i guess we gotta do what we got to do.... I hope they would give opportunities to filipinos who are unfortunate to have less education than those who area degree holders.

Actually, there was a history of Filipino farm workers in the plantations of Hawaii and California before so this isn't really new.

Actually, there was a history of Filipino farm workers in the plantations of Hawaii and California before so this isn't really new.

Yes, that's correct. Many of those from Ilocos worked in sugar (and probably pineapple) plantations in Hawaii and left generations of descendants, which is also partly the reason that PAL had Laoag-HNL flights a few years back.

In addition to the farm workers in HI and CA, there was also a wave of Pinoy workers in Guam in the 50s.

Re agricultural workers in New Zealand, I have a classmate from grade school who is managing a farm in one of the remote towns of South Island. There are very few residents of the town but the farming practice is very mechanized.

right, i heard about those Ilocano farmers in Hawaii.

now im convinced Filipinos are everywhere. and doing their job well at that. :okay:

on second thought, farming is an interesting job. makes you feel really close to nature. i almost took Agriculture back in college. but i was too lazy to change my course then. coming from a family of farmers, farming is close to my heart. hehe...

@ Askal, I know all these and even the Ilocanos in Hawaii. I was just saying, its such a waste when our professionals work overseas doing odd work such as farms and factories, or even as drivers and domestic helpers instead of the professions they were trained for. Its different if filipinos with Agricultural degrees are hired, the only downfall there is that instead of these Agriculturist would develop new farming technology while in the Philippines, it would be the host country who would benefit from it considering the Philippines is getting less and less more self reliant where even rice and other food are all imported.

Isang malamig na morning sa inyong lahat... ano ang temps dyan sa inyo?

Isang malamig na morning sa inyong lahat... ano ang temps dyan sa inyo?

sa pinas?:D

dito sa probinsya, cool 20 degrees:D foggy outside:lol:

^^ 8C ngayon sa Hanoi.... brrrrr

^^ 8C ngayon sa Hanoi.... brrrrr

Isang malamig na morning sa inyong lahat... ano ang temps dyan sa inyo?

Brrrrrr, it is currently freezing right now here in Vancouver, and -2 right here at the base of Grouse Mountain Ski Resort, and expected the barometer to dip even lower to -5 in anticipation of snowfall starting late Tuesday and into Wednesday an accumultion of 18-37cm. BTW Mt Washington in Vancouver island has the deepest accumulation of snow in the world. 4.2 meters in just 48hours, a total base of 5.6 meters as of today. Whistlers comes next @3.2 meters total base. Great time to ski in Vancouver, including here at Grouse Mtn. in the North Shore where we live, just 10 minutes drive. I love it. My buddy and I are going up the slope this weekend for a couple of ski run. :)

si fengrun nakita ko naka sleeveless:D ayun sa beach house nya:D

6 degrees C here...

I go out wearing:
head = bonnet
torso = thermal underwear + sweater + thick winter coat w /hood
hands = leather gloves
legs = thermal underwear + maong + overpants
feet = wool socks + shoes

At home I have a space warmer but still have to wear thermal underwear as pajamas. Not sando and shorts like back home.

si fengrun nakita ko naka sleeveless:D ayun sa beach house nya:D

nakabikini ba? :D

^^Hahaha with all this alluding to fengrun, I'm sure his tongue is already black and blue from biting it whenever his name comes up in this forum :nuts:

Part of an OFW or immigrant's new life is ADJUSTMENT. Whether it is adjustment to the weather, or the culture, there will definitely be a lot of new things to become familiar with and adapt to. I wonder if other overseas workers from other countries have those adjustment issues, or even more. For one, OFWs going to the Middle East will have to live with no pork and no alcohol, and for the women, they will have to cover up when in public. That wouldn't be as much of an issue for overseas Indonesian workers, majority of who are Muslim. But then, the flexibility of the Pinoy worker allows him or her to live in other countries (even in Mongolia, parts of Africa, on ships, etc.) better than other similar countries. But then it's always a case to case basis. Not everyone can adapt to foreign climes (case in point fengrun), it really depends on one's coping mechanisms.

But then it's always a case to case basis. Not everyone can adapt to foreign climes (case in point fengrun), it really depends on one's coping mechanisms. As per the National Geographic and Discovery Channels, we all know what happens to creatures who cannot adapt to changing climes and environments, they go the way of the dinosaur; or the woolly mammoth as the case may be ... no pun intended ajejeje :lol:

As per the National Geographic and Discovery Channels, we all know what happens to creatures who cannot adapt to changing climes and environments, they go the way of the dinosaur; or the woolly mammoth as the case may be ... no pun intended ajejeje :lol:

Agree. Even something as simple as preparing for a flood or typhoon should be given great consideration for. IMO, Pinoys who have lived in temperate countries (or countries with extreme weather) should have better coping skills than most Pinoys who are used to consistent weather, whether hot or wet.

The Philippines is in the Pacific Ring of Fire. So disaster preparedness should be something the government should always emphasize on its citizens. When Pepeng hit the Philippines and Vietnam in 2009, I think there were more casualties here than over there. More so with storms continuing on to Hong Kong and Taiwan, the Hongkongers and Taiwanese are better prepared. Good thing you don't read about that many Pinoys getting affected by typhoons in foreign countries than they are here in their homeland.

Another example is the flooding in Queensland, Australia. Casualties are very minimal, despite flooding in an area the size of Mindanao. But not all countries are as well prepared. Of course what happened with the flooding in Pakistan last year is far worse than any flood we've seen in the Philippines.

6 degrees C here...

I go out wearing:
head = bonnet
torso = thermal underwear + sweater + thick winter coat w /hood
hands = leather gloves
legs = thermal underwear + maong + overpants
feet = wool socks + shoes

At home I have a space warmer but still have to wear thermal underwear as pajamas. Not sando and shorts like back home.

It dropped to 5c 2 days ago, and it was only last night when we finally decided to get a heater. Normally, I'd only wear one shirt, a winter jacket, jeans, underwear, socks, shoes. No thermals.

Priest on leave after arrest at adult video store
Church says it's saddened by lewdness allegations
By CINDY HORSWELL and DALE LEZON
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Dec. 4, 2010

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/albertonmaullon.jpg

Alberto Maullon served at St. Paul The Apostle Catholic Church (http://www.stpaulcatholic.org/) in Nassau Bay.

A local priest has been given a leave of absence from ministerial duties after he was arrested at an adult video store in southeast Houston this week.

Alberto A. Maullon, pastor of St. Paul The Apostle Catholic Church in Nassau Bay, is charged with public lewdness, a misdemeanor, Houston police say. He is free on $1,000 bail.

Police said Maullon was arrested about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday inside Big City Adult Video :shocked: at 10105 Gulf Freeway. He allegedly exposed himself to an undercover agent, who was part of a sting operation involving sexually oriented businesses, police said.... LINK (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/new/7322852.html)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tKMOrfQ5Kpg/TRLEo37zNQI/AAAAAAAABds/PiItz5dU3FM/s1600/FlasherPriest.jpg

poor fengrun! HAHa! sya pa rin pulutan.

My body's aching clearing our sidewalk and driveway. Im thinking of buying a snow blower next year pwede ng sideline at the same time shed off some pounds.

poor fengrun! HAHa! sya pa rin pulutan.

My body's aching clearing our sidewalk and driveway. Im thinking of buying a snow blower next year pwede ng sideline at the same time shed off some pounds.

Yeah, I just finished clearing my driveway. We just had a dump of 12 cms. of snow. Was a good workout though, warming up for the weekend ski run up in the slope. I've been dying to go up Whistler since we came back from the PI, for the holiday season. Breath of "FRESH AIRE" indeed. :)

It dropped to 5c 2 days ago, and it was only last night when we finally decided to get a heater. Normally, I'd only wear one shirt, a winter jacket, jeans, underwear, socks, shoes. No thermals.
Yeah for these temperatures that get-up is enough if there is sun in the daytime. But we've already had several sunless days already and it's drizzling too. :gaah: That makes it perceptively much colder here than what the actual temperatures say.

This is something that my family back home could never understand. Back there the sun is something to be avoided as much as possible. Never will they utter these words like I do here: "Wow, may sun... sarap...." :lol:

kaya gusto ko pa rin sa pinas eh:D


ayun o, laking bungisngis ni fengrun:D

Isang malamig na morning sa inyong lahat... ano ang temps dyan sa inyo?

Hala, minus 12 dec C dito sa Seoul. Pinakamalamig na ito sa mga napuntahan ko sa buong buhay ko.

Na tempt ako maglaro sa snow kagabi, kaso kakahiya! :lol: Mahalatang first timer sa extreme weather.

sa pinas?:D

dito sa probinsya, cool 20 degrees:D foggy outside:lol:

Cool, parang Tagaytay ba? Sarap mag barbecue!

Brrrrrr, it is currently freezing right now here in Vancouver, and -2 right here at the base of Grouse Mountain Ski Resort, and expected the barometer to dip even lower to -5 in anticipation of snowfall starting late Tuesday and into Wednesday an accumultion of 18-37cm. BTW Mt Washington in Vancouver island has the deepest accumulation of snow in the world. 4.2 meters in just 48hours, a total base of 5.6 meters as of today. Whistlers comes next @3.2 meters total base. Great time to ski in Vancouver, including here at Grouse Mtn. in the North Shore where we live, just 10 minutes drive. I love it. My buddy and I are going up the slope this weekend for a couple of ski run. :)

Man...I thought 1 ft is already extreme.
The guys here are convincing me to go skiing this weekend. Kahit daw mag kape lang ako, not necessarily skii. Hehe...

Agree. Even something as simple as preparing for a flood or typhoon should be given great consideration for. IMO, Pinoys who have lived in temperate countries (or countries with extreme weather) should have better coping skills than most Pinoys who are used to consistent weather, whether hot or wet.

The Philippines is in the Pacific Ring of Fire. So disaster preparedness should be something the government should always emphasize on its citizens. When Pepeng hit the Philippines and Vietnam in 2009, I think there were more casualties here than over there. More so with storms continuing on to Hong Kong and Taiwan, the Hongkongers and Taiwanese are better prepared. Good thing you don't read about that many Pinoys getting affected by typhoons in foreign countries than they are here in their homeland.

Another example is the flooding in Queensland, Australia. Casualties are very minimal, despite flooding in an area the size of Mindanao. But not all countries are as well prepared. Of course what happened with the flooding in Pakistan last year is far worse than any flood we've seen in the Philippines.

I cried watching ABC news on Qld disaster.

Reminds me of Ondoy. We could get something worse in the future. Hopefully not. But we'd better be prepared for anything. We, Filipinos tend to be complacent when it comes to stuff like floods or typhoons.

I was wondering - what if a cold weather like snowy winter suddenly hit the Philippines? We dont even have heaters, people dont have winter jackets or warmers. Thought seriously about this.

6 degrees C here...

I go out wearing:
head = bonnet
torso = thermal underwear + sweater + thick winter coat w /hood
hands = leather gloves
legs = thermal underwear + maong + overpants
feet = wool socks + shoes

At home I have a space warmer but still have to wear thermal underwear as pajamas. Not sando and shorts like back home.

and add:

neck = wool scarf

imo thermal underwear is real big help. but i heard kids dont like wearing those long johns because they think its for the oldies.

imo thermal underwear is real big help. but i heard kids dont like wearing those long johns because they think its for the oldies.
At this point, I don't care anymore. Brrr.....

When i woke up this morning, the temp was around -31. Pain in the a** talaga! (I guess it's ok to complain since fengrun is gone! LOL) Esp u need to clear the driveway and then scrape your windshield! Well kunting tiis na lang, ill be going home in may anyway.

When i woke up this morning, the temp was around -31. Pain in the a** talaga! (I guess it's ok to complain since fengrun is gone! LOL) Esp u need to clear the driveway and then scrape your windshield! Well kunting tiis na lang, ill be going home in may anyway.

Whoa!...you must be from the Canadian Prairie? or let me guesse, somewhere in NA. Whereever you are I understand how you feel. Truly, if you have extreme temp. way below freezing plus a wind chill, oh boy it is really nasty. But once you have adjusted yourself though, you are OK, ain't it?

Perhaps, this is one reason, why fengrun abhor snowbelt areas. Well, quite frankly, he's got valid reasosn. :)

Fortunately, lower mainland of B.C., Cnd. is not as extreme like other provinces and other parts of the US. Although, we get some snow in the ground, the brunt of it usually fell down, up in the Slope. And it is welcomed by skii enthusiast and snowboarders. Infact, Whistler just hosted the World cup recently, during the Christmas Holiday Break, for two weeks. :)

Whoa!...you must be from the Canadian Prairie? or let me guesse, somewhere in NA. Whereever you are I understand how you feel. Truly, if you have extreme temp. way below freezing plus a wind chill, oh boy it is really nasty. But once you have adjusted yourself though, you are OK, ain't it?

Perhaps, this is one reason, why fengrun abhor snowbelt areas. Well, quite frankly, he's got valid reasosn. :)

Fortunately, lower mainland of B.C., Cnd. is not as extreme like other provinces and other parts of the US. Although, we get some snow in the ground, the brunt of it usually fell down, up in the Slope. And it is welcomed by skii enthusiast and snowboarders. Infact, Whistler just hosted the World cup recently, during the Christmas Holiday Break, for two weeks. :)

yes Im Prairie boy! Well, I still prefer snow over rain. Esp watching the flood in Australia, and in the Philippines. I remember when I was in college. madalas din akong sumuong sa baha sa Espana, or kung di man spend the night at our campus. Mas productive pa rin ang buhay ko sa snow kesa sa baha! :lol::lol::lol:
And nakakatamad din kapag sobra ulan, mas masarap matulog at humilata! :nuts:

Hala, minus 12 dec C dito sa Seoul. Pinakamalamig na ito sa mga napuntahan ko sa buong buhay ko.

Na tempt ako maglaro sa snow kagabi, kaso kakahiya! :lol: Mahalatang first timer sa extreme weather.



I cried watching ABC news on Qld disaster.

Reminds me of Ondoy. We could get something worse in the future. Hopefully not. But we'd better be prepared for anything. We, Filipinos tend to be complacent when it comes to stuff like floods or typhoons.

I was wondering - what if a cold weather like snowy winter suddenly hit the Philippines? We dont even have heaters, people dont have winter jackets or warmers. Thought seriously about this.



and add:

neck = wool scarf

imo thermal underwear is real big help. but i heard kids dont like wearing those long johns because they think its for the oldies.



Hehehe ingat sa paglalakad sa snow sa Korea, kasi dami dyang nakakalat na frozen spit. Hehehehe.


As for the Queensland floods, they are very prepared naman. I am wondering about my cousin who lives there in Brisbane tho... Indonesia is 'donating' $1M to Australia flood relief daw, that's like, uhm, "you gave us billions as aid, here's your change." :lol:


Oh yeah,scarves really help out, cant find thermals here so uhm... tiis tiis na lang. :)

yes Im Prairie boy! Well, I still prefer snow over rain. Esp watching the flood in Australia, and in the Philippines. I remember when I was in college. madalas din akong sumuong sa baha sa Espana, or kung di man spend the night at our campus. Mas productive pa rin ang buhay ko sa snow kesa sa baha! :lol::lol::lol:
And nakakatamad din kapag sobra ulan, mas masarap matulog at humilata! :nuts:

Yeah, I agree with you specially the snow you get in the Prairies. Light and fluffy, and a lot lighter to shovel. Where us here in the Vancouver and lower mainland, seldom we get those kind of snow parairies normally get. Only up in the ski slope. Plus, once you get use to it, you don't even have to wear long johns, only when it doesn't dip to double digit sub zero. There is always something to do in the snow, aside from skiing, ie; snowmobiling in the back country, not extreme though, heliskiing, snowshoeing, sleding, and tobogoning. And if someone feels a little bit juvenile, building a snowman. (Adults too:)) like me.

Hehehe ingat sa paglalakad sa snow sa Korea, kasi dami dyang nakakalat na frozen spit. Hehehehe.


As for the Queensland floods, they are very prepared naman. I am wondering about my cousin who lives there in Brisbane tho... Indonesia is 'donating' $1M to Australia flood relief daw, that's like, uhm, "you gave us billions as aid, here's your change." :lol:


Oh yeah,scarves really help out, cant find thermals here so uhm... tiis tiis na lang. :)

Like any other industrial country, Australians are prepared and well equiped when it comes to disaster like what they have now. Here in Canada, plow trucks with salt for deicing are always moving around 24/7. Heavy snow though could paralyzed electricity in affected area, and restrict mobility.

dapat lang no, mayayaman sila eh, ay kayo pala:D

eh pinas, pagkain na nga lang wala, rubber boat pa kaya:D

pero may bagong porsche si Noy na 4.5m:D mura na yun

dapat lang no, mayayaman sila eh, ay kayo pala:D

eh pinas, pagkain na nga lang wala, rubber boat pa kaya:D

pero may bagong porsche si Noy na 4.5m:D mura na yun

Benefits of having a Porsche:


Mas mapapadali ang paglakbay sa tuwid na daan.

Malay nyo, gaganda ang mga daan sa Pilipinas.

Instead mageroplano, magdadrive na lang daw si Noy papunta sa mga nabahaan sa Bicol at Samar. Mas tipid yun. ;)

Benefits of having a Porsche:


Mas mapapadali ang paglakbay sa tuwid na daan.

Malay nyo, gaganda ang mga daan sa Pilipinas.

Instead mageroplano, magdadrive na lang daw si Noy papunta sa mga nabahaan sa Bicol at Samar. Mas tipid yun. ;)

I see.:D


makabili nga rin:D

Puede ba yan sa baku-baku na daan?:D natigil kasi pag semento ng daanan dito nang naupo na sya eh:lol:

I see.:D


makabili nga rin:D

Puede ba yan sa baku-baku na daan?:D natigil kasi pag semento ng daanan dito nang naupo na sya eh:lol:

hinde nga eh, dahil nga dyan, gaganda na ang daan kasi pag lahat naka porsche, mapipilitan silang ayusin ang mga bakubaku ehehehe

Benefits of having a Porsche:


Mas mapapadali ang paglakbay sa tuwid na daan.

Malay nyo, gaganda ang mga daan sa Pilipinas.

Instead mageroplano, magdadrive na lang daw si Noy papunta sa mga nabahaan sa Bicol at Samar. Mas tipid yun. ;)

Grabe naman yang sarcasm mo! Toy lang daw yon! Pang-attract ng chicks!

Used Porsche, siguro 20-30 mpg yan (8.4 km/liter). Kahit Naga City lang 402 kms yan = 50 liters ng premium gasoline; one-way; so makatipid nga!

Grabe naman yang sarcasm mo! Toy lang daw yon! Pang-attract ng chicks!

Used Porsche, siguro 20-30 mpg yan (8.4 km/liter). Kahit Naga City lang 402 kms yan = 50 liters ng premium gasoline; one-way; so makatipid nga!

Inggit ko lang, ala akong pambili ng Porsche. HEHEHEHEHEHE. Ang tanong ba, makakasuong ba yan sa baha.


Imagine no, yung mga tao na nasa evacuation centre na malamang wala ng bahay na babalikan, makikita si Noy, bababa ng Porsche. Aba syempre starstruck ang mga iyan! Feeling ko lang magtitilian ang mga yan sabay photo op.

This thread has been quiet since last week when I made a post. Anyway, for those of who would like to drool at the newest attraction of PNoy, check out this thread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=876380&page=37 (post no. 733).

Going back to how cold it is, the past few days have seen cool breezes here in Metro Manila (about 22-23 degrees or even colder during early mornings). It's a bit comfortable sleeping now with just the fan on instead of an aircon :lol:

Heard Seoul was -12 degrees centigrade at some point in time last week. Wow, that's even colder than Beijing! Well, still no consolation for you folks in the cold corners of the globe!

^^ You are in Manila now?? :D Swerte!!

10c now here. I think it's going to go warmer soon.. maybe..

This thread has been quiet since last week when I made a post. Anyway, for those of who would like to drool at the newest attraction of PNoy, check out this thread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=876380&page=37 (post no. 733).

Going back to how cold it is, the past few days have seen cool breezes here in Metro Manila (about 22-23 degrees or even colder during early mornings). It's a bit comfortable sleeping now with just the fan on instead of an aircon :lol:

Heard Seoul was -12 degrees centigrade at some point in time last week. Wow, that's even colder than Beijing! Well, still no consolation for you folks in the cold corners of the globe!

I think it's -15 last Saturday here in Seoul. My overcoat didnt quite suffice. Frozen meat in the making. hehe...

^^ You are in Manila now?? :D Swerte!!

10c now here. I think it's going to go warmer soon.. maybe..

Hey, layer-up or you won't see your toy when you look down! Hahaha.
BTW, maulan sa atin ngayon!

Hi! I am very new to this forum and I am hoping that I am sending this note in the right thread. I am a research student whose interest is on migration and tourism. I am looking for individuals who have worked or are still working in Guam and who have visited/traveled to Guam for leisure. I would like to ask some questions if you have time. You can send me a private message :) Maraming salamat po!

Hey, layer-up or you won't see your toy when you look down! Hahaha.
BTW, maulan sa atin ngayon!

Hehehehehe! Baka maging frozen delight. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!


Speaking of frozen, a former colleague who is now based in China forgot to dry her hair after showering, paglabas nya sa ginaw, biglang frozen hair ang labas.

^^ You are in Manila now?? :D Swerte!!

10c now here. I think it's going to go warmer soon.. maybe..

Ako nasa Baguio 8 degrees:D malas:lol:

Minus 7 deg Cel/ 19 deg F here in Chicago. :D grey skies all over with patchy icy pavements and light snow... not too bad compared with Minus 24 deg C/ Minus 12 deg F in Anchorage. :lol::lol::lol:

Oh boy, gotta run now & grab lunch at Fogo de Chao, Brazilian Churascarria. :D

Ako nasa Baguio 8 degrees:D malas:lol:

It’s strange how we have different perspective on the same subject. If it were 8 degrees centigrade here in Alberta, we would be out enjoying a round of golf. We could still play golf with temperatures up to 3 degrees. Last week, it reached -30 degrees centigrade, and we had just returned from our two weeks vacation from Rangiroa, French Polynesia, where temperatures were at +30. A shift of 60 degrees temperature change within 16 hours is shocking to my sensitivities. Ah, I never stop dreaming that someday I will retire in Baguio and play golf at the Baguio Country Club.

Here’s a strange souvenir picture that I took at Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa, of a strange looking crustacean creature that looks like a cross between a dungeness crab and a blue lobster and looks like a giant fattened praying mantis. It’s called Birgus Latro also known as Coconut Crab. If you happen to encounter one, be careful with your fingers. If this thing can break a coconut, it can certainly sever your fingers.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5368159066_bd37347d27.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5367607565_46b71baeb0.jpg

^^Interesting photo. I wish I could also see other exotic looking crustaceans aside from the alimango, alimasag, hermit crab, fortune lobster and the occasional frozen legs of the Alaskan king crab:lol:

Talk about paradigm shift regarding temperature there! 60 degrees centigrade difference within a day is indeed enough to drive you nuts! The most I've experienced was only about 30 degrees centigrade, coming from Buenos Aires in the summer (almost 30 deg), then dropping by Toronto for a day (2 deg) and transiting via Anchorage (below/about freezing)!

It’s strange how we have different perspective on the same subject. If it were 8 degrees centigrade here in Alberta, we would be out enjoying a round of golf. We could still play golf with temperatures up to 3 degrees. Last week, it reached -30 degrees centigrade, and we had just returned from our two weeks vacation from Rangiroa, French Polynesia, where temperatures were at +30. A shift of 60 degrees temperature change within 16 hours is shocking to my sensitivities. Ah, I never stop dreaming that someday I will retire in Baguio and play golf at the Baguio Country Club.

Here’s a strange souvenir picture that I took at Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa, of a strange looking crustacean creature that looks like a cross between a dungeness crab and a blue lobster and looks like a giant fattened praying mantis. It’s called Birgus Latro also known as Coconut Crab. If you happen to encounter one, be careful with your fingers. If this thing can break a coconut, it can certainly sever your fingers.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5368159066_bd37347d27.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5367607565_46b71baeb0.jpg


Sarap naman na bakasyon mo sir Tchitz ... samantalang kami dito nagtitiis sa -32C na windchill ... :ohno:

Kakatakot naman yang Crustacean na yan ... it is edible though?:nuts:

Next time dalhan mo kami nyan ha ... souvenir ... hehe ... :lol:

The island where we saw that crustacean was at the Birds Island in Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa, French Polynesia. We rented a speed boat to take us there and the ride took 45 minutes from the main resort where we stayed in Rangiroa. It was worth the long trip, and we loved it so much that we went back for a second time the following week. If you love spending time in the beach like we do, there is no place in the world more beautiful than that place in my opinion. If you don’t know where it is, check it out in Google Earth using coordinates 15° 5'35.57"S, 147°55'59.34"W. The types of fishes, corals and fauna we encountered were in abundance. The whole place was like an aquarium. We swam with Sting Rays and Sharks, mostly Black Tip sharks. They were quite harmless, but we kept a respectful distance with the Lemon Sharks. My wife even saw a giant 10 foot Moray eel and she turned back almost immediately apparently frightened not knowing what she saw at first. With regards to the crustacean Birgus Latro (Coconut Crab), I was tempted to throw it in the fire pit where our guide was bar-b-q’ing our lunch, but was embarrassed to do it because we were with 8 other people. Baka sabihin cruelty. He he he. So the Birgus Latro got to live another day. We were also there last year and never forgot the experience, hence returned for more. It was fun while it lasted, but like all things that caters to the senses, an ephemeral experience.

richard petty experience in las vegas
(http://www.racingadventure.com/)The last step is GRADUATION - you’ll receive a log which shows the speed and performance you achieved on the track. It’s a great item to frame and display it in your den or office.
Furthermore the school operates at up to twenty (20) different NASCAR tracks throughout the year, so you’re sure to find a session at a location and time which works best for your schedule. It is also a great GIFT for YOURSELF and for SOMEONE SPECIAL, they’ll love it. CHECK IT OUT AND GO FOR IT NOW!


The problem with the richard petty experience of a lifetime (http://www.drivepetty.com/) is that all though you do get to drive a real nascar race car you only get to do it with a pace car and only up to about 140. If you have ever been in a high end racecar, 140mph feels like 50 in a normal car. Dont get me wrong it was a great experience but I definately should have tried the Bertil Roos Racing School, or the Skip Barber Racing School. I have read on their sites that you get to go over 160 and as fast as your skill and the car will allow,(this should approach 190 mph). The cheapest of which looks to be the Dale Jarret nascar experience followed by the Andretti Racing Experience. Both experiences claim to be the fastest schools and the claims seem to be backed up by the youtube videos and reviews I have found.

may dugong pinoy ba si Richard Petty?:D

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5368159066_bd37347d27.jpg[/IMG]
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5367607565_46b71baeb0.jpg

Are they edible? :nuts:

Trillanes: Probe 'collusion' between POEA, illegal recruiters
(The Philippine Star) Updated January 23, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (5) View comments

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has called for an investigation into the alleged collusion between personnel of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and illegal recruiters following reports of exploitation of about 100 Filipino workers in the Middle East.

He cited reports of alleged involvement of POEA officials and employees in human trafficking activities and their violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

In his Senate Resolution No. 329, Trillanes urged the Blue Ribbon committee to look into complaints against three recruitment agencies that facilitated the deployment of some 100 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) allegedly with the help of POEA personnel.

The OFWs applied as nursing aides but turned out to be household helpers and were paid way below their contracted salaries, he said.

Trillanes cited the case of Romelyn Ibanez of Mindanao who left for Saudi Arabia with a POEA-processed job contract to work as a nursing aide but ended up as a maid before being stabbed to death.

A group of Filipino women also sought the help of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center against the Arabian Gulf Co. for violation of the terms of contract duly processed by the POEA.

Trillanes said some women were supposed to work as nursing aides with monthly salary of $362, but ended up working as cleaners who were paid a mere P5,000 to P8,000 a month.

“Such regulatory failures and criminal connivance of erring POEA officials have led to the rampant exploitation and trafficking of overseas workers,” Trillanes said.

He said the licenses of the recruiters had expired but they were not sanctioned by the POEA and allowed to continue to operate.

“What was appalling was the revelation of these placement agencies that it was the people within the POEA that really committed the injustice to OFWs,” he said.

Repatriation of OFWs

Yesterday, two lawmakers also sought the immediate repatriation of thousands of distressed Filipino workers living in temporary shelters in Saudi Arabia.

They called for stricter government controls in the deployment of labor to the kingdom.

Democratic Independent Workers Association party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay and Coop-NATCCO party-list Rep. Cresente Paez in separate statements lamented the deaths of Filipinos working in the kingdom. – Marvin Sy, Paolo Romero

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5368159066_bd37347d27.jpg


Are they edible? :nuts:

Ewan ko, parang kinakati ako pagnakikita ko itong picture na ito, parang mga malaking purgas na nangangagat :lol::lol::lol::lol:

'Little Italy' rises on Philippine hillside
By Mynardo Macaraig
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 11:59:00 01/27/2011
Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Europe, Remittances, Migration
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MABINI, Batangas— On an isolated hillside in the Philippines, a tiny slice of Italy has risen from among the vegetable patches and coconut trees, the product of thousands of overseas workers.

Large stone houses -- often with brand-new vehicles in their driveways -- cover the district, even though the narrow streets can barely accommodate more than one car at a time.

This is a sharp contrast to the lifestyle in the 1980s, recalled district chairman Raymundo Magsino, 63.

"Back then, we depended on farming: vegetables, fruit and corn. We were the poorest district in the province. These were all just thatch huts," Magsino said, pointing to the pastel-colored houses that dot the hilly area.

This new wealth comes from the remittances of residents -- including entire families -- who have gone to Italy to work, turning a district of subsistence farmers into a relatively prosperous community in a generation.

About 6,300 people from the town's total population of 47,000 have made the trip, said Aileen Constantino-Penas, program director of a non-government organization for migrant workers in Mabini.

The money sent home from Italy by Filipinos doing mostly domestic work and laboring has completely changed the face of Mabini town, located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Manila.

Those who have left have brought touches of Italy back with them.

"The accents of their homes are no longer typical of Filipino homes," Constantino-Penas said.

Italian-style large terraces or wrap-around porches with marble balusters proliferate in Mabini, some with exteriors covered with artificial stone. Other houses look like mini-Pantheons, complete with Roman-style columns in front.

Traces of Italy can also be found inside the houses, even in the bathrooms. Bidets are common here even though they are unheard of elsewhere in the Philippines.

And when speaking among themselves, those from Italy sometimes use Italian words including the occasional "Mama Mia" exclamation, said Constantino-Penas, whose relatives are also among the workers in Italy.

Going abroad to seek higher-paying work is nothing unusual in the Philippines: nine million people, or about 10 percent of the population, are currently laboring abroad.

They work as sailors, nurses, construction workers, musicians, maids and in dozens of other professions in almost every country in the world.

But the people of Mabini have found Italy to be especially welcoming.

District chairman Magsino said some people made the journey to Italy as early as 1977, at a time when this meant sneaking into the country illegally.

Working in Italy really caught on in the 1980s as word spread of the opportunities there, luring even more Mabini residents.

"People who have relatives there talked to (prospective) Italian employers and told them that (their relatives) will work for you so they fixed the papers to bring them in," Magsino said.

Luciana Hernandez, 81, said she was one of the pioneers of the exodus to Italy, having helped arrange for her daughter to go there to work in 1986, back when that meant sneaking into Italy from Austria or the former Yugoslavia.

"An agency took her by plane (to Europe). Then by speedboat, then they crossed the mountains on foot, hiding all the time," she recalled.

Once her daughter was established in Italy, she was able to petition for the rest of her siblings to go there, where they also obtained jobs, said Hernandez.

Eventually all but one of Hernandez's 10 children went off to work in Italy. Most of them are still there and have taken their own children with them, she said.

"When they first left, I cried every time I thought of them. But I am used to it now and these days, they can call very easily with these new phones," she said.

Life as a foreign worker in Italy is easier than in other countries, say those who have worked there. While tales of abused Filipino maids proliferate in many countries, Filipinos in Italy enjoy legal protection and many of them get along well with their hosts, they say.

"Italy is a better place, even if you are just a domestic helper. They treat you well and even give you insurance for hospitalization," said Alona Solis, 39, who first went to Italy when she was 16 years old.

"They are not allowed to hurt you. You can complain about abuse, unlike some other countries."

Since she left for Italy in 1986, she has returned to the Philippines only twice: once in 2005 to get married and last December for a vacation that she is still enjoying. But she plans to go back to Italy soon.

"I am used to working there. My boss there already sees me as his child," she said.

Her husband also has a job in Italy and they share an apartment with her two young children, said Solis, who can speak Italian.

Solis can earn as much as 1,000 euros a month ($1,350) as a domestic helper if she works overtime, far more than she could ever get in the Philippines as a high-school drop-out.

"If the educated people have trouble finding a job here, how much more the uneducated," she said.

Despite the wealth brought by the Italian ventures, officials concede that there are costs to having so many people from the community working outside the country.

Magsino, the district chairman, said family members left behind had become dependent on the remittances of their relatives.

"Many don't want to work in the farms anymore. They just play cards and go to cockfights," he lamented.

Constantino-Penas said her non-government organisation, Atikha, had been working to teach the overseas workers how to manage their money and to make sure their relatives at home didn't suffer the ill-effects of separation.

"There is a social cost of migration. Children left behind don't want to study. Their mindset is they should go abroad and not study. We see a lot of drop-outs, most of them among overseas workers' children," she said.

Her organization is teaching children to stay in school, to save their money rather than spend it, while also helping their guardians learn how to budget and invest the money that is sent home from Italy.

Meanwhile, Mabini tourism officer Pacencia Casapao has struggled against the apathy lingering over the town in her effort to give it more touches of Italy.

"I've been asking for someone to come back and set up an Italian restaurant for tourists. But no one wants to do that," she said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110127-316933/Little-Italy-rises-on-Philippine-hillside

A Filipina “nun’s” red shoes get six women caught trying to go to Lebanon (http://www.examiner.com/phillippines-headlines-in-national/a-filipina-nun-s-red-shoes-get-six-women-caught-trying-to-go-to-lebanon)
January 29th, 2011 10:00 am ET


http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/hash/05/56/0556976b05aa7aba37340d5311009c2e.jpg
If not for the red shoes, these 6 "nuns" may be in Lebanon
Photo: geek goddess

A Filipina “nun’s” red shoes get six women caught trying to go to Lebanon

The domestic helpers dressed as nuns trying to bypass the Lebanon ban from a few years ago got caught because of a pair of red shoes.
Six women disguised as nuns almost made around the 2007 Lebanon travel ban but one immigration official noticed something unusual about one of the nuns—her attire.
The women claiming to go to Hong Kong for a religious seminar on the Cebu Pacific flight had a plan to get a connecting flight to Beirut for work as domestic helpers.

And they may have made it, however, one “nun” didn’t quite accessorize as a nun. She wore the nun’s attire suspiciously, wearing red shoes and carrying a “colorful” handbag. Also immigration officials noticed some unusual behavior from the women as they loitered outside the immigration area.

After the six were questioned it was determined they were overseas workers headed to Lebanon. Officials are trying to determine who the man is who illegally recruited them.

The Philippines has banned people from going to Lebanon to work as helpers since 2007 due to security and inadequate legal protection for its workers there.


Continue reading on Examiner.com: A Filipina “nun’s” red shoes get six women caught trying to go to Lebanon - National Phillippines Headlines | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/phillippines-headlines-in-national/a-filipina-nun-s-red-shoes-get-six-women-caught-trying-to-go-to-lebanon#ixzz1CRQIqDsh

A Filipina “nun’s” red shoes get six women caught trying to go to Lebanon (http://www.examiner.com/phillippines-headlines-in-national/a-filipina-nun-s-red-shoes-get-six-women-caught-trying-to-go-to-lebanon)
January 29th, 2011 10:00 am ET


http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/hash/05/56/0556976b05aa7aba37340d5311009c2e.jpg
If not for the red shoes, these 6 "nuns" may be in Lebanon
Photo: geek goddess

A Filipina “nun’s” red shoes get six women caught trying to go to Lebanon

After the six were questioned it was determined they were overseas workers headed to Lebanon. Officials are trying to determine who the man is who illegally recruited them.




What the heck were they trying to say there????:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Sexual prey in the Saudi jungle (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/perspective/6769-sexual-prey-in-the-saudi-jungle)
SATURDAY, 29 JANUARY 2011 17:24
WALDEN BELLO*
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/images/stories/daily_images/2011/January/01302011/pers01.jpg

HE was an officer in the Saudi Royal Navy assigned to the strategic Saudi base of Jubail in the Persian Gulf. She was a single mom from Mindanao who, like so many others, saw employment in Saudi Arabia as a route out of poverty. When he picked her up at the Dammam International Airport in June, little did she know she was entering not a brighter chapter of her life, but a chamber of horrors from which she would be liberated only after six long months.
The tale of woe recounted by Lorena (not her real name) was one of several stories of rape and sexual abuse that were shared by domestic workers with members of a fact-finding team of the Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. The high incidence of rape and sexual abuse visited on the women we met in Philippine government-run shelters for runaway or rescued domestic workers in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar most likely reflects a broader trend among Filipina domestics. “Rape is common,” said Fatimah (also an alias), who had been gang-raped in April 2009 by six Saudi teenagers. “The only difference is we escaped to tell our story while they’re still imprisoned in their households.”



Rape: The ever-present specter

The working conditions of many domestics, which include 18- to 22-hour days and violent beatings, cannot but be described except as virtual slavery. Slavery was abolished by royal decree in 1962, but customs are hard to overcome. Domestic workers continue to be treated as slaves in royal and aristocratic households, and this behavior is reproduced by those lower in the social hierarchy. Apparently among the items of the “job description” of a domestic slave in Saudi is being forced to minister to the sexual needs of the master of the household. This is the relationship that so many other women unwittingly step into when they are placed in Saudi homes by their recruitment agencies.

Rape does not, however, take place only in the household. With strict segregation of young Saudi men from young Saudi women, Filipino domestic workers, who usually go about with their face and head uncovered, stand a good chance of becoming sexual prey if they make the mistake of being seen in public alone—though the company of a friend did not prevent Fatimah from being snatched by her teenage captors. And the threat comes not only from marauding Saudi youth but also from foreign migrant workers, single and married, who are deprived by the rigid sexual segregation imposed by the ever-present Religious Police from normal social intercourse with women during their time in Saudi.



Lorena’s tale

Lorena is in her mid-20s, lithe and pretty—qualities that marked her as prime sexual prey in the Saudi jungle. And indeed, her ordeal began when they arrived at her employer’s residence from the airport. “He forced a kiss on me,” she recalled. Fear seized her and she pushed him away.

He was not deterred. “One week after I arrived,” she recounted, “he raped me for the first time. He did it while his wife was away. He did it after he commanded me to massage him and I refused, saying that was not what I was hired for. Then in July he raped me two more times. I just had to bear it [Tiniis ko na lang], because I was so scared to run away. I didn’t know anyone.”

While waiting for her employer and his wife in a shopping mall one day, Lorena came across some Filipino nurses, whom she begged for help. Upon hearing her story, they gave her a sim card and pitched in to buy her some mobile-phone load.

Still the domestic torture continued. She would be slapped for speaking Arabic since her employer’s wife said she was hired to speak English. She was given just one piece of bread to eat at mealtime and she had to supplement this with scraps from the family’s plates. She was loaned to the wife’s mother’s household to clean the place, and her reward for this was her being raped by the wife’s brother. Kinship apparently confers the right to rape the servants of relatives. Also during that month, October, she was raped—for the fourth time—by her employer.

She not only had to contend with sexual aggression but with sheer cruelty. Once, while cleaning, she fell and cut herself. With blood gushing from the wound, she pleaded with the employer’s wife to bring her to the hospital. She refused, and when Lorena asked her to allow her to call her mother in the Philippines, she again said no, telling her this was too expensive. The employer arrived at that point, but instead of bringing her to the hospital, he said, “You might as well die.” Lorena had to stanch the wound with her own clothes and treat herself with pills she had brought with her from the Philippines.



Rape amid rescue

Wildly desperate by now, Lorena finally managed to get in touch with personnel of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Al Khobar. Arrangements were made to rescue her on December 30. That morning, the rescue team from Polo and the local police arrived at the residence. Lorena flagged them frantically from a second-story window and told them she wanted to jump, but the team advised her not to because she could break her leg. That was a costly decision, since the employer raped her again—for the fifth time—even with the police right outside the residence. When she dragged herself to her employer’s wife and begged her to keep her husband away from her, she beat her instead, calling her a liar. “I was screaming and screaming, and the police could hear me, but they did not do anything.”

When the employer realized that he was about to be arrested, he begged Lorena not to tell the police anything because he would lose his job and offered to pay for her ticket home. “I said I would not tell on him and say that he was a good man, just so that he would just let me go [para lang makatakas ako],” Lorena said. When she was finally rescued moments later, Lorena recounted her ordeal to the Polo team and the police, and the employer was arrested.

Released from captivity, Lorena was determined to obtain justice. However, arduous bureaucratic procedures delayed a medical examination to obtain traces of semen right after her rescue. When it was finally conducted, she was given an emergency contraceptive pill—an indication, said the Polo officer who led the rescue, that seminal traces had been found in and on her. Also, the examination revealed contusions all over her body and bite marks on her lips.

The criminal investigation is still ongoing and the employer is still in jail at the Dammam Police Station. Lorena is worried that the evidence might be tampered with. “These people are influential,” she said. “They have a lot of money. I am only a maid. They said they could put me in prison.” Her fear is palpable. Her greatest wish is to be repatriated but she knows she must stay till he is convicted and sentenced to death.



Saudi society: A sexual pressure cooker

Lorena’s story shows, according to one embassy official, that rape and cruelty is not confined to the lower-class Saudi households. “This is an officer in the Saudi Navy, somebody who comes from the educated class.”

The reasons rape and sexual abuse are endemic provoked an animated discussion among those who heard her. The strict sexual segregation, one member of the House team speculated, must create tremendous pent-up sexual pressure, so when the opportunity for sexual satisfaction appears, it explodes. Another said that the sexual abuse of domestics was an extension of the strict subordination to males and institutionalized repression of Saudi women. Whatever the causes, Saudi society is suffused with latent sexual violence, much more so than most other societies.



Decision point for the Aquino administration

Other societies have begun to take drastic steps to protect their citizens in Saudi Arabia. After a much-publicized case in which an Indonesian domestic worker suffered internal bleeding and broken bones from a ferocious beating by her employer, who pressed a hot iron on her head and slashed her with scissors, two labor-exporting Indonesian states, West Nusa Tenggara and West Java, banned the recruitment of domestics for employment in Saudi Arabia last December. Earlier, in October, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Labor backtracked from an agreement arrived at between the Saudi National Recruitment Agency and the Sri Lankan labor federation, asserting that the terms of the agreement were unfavorable to the Sri Lankan domestics and the Sri Lankan economy. This led the Saudis to indefinitely freeze recruitment from Sri Lanka.

These moves by other governments have led to greater demand for Filipino domestic workers. While the informal policy of the Philippine government has been to slow down the recruitment of domestics to Saudi Arabia, legal and illegal recruiters, many of them tied to Saudi interests, have been trying to step it up. The Aquino administration may soon reach a critical decision point on the issue of Saudi recruitment since the amended Act on Overseas Workers (Republic Act 10022) requires the Department of Foreign Affairs to certify that a country is taking steps to protect labor rights if workers are to be deployed there. With its hideous record and its resistance to expanding coverage of its labor code to domestic workers, there is no way Saudi Arabia can be certified.



Tattered lives

For members of the recent House mission to Saudi, who were shocked to speechlessness by the torrent of tales of cruelty, domestic repression and rape, there is a consensus that every effort must be made to prevent Filipinas from going to Saudi to prevent a recurrence of tragedies, such as those visited on Lorena and Fatimah. For the many who have already been raped and degraded sexually, however, a move to prevent the deployment of more women to Saudi Arabia comes too late. Lorena may well secure the conviction of her oppressor, but that will not restore her to her former self. As Fatimah put it in a handwritten note she passed on to the team, although her tormentors had been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and 2500 lashes each, “there’s no equivalent amount for what they’ve done. They destroyed my life, my future.”



*Walden Bello of Akbayan is chairman of the Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs (Cowa) of the House of Representatives. He recently led a fact-finding mission to Saudi Arabia accompanied by Reps. Carmen Zamora-Apsay, Emmeline Aglipay and Crescente Paez.

DFA activates plan for forced repatriation of Pinoys in Egypt (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/6774-dfa-activates-plan-for-forced-repatriation-of-pinoys-in-egypt)
SATURDAY, 29 JANUARY 2011 18:07
ESTRELLA TORRES / REPORTER

As civil unrest in Egypt escalates, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) activated a contingency plan for the possible forced repatriation of 6,569 Filipinos owing to the deteriorating situation there.
DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said: “The Philippines also calls on all parties to maintain calm and exercise restraint. It expresses the hope that violence will not escalate, and for an early resolution of this crisis.”

Malaya said there are 6,569 documented Filipinos in Egypt, most of them in Cairo and Alexandria. These include professionals and the 1,674 students enrolled in Cairo’s prestigious universities.

Malacañang, at the same time, assured Filipinos in Egypt and their families back home that the government is ready to protect its citizens in the troubled state and is prepared to move them to safer ground if the situation worsens.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte said President Aquino has ordered the Department of National Defense, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment to meet on Saturday to determine what other measures may be taken in view of the developments in Egypt.

“Here in Manila, we are monitoring the situation and our embassy in Cairo has contingencies in place and is prepared to relocate our citizens to safer
areas if it becomes necessary to do so. As always, the safety of our citizens is the paramount concern and we are doing what we can to anticipate and attend to their needs,” Malacañang said in a statement read by Valte.

Philippine Charge d’Affairés to Cairo Eduardo Pablo Maglaya has activated a Crisis Management Center and established a 24-hour shift of duty officers to attend to possible calls from Filipinos.

“The embassy has also issued an advisory to the leaders and members of the Filipino communities in the area, and advised them to stay indoors, steer clear of public places—especially sites of mass protest—and avoid involvement in political actions. We are in constant communication with the Filipinos here,” said Maglaya in a statement on Saturday.

In his report to the DFA on Saturday, Maglaya said the embassy has not received any report about foreign nationals getting injured from the demonstrations.

However, Maglaya admitted maintaining communications has become difficult as mobile and Internet services are down.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak fired his Cabinet early on Saturday and promised reforms after protesters battled police with stones and firebombs, burned down the ruling party’s headquarters and defied a night curfew declared by the authorities.

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Egypt since Tuesday demanding an end to Mubarak’s rule. On Friday policemen and army troops in tanks and armored personnel carriers equipped with gun turrets cracked down on protesters. But the demonstrators, who were gathered on the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez remain undeterred.

(With M. Gonzalez)

PH ready to evacuate Filipinos in Egypt (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110129-317299/PH-ready-to-evacuate-Filipinos-in-Egypt)
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 09:37:00 01/29/2011
Filed Under: Civil unrest, Overseas Employment, Government, Foreign affairs & international relations, Evacuation(General)


MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) The government is ready to evacuate Filipinos in Egypt if the situation in that country worsens, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

In an interview over the ANC news channel, Assistant Secretary Ed Malaya said the DFA was monitoring the situation after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak sacked his government in the wake of violent protests that demanded his resignation and where 27 people have been killed.

Mubarak, in power for three decades, vowed to bring in "new measures" for democracy and justice without giving any indication of other changes.

Quoting a report from the Philippine Charge d’Affaires Eduardo Pablo Maglaya in Egypt, the DFA said that the Embassy has activated a Crisis Management Center at the Embassy chancery, and established a 24-hour shift of duty officers to ensure immediate access to the Embassy by community members and to be able to respond to rapidly changing developments.

“The Embassy has also issued an advisory to the leaders and members of the Filipino communities in the area, and advised them to stay indoors, steer clear of public places – especially sites of mass protest – and avoid involvement in political actions. We are in constant communication with the Filipinos here,” Maglaya said in his report.

There are 6,569 Filipinos in Egypt, mostly in Cairo and Alexandria, including professionals and about 1,674 students enrolled in Cairo’s prestigious universities, the DFA said.

The Embassy received reports that there were no foreign nationals reported hurt so far in the demonstrations, the DFA said.

Maintaining communications has become difficult as mobile phone and internet services are down, it said.

DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer

PHL sends team to Egypt to help Pinoy expats
(http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/6826-phl-sends-team-to-egypt-to-help-pinoy-expats)
SUNDAY, 30 JANUARY 2011 21:09
ESTRELLA TORRES / REPORTER

THE government is sending a crisis-management team to Egypt to assist the Philippine Embassy in managing efforts to assure the safety of the 6,569 Filipinos in that mass protest-riven country that had already resulted in 100 killed, the Cabinet forced to resign and the continuing demand for President Hosni Mubarak to resign as well.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo has instructed special assistant Enrico Foz of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs to leave for Egypt on Monday to assist in the implementation of contingency measures for the Filipino community.

Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu will join Foz in Egypt after concluding a mission in another Middle East country.

Raising concern over the situation of the Filipinos in tension-gripped Egypt, Romulo reiterated the government’s call “on all parties in Egypt to maintain calm and exercise res-traint.”

Senior diplomats met on Sunday with ranking officials from the Department of Labor and Employment, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, Department of National Defense and the Presidential Management Staff to map out further measures that may be required.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said most of the 6,569 Filipinos in Egypt are living in the cities of Cairo and Alexandria, where street protests continue to escalate. The embassy had earlier advised them to stay indoors, avoid public places, particularly the sites of mass protests, and not to get involved in political actions.

The embassy has not received any report of Filipinos getting hurt in the violent events of the past several days.

Malacañang said on Sunday there is no need, as of yet, to evacuate Filipinos in Egypt to any of the prepared relocation sites in Cairo and Alexandria, despite reports of escalating tensions there caused by antigovernment groups seeking the ouster of Mubarak.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte said that based on reports from Philippine Embassy officials, Filipinos residing in Egypt have followed the advice not to join the antigovernment protests.

“We have been in contact with our embassy [officials] in Egypt and they said our countrymen are safe there,  so there’s no need to evacuate or relocate. Our kababayan are heeding the warning not to join the protests in Egypt,” Valte said. When asked, she said there has been no recommendation from the DFA to impose a travel ban to Egypt.

Valte also reiterated that the government is closely monitoring developments in Egypt, and that it is ready to provide assistance to ensure that Filipinos there are out of any danger. --With M. Gonzalez

MADAMING MANYAK NA ARABO,KAHIT MGA LALAKI NGA NAGAGAHASA PA E BABAE PA.KAWAWA NAMAN ANG MGA KATULONG AT KABABAIHAN NATIN DITO SA MIDDLE EAST.KARAMIHAN DITO AY GINAGAHASA SIMULA SA TATAY,ANAK NG AMO NILA AT MGA DRIVER.DAPAT NG MAGISING ANG GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS NA DAPAT TALAGANG E BAN ANG PAGPAPADALA NG KATULONG SA MIDDLE EAST KAWAWA TALAGA SANA NAMAN MAY MAKINIG SA GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS.PAG PUMUNTA KAYO SA MGA CONSULATE AT PHILIPPINE EMBASSY MAKIKITA NYO ANG KALUNOS LUNOS NA KALAGAYAN NG ATING MGA KABABAIHAN NA MADALAS AY NASISISRAAN NA NG BAIT DAHIL SA SINAPIT NILANG PAGSASAMANTALA NG KANILANG MGA AMO.SUPER MANYAK ANG MGA ARABO KAYA ITIGIL NA.MAAWA KAYO SA MGA KABABAIHAN NATIN.ANG JORDAN EGYPT AT LEBANON MAS MATAAS AT MAGANDA PA ANG ECONOMY NG PILIPINAS ANO BAT MAY MGA KABABAYAN TAYO NA NAGTATRABAHO SA MGA BANSA NA ITO?DAPAT TALAGANG MAG GAWA NG MGA TRABAHO PARA SA ATING MGA KABABAIHAN PARA HINDI NA SILA MAKIKIPAG SAPALARAN SA MUNDO NG MGA MANYAKIS DYAN SA MIDDLE EAST.:ohno::ohno::ohno:

^^ By all means sir, please do not use all caps in your posts.

DFA: Govt working on 2nd batch of Pinoys to be repatriated from Egypt (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/212293/dfa-govt-working-on-2nd-batch-of-pinoys-to-be-repatriated-from-egypt)
02/05/2011 | 08:29 AM

Even before the first batch of 26 Egypt-based Filipinos boarded a plane for Manila, Philippine authorities have started processing the repatriation of a second batch.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya on Saturday said that barring sudden changes, at least 20 Filipinos will comprise the second batch.

"There will be a second batch. We are working on another 20, assuming none of them will back out," he said in an interview on dzBB.

He said the first batch of 26 was scheduled to take a flight for Manila from Dubai at 6:55 p.m. Saturday, and will arrive in the country around 4:20 p.m. Sunday.

But he noted some of the Filipinos in the first batch backed out at the last minute, but they were replaced by others wanting to go home.

"The repatriation process is subject to sudden changes. In the case of the first batch, we were in the middle of processing the flight when four members of a family backed out, presumably because they felt it was still safe to stay in Egypt. But three Filipinos took their place," he said.

Some 6,569 Filipinos are in Egypt, which is being rocked by protests against President Hosni Mubarak.

Violence erupted in some parts of the country earlier this week when the protesters clashed with Mubarak's supporters.

While the Philippine Embassy said Filipinos the are safe for now, some are "trapped" because they could not buy food as banks are closed until at least Sunday.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said last Friday that the embassy sent food and water to trapped Filipinos.

In the meantime, Malaya reassured the Filipino community in Egypt the Philippine Embassy there has enough resources and manpower to repatriate them.

"(The Embassy has enough) resources (and) manpower and we have voluntary repatriation. We have the capability to bring them home and we will bring them home safely," he said.

Asked why there are only 26 Pinoys for the fist batch and around 20 for a possible second batch, Malaya said, "At the moment, the repatriation program is still on a voluntary basis. A mandatory repatriation is not yet seen as necessary."

MADAMING MANYAK NA ARABO,KAHIT MGA LALAKI NGA NAGAGAHASA PA E BABAE PA.KAWAWA NAMAN ANG MGA KATULONG AT KABABAIHAN NATIN DITO SA MIDDLE EAST.KARAMIHAN DITO AY GINAGAHASA SIMULA SA TATAY,ANAK NG AMO NILA AT MGA DRIVER.DAPAT NG MAGISING ANG GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS NA DAPAT TALAGANG E BAN ANG PAGPAPADALA NG KATULONG SA MIDDLE EAST KAWAWA TALAGA SANA NAMAN MAY MAKINIG SA GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS.PAG PUMUNTA KAYO SA MGA CONSULATE AT PHILIPPINE EMBASSY MAKIKITA NYO ANG KALUNOS LUNOS NA KALAGAYAN NG ATING MGA KABABAIHAN NA MADALAS AY NASISISRAAN NA NG BAIT DAHIL SA SINAPIT NILANG PAGSASAMANTALA NG KANILANG MGA AMO.SUPER MANYAK ANG MGA ARABO KAYA ITIGIL NA.MAAWA KAYO SA MGA KABABAIHAN NATIN.ANG JORDAN EGYPT AT LEBANON MAS MATAAS AT MAGANDA PA ANG ECONOMY NG PILIPINAS ANO BAT MAY MGA KABABAYAN TAYO NA NAGTATRABAHO SA MGA BANSA NA ITO?DAPAT TALAGANG MAG GAWA NG MGA TRABAHO PARA SA ATING MGA KABABAIHAN PARA HINDI NA SILA MAKIKIPAG SAPALARAN SA MUNDO NG MGA MANYAKIS DYAN SA MIDDLE EAST.:ohno::ohno::ohno:

My sister went through the same ordeal when she was in the Middle East. Her employer treated her badly, and she was not even given access to telephone apparently, and could not communicate with her families in the Philippines and to us here in Canada. My sister claimed that her employer attempted to assault her sexually, but she managed to resist and defended herlef, untill her employer became frustrated, andt he concocted some stories to compromised my sister's employment with their household. She was so scared, till she met another Pinay, that managed to give my sister a cell, and was able to get to us and told us everything.

We were stunned how my sister's life in the middleast unfolded. I managed to get someone from the Philippine consulate here in Vancouver, to helped me assist my sister leave the middle east. She had to scaped, and stayed in one of the Philippine consulate employee in the Middleeast till we got her a plane ticket for the Philippines.

I tried to bring this up to the Philippines Embassy here in Canada, but to no avail. I thought, the Philippines is only soooo "Rapacious" for the dollar remittances, but never seriously look into its citizen's safety while working abroad.:ohno:

Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article252181.ece

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article252188.ece/REPRESENTATIONS/large_620x350/SAU_FILIPINO-WOMAN.jpg
Irene Sto. Domingo needs help to move around at the Bahay Kalinga shelter in Riyadh. (AN photo)

By RODOLFO C. ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS

Published: Feb 6, 2011 00:01 Updated: Feb 6, 2011 00:20

RIYADH: The human rights group Migrante Middle East has called on the Philippine Embassy to speed up the repatriation of ailing 70-year-old Irene Sto. Domingo, who is currently staying at the Bahay Kalinga (BK) shelter.

“Aside from providing medical assistance to Sto. Domingo, we also requested the embassy to expedite her repatriation so that she could at least be with her family during her sunset years.

She has been at the BK for the last two months,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator, told Arab News on Saturday.

BK is a government facility for female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who ran away from their employers.

It's being run by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) which is under the embassy. Monterona added that the reply of the embassy was very disappointing “as it did not provide us any hope or even indication that Sto. Domingo would be repatriated as soon as possible considering her present condition.”

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate repatriation,” Monterona told Arab News.

Monterona added that “under the new-amended Migrant Workers Act, or Republic Act 10022, the government mandates a mandatory repatriation of underage migrant workers. But how about the mandatory repatriation of sick OFWs, 70 years old and above?”

He added that the embassy should be able to do something about Sto. Domingo's case. Before Sto. Domingo was admitted at the BK, she was staying with another Filipina, Marcelina Calimag, who is a dressmaker in Nassim.

Sto. Domingo, who is from Sta. Cruz, Manila, arrived in the Kingdom in 1984 to work as maid, but she ran away from her sponsor.

Although an illegal resident of the Kingdom, she continued working, taking up odd jobs such as washing clothes, dressmaking and cleaning houses. She became too old and weak to work and fend for herself.

Calimag eventually asked Sto Domingo to stay with her and looked after her. But on Dec. 17, 2010, Calimag sought the help of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, a group affiliated with Migrante Middle East.

MADAMING MANYAK NA ARABO,KAHIT MGA LALAKI NGA NAGAGAHASA PA E BABAE PA.KAWAWA NAMAN ANG MGA KATULONG AT KABABAIHAN NATIN DITO SA MIDDLE EAST.KARAMIHAN DITO AY GINAGAHASA SIMULA SA TATAY,ANAK NG AMO NILA AT MGA DRIVER.DAPAT NG MAGISING ANG GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS NA DAPAT TALAGANG E BAN ANG PAGPAPADALA NG KATULONG SA MIDDLE EAST KAWAWA TALAGA SANA NAMAN MAY MAKINIG SA GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS.PAG PUMUNTA KAYO SA MGA CONSULATE AT PHILIPPINE EMBASSY MAKIKITA NYO ANG KALUNOS LUNOS NA KALAGAYAN NG ATING MGA KABABAIHAN NA MADALAS AY NASISISRAAN NA NG BAIT DAHIL SA SINAPIT NILANG PAGSASAMANTALA NG KANILANG MGA AMO.SUPER MANYAK ANG MGA ARABO KAYA ITIGIL NA.MAAWA KAYO SA MGA KABABAIHAN NATIN.ANG JORDAN EGYPT AT LEBANON MAS MATAAS AT MAGANDA PA ANG ECONOMY NG PILIPINAS ANO BAT MAY MGA KABABAYAN TAYO NA NAGTATRABAHO SA MGA BANSA NA ITO?DAPAT TALAGANG MAG GAWA NG MGA TRABAHO PARA SA ATING MGA KABABAIHAN PARA HINDI NA SILA MAKIKIPAG SAPALARAN SA MUNDO NG MGA MANYAKIS DYAN SA MIDDLE EAST.:ohno::ohno::ohno:
Kawawa talaga mga Pinay sa Saudi. dapat talaga huag na magpadala ng DH doon.Dahil sila ang vulnerable sa mga abusadong employer.

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OFWs claim jail beatingsBy RUDY C. ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article254606.ece
Published: Feb 9, 2011 00:28 Updated: Feb 9, 2011 00:28

RIYADH: Filipino migrant group Migrante Middle East has urged the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to investigate claims that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) jailed in the Kingdom have been beaten.

“If you still remember, we sent you information last year with complaints regarding OFW Joselito Zapanta who was on death row. He had been heavily beaten and was not given food for a day or two,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East coordinator, told the embassy in an email.

“Our OFWs are humans. Though some may have breached local laws of the host government, nonetheless their rights as human beings must be protected even if they are in jail.”

Monterona told Arab News in an email that he has received several messages from jailed OFWs asking for assistance.

One such message was from Farouq Hadji Malik Bayabao, who claimed that he and his fellow inmates had been heavily beaten by jail authorities.

“I was among jailed OFWs who were beaten by the police last July 13. This happened again on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. We were told to get out and then beaten outside the jail building,” Bayabao said in his text message to Monterona.

Monterona told Arab News that initially there were 48 OFWs asking for protection against illegal punishment inflicted on them by jail authorities.

Congressional mission to Saudi issues report
By ROY C. MABASA
February 10, 2011, 5:16pm

MANILA, Philippines – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a country unfit to receive Filipino domestic workers.

This was one of the key findings of a congressional fact-finding mission to Saudi Arabia in its scathing 49-page report released to the public Thursday.

The mission is now poised to recommend to the Philippine government the immediate decertification of Saudi Arabia, long considered as the frontline state for the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

According to Committee on Overseas Workers' Affairs (COWA) Chairman Rep. Walden Bello, continuing to send Filipino domestic workers to Saudi Arabia is like "selling them to virtual slavery in households where rape, sexual abuse, and physical attacks are rampant.”

“While bringing domestic workers under the coverage of Saudi labor law would help, this is not sufficient protection. Owing to longstanding cultural practices, Saudi Arabia will remain a dangerous place for Filipino domestic workers,” Bello said in the report entitled "The Dark Kingdom? The Condition of Overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia."

Bello pointed out that until such time that the Saudi government accepts the responsibility of policing their nationals and protecting the rights and ensuring the welfare of household service workers, "it is incumbent upon the government to suspend the deployment of Filipinas to Saudi Arabia."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is tasked by Republic Act 20010, the newly amended Overseas Workers’ Law, to certify if a receiving country’s laws and practices accords adequate respect for and protection for workers’ rights.

If a country is decertified for a certain class of workers, then the Philippine Overseas Workers’ Administration (POEA) will have to freeze the deployment of those workers to that country until such time as adequate legal and social safeguards are instituted.

Aside from Bello, other members of the fact-finding team who visited three key cities - Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar - from Jan. 9 to 13 were Vice Chairperson Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, and Rep. Cresente Paez.

The mission was undertaken to familiarize the COWA with the conditions facing Filipino OFWs in the Kingdom where there have been numerous reports of abuses of Filipino workers, particularly female domestic workers.

The team was also tasked by the Lower House to assess the performance of Philippine government agencies in responding to the needs of OFWs in the country and to find out the response of KSA-based OFWs to key recent government initiatives such as mandatory insurance.

They also made the trip to investigate the status of Filipinos detained in Saudi jails, particularly those under the death penalty, with a view to securing their release or mitigating their sentences.

The key section of the report is the findings of the mission based on detailed documentation of various cases involving numerous OFWs, leading the team to conclude that the situation of Filipino domestic workers or household service workers there is dire, with overwork, maltreatment, and non-payment of wages very common.

Likewise, the team discovered that rape and sexual abuse are endemic, a condition that members of the mission felt was related to the sexual segregation followed in Saudi society, a tradition of treating domestic servants as slaves, and the strict subordination of women to men.

"Saudi society is suffused with latent sexual violence, much more so than most other societies," the report said.

"The sense of the team is that the causes are not religious in nature but are rooted in social organization," Bello and his team stressed.

In addition, the team pointed out that it was made evident to them that many OFWs are swindled, with them signing contracts with a recruitment agency stipulating at least $400 monthly as pay, only to be confronted with a substitute contract upon leaving the Philippines or upon arrival in Saudi Arabia specifying a significantly lesser amount.

Finally, the team said there was no enthusiasm for the mandatory insurance stipulated by RA 10022, with some OFWs proposing to junk it while others making constructive suggestions for amending the provision.

Bello said the report disclaims any intent to demonize Saudis since reading these accounts might give the impression that "all Saudi households are pockets of hell."

"In fact, there are instances where domestics find Saudis that treat them with dignity," Bello said. "What we wish to underline is the fact that, despite the good intentions and behavior of some Saudis, rape and physical abuse occur much too frequently in Saudi households, and domestic workers are often defenseless, prompting many of them to run away from their employers.”

Seeing first hand the situation of OFWs in the Middle East, the mission further urged the current administration to press the Saudi government to negotiate a bilateral labor agreement with the Philippines that would "secure respect and iron-clad protection for the rights of all classes of Filipino overseas workers."

Aside from a possible "deployment freeze," the fact-finding team also suggested that the Philippine government coordinate with other labor-sending countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India "to gain leverage vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia in order to secure respect for overseas workers' rights."

They further urged members of Congress to work with local government units in launching information campaigns to dissuade people from going to Saudi Arabia to engage in domestic work and related occupations such as "washers" and "beauticians."

The Bello-led team also underlined the importance of prosecuting recruitment agencies that have a record of deploying domestic workers to households and establishments that maltreat workers or are party to substitute contracting and similar activities under the Anti-Trafficking Act.

They also recommended that the government should ensure that the budget for Assistance to Nationals and the Legal Assistance Fund is not reduced and, if possible, increased instead.

Finally, the team pushed for an increase in the government's efforts to secure the release of death row victims as well as other nationals currently detained in Saudi jails on various charges.

With regards to the performance of Philippine government officials in Saudi Arabia, the team described them as "solid professionals."



http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/303609/congressional-mission-saudi-issues-report

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110208-319227/Taiwan-extends-screening-of-Filipino-workers

Taiwan extends screening of Filipino workers
By Benjamin Yeh
Agence France-Presse First Posted 22:01:00 02/08/2011 Filed Under: Overseas Employment, International (Foreign)Trade, Diplomacy, Tourism

TAIPEI—Taiwan on Tuesday raised the screening period for Filipino workers and threatened to bar them from entry as a spat with Manila over the deportation of Taiwanese nationals to China deepened.

The diplomatic row erupted in December after Philippine authorities arrested 14 Taiwanese in an alleged fraud bust and deported them to China, despite protests from Taipei which wanted them returned to the island to face justice.

The new rules, effective immediately, raise to four months the maximum screening period for Filipino workers wanting to move to Taiwan. Screening for migrant workers currently takes up to 12 days.

Calling for "goodwill response" from Manila, Wang Ju-hsuan, the head of the island's Council of Labour Affairs, said Taiwan may "adopt even stricter retaliatory measures that may include a freeze of worker imports from the Philippines."

She urged local employers to turn to countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia as sources of overseas workers.

Earlier in the day, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Timothy Yang called on the Philippines to boost cooperation on tackling cross-border crime in a bid to avoid a recurrence of the row.

"It's time for the two sides to sit down and talk," he said.

"A mechanism should be set up to jointly bust international crime. That way, we could also avoid a repeat of the recent row."

Taiwan's foreign ministry said Monday the island's diplomatic representative in Manila would be recalled this week.

In a statement, it added: "The screening of applications for work here by various Filipino workers will be tightened" and the existing visa-free treatment for Filipinos travelling to Taiwan will also be called off.

Yang said "the retaliatory measures were aimed to safeguard our sovereignty and national dignity".

There are about 72,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, sending hundreds of millions of dollars a year back to the Philippines.

"We'd like to maintain our friendly ties with the Philippines, but what it did first has harmed such ties. Therefore we decided to adopt the measures so as to safeguard national dignity and to display our discontent," the ministry said.

It said the measures will be reviewed contingent upon the Philippines' "goodwill" in the future.

The Philippines, like most countries, formally recognises Beijing rather than Taipei, but maintains trade and tourism ties with Taiwan.

Congressional mission to Saudi issues report
By ROY C. MABASA
February 10, 2011, 5:16pm

MANILA, Philippines – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a country unfit to receive Filipino domestic workers.

This was one of the key findings of a congressional fact-finding mission to Saudi Arabia in its scathing 49-page report released to the public Thursday.

The mission is now poised to recommend to the Philippine government the immediate decertification of Saudi Arabia, long considered as the frontline state for the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

According to Committee on Overseas Workers' Affairs (COWA) Chairman Rep. Walden Bello, continuing to send Filipino domestic workers to Saudi Arabia is like "selling them to virtual slavery in households where rape, sexual abuse, and physical attacks are rampant.”

“While bringing domestic workers under the coverage of Saudi labor law would help, this is not sufficient protection. Owing to longstanding cultural practices, Saudi Arabia will remain a dangerous place for Filipino domestic workers,” Bello said in the report entitled "The Dark Kingdom? The Condition of Overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia."

Bello pointed out that until such time that the Saudi government accepts the responsibility of policing their nationals and protecting the rights and ensuring the welfare of household service workers, "it is incumbent upon the government to suspend the deployment of Filipinas to Saudi Arabia."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is tasked by Republic Act 20010, the newly amended Overseas Workers’ Law, to certify if a receiving country’s laws and practices accords adequate respect for and protection for workers’ rights.

If a country is decertified for a certain class of workers, then the Philippine Overseas Workers’ Administration (POEA) will have to freeze the deployment of those workers to that country until such time as adequate legal and social safeguards are instituted.

Aside from Bello, other members of the fact-finding team who visited three key cities - Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar - from Jan. 9 to 13 were Vice Chairperson Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, and Rep. Cresente Paez.

The mission was undertaken to familiarize the COWA with the conditions facing Filipino OFWs in the Kingdom where there have been numerous reports of abuses of Filipino workers, particularly female domestic workers.

The team was also tasked by the Lower House to assess the performance of Philippine government agencies in responding to the needs of OFWs in the country and to find out the response of KSA-based OFWs to key recent government initiatives such as mandatory insurance.

They also made the trip to investigate the status of Filipinos detained in Saudi jails, particularly those under the death penalty, with a view to securing their release or mitigating their sentences.

The key section of the report is the findings of the mission based on detailed documentation of various cases involving numerous OFWs, leading the team to conclude that the situation of Filipino domestic workers or household service workers there is dire, with overwork, maltreatment, and non-payment of wages very common.

Likewise, the team discovered that rape and sexual abuse are endemic, a condition that members of the mission felt was related to the sexual segregation followed in Saudi society, a tradition of treating domestic servants as slaves, and the strict subordination of women to men.

"Saudi society is suffused with latent sexual violence, much more so than most other societies," the report said.

"The sense of the team is that the causes are not religious in nature but are rooted in social organization," Bello and his team stressed.

In addition, the team pointed out that it was made evident to them that many OFWs are swindled, with them signing contracts with a recruitment agency stipulating at least $400 monthly as pay, only to be confronted with a substitute contract upon leaving the Philippines or upon arrival in Saudi Arabia specifying a significantly lesser amount.

Finally, the team said there was no enthusiasm for the mandatory insurance stipulated by RA 10022, with some OFWs proposing to junk it while others making constructive suggestions for amending the provision.

Bello said the report disclaims any intent to demonize Saudis since reading these accounts might give the impression that "all Saudi households are pockets of hell."

"In fact, there are instances where domestics find Saudis that treat them with dignity," Bello said. "What we wish to underline is the fact that, despite the good intentions and behavior of some Saudis, rape and physical abuse occur much too frequently in Saudi households, and domestic workers are often defenseless, prompting many of them to run away from their employers.”

Seeing first hand the situation of OFWs in the Middle East, the mission further urged the current administration to press the Saudi government to negotiate a bilateral labor agreement with the Philippines that would "secure respect and iron-clad protection for the rights of all classes of Filipino overseas workers."

Aside from a possible "deployment freeze," the fact-finding team also suggested that the Philippine government coordinate with other labor-sending countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India "to gain leverage vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia in order to secure respect for overseas workers' rights."

They further urged members of Congress to work with local government units in launching information campaigns to dissuade people from going to Saudi Arabia to engage in domestic work and related occupations such as "washers" and "beauticians."

The Bello-led team also underlined the importance of prosecuting recruitment agencies that have a record of deploying domestic workers to households and establishments that maltreat workers or are party to substitute contracting and similar activities under the Anti-Trafficking Act.

They also recommended that the government should ensure that the budget for Assistance to Nationals and the Legal Assistance Fund is not reduced and, if possible, increased instead.

Finally, the team pushed for an increase in the government's efforts to secure the release of death row victims as well as other nationals currently detained in Saudi jails on various charges.

With regards to the performance of Philippine government officials in Saudi Arabia, the team described them as "solid professionals."



http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/303609/congressional-mission-saudi-issues-report


I wonder what happens next. I would love to see a deployment freeze to Saudi Arabia: a barbaric country.

Congressional mission to Saudi issues report
By ROY C. MABASA
February 10, 2011, 5:16pm

MANILA, Philippines – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a country unfit to receive Filipino domestic workers.

This was one of the key findings of a congressional fact-finding mission to Saudi Arabia in its scathing 49-page report released to the public Thursday.

The mission is now poised to recommend to the Philippine government the immediate decertification of Saudi Arabia, long considered as the frontline state for the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

According to Committee on Overseas Workers' Affairs (COWA) Chairman Rep. Walden Bello, continuing to send Filipino domestic workers to Saudi Arabia is like "selling them to virtual slavery in households where rape, sexual abuse, and physical attacks are rampant.”

“While bringing domestic workers under the coverage of Saudi labor law would help, this is not sufficient protection. Owing to longstanding cultural practices, Saudi Arabia will remain a dangerous place for Filipino domestic workers,” Bello said in the report entitled "The Dark Kingdom? The Condition of Overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia."

Bello pointed out that until such time that the Saudi government accepts the responsibility of policing their nationals and protecting the rights and ensuring the welfare of household service workers, "it is incumbent upon the government to suspend the deployment of Filipinas to Saudi Arabia."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is tasked by Republic Act 20010, the newly amended Overseas Workers’ Law, to certify if a receiving country’s laws and practices accords adequate respect for and protection for workers’ rights.

If a country is decertified for a certain class of workers, then the Philippine Overseas Workers’ Administration (POEA) will have to freeze the deployment of those workers to that country until such time as adequate legal and social safeguards are instituted.

Aside from Bello, other members of the fact-finding team who visited three key cities - Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar - from Jan. 9 to 13 were Vice Chairperson Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, and Rep. Cresente Paez.

The mission was undertaken to familiarize the COWA with the conditions facing Filipino OFWs in the Kingdom where there have been numerous reports of abuses of Filipino workers, particularly female domestic workers.

The team was also tasked by the Lower House to assess the performance of Philippine government agencies in responding to the needs of OFWs in the country and to find out the response of KSA-based OFWs to key recent government initiatives such as mandatory insurance.

They also made the trip to investigate the status of Filipinos detained in Saudi jails, particularly those under the death penalty, with a view to securing their release or mitigating their sentences.

The key section of the report is the findings of the mission based on detailed documentation of various cases involving numerous OFWs, leading the team to conclude that the situation of Filipino domestic workers or household service workers there is dire, with overwork, maltreatment, and non-payment of wages very common.

Likewise, the team discovered that rape and sexual abuse are endemic, a condition that members of the mission felt was related to the sexual segregation followed in Saudi society, a tradition of treating domestic servants as slaves, and the strict subordination of women to men.

"Saudi society is suffused with latent sexual violence, much more so than most other societies," the report said.

"The sense of the team is that the causes are not religious in nature but are rooted in social organization," Bello and his team stressed.

In addition, the team pointed out that it was made evident to them that many OFWs are swindled, with them signing contracts with a recruitment agency stipulating at least $400 monthly as pay, only to be confronted with a substitute contract upon leaving the Philippines or upon arrival in Saudi Arabia specifying a significantly lesser amount.

Finally, the team said there was no enthusiasm for the mandatory insurance stipulated by RA 10022, with some OFWs proposing to junk it while others making constructive suggestions for amending the provision.

Bello said the report disclaims any intent to demonize Saudis since reading these accounts might give the impression that "all Saudi households are pockets of hell."

"In fact, there are instances where domestics find Saudis that treat them with dignity," Bello said. "What we wish to underline is the fact that, despite the good intentions and behavior of some Saudis, rape and physical abuse occur much too frequently in Saudi households, and domestic workers are often defenseless, prompting many of them to run away from their employers.”

Seeing first hand the situation of OFWs in the Middle East, the mission further urged the current administration to press the Saudi government to negotiate a bilateral labor agreement with the Philippines that would "secure respect and iron-clad protection for the rights of all classes of Filipino overseas workers."

Aside from a possible "deployment freeze," the fact-finding team also suggested that the Philippine government coordinate with other labor-sending countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India "to gain leverage vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia in order to secure respect for overseas workers' rights."

They further urged members of Congress to work with local government units in launching information campaigns to dissuade people from going to Saudi Arabia to engage in domestic work and related occupations such as "washers" and "beauticians."

The Bello-led team also underlined the importance of prosecuting recruitment agencies that have a record of deploying domestic workers to households and establishments that maltreat workers or are party to substitute contracting and similar activities under the Anti-Trafficking Act.

They also recommended that the government should ensure that the budget for Assistance to Nationals and the Legal Assistance Fund is not reduced and, if possible, increased instead.

Finally, the team pushed for an increase in the government's efforts to secure the release of death row victims as well as other nationals currently detained in Saudi jails on various charges.

With regards to the performance of Philippine government officials in Saudi Arabia, the team described them as "solid professionals."



http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/303609/congressional-mission-saudi-issues-report
Kawawa talaga iyong mga ibang Pinoy doon.It's really sad,just to earn money, abusado talaga mga karamihan employer at manyakis pa. stop sending DH sa Saudi kung ganyan lang din ang sasapitin nila doon,parang hayop kung tratuhin sa maliit na sueldo.

^^ But you would still wonder why there are alot of college diploma holders work as DH in KSA and several other countries, instead of looking for a job in areas they were trained for in college. I don't think these college grads swallowed their own pride to earn 300.00 US dollar a month or even less to some.

^^ But you would still wonder why there are alot of college diploma holders work as DH in KSA and several other countries, instead of looking for a job in areas they were trained for in college. I don't think these college grads swallowed their own pride to earn 300.00 US dollar a month or even less to some.

There lies the problem, college grad nga o degree holder kaso konti pa rin laman nung mga utak sa kurso nila. Hindi pa nga halos maka compose ng simpleng-simpleng sentence.

Nakapagtataka kung paano naka graduate...

There lies the problem, college grad nga o degree holder kaso konti pa rin laman nung mga utak sa kurso nila. Hindi pa nga halos maka compose ng simpleng-simpleng sentence.

Nakapagtataka kung paano naka graduate...

Well, performance supersedes their moderate skills in english writing composition, I am guessing it is what you were insinuating. It helps if they have an extensive experiences or exposures in various areas in the field they were trained for in college. It easier to land a job even in the Philippines but you do have to face a big competition, not to mention nepotism in various work setting sometimes. This is what compelled some of our pinoys to seek greener pasture abroad outside their own areas of expertise. You can also charge these in the decline in the educational skills in the country due to exportation of our educators who saw greener turf elsewhere.


You can interpret this particular issue two ways. First of: 1) limited skills based on poor training in school and the student/grad's aptitude skill. 2) limited knowledge because of lack of experiences due to lack of job availability around either in the region where they were in or the whole country itself in general.

Amazing!

Pinay drug mule carries capsule in sex organ

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 02/16/2011 9:59 PM | Updated as of 02/17/2011 12:14 AM


http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sites/default/files/a_images/topics/tvpatrol/2011february/021611_pakistandrugmule.jpg

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Marita Reyes, an overseas Filipino worker from Pakistan.

Reyes was used by a West African drug syndicate to transport heroin worth P400,000 from Pakistan to the Philippines.

“Magpapadala lang sila sa akin at okay naman daw po, ang problema lang daw po sa market. Kaya naman po pumayag naman po ako sa kanila na ipadala sa akin iyon,” Reyes said.

The NBI arrested Reyes even before she had the time to pass on the drugs to another member of the syndicate. The plan was to pass the drugs to another courier who will transport the heroin into China.

According to Reyes, she ingested 10 small capsule-filled heroin. The bigger one was inserted into her private part.

“Ang usapan po namin nung una, isa-swallow ko lang daw po yung maliliit na items. Hindi po kasama yang malaki na yan. kaya po nang ipakita nila sa akin yan, sabi ko ayoko na, di ko na kaya yan. Nakiusap po ako sa kanila, nagmakaawa po na di ko na itutuloy, kaya lang po pinagbantaan na nila ako,” Reyes tearfully said.

Reyes worked as a domestic helper in Pakistan. She was prompted to go home after her husband passed away last January.

However, since she was still under contract and had no money for her airfare, a Nigerian national named Max Chidi offered her to become a drug courier. The NBI said Chidi is part of a West African drug syndicate.

"Napakasakit po. Sa katunayan po, may sugat po lalamunan ko. Pagdating ko dito sa Pilipinas, 3 araw po akong nilagnat. Nangangatog po buong katawan ko sa sakit,” said Reyes.

The NBI warned OFWs and Filipino travelers from becoming couriers of international drug syndicates.

“Madami tayo doon na Filipino workers at saka mga kasamahan natin na natukso na ma-involve sa pagiging courier. Tini-take advantage ang kanila sitwasyon. Pera ang [dahilan ng] lahat dahil binabayaran sila ng malaki," Atty. Ruel Lasala, head of the NBI Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force said.

Reyes is now facing violation of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Maan Macapagal, ABS-CBN News

^^ dapat lang yan sayo. hindi ka dapat kaawaan, pasalamat ka pa dito ka hinule..

I'm sorry for them but I think they're bunch of idiots. I understand their financial concern but who would go as far as risking yourself getting caught, only to end up dead in another country because of stricter anti drug laws? Where are their common sense? I see the same mentality with someone here ;) and to those who demanded to work in Iraq which is banned by the Philippine government to travel.

I'm sorry for them but I think they're bunch of idiots. I understand their financial concern but who would go as far as risking yourself getting caught, only to end up dying in another country with stricter anti drug laws? Where are their common sense?

Ang tawag diyan: "KAPIT SA PATALIM".

Sa hangad na kumita nang malaki; magnanakaw, magtinda nga illegal na droga, mangulimbat ng pera sa gobiyerno, mang-gugulang sa mga walang alam, manloloko sa mga madaling maniniwala, magpanggap na legal na labor recruiter/mangagantso, magtinda ng laman, at.m.p.iba. Tapos sabihin, "Mahirap lang kasi kami."

Ang tawag diyan: "KAPIT SA PATALIM".

Sa hangad na kumita nang malaki; magnanakaw, magtinda nga illegal na droga, mangulimbat ng pera sa gobiyerno, mang-gugulang sa mga walang alam, manloloko sa mga madaling maniniwala, magpanggap na legal na labor recruiter/mangagantso, magtinda ng laman, at.m.p.iba. Tapos sabihin, "Mahirap lang kasi kami."

the sad thing is, they will pay it dearly when their time comes. These people have problems with defeatism coupled with fatalism.

Iyon na ba yung capsul ng droga na sinaksak sa kanyang ari na naka patong sa lamesa na korteng batotoy pa? Baka naman nagkamali lang ang paningin ko. he he he he

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sites/default/files/a_images/topics/tvpatrol/2011february/021611_pakistandrugmule.jpg

^^ Di siguro yan kapanipaniwala. Akala siguro niya hindi siya kakapkapan :lol:

Watch the video, :lol: malaki nga talaga, kaya siguro nahuli ay nahulog pa ito. :D joke lang niyehehehe!

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/02/16/11/pinay-drug-mule-carries-capsule-private-part

^^ Speaking of videos... Here's a tribute to all OFWs...

99ZyWO0Gsf0

Inserting heroin caps and strapping are one of the common forms of smuggling.. Hindi naman lahat ng drug mules willingly took it. There was a case of a Filipino who was promised a teaching job in China tapos dun nilipad sa Bangkok where he was threatened by some African syndicate to transport the drugs or else they will kill him and his family. Nakatakbo sa embahada natin sa Bangkok kaya hayun natulungan...

^^ Di siguro yan kapanipaniwala. Akala siguro niya hindi siya kakapkapan :lol:

And suwerte naman ng nakakapkap duon? Paano kaya nalaman na nasa loob? impusibleng kinapa sa loob yan, siguro may suminghot!!!:lol::lol::lol::nuts::nuts: PEACE!!

^^ The K9 units. :lol:

^^ Speaking of videos... Here's a tribute to all OFWs...

99ZyWO0Gsf0

Salamat Addy, nangilabot ako. Haayyyyy..

^^ The K9 units. :lol:

Gusto siguro masinghot yung mga pheromones niya.

@flash, nakakapangilabot din nga.

^^ The K9 units. :lol:

Magaling ang mga asong yan! Nasinghot kahit nasa ilalim!

^^ Speaking of videos... Here's a tribute to all OFWs...

99ZyWO0Gsf0

because our country cannot give us decent jobs. lahat putak putak lang mga politicians. tayo ang best export products nang pilipinas. wawa naman mga pinoys/pinays. baba nang tingin nang ibang nationals sa atin.

government natin takot sa ibang bansa. takot silang di makapagpadala nang workers sa ibang bansa kahit na binabastos ang mga kababayan natin.

because our country cannot give us decent jobs. lahat putak putak lang mga politicians. tayo ang best export products nang pilipinas. wawa naman mga pinoys/pinays. baba nang tingin nang ibang nationals sa atin.


government natin takot sa ibang bansa. takot silang di makapagpadala nang workers sa ibang bansa kahit na binabastos ang mga kababayan natin.

I agree with you on "lahat putak putak lang mga politicians" - :lol:

But it's up to the Filipinos to find the way to make a better living. If they have to go abroad to find a decent job, they have their own reasons. Pag hinihingi ng pagkakataon at pangngailangan nila sa buhay, sila naman ang magdedesisyon, hindi ang pamahalaan.

(o'well, meron din restrictions ang pamahalaan kung saan puwede at hindi puwedeng magtrabaho) pero nilulusutan nila ang mga ito dahil kinakailangan.

^^ The K9 units. :lol:

Naku, siningot pala talaga, suwerteng doggie yon talaga..:lol::lol::lol::lol: Okay i'll behave now:nuts:

I agree with you on "lahat putak putak lang mga politicians" - :lol:

But it's up to the Filipinos to find the way to make a better living. If they have to go abroad to find a decent job, they have their own reasons. Pag hinihingi ng pagkakataon at pangngailangan nila sa buhay, sila naman ang magdedesisyon, hindi ang pamahalaan.

(o'well, meron din restrictions ang pamahalaan kung saan puwede at hindi puwedeng magtrabaho) pero nilulusutan nila ang mga ito dahil kinakailangan.

Especially ang lintek na OWWA na yan. Duduguin ka sa mga fees.

Palace: No need to evacuate Pinoys in Bahrain
gmanews.tv


Malacañang sees no need yet to evacuate Filipinos in Bahrain amid escalating protest actions there, but is closely monitoring the situation in the oil-rich island state.

At a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they have been regularly receiving updates from the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the ongoing tension there.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Bahrain through the Department of Foreign Affairs. We have been getting updates on the situation and as of the moment, there is no need yet [to evacuate OFWS]," she said.

She said the Philippine post in Bahrain would inform the DFA of any development that would adversely affect Filipinos living and working there.

“Magsasabi naman po ang ating poste kapag meron nang mga circumstances that would warrant an evacuation. It was the same thing na ginawa natin noong nagkaroon po ng kaguluhan sa Egypt," Valte said.

(Our embassy will alert us of any event there that would warrant an evacuation. It’s the same thing we did when there was tension in Egypt.)

In a separate DFA release emailed to GMA News on Thursday, the Philippine Embassy in Manama reported that no Filipinos have been injured in the rallies at the Pearl Roundabout, the main square at the center of the city.

Thousands of protesters took over the main square last Tuesday, February 15, many of them staying in tents and vowing never to leave until the government heeds their demands, which included a new constitution, democratic elections, and an end to the anti-Shia, Sunni-dominated governance.

As a precaution, the embassy advised Filipinos residing in Bahrain "to stay indoors, to refrain from joining the rallies and to carefully monitor the ongoing unrest."

Migrante-Middle East had earlier expressed worries that Filipinos in Bahrain may get caught between the two sides and called on the Aquino administration to start drawing up evacuation plans for them should the protests turn violent. - Amita O. Legaspi/KBK/JV, GMA News

Especially ang lintek na OWWA na yan. Duduguin ka sa mga fees.

putak nang putak, blah, blah blah puro blah
lalo na si miriam defensor
sabihin nyo mangalog na lang cya and the rest of the poloticians ksi nahihirapan cilang mag english:lol::lol::lol::nuts::nuts::nuts::banana::banana::banana::cheers::cheers::cheers::bash::bash::bash:

putak nang putak, blah, blah blah puro blah
lalo na si miriam defensor
sabihin nyo mangalog na lang cya and the rest of the poloticians ksi nahihirapan cilang mag english:lol::lol::lol::nuts::nuts::nuts::banana::banana::banana::cheers::cheers::cheers::bash::bash::bash:

gaya ni Lapid? Ikaw naman, mas masaya pag mag English si Manay Miriam, comic relief, magtawanan na lang daw tayo sa Senado. :lol:

a quote from OFW which I am not going to add the name here. How true is this? Is his/her claim substantial enough? I just wondered if this is how most OFW feel in their heart when it comes to the Philippine economy and their families living conditions in the Philippines.


ang tawag sa O.F.W.noon "BAGONG BAYANI" ngayon "GINAGONG BAYANI"Bakit???paano tayo nag papasok ng $dollar pero saatin pinapasa ang pag kakautang ng bansa.gawin patas,natutuwa pa ang central bank.mataas ang piso sa dollar,hindi ba nila naiisip na kaming ofw ang sinasakal nila tapos taasan ng kalakal sa merkado!!!hoy umayos kayo!!!!!!!!!

DFA: Over 220 Pinoys in China’s jails for drug trafficking
gmanews.tv


Apart from the three Filipinos whose death sentences were deferred on Friday by China’s high court, some 500 Filipinos – mostly women – are still languishing in various jails abroad for drug trafficking, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) disclosed Friday.

Of that figure, almost half or 227 cases involve Filipinos in China, while the rest involve those in the Middle East and neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

The spate cases of drug trafficking involving Filipino women started in 2007, said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Eduardo Malaya in a press conference.

A year after, the number drug smuggling cases involving Filipinos in China likewise dramatically surged, with Filipino women aged 20 to 40 years old being victimized by international drug syndicates as “drug mules" or couriers.

And while Filipinos carrying such illegal substances end up languishing in jails after being caught in the destination country’s airports, the ringleaders – mostly Nigerian and Zambians according to Philippine authorities – remain at large and continue their underworld operations due to their connections.

In recent years, Filipino workers bound overseas have fallen prey drug syndicates to by allowing themselves to serve as couriers to transport illegal drugs inside their luggage, shoes, or fabric buttons.

Syndicates, however, have recently come up with more dangerous ways of smuggling prohibited substances, like stuffing drugs inside the bodies of Filipino couriers.

Filipinos intercepted at airports in China, Macau and Hong Kong have a common story: the drugs carried in their luggage, or even put inside their bodies, all came from “friends" they had met in transit or while in another country, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam or even Nepal.

Prospective victims are then given airplane tickets and pocket money to travel to China or its territories, and are promised to get paid no less than $500 (about P21,700) upon delivery of the contraband to a contact person.

Death for drug traffickers

China strictly imposes tough penalties on persons caught in possession of prohibited drugs. Smuggling of drugs in amounts as little as 50 grams carries a 15-year prison sentence; drug smuggling in larger amounts are meted with a life sentence or even the death penalty.

Under China’s criminal law, a capital punishment with a two-year reprieve means convicts are given two years to undergo “reform through labor," after which the sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment if the convicts are deemed to have shown genuine repentance for their crimes.

In death sentences without reprieve, on the other hand, decisions of lower courts are automatically elevated to the higher courts for review. The People's Supreme Court is the court of last resort before the judgment becomes final and executory.

A white paper from the Information Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China states that, in actual judicial practice, over 99 percent of criminals given the death penalty with a two-year reprieve have had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment or set terms of imprisonment through reform.

Diplomatic sources say the decision of China’s Supreme People’s Court to postpone the executions of three Filipinos convicted of drug-smuggling could be the first such case in that country for death sentences without reprieve, although GMA News has no way to confirm this observation for now.

The court affirmed on February 11 the death sentences imposed on Ramon Credo, 42, Sally Ordinario, 32, and Elizabeth Batain, 38, but deferred the execution of the three Filipino drug convicts.

Credo and Ordinario were scheduled for execution by lethal injection in Xiamen on February 21, while Batain was to be executed in Shenzhen on February 22.

This is the first time that Filipinos were sentenced to be executed in China for drug trafficking charges in the 36 years of Philippines-China diplomatic relations.

Credo and Ordinario smuggled at least four kilograms each of heroin, while Batain was arrested with almost seven kilograms in China. – JA/MRT/JV, GMA News Online

a quote from OFW which I am not going to add the name here. How true is this? Is his/her claim substantial enough? I just wondered if this is how most OFW feel in their heart when it comes to the Philippine economy and their families living conditions in the Philippines.

His/her comments were incoherent. Is he/she complaining about the exchange rates??? If it is about exchange rates, then his/her comments are misdirected because BSP policy is never really about currency controls.

. . . . . . If it is about exchange rates, then his/her comments are misdirected because BSP policy is never really about currency controls.

Did I read this correctly, sir?

FYI it is BSP's mission to supervise all financial institutions under it and to conduct a sound monetary policy. The country's monetary policy includes stabilizing the exchange rates when appropriate.

Did I read this correctly, sir?

FYI it is BSP's mission to supervise all financial institutions under it and to conduct a sound monetary policy. The country's monetary policy includes stabilizing the exchange rates when appropriate.

'conduct a sound monetary policy' yes, but as history shows, BSP, in recent history never dared to put in currency controls such as those what Malaysia did during the '97 crisis when it pegged the price of Ringgit to the USD. Intervention can only do so much, in the end, market forces will dictate the peso's worth.

99ZyWO0Gsf0

:ohno::ohno:

i'll share more info. may kakilala kasi ako dun sa mismong pinagtratrabahuhan nya.
I really hope idamay na rin un agency na nagpadala sakanya dito. nakakahiya talaga!
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Edmonton+wanted+homicide+Philippines+deported/4304916/story.html

'conduct a sound monetary policy' yes, but as history shows, BSP, in recent history never dared to put in currency controls such as those what Malaysia did during the '97 crisis when it pegged the price of Ringgit to the USD. Intervention can only do so much, in the end, market forces will dictate the peso's worth.

Here:
Chronology of the Asian Financial Crisis


Early May (1997) - Japan hints that it might raise interest rates to defend the yen. The threat never materializes, but it shifts the perceptions of global investors who begin to sell Southeast Asian currencies and sets off a tumble both in currencies and local stock markets.
July 2 - After using $33 billion in foreign exchange, Thailand announces a managed float of the baht. The Philippines intervenes to defend its peso.
July 18 - IMF approves an extension of credit to the Philippines of $1.1 billion.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Oct. 14 - Thailand announces a package to strengthen its financial sector.
Oct. 20-23 - The Hong Kong dollar comes under speculative attack; Hong Kong aggressively defends its currency. The Hong Kong stock market drops, while Wall Street and other stock markets also take severe hits.
Oct. 28+ - The value of the Korean won drops as investors sell Korean stocks.
Nov. 5 - The IMF announces a stabilization package of about $40 billion for Indonesia. The United States pledges a standby credit of $3 billion.
Nov. 3-24 - Japanese brokerage firm (Sanyo Securities), largest securities firm (Yamaichi Securities), and 10* largest bank (Hokkaido Takushoku) collapse.
. . . . . . . .
Dec 3 - Korea and IMF agree on $57 billion support package.
Dec 18 - Koreans elect opposition leader Kim, Dae-jung as new President.
. . . . . . . . .
Jan 12 - Peregrine Investments Holdings of Hong Kong collapses. Japan discloses that its banks carry about $580 billion in bad or questionable loans.
Jan 15 - IMF and Indonesia sign an agreement strengthening economic reforms.
Jan 29 - South Korea and 13 international banks agree to convert $24 billion in short-term debt, due in March 1998, into government-backed loans.
Jan 31 - South Korea orders 10 of 14 ailing merchant banks to close.
Feb 2- The sense of crisis in Asia ebbs. Stock markets continue recovery.

LINK FOR THE ABOVE TEXT (http://www.fas.org/man/crs/crs-asia2.htm)

More proof that the BSP did intervene to control the peso:

BSP Intervenes to defend peso (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080918-161375/BSP-intervenes-to-defend-peso----traders)
The Philippine central bank raised interest rates by 1.75 percentage points in May 1997 and again by 2 points on 19 June. (http://www.museumstuff.com/learn/topics/Asian_currency_crisis::sub::Philippines)
Philippine central bank intervenes to stop peso plunge. (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Philippine+central+bank+intervenes+to+stop+peso+plunge-a065730999)

^^ Realistically speaking, how much can our BSP intervene, I mean we cant afford billions of dollars of intervention to arrest the appreciation of peso?

I am for a stable peso as a Pinoy who lives and works abroad, but I just think it's not realistic in the long run!

^^ Realistically speaking, how much can our BSP intervene, I mean we cant afford billions of dollars of intervention to arrest the appreciation of peso?

Agree. It will be like leaning against the wind, they say in trying to set the forex rate to a certain level. Any government can go bankrupt trying to finance the intervention. But other controls like tinkering with interest rates could help. I don't want to go into the details but it really depends on how innovative BSP officials can be.
Demand and supply still rules. If we have so much dollars in circulation compared to our peso, the dollar weakens -> your peso is stronger.

Agree. It will be like leaning against the wind, they say in trying to set the forex rate to a certain level. Any government can go bankrupt trying to finance the intervention. But other controls like tinkering with interest rates could help. I don't want to go into the details but it really depends on how innovative BSP officials can be.
Demand and supply still rules. If we have so much dollars in circulation compared to our peso, the dollar weakens -> your peso is stronger.

^^ Interest rates yes... That's what Vietnam just did to stem the 23 month high inflation. :ohno::ohno::ohno:

To Saudi Government. Go on. I'm so happy with this news.


http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-may-ban-maids-from-philippines-indonesia-2011-02-21-1.358828

Saudi may ban maids from Philippines, Indonesia
By Staff

Published Monday, February 21, 2011

Saudi Arabia is considering halting the recruitment of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia after the two countries introduced tough terms for their employment in the Gulf Kingdom, the online Arabic language daily Alikhbariya reported on Monday.
Employment offices in the Kingdom are already negotiating with other countries to supply maids and offset a shortage resulting from the boycott of Philippine and Indonesian domestic workers, it said.
“The National Recruitment Committee in the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is considering stopping the hiring of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia following their decision to introduce impossible conditions,” the paper said, quoting the Committee’s chairman, Saad Al Baddah.
“There is a possibly now to hire maids from Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Eritrea despite the delay in procedures in these countries….we could also allow maids from Cambodia and Mali after the signing of an agreement with them in this respect.”
More than one million housemaids from Indonesia and other Asian and African nations work in Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s dominant oil power.

To Saudi Government. Go on. I'm so happy with this news.


http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-may-ban-maids-from-philippines-indonesia-2011-02-21-1.358828

Saudi may ban maids from Philippines, Indonesia
By Staff

Published Monday, February 21, 2011

Saudi Arabia is considering halting the recruitment of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia after the two countries introduced tough terms for their employment in the Gulf Kingdom, the online Arabic language daily Alikhbariya reported on Monday.
Employment offices in the Kingdom are already negotiating with other countries to supply maids and offset a shortage resulting from the boycott of Philippine and Indonesian domestic workers, it said.
“The National Recruitment Committee in the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is considering stopping the hiring of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia following their decision to introduce impossible conditions,” the paper said, quoting the Committee’s chairman, Saad Al Baddah.
“There is a possibly now to hire maids from Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Eritrea despite the delay in procedures in these countries….we could also allow maids from Cambodia and Mali after the signing of an agreement with them in this respect.”
More than one million housemaids from Indonesia and other Asian and African nations work in Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s dominant oil power.

GOOD NEWS.

Yep I agree, that way the Philippine government would think of an alternative livelihood for these DHelpers whom half of that population are actually college degree holders.

GOOD NEWS.

Yes! Really GOOD NEWS! Rejoice! The end of abuse against the Filipina maids!

Yes! Really GOOD NEWS! Rejoice! The end of abuse against the Filipina maids!

I think ban DH deployment altogether. Those who want a similar job in only choice countries should have medical training/first aid and must be able to speak the language of the places they want to work. There should be minimum wage imposed and contract should be approved by PHL govt before they can leave.

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/melbourne-beats-sydney-in-worlds-most-liveable-city-rankings-20110221-1b29d.html


Vancouver topped the list of the world's most liveable cities for the fifth straight year, while Melbourne claimed second place from Vienna and Australian and Canadian cities dominated the list's top 10 spots.

Sydney was in seventh place.

In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Canadian west coast city and 2010 Winter Olympics host scored 98 per cent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure -- a score unchanged from last year.

Advertisement: Story continues below Vancouver has topped the list from 2007.

Although Melbourne pipped the Austrian capital for silver medal, there was no other major change near the top of the list of 140 cities worldwide. Auckland, New Zealand, came in 10th.

"Mid-sized cities in developed countries with relatively low population densities tend to score well by having all the cultural and infrastructural benefits on offer with fewer problems related to crime or congestion," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, in a statement.

Pittsburgh was the top US city with 29th place - just ahead of Honolulu - while Los Angeles moved up three places to 44th and New York held onto the 56th spot.

London moved up one place to 53rd while Paris came in at number 16.

The top Asian city was Osaka at number 12, tying Geneva, Switzerland and beating out the Japanese capital of Tokyo, which came in at 18.

Hong Kong came in at 31 but Beijing, capital of the world's most populous nation and No. 2 economy, straggled in at 72.

There was also little change at the bottom, with Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, once again claiming the worst position with a rating of 37.5 percent, narrowing beating out the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranks cities based on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety.

Following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit:

1. Vancouver, Canada

2. Melbourne, Australia

3. Vienna, Austria

4. Toronto, Canada

5. Calgary, Canada

6. Helsinki, Finland

7. Sydney, Australia

8. (equal) Perth, Australia

8. (equal) Adelaide, Australia

10. Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities were:

1. Harare, Zimbabwe

2. Dhaka , Bangladesh

3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

4. Lagos, Nigeria

5. Algiers , Algeria

6. Karachi, Pakistan

7. Douala, Cameroon

8. Tehran, Iran

9. Dakar, Senegal

10. Colombo, Sri Lanka

Reuters

dapat lang e ban ang pagpapadala ng mga maid sa saudi arabia dahil kawawa ang mga maid sa saudi arabia.dapat lang talaga maghanap na ng mga alternatibong trabaho para sa mga kababaihan natin.ang mga maid ay ang ating mga magulang,kapatid at mga tiyahin natin sila hahayaan pa ba nating abusuhin sila ng mga manyak na arabo at pag pasa pasahan sila simula sa ama,lolo,anak at kahit driver ng pamilyang arabo.kaya mas magandang e ban talaga ang pagpapadala ng mga maid sa saudi.saka panahon na para iahon sa pagiging maid ang mga pilipina.kaya pag mag byahe ang mga pilipinang negosyante ay hindi ginagalang at nererespeto kasi maid ang pagkaka kilala sa ating mga kababaihan.:):):)

To Saudi Government. Go on. I'm so happy with this news.


http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-may-ban-maids-from-philippines-indonesia-2011-02-21-1.358828

Saudi may ban maids from Philippines, Indonesia
By Staff

Published Monday, February 21, 2011

Saudi Arabia is considering halting the recruitment of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia after the two countries introduced tough terms for their employment in the Gulf Kingdom, the online Arabic language daily Alikhbariya reported on Monday.
Employment offices in the Kingdom are already negotiating with other countries to supply maids and offset a shortage resulting from the boycott of Philippine and Indonesian domestic workers, it said.
“The National Recruitment Committee in the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is considering stopping the hiring of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia following their decision to introduce impossible conditions,” the paper said, quoting the Committee’s chairman, Saad Al Baddah.
“There is a possibly now to hire maids from Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Eritrea despite the delay in procedures in these countries….we could also allow maids from Cambodia and Mali after the signing of an agreement with them in this respect.”
More than one million housemaids from Indonesia and other Asian and African nations work in Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s dominant oil power.
Thats the best news.Dapat lang talaga iban na ang mga DH sa Saudi para mabawasan ang mga abuse sa Pinay.Sana nga matuloy na talaga ito. OO doon na lang sila kumuha sa africa o ibang bansa. Good News po!

[QUOTE=mwg12a;73025011]Yep I agree, that way the Philippine government would think of an alternative livelihood for these DHelpers whom half of that population are actually college degree holders.[/QUOTE


They treat the Filipinas as their slaves and they even pay these poor people for a merely $200 dollar or even less in many occasions.At saka ang daming testimonya ng abuse dyan sa saudi at ibang Middle East countries.Yung iba di pa nakakasahod,sinasaktan, pinapaso, binubuhusan ng tubig, binabastos,binababoy at nirarape pa, ginugutom,kinukulong sa bahay, bawal makipagusap sa kaibigan, at tinatratong hayop ng mga amo.Magpunta lang iyang mga abusado na mga amo nila sa Pinas at maghanap ng mga pinay,eh pagsasapakin ko iyan eh.ako ang nasasaktan kapag nakikita ko o naririnig ang sinasasapit ng mga pinay sa ME.Mayayamang bansa pero ang iba eh backward talaga ang utak.Better to sell food in the streets or work as maids in the Phils rather than going there in Saudi or middle east to work as DH,kahit naghihirap ay kasama mo pa rin ang iyong pamilya at nakakasurvive pa rin.Malaya kang makakagala, makapamasyal, magsimba, at marami pang iba na ipinagkakait sa iyo doon.Dito na lang sila magkasambahay at nasa Pinas pa sila at marami namang mababait na may kaya dito o middle class kahit di ganoon kalaki ang sahod na hinahanap nila.Ang importante ay iyong nakakangiti ka ng totoo.Itigil na ang pagpapadala dyan sa Saudi ng mga pinay maids.Tama doon sila maghire sa mga bansa na halos di makapag-English,para maranasan nila kung ano ang diperensya sa mga pinay na magaling sa bahay at pakikisama, tignan ko kung di sila kinatay ng mga taga bansa na nasabi nila, nevertheless, the same thing would happen, they will be ABUSED!! ABUSED! and ABUSED! Kawawa rin ang mga ito lalot di makapag-English at di marunong sa bahay. To my fellow Filipinos ,REJOICE! (at kung may hindi natutuwa dito ay iyong mga illegal recruiters at mga taong nanamantala sa mga kapwa Pinoy natin na walang ginawa kundi ang kumita sa maliliit na kinikita ng mga kawawang DH doon) puro propaganda lang iyon sinasabi nila na sahod na halos $500 pagdating doon iba na ang tema .Ang Sri lanka at Indonesia di na rin magpapadala sa Saudi according to news, at dahil din iyan sa abuso at problema sa sahod.This is great news indeed.

Originally Posted by RonnieR View Post
To Saudi Government. Go on. I'm so happy with this news.


http://www.emirates247.com/news/regi...02-21-1.358828

Saudi may ban maids from Philippines, Indonesia
By Staff

Published Monday, February 21, 2011

Saudi Arabia is considering halting the recruitment of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia after the two countries introduced tough terms for their employment in the Gulf Kingdom, the online Arabic language daily Alikhbariya reported on Monday.
Employment offices in the Kingdom are already negotiating with other countries to supply maids and offset a shortage resulting from the boycott of Philippine and Indonesian domestic workers, it said.
“The National Recruitment Committee in the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is considering stopping the hiring of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia following their decision to introduce impossible conditions,” the paper said, quoting the Committee’s chairman, Saad Al Baddah.
“There is a possibly now to hire maids from Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Eritrea despite the delay in procedures in these countries….we could also allow maids from Cambodia and Mali after the signing of an agreement with them in this respect.”
More than one million housemaids from Indonesia and other Asian and African nations work in Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s dominant oil power.



GOOD NEWS.

yeah, good news yan. sana yung presently employed hindi na ma renew ang contrata at pauwiin na. uwi na lang sila dito at magtanim ng kamote.

Following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit:

1. Vancouver, Canada

2. Melbourne, Australia

3. Vienna, Austria

4. Toronto, Canada

5. Calgary, Canada

6. Helsinki, Finland

7. Sydney, Australia

8. (equal) Perth, Australia

8. (equal) Adelaide, Australia

10. Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities were:

1. Harare, Zimbabwe

2. Dhaka , Bangladesh

3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
3.a. Manila, Philippines
4. Lagos, Nigeria

5. Algiers , Algeria

6. Karachi, Pakistan

7. Douala, Cameroon

8. Tehran, Iran

9. Dakar, Senegal

10. Colombo, Sri Lanka

Reuters

:lol:j/k:lol:

Taiwan electronics sector mulls options to OFWs
02/23/2011 | 12:58 AM


Taiwan’s electronics sector is thinking of alternative labor to overseas Filipino workers should the current talks between Philippine special envoy Manuel Roxas II and Taiwanese officials over the Feb. 2 deportation of 14 Taiwan nationals to mainland China break down.

Taiwan wants the Philippines to issue an apology, but Roxas is saying he is there to seek the understanding of Taipei and not to say sorry for the incident.

Late Tuesday, the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) said it will stop hiring skilled Filipino workers should Taipei issue a freeze order on Philippine labor.

"Some companies are thinking of hiring Thai or Vietnamese workers next time," TEEMA Secretary-General Chen Wen-yi said, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported.

The manufacturing sector could train workers from other countries before sending them to the production lines, Chen added.

A chunk of OFWs in Taiwan are employed by the electronics parts and component makers. The CNA cited statistics from the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA), showing there are over 77,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, of which 54,000 are in the manufacturing sector and mostly in factories that make electronic parts and components.

The electronics manufacturing sector will suffer the most should the CLA decide to suspend the hiring of OFWs, according to CNA.

Chen said the Taiwanese government would likely take steps to help companies deal with a possible labor shortage should the talks over the deportation row fail.

Taipei earlier said it was thinking of suspending the import of Philippine labor in retaliation for the way Manila deported the Taiwanese.

President Benigno Aquino III sent former Sen. Roxas to Taiwan to iron out the problem. Roxas is sticking to his marching orders not to issue a Philippine apology. — VS, GMA News


Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/213700/taiwan-electronics-sector-mulls-options-to-ofws?utm_source=GMANews.TV&utm_medium=twitter

boycott Taiwan!

^^ Huweag na tayong bumili ng SYM, ACER, ASUS, HTC...

Welcome to Thread 5! :cheers:

Keep posting forumers :okay:

Link to Thread 4 (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=539352&page=151&highlight=the+exodus+pinoy+migrant+workers+ofw+ocw)

Campaign on to free OFWs overstaying in Saudi jailsBy RODOLFO ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS

Published: Feb 22, 2011 23:26 Updated: Feb 22, 2011 23:26
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article279723.ece
RIYADH: The human rights group Migrante Middle East has started a campaign for the release of 48 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have completed prison sentences but are still in jail.

"We have received text messages from the 48 OFWs saying that they have been kept in prison three to six months after their sentences expired,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East coordinator, told Arab News on Tuesday.

“Others claimed that they were still in jail one year after they had finished their sentences.”

Monterona said on Feb. 11, various chapters of Migrante in Saudi Arabia formally launched the campaign with the slogan “Release and send home jailed OFWs whose sentences have been completed.”

He said that Migrante started sending messages to all concerned Philippine government agencies, including the office of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who has been designated as presidential adviser on OFW concerns.

Monterona added that the 48 OFWs also asked their families and relatives in the Philippines to form their own lobby groups to help the campaign for their release and repatriation.

"The jailed OFWs sent the names and contact numbers of their relatives in the Philippines to Migrante to help them form a lobby group to liaise with concerned government agencies and to seek help from President Benigno Aquino," Monterona said.

He urged the Philippine government to seriously work for their release and repatriation

Names of 8 Filipinos trapped in CTV Building in Christchurch, New Zealand:

1. Ezra Mae Medalla
2. Jessie Lloyd Albarracin Redoble
3. John Chua
4. Jewel Francisco
5. Louise Amantillo
6. Valquin Bensurto
7. Ivy Cabanilas
8. Rhea Sumagpong

No official word yet on their conditions.

Source: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/8vf6r6

Names of 8 Filipinos trapped in CTV Building in Christchurch, New Zealand:

1. Ezra Mae Medalla
2. Jessie Lloyd Albarracin Redoble
3. John Chua
4. Jewel Francisco
5. Louise Amantillo
6. Valquin Bensurto
7. Ivy Cabanilas
8. Rhea Sumagpong

No official word yet on their conditions.

Source: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/8vf6r6

Oh my.....I hope they will survive.....

Names of 8 Filipinos trapped in CTV Building in Christchurch, New Zealand:

1. Ezra Mae Medalla
2. Jessie Lloyd Albarracin Redoble
3. John Chua
4. Jewel Francisco
5. Louise Amantillo
6. Valquin Bensurto
7. Ivy Cabanilas
8. Rhea Sumagpong

No official word yet on their conditions.

Source: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/8vf6r6

Grabe pala yung nangyari sa NZ. I got a few friends who recently moved there in Christchurch and Wellington.

RT @hbmacale: I haven't confirmed this, but accdg to an OFW stuck in Libya, the PH embassy in Libya is full of evacuees now. Staff left embassy already.

Seems that there are a lot of Filipinos trapped in Tripoli. I dont know how they are going to go to Benghazi when there are mercenaries roaming around shooting everyone on sight!

RT @hbmacale: Info re PH embassy in Libya full of evacuees from Harry William Rey (218913488694) who is also holed up in his Libyan quarters with 7 others

Sad....no news yet on Pinoys trapped in CTV Building.

Frantic hunt as NZ quake leaves 400 dead, missing

By Chris Foley
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:25:00 02/23/2011

Filed Under: Disasters (general), Earthquake, State of emergency

CHRISTCHURCH — (UPDATE 3) Hundreds of rescuers swarmed over twisted and smoking buildings Wednesday in a frantic search for survivors after New Zealand's catastrophic earthquake left nearly 400 dead or missing.

Emergency services cordoned off central Christchurch, which was devastated by Tuesday's shallow, 6.3-magnitude tremor, to hunt for anyone still alive along with an unknown number of bodies buried in the rubble.

Prime Minister John Key declared a national emergency as 75 bodies were recovered, while about 30 people were rescued overnight. About 300 people are still missing after New Zealand's worst natural disaster in 80 years.

Key said the quake had "wreaked death and destruction on a dreadful scale" in the country's second biggest city, six months after a 7.0-magnitude quake shook buildings violently in Christchurch but miraculously caused no deaths.

The latest tremor toppled many buildings and left central Christchurch strewn with debris. The city's landmark cathedral lost its spire. Dozens of aftershocks rocked the city, much of which was without power and water.

Rescuers had to amputate limbs to free some survivors, but abandoned hope for any victims trapped in the flattened CTV building, which housed a school for foreign English-language students.

Twenty-four Japanese citizens were among the missing, including 11 students who were studying at the King's Education College inside the six-storey CTV building along with a South Korean brother and sister in their early 20s.

"This particular site, CTV site, had a number of overseas students in it and my heart goes out to those families that are away knowing that some of their children, family have probably been killed in this incident," said police operations commander Dave Lawry.

"The situation is that we don't believe this site is now survivable."

One resident said he saw a woman die with her baby in her arms when she was hit by falling debris in Cashel St Mall, two blocks from the CTV site. She was killed instantly, but the baby survived.

"We tried to pull these big bricks off (her)... she was gone," Tom Brittenden told the Christchurch Press.

Police Superintendent Russell Gibson warned that the toll was certain to rise as more than 500 emergency workers combed through shattered buildings, listening out for tapping, shouting and other signs of life.

"There is incredible carnage right throughout the city," he told Radio New Zealand. "There are bodies littering the streets, they are trapped in cars and crushed under rubble.

"We are getting texts and tapping sounds from some of these buildings and that's where the focus is at the moment."

Some rescue efforts were frustrated by a two-block exclusion zone around the city's tallest hotel, the Grand Chancellor, as the 26-storey building leaned precariously and looked close to collapse.

But there was applause when a woman wrapped in blankets emerged from the Pyne Gould Corporation building, some 24 hours after the quake rocked busy lunchtime streets at about 12:50 pm on Tuesday.

The survivor's sister, Sally Bodkin-Allen, said her sibling had ducked under a desk when the quake struck.

"It just seems like a miracle... it must be a very strong desk and she must have got under it very quickly," Bodkin-Allen told Fairfax media.

Resident Mark Maynard kept an anxious vigil outside the Pyne Gould building for his wife, who works on the first floor and called 20 minutes before the quake to say she had forgotten her mobile phone.

"It is still no good at the moment. I am hanging around waiting, what do you do?" Maynard told Fairfax.

The clock is ticking for those trapped, with New Zealand's emergency management chief John Hamilton saying rescuers may have just two or three days to pull out anyone still alive.

The quake was the deadliest to hit New Zealand since 256 people died in a 1931 tremor, and Key's declaration of a state of emergency will free up national resources to focus on Christchurch.

Leading disaster modelling company AIR Worldwide said the earthquake would cost the insurance industry up to NZ$11.5 billion ($8.6 billion).

Specialist teams from Australia, Britain, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States were due to join the rescue operation as an international effort swung into action.

New Zealand sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a vast zone of seismic and volcanic activity stretching from Chile on one side to Japan and Indonesia on the other.

Seismologists said that despite being smaller, the latest tremor was more destructive than the September quake because it was nearer to Christchurch's centre and much closer to the earth's surface.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110223-321748/Frantic-hunt-as-NZ-quake-leaves-400-dead-missing

NZ rescue workers seem giving up, pucha, ano ba yan!

Here's the collapse building, it seems like it will be hard for anyone to survive on that.
We can only hope and pray that they can still find some survivors.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03Jt6jx4E66bZ/610x.jpg

Smoke rises from the collapsed CTV building, that housed a TV broadcaster and an English language school, following Tuesday's earthquake in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch February 23, 2011.

Here's the collapse building, it seems like it will be hard for anyone to survive on that.
We can only hope and pray that they can still find some survivors.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03Jt6jx4E66bZ/610x.jpg

Smoke rises from the collapsed CTV building, that housed a TV broadcaster and an English language school, following Tuesday's earthquake in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch February 23, 2011.

I am not expert in engineering but have worked in real estate for over a decade.

looking at the damage to that building and comparing it to the other building, parang sobrang laki ata difference in terms of damage.

if buildings in a general area are built according to tha same standard, then damage brought about a common event like a typhoon or earthquake should cause consistent damage in the general area.

for example tsunami sa indonesia or earthquake sa haiti. but looking at the pic, ang layo ata ng damage between the two buildings.

possible that the collapsed building is a very old structure perhaps?

I am not expert in engineering but have worked in real estate for over a decade.

looking at the damage to that building and comparing it to the other building, parang sobrang laki ata difference in terms of damage.

if buildings in a general area are built according to tha same standard, then damage brought about a common event like a typhoon or earthquake should cause consistent damage in the general area.

for example tsunami sa indonesia or earthquake sa haiti. but looking at the pic, ang layo ata ng damage between the two buildings.

possible that the collapsed building is a very old structure perhaps?


Yan ang pinagdedebatehan namin dito ng kasama ko, looking at the damage on buildings, parang suspicious ako sa kalidad ng mga structures nila sa dyan. One thing as well, that they were trying to point out was that the quake was shallow and nakaroon ng liquefaction kaya ganyan na lang, pero tama ang observation mo, hindi consistent ang damage. cany find info on how old the building was.

Yan ang pinagdedebatehan namin dito ng kasama ko, looking at the damage on buildings, parang suspicious ako sa kalidad ng mga structures nila sa dyan. One thing as well, that they were trying to point out was that the quake was shallow and nakaroon ng liquefaction kaya ganyan na lang, pero tama ang observation mo, hindi consistent ang damage. cany find info on how old the building was.

took up engineering for a couple of years in UPD kasi so i have an affinity for these things.

its possible that the building might be old and hence, current engineering standards were not met and looking at the building behind which has a more contemporary design would mean, it is of a more recent make.

but looking at the damage (total collapse) would mean that the structural integrity of the building was compromised by a relatively weaker quake, even considering liquefaction which in my experience should affect a general area too and not just a specific building.

in any case, some experts here would have a better understanding on what happened.

I am not expert in engineering but have worked in real estate for over a decade.

looking at the damage to that building and comparing it to the other building, parang sobrang laki ata difference in terms of damage.

if buildings in a general area are built according to tha same standard, then damage brought about a common event like a typhoon or earthquake should cause consistent damage in the general area.

for example tsunami sa indonesia or earthquake sa haiti. but looking at the pic, ang layo ata ng damage between the two buildings.

possible that the collapsed building is a very old structure perhaps?

Yan ang pinagdedebatehan namin dito ng kasama ko, looking at the damage on buildings, parang suspicious ako sa kalidad ng mga structures nila sa dyan. One thing as well, that they were trying to point out was that the quake was shallow and nakaroon ng liquefaction kaya ganyan na lang, pero tama ang observation mo, hindi consistent ang damage. cany find info on how old the building was.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10708252&gallery_id=116929#7382077

I think, this was the original building before it was leveled down by the earthquake.

http://www.ctv.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/ctvbuilding.jpg

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/20119/ctv1.jpg

Official: 12 Pinoys missing in deadly New Zealand quake (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/213726/official-12-pinoys-missing-in-deadly-new-zealand-quake)

(Updated 9:23 p.m) Philippine officials in New Zealand are focusing their search and rescue efforts on at least 12 Filipinos who were reported missing in the aftermath of Tuesday's magnitude-6.3 quake in Christchurch area.

Charge d'affaires Giovanni Palec on Wednesday said they are verifying the list of Filipinos reported missing by their relatives.

“As of now may mga 12 pa ito, but we’re still trying to confirm kung talagang 12 ito. We’re trying to eliminate those na baka during the earthquake they were separated and had to stay in some of the evacuation centers," Palec said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Philippines under fire over Libyan evacuations

Phil. Daily Inquirer.net
February 24, 2011 - AFP
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110224-322003/Philippines-under-fire-over-Libyan-evacuations

MANILA, Philippines—Thousands of Filipino workers are stranded in riot-torn Libya and are desperate to be rescued, an industry support group said Thursday as it blasted the Philippine government's evacuation efforts.

Migrante International said it had lost contact with many of its members in Libya as they scrambled to find ways of crossing the border to neighboring countries without any government support.

"Government really messed up, they kept telling the workers that there was voluntary evacuation, but how will they know who to look for or where and how do they get to the assigned places," Migrante chairman Gary Martinez told Agence France-Presse.

"When we spoke to one group of construction workers last night, they said they will try to make it across the border to Egypt by bus today, because they haven't heard from any government official."

In contrast, other Asian countries such as China and South Korea, chartered planes and ships to get their citizens out as Libya descended into chaos.

Americans escaped by boarding a US-chartered ferry to Malta, while Britain deployed airplanes to pick up their nationals.

Martinez said reports reaching the Migrante office in Manila from their partner organisations in Libya said many of the nearly 30,000 Filipinos living there were stranded.

He said a group of 100 workers in Al Kufrah district in southeastern Libya bordering Egypt had been abandoned by their local supervisors to fend for themselves inside their camps.

"We've lost contact with them. But the last time we spoke to them yesterday, they said they'd run out of food and were not being helped by their local counterparts," he said.

"They reported they could hear heavy gunfire in surrounding areas, making it dangerous for them to move. They want to be rescued."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday it would help Filipinos living in Libya leave by helping to pay for seats on commercial flights from Tripoli.

It also released a statement on Thursday saying DFA officials had travelled to the Egyptian and Tunisian borders with Libya to receive fleeing Filipinos.

However it has not deployed any planes or boats.

DFA: Pinay engineer 1st of OFWs to cross Libyan border (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/213813/dfa-pinay-engineer-1st-of-ofws-to-cross-libyan-border)
02/24/2011 | 09:31 AM


A Filipina engineer based in Libya was among the first overseas Filipino workers to cross the Libyan border to relative safety in Egypt, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said the engineer, identified as Judith Tuvera, was accompanied by her employer in crossing from Tobruk in Libya to Alexandria in Egypt.

"Nagkaroon na ng crossing ng isang OFW, Engineer Judith Tuvera. Siya po ay nag-cross ng border from Tobruk, Libya patungo sa Alexandria, Egypt kasama ang employer (We can confirm an OFW, Engineer Judith Tuvera, crossed the border from Tobruk in Libya to Alexandria in Egypt, accompanied by her employer)," Malaya said in an interview on dzRH radio.

He also said Philippine reception teams are on hand to assist the expected crossing of another batch of 24 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) within the day.

Malaya said they are also verifying reports that another batch of construction workers in Benghazi City is heading for the Egyptian border.

Another Philippine Embassy team is expected to start operating at the border of Libya and Tunisia by 5 p.m. (Manila time) to help OFWs leaving Libya via Tripoli, he added.

"Nakakuha sila ng landing rights just in case may eroplano tayong makuha. Naka-secure sila ng approval ng visa upon arrival (The team secured landing rights at Tunisia just in case we can get an airplane to evacuate our OFWs. The team will also help the OFWs get visas once they arrive there from Libya)," he said.

Philippine teams have also set up at least two relocation sites in Tripoli and Benghazi in Libya for OFWs who want to leave, he said.

On the other hand, Malaya said the Philippine teams will help the OFWs get their travel documents even if they do not have their passports.

"Sa mga walang passport huwag kayong matakot. Meron tayong embassy reception team sa border. Ifa-facilitate nila ang pag-cross sa border ngayon. Bibigyan ang ating kababayan ng travel documents sa patuloy na pag-uwi sa Pilipinas" he said.

(Those without passports need not worry. We have an embassy reception team at the border to facilitate their crossing. They will provide the travel documents so you can return to the Philippines.)

Talks with shipowners, airlines

In the dzXL interview, Malaya said the Philippine Embassy in Libya is talking with shipowners to see if they can transport OFWs from Tripoli to Malta, where a Philippine honorary consul general will wait for them.

Malaya said the DFA is now talking to airline companies including flag carrier Philippine Airlines to help bring home the Filipinos.

He indicated the arrangement with PAL may be similar to that of the repatriation plan for Egypt, although the plan for Egypt was not carried out.

The plan involves a PAL Airbus going from Manila to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) then to Cairo (Egypt).

"Pero di na ito kinailangan dahil doon sa Cairo nagbalik sa embahada wala pang 100. Kaya ang ating kasamahan ay gumagawa ng arrangement tulad ng ginawa para sa Cairo (We did not implement the plan for Cairo because less than 100 Filipinos elected to return home at the time. But if we will push through with such a plan for our OFWs in Libya, we will likely adopt a similar setup)," he said.

Besides, he said the airport at Benghazi in Libya has already been closed. — RSJ, GMA News

via @usecDOE: safehouse Filipinos Libya -The Saint Francis catholic Church Dhra Tripoli, Libya is an identified relocation site. +218213331863

Just in.

^^nakakuha na rin ang Philippines ng landing rights sa Tunisia :okay:

Bad news.... I am very disappointed with the DFA and Malacanang. They were so slow.:ohno::ohno::ohno:

35 OFWs hostage ng mga armadong rebelde sa Libya



Wala pang tulog si Romeo pero pumasok pa rin sa trabaho sa munisipyo ng Pugo, La Union.

Dahil sa matinding pangamba, tila lumilipad ang isip.

Maya't-maya'y ay cell phone ang hawak para subukang kontakin ang anak na si Genesis Deloeg na ngayon ay hawak umano ng mga armadong anti-government protesters sa Libya.

“Hindi kami mapakali kasi hindi namin alam kung ano ang totoong sitwasyon nila. Sana naman ang gobyerno ay maging sinsero sana sa kanilang trabaho para maiwasan kung ano mang puwedeng masamang mangyari sa mga kababayan natin doon,” sabi ni Romeo.

Sa kabilang gusali, tuliro din ang anak na si Jesse Ann. Labis siyang nag-aalala sa kalagayan ng kapatid.

“Ang mother ko iyak nang iyak,” sabi ni Jesse.

Si Genesis ay lab engineer ng Al Nahr, isang kumpanya na gumagawa ng water pipe na nakabase sa Tripoli.

Lunes nang pasukin umano ang kumpanya ng mga armadong kalalakihan. Martes nang huli nilang makausap si Genesis.

“Pinasabog daw iyong camp site nila tapos ni-ransack yata lahat ng mga equipment ng company,” sabi ni Romeo.

Naikuwento pa sa kanila ni Genesis ang mga pangyayari. Mula sa Tripoli, dinala si Genesis at 34 pang Pinoy sa isang school compound sa Aj Badiya.

Kasama niyang na-hostage ang kababayan at katrabahong si Renato Viduya. Pinapakain naman daw sila pero gusto nang makauwi lalo na’t tanging naiwang gamit ay ang mga suot na damit.

“Kaya nag-aalala ako sa paglakad niya po kasi may metal sa hita niya,” sabi ni Aling Vicky, kapatid ni Viduya.

Dahil hindi na makontak ni Aling Vicky ang kapatid, nakikibalita na lamang siya kay Mang Romeo.

Nakapag-text pa si Genesis kaninang alas-2 ng madaling araw. Ayon kay Genesis, 2 hanggang 3 araw pa ang kanilang aantayin bago makatawid sa Egypt kung papalarin silang makatakas.

Dhobie de Guzman Patrol ng Pilipino, La Union

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/02/24/11/exclusive-35-ofws-hostaged-armed-men-libya

Just reposting from : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=626481027

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185989_10150096637376028_626481027_6371115_4521789_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180888_10150096637506028_626481027_6371116_7849332_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185941_10150096637721028_626481027_6371118_8327819_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182200_10150096637846028_626481027_6371119_664571_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/179809_10150096636606028_626481027_6371108_6271041_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185879_10150096636766028_626481027_6371109_3025196_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181928_10150096636911028_626481027_6371111_6822364_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183252_10150096637056028_626481027_6371112_7469503_n.jpg

I am not expert in engineering but have worked in real estate for over a decade.

looking at the damage to that building and comparing it to the other building, parang sobrang laki ata difference in terms of damage.

if buildings in a general area are built according to tha same standard, then damage brought about a common event like a typhoon or earthquake should cause consistent damage in the general area.

for example tsunami sa indonesia or earthquake sa haiti. but looking at the pic, ang layo ata ng damage between the two buildings.

possible that the collapsed building is a very old structure perhaps?

Heard that Ctv building was built in the 1960s.

Philippines proceeds with evacuation from Libya
11:06, February 25, 2011

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday that the six-member team led by DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Executive Director Ricardo Endaya arrived in Tripoli Friday to assist the Filipinos evacuate from Libya.

The team will split up, with one proceeding to Benghazi to supervise the repatriation efforts there and another proceeding to Tunisia, to set up the command post to receive Filipinos who will be exiting from Tripoli.

The Tunisian government has approved landing rights for aircraft chartered to fly out overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and visa upon arrival, as well as setting up a satellite office at the airport to assist OFWs who will be flying out from there.

The DFA also reported that a group of 12 OFWs have crossed to the Egyptian border from Libya.

The OFWs were engineers and managers from Korean construction firm Won Company who were evacuated by their employer via land from Tobruk in Libya to Asalum in Egypt. They will be proceeding to Cairo and will fly to Manila over the weekend.

Another OFW, Engineer Judith Tuvera, crossed from Tobruk in Libya to Alexandria with her employer on Wednesday.

The first repatriated OFWs from Libya arrived Thursday in Manila aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Tunisia.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is assisting the DFA in arranging commercial flights and ensuring that OFWs are included in any IOM-sponsored evacuation of migrant workers from Libya.

Source: Xinhua
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/7300131.html

Heard that Ctv building was built in the 1960s.

no wonder. if that building is that old, makaluma building codes pa ginagamit dyan.

NEW ZEALAND QUAKE:

7 bodies of Filipinos retrieved

Friday, February 25, 2011

CEBU CITY -- Bodies of seven Filipinos were reportedly retrieved from the rubble of the Canterbury Television (CTV) building in Christchurch, New Zealand, but were not identified.

An aunt of one of the six Cebuanos trapped in the same building said she received this information at 5:22 p.m. Thursday.

Be updated with the latest reports on corruption. Visit our Corruption Monitor blog now!

Dr. Ethel Uy, aunt of Rhea Mae Sumalpong, said a representative of the family was not allowed to see the bodies.


Three days after the earthquake, Mario Ruel Sumalpong has yet to hear from the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand about his daughter, 25-year-old Rhea Mae, who was among the Filipinos trapped inside the collapsed CTV.

Addressing Cebu reporters through a video conference from Australia Thursday, Sumalpong burst into tears as he expressed his “diminishing hopes” for his daughter to be alive.

Sumalpong, a hotel worker, lives in Australia with his wife Marlene, a nurse, and another daughter, who is studying nursing there. They used to live in Tuyan, Naga.

Uy said her niece was scheduled to take the nursing board exam in New Zealand on March 13, and planned to work in Australia later this year.

Rhea Mae went to New Zealand last October 29 and worked as a caregiver at a hospital.

In an interview in her clinic in Naga City Thursday, Uy said she was disappointed with the way the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is handling the situation.

At 5:22 p.m. Thursday, Uy received a report that the bodies of seven Filipinos were retrieved from the CTV building, but these were not identified.

She said Ariel Amado Caballero, who lives with Rhea Mae and whom they authorized to represent them, was not allowed to see the bodies.

Uy said she went to the DFA Cebu office last Wednesday and wrote a narrative report appealing to the agency to change its earlier statement that no Filipino was harmed during the earthquake.

“We in the family got mad. It’s because of the statements from the DFA and in the news that there were no Filipino casualties or fatalities. We were hurt because how could we ask our Philippine government for any help if they had made that declaration?” she said.

Sumalpong said they wanted to go to Christchurch to check on Rhea Mae’s condition but were advised against it because the place remains unsafe.
“Once we receive news, good or bad, we will go there,” he said.

He said the last time he talked with Rhea Mae was Saturday night and his wife last talked to their daughter Monday night.

Uy said Rhea Mae texted her mother 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, saying she and others were trapped. After that, their calls went directly to her voice mail.

Rhea Mae, whom Sumalpong described as a good daughter, graduated from Southwestern University in 2007.

Another Filipina whose condition remains unknown is Emmabelle Anoba, who had worked with Rhea Mae at the South General Hospital in Tuyan, Naga.

Emmabelle, like Rhea Mae and four other Cebuanos, was in the CTV building attending English review classes for the nursing licensure exam when the earthquake happened.

Her last text to her relatives in Cebu came at 1 a.m. Tuesday after the earthquake.

Also trapped in the CTV were John Christopher Chua from Lapu-Lapu City, Ezra May Medalle, Cecil Redoble and Jewel Francisco.

Emmabelle left Cebu for New Zealand only last February 19. She called up her mother Annabella the next day to say that she had arrived safe.

Annabella Anoba runs a vegetable stall at the Minglanilla Public Market. She begged off from being interviewed and assigned her sister, Jerusalem Clemeña, to answer questions from reporters.

Clemeña, holding a rosary, said the family is worried because the rescue work has been stopped and they have not heard about Emmabelle yet.

They had expected the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand to give them an update of the condition of those trapped in the CTV but had received none.

Clemeña said Rhea Mae and Emmabelle’s groupmates in New Zealand, Robelyn and Ruby Dacares, also received text messages from Anoba’s group asking for help while buried underneath.

“Tabangi kami Rob, kay nia mi ilawom. Makaginhawa pa man hinuon mi” was Rhea Mae’s text to Robelyn.

They could still be alive, Clemeña said.

Clemeña said the Anoba family plans to see their congressman, Representative Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, first district), to ask for help.

Emmabelle’s three sisters are nurses and she has a brother who is a civil engineer. Her father Emmanuel works at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

Emmabelle took up nursing at the University of Cebu and graduated in 2005. (RSB/OCP/Sun.Star Cebu)

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2011/02/25/7-bodies-filipinos-retrieved-141717

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on February 25, 2011.

LIBYA

1,000 Filipinos stranded in Sahara Desert, kin say
By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 14:14:00 02/25/2011
Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Middle East Africa - Africa, Civil unrest, Evacuation(General), Foreign affairs & international relations


MANILA, Philippines—Stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert and running out of food and water, about 1,000 Filipinos working for the Waha Oil Company (WOC), Libya's second-biggest oil drilling company, are desperate to be rescued.

An appeal to this effect was relayed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday by close relatives and friends of some of the Filipino employees.

The Filipino contract workers have expressed willingness to be repatriated to the Philippines, said their family members.

Unable to contact their main office in Tripoli and the Philippine embassy in the Libyan capital, the Filipino workers at the Waha oil field "think they have been left on their own" by their employers, said the wife of one of the workers.

In an e-mail, one of this reporter's sources said the workers were in dire need of help.

"They are willing to be brought back to the Philippines. However, they are afraid to venture out of their camp in the desert because they may encounter violent groups on their way (to Benghazi, the nearest city)....They would like the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to know about their plight so that they will be given assistance."

Two other e-mails made more or less the same disclosures.

Families of the Filipino workers have repeatedly tried but failed to reach both the DFA and the WOC.

The Waha project site is located in the Giallo area, located over 100 kilometers south of Benghazi.

The WOC has been pumping oil in the Sahara desert since 1958.

Aside from the Waha oil field, the company also operates three other oil fields in Libya.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110225-322183/1000-Filipinos-stranded-in-Sahara-Desert-kin-say

^^ Kung hindi siguro nagkanakawan sa AFP, baka marami tayong perang pang arkila ng eroplano. Sa ngayon, walang eroplano ang PAF na makakapagsundo ng maraming na stranded na OFW. pag-asa siguro humingi ng tulong sa UN or sa US at China.

^^ Kung hindi siguro nagkanakawan sa AFP, baka marami tayong perang pang arkila ng eroplano. Sa ngayon, walang eroplano ang PAF na makakapagsundo ng maraming na stranded na OFW. pag-asa siguro humingi ng tulong sa UN or sa US at China.

Most countries chartered commercial flights.

Most countries chartered commercial flights.

Yeah, for those without military resources to extract their citizens, pero maraming airlines ang ayaw magpa-charter pag delikado ang lugar.
Sabagay, puro cutbacks na rin ang UN at US sa mga resources nila at hindi na mabilis ang assistance nila sa mga ganyang sitwasyon.

Yeah, for those without military resources to extract their citizens, pero maraming airlines ang ayaw magpa-charter pag delikado ang lugar.
Sabagay, puro cutbacks na rin ang UN at US sa mga resources nila at hindi na mabilis ang assistance nila sa mga ganyang sitwasyon.

PR was meant to be chartered for Libya evac but I dont know what happened, they did it too late.

Two Filipinos previously missing in Christchurch quake are safe; Embassy team continues its assistance

A February 25, 2011 press release by the Department of Foreign Affairs

The Philippine Embassy in Wellington reported that the two-man team it sent to Christchurch in the aftermath of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Monday continues its assistance to the Filipino community there, as well as coordination with authorities.

It also reported that two Filipinas previously reported missing, Rita Estrella and Hayley Concepcion, are safe.

The team, led by Charge d’Affaires Giovanni Palec, is actively coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), police and rescue teams. He communicated with New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully, who stated that the MFAT will actively coordinate with them in assistance to the Filipino community.

New Zealand authorities are cautious in releasing information about those who may have perished in the quake, as they will need to verify the identities of the remains thru DNA testing.

Authorities are currently concentrated in searching for those who still may be alive and the remains of those who perished. The remains will be moved to a military camp in Christchurch, where the identification and processing will start approximately three weeks from now.

The team is actively assisting the Filipino community in Christchurch, distributing water purifying tablets and food provisions to them. They have encouraged the community to avail of counselling and victim support offered by the authorities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) is coordinating with the families of the remaining 12 Filipinos who are reported missing by apprising them of the situation, and requesting for passport information and other biometric information. DFA-OUMWA has also requested the Regional Consular Office in Cebu to coordinate with the families of those from there.

It also requested the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to check if any of the 12 Filipinos for possible provision of assistance from their end.

dfa.gov.ph

Source: http://www.gov.ph/2011/02/25/two-filipinos-previously-missing-in-christchurch-quake-are-safe-embassy-team-continues-its-assistance/

A humanitarian crisis taking shape... :ohno:

LIBYA

Full evacuation for OFWs
Frantic operations to evacuate begin as chaos in Libya widens

By ROY C. MABASA and THE NEW YORK TIMES
February 25, 2011, 7:39pm


MANILA, Philippines — Frantic operations to evacuate foreigners from the widening chaos in Libya continued Friday, with the Philippines ordering the full evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos and European officials already looking toward the next challenge: Coping with what could be a huge influx of refugees from across the Mediterranean.

Libya was on edge Friday as forces loyal to Moamer Khadafy's crumbling regime staged a bloody fightback in western towns near Tripoli, as the east declared itself free of his iron-fisted rule.

Outraged Western governments scrambled to craft a collective response to the crisis in the oil-rich North African state, including possible sanctions against Khadafy's remaining loyalists and a freeze on assets they are believed to have salted away abroad.

But governments were constrained by fears of reprisals against nationals still stranded amid what escaping expatriates described as hellish scenes as evacuation efforts dragged on the 11th day of the crisis.

Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said 97 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the OEA Grands Project already took a plane bound to Paris, en route to Manila.

Eleven other Filipinos from the Benghazi-based Al Nahr Engineering Limited are being repatriated by their employer. A number of them are due for evacuation anytime via the British Naval Fleet to Malta.

Another 300 Filipinos were evacuated to a safe area in Tripoli from Brega, Jalo, and the Zahara Desert. The company has a plane that can carry 100 passengers.

However, three Filipinos decided to stay on in Benghazi for personal reasons.

The DFA also reported that the first Filipino repatriate from Libya – Tuguegarao native Engineer Benjur Urusugan – arrived Thursday afternoon in Manila aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Tunisia.

President Benigno S. Aquino III said that OFWs in Libya who have no means for repatriation are being prioritized by the government.

He said that 13,000 out of the 26,000 Filipinos in Libya may be repatriated “if necessary.”

“We have been in touch with them and their recruiting agencies here and those who will not be taken by their employers, those are ones we’re preparing for. Towards that end, we’re negotiating with PAL [Philippine Airlines] and Qatar Airways to lease their planes to bring back to the country our citizens who’d want to come back here,” Aquino said.

PAL ready

In response, PAL said it is ready to mount emergency flights to evacuate Filipinos.

PAL president and COO Jaime Bautista said the flag carrier is just waiting for final DFA instructions regarding the exact pick-up point where PAL will fetch Filipino evacuees.

“Our planes can fly to Tunisia or Cairo from Riyadh. We can also mount direct charter flights to other safe pick up points near Libya to be determined by the DFA,” Bautista said.

Last Thursday, 12 other OFWs were able to cross the Egyptian border from Libya. The OFWs were engineers and managers from the Korean construction firm Won Company who were evacuated by their employer via land from Tobruk in Libya to Asalum in Egypt. They include Engel Basa, Ruel Ascaño, Reynan Maranan, Joel Almeda, Joseph Dapitan, Joe Salas, Alex Villalobos, Michael John Noble, Elmer Legaspi, Frankie Saludaga, Jarie dela Cruz and Mark Sabay.

They will proceed to Cairo and will fly to Manila over the weekend, the DFA said.

Another OFW, Engineer Judith Tuvera, crossed from Tobruk in Libya to Alexandria with her employer last Wednesday.

In a press conference held at the DFA headquarters in Pasay City yesterday afternoon, acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario disclosed that the Philippine embassy has activated relocations centers in Tripoli and Benghazi where OFWs may stay in “unless of course they feel safe where they are.”

“In which case our advise to them is to remain there until further notice,” Del Rosario told members of the diplomatic corps. “OFWs in relocation centers will be taken to exit points where they will be transported out of Libya.”

Del Rosario also announced that the DFA will come out with some information which it will circulate in several newspapers.

“We will be buying space and the information will be specific,” Del Rosario said.

Current initiatives being undertaken by the DFA include making shipping arrangements to take out Filipinos in Benghazi to the safe haven of Crete while those in Tripoli will head to Malta where they will be flown to locations where commercial flights to Manila are available.

Del Rosario said alternative land routes are also being established out of Libya from Tripoli, the outpost in the border of Tunisia and Benghazi, and the outpost in the border town in Egypt.

Initiatives now in place include employer organized repatriation which is part of the employment contract.

“According to the employment contracts of OFWs in Libya, the employer repatriation is an imperative. However, we believe that not all of these employers are complying with their contracts,” Del Rosario stressed.

The Department of Labor and Employment currently estimates that 13,000 Filipinos will be repatriated by their employers.

He said other relocation sites have been activated, including Philippine schools in Benghazi and the Filipino Workers' Resource Center in Tripoli.

The DFA is also increasing the number of Embassy staff now deployed to assist in Libyan borders of Tunisia and Egypt.

In addition, Del Rosario said President Aquino has allotted an initial amount of some R100 million for the repatriation program.

“Our objective is to do this as quickly as possible. The DFA is fully committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of our beloved Filipinos in Libya,” he said.

Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people crowded into Tripoli’s main airport on Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. Amateur video posted by the British newspaper The Independent showed desperate travelers filling the trash-strewn terminal and flowing out the doors into the roads.

The scramble by foreigners to leave the country began several days ago, but the number of commercial flights could not keep up with demand. Many countries have been mobilizing military and chartered ships and planes.

Some government-led evacuations were able to proceed Thursday, with two Greek ferries carrying about 4,500 Chinese workers departing from the eastern city of Benghazi.

ILO appeals for migrant workers

Meanwhile, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has called on the Libyan government to protect the rights of migrant workers, who were trapped in the ongoing violent clashes between government forces and civilian protestors in Libya.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said in a statement Friday that the world body is asking the Libyan government to spare migrant workers, who include OFWs, from its crackdown of demonstrators. (With reports from The New York Times, AFP, Madel R. Sabater, Samuel P. Medenilla)

No survivors as New Zealand quake search goes on

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/51421000/jpg/_51421507_011367740-2.jpg

Teams from several nations are searching collapsed buildings in Christchurch

Rescue workers in New Zealand found no survivors during another day of searching in the quake-hit city of Christchurch, as the slow process of identifying the dead began.

More than 220 people remain missing in the wake of Tuesday's earthquake. Rescuers believe multiple bodies lie beneath three collapsed structures.

The death toll stands at 113 people, of whom six have been formally identified.

On Friday, teams began removing the felled spire of Christchurch Cathedral.

Officials believe up to 22 bodies may lie beneath the rubble there.

"We're having to move extremely slowly, we're working brick by brick. There are a lot of loved ones in here that we want to get out," rescue worker Steve Culhane told Reuters news agency.

As many as 120 people are thought to have been killed inside the collapsed CTV office block, including Japanese, Chinese and Philippine nationals.

Another concentration of the missing is thought to be inside the destroyed Pyne Gould building.

Seventy people were found in the rubble in the 24 hours after the earthquake, but no survivors have been found since late on Wednesday despite the presence of teams from around the world on the ground.


At the epicentre

Nick Bryant
BBC News, Lyttelton, Christchurch

Just outside the port of Lyttelton we saw one of the more startling sights of the Christchurch quake - a bungalow with a gaping hole through its middle that looked as if it had been hit by a missile rather than an earthquake.

At first glance, it was hard to make sense of what could have happened. But then, about 50m further down the hill, we saw the massive boulder that had come hurtling down the escarpment and crashed through the core of the property.

It was the size of a small car, and had seemingly hopped over the road like a bouncing bomb. Most remarkable of all, perhaps, it had not killed anybody.

"The rescue focus is drawing towards a conclusion," Foreign Minister Murray McCully said. "We're getting to the end of that period in which you can still have hope."

Christchurch mayor Bob Parker said residents should steel themselves for the death toll to rise "substantially" in the next 24-48 hours.

'Must be alive'

Families of the missing have appealed for the identification process to be accelerated, but officials are using DNA identification and have asked for patience.

Relatives of missing foreign nationals have also been arriving from overseas.

"My son and daughter must be alive," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted 57-year-old Yoo Sang-cheol, as saying as he arrived in Christchurch.

"I hear that some of the injured people have not yet been identified, so I'm going to go to the hospitals immediately," he said.

Power has now been restored to 80% of the city but water supply remains a problem. Residents are being urged to boil water for drinking or cooking because of contamination fears.

Roads have been damaged by liquefaction - where the earth loses its strength because of the shaking. Officials said levels were between 300 and 500% worse than after the previous - more powerful - earthquake in September 2010.

Looting has been reported in some places, as well as the presence of conmen trying to pass themselves off as government officials to secure access to people's homes.

"I am frankly sickened by people like this, who see this disaster as an opportunity to prey on vulnerable people," said police superintendent Russell Gibson.

Troops and police are out in force in the city, and 300 Australian police officers have been drafted in to assist.

'So lucky'
But amid the misery there was one bright spot - as a woman pulled from the rubble of the Pyne Gould building went ahead with her wedding.

Quake survivor, Emma Howard: "I just assumed we wouldn't be getting married."

Emma Howard spent six hours trapped in the building, as rescue teams and her fiance worked to get her out.

"I'm so lucky I didn't get under my desk," the 23-year-old told local media. "My desk was crushed by the corner of the concrete (ceiling) above me that came down."

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) early on Tuesday afternoon, when the South Island city was at its busiest.

It was Christchurch's second major tremor in five months, and New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster for 80 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/world/11/christchurch_earthquake/img/christchurch_quake_624map_3.jpg

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12576808?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

22 'hostaged' Pinoys head for Tunisia

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 02/25/2011 8:16 PM | Updated as of 02/25/2011 8:16 PM


MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were earlier reported to have been held against their will at a construction site in Zentan, Libya are now on their way to the Tunisian border.

“One hour na po kaming nagbi-byahe galing kampo. Hindi ko po alam ang lugar dito hindi po ako marunong magbasa ng Arabic. Libyan territory pa rin po ito kasi 3 hours po papuntang Tunisian border,” said Abraham Pontanilla, one of the 22 OFWs.

Pontanilla said their employer was able to negotiate with the Libyans to take them, including the more than 600 workers, to the border.

“Nag-negotiate po yung employer namin sa mga Libyan na ihatid kami kasi puno din po itong sasakyan namin. Trailer truck po. Bale yung i-evacuate na employee is more than 600 people,” said Pontanilla in an interview with TV Patrol.

Pontanilla also told his wife Lea that they are still unsure of what to expect when they reach the border as they only have their passports and a small amount of money with them.

“Pagdating sa border ng Tunisia di namin alam kung anong dadatnan namin doon. Kasi passport lang hawak namin at konting pera. Di namin alam exact location, kasi ang border mahaba yan,” he said.

He added that he and his colleagues are praying that they would be able to come home very soon.

An earlier report quoted co-worker Allan Hilario as saying that they could not go out of their camp because they were surrounded by armed Libyan men.

"Kasi wala talagang makalabas...gwardyado nila yung perimeter para masigurado nila na walang tatakas na trabahante," Hilario said.

The Filipinos were held at the ISU Construction site in Zentan. Hilario said that he heard the Libyans talking to their Korean employers asking for "300 per head." He said he was not sure if it's in US dollar or in dinar.

“Babayaran po per head, parang per head po yung hinihingi ng mga local kaya hindi po kami makalabas dito hanggang wala pong katapat na pera. Sa dinig namin nasa 300 ho, 300, hindi namin alam kung in dollars or in dinar,” Hilario said.

The Filipino workers expressed anger and disappointment with the Philippine embassy.

“Sabi nila nag-iintay pa raw sila ng instruction tapos magme-meeting pa daw yung mga delegate na darating. Nakakasakit po ng damdamin kasi kung kailan magulo mag-mimeeting pa," Hilario said.

The workers pleaded to the embassy to rescue them.

“Kung hindi kami makarating sa Tunisia ngayon, sana man lang sa gubyerno try nila na sunduin kami kung saan kami makakarating ngayon. Napakadelikado po ng sitwasyon. Baka sa susunod kung wala na po silang makuha sa amin baka sasaktan na po kami,” he said. - with a report from Niña Corpuz, ABS-CBN News

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/02/25/11/22-hostaged-pinoys-head-tunisia

NEW ZEALAND QUAKE:

7 bodies of Filipinos retrieved

Friday, February 25, 2011

CEBU CITY -- Bodies of seven Filipinos were reportedly retrieved from the rubble of the Canterbury Television (CTV) building in Christchurch, New Zealand, but were not identified.

An aunt of one of the six Cebuanos trapped in the same building said she received this information at 5:22 p.m. Thursday.

Be updated with the latest reports on corruption. Visit our Corruption Monitor blog now!

Dr. Ethel Uy, aunt of Rhea Mae Sumalpong, said a representative of the family was not allowed to see the bodies.


Three days after the earthquake, Mario Ruel Sumalpong has yet to hear from the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand about his daughter, 25-year-old Rhea Mae, who was among the Filipinos trapped inside the collapsed CTV.

Addressing Cebu reporters through a video conference from Australia Thursday, Sumalpong burst into tears as he expressed his “diminishing hopes” for his daughter to be alive.

Sumalpong, a hotel worker, lives in Australia with his wife Marlene, a nurse, and another daughter, who is studying nursing there. They used to live in Tuyan, Naga.

Uy said her niece was scheduled to take the nursing board exam in New Zealand on March 13, and planned to work in Australia later this year.

Rhea Mae went to New Zealand last October 29 and worked as a caregiver at a hospital.

In an interview in her clinic in Naga City Thursday, Uy said she was disappointed with the way the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is handling the situation.

At 5:22 p.m. Thursday, Uy received a report that the bodies of seven Filipinos were retrieved from the CTV building, but these were not identified.

She said Ariel Amado Caballero, who lives with Rhea Mae and whom they authorized to represent them, was not allowed to see the bodies.

Uy said she went to the DFA Cebu office last Wednesday and wrote a narrative report appealing to the agency to change its earlier statement that no Filipino was harmed during the earthquake.

“We in the family got mad. It’s because of the statements from the DFA and in the news that there were no Filipino casualties or fatalities. We were hurt because how could we ask our Philippine government for any help if they had made that declaration?” she said.

Sumalpong said they wanted to go to Christchurch to check on Rhea Mae’s condition but were advised against it because the place remains unsafe.
“Once we receive news, good or bad, we will go there,” he said.

He said the last time he talked with Rhea Mae was Saturday night and his wife last talked to their daughter Monday night.

Uy said Rhea Mae texted her mother 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, saying she and others were trapped. After that, their calls went directly to her voice mail.

Rhea Mae, whom Sumalpong described as a good daughter, graduated from Southwestern University in 2007.

Another Filipina whose condition remains unknown is Emmabelle Anoba, who had worked with Rhea Mae at the South General Hospital in Tuyan, Naga.

Emmabelle, like Rhea Mae and four other Cebuanos, was in the CTV building attending English review classes for the nursing licensure exam when the earthquake happened.

Her last text to her relatives in Cebu came at 1 a.m. Tuesday after the earthquake.

Also trapped in the CTV were John Christopher Chua from Lapu-Lapu City, Ezra May Medalle, Cecil Redoble and Jewel Francisco.

Emmabelle left Cebu for New Zealand only last February 19. She called up her mother Annabella the next day to say that she had arrived safe.

Annabella Anoba runs a vegetable stall at the Minglanilla Public Market. She begged off from being interviewed and assigned her sister, Jerusalem Clemeña, to answer questions from reporters.

Clemeña, holding a rosary, said the family is worried because the rescue work has been stopped and they have not heard about Emmabelle yet.

They had expected the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand to give them an update of the condition of those trapped in the CTV but had received none.

Clemeña said Rhea Mae and Emmabelle’s groupmates in New Zealand, Robelyn and Ruby Dacares, also received text messages from Anoba’s group asking for help while buried underneath.

“Tabangi kami Rob, kay nia mi ilawom. Makaginhawa pa man hinuon mi” was Rhea Mae’s text to Robelyn.

They could still be alive, Clemeña said.

Clemeña said the Anoba family plans to see their congressman, Representative Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, first district), to ask for help.

Emmabelle’s three sisters are nurses and she has a brother who is a civil engineer. Her father Emmanuel works at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

Emmabelle took up nursing at the University of Cebu and graduated in 2005. (RSB/OCP/Sun.Star Cebu)

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2011/02/25/7-bodies-filipinos-retrieved-141717

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on February 25, 2011.

Good Heavens! So sad for Ruel, be strong bro!

Kahit saan, mapagkawanggawa ang mga Pilipino. If you are in Burma, please help. These are for the orphans of Nargis.

Mga kababayan,

Malugod po kayong inaanyayahang maki-isa sa pagbibigay ng kalinga sa mga batang na ulila dahil sa hagupit ng nakaraang Bagyong Nargis sa Bahay Apunan ni Tata Josep ng Mowbi, Yangon Division sa ika-20 ng Pebrero 2011. Assembly time ay 8:00 -8:30 ng umaga sa harap ng St. Agustine Church.

May ambagan po na 5000 MMK para sa pagkain ng mga bata. Tumatanggap rin po kami ng cash donation kung nais maki-isa ngunit hindi makakasama.

Para sa detalye, kontakin po ang mobile number 098634327 or e-mail mcapistrano0106@gmail.com. Salamat po

Dok Mel
Chairman, Civic Committee

Mel Capistrano

Filipino Community in Burma:

Larong Pinoy sa Burma:

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/71647_154601094575017_138069669561493_228132_370666_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/68299_154597361242057_138069669561493_228107_5090549_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/40027_138070862894707_138069669561493_160263_4605493_n.jpg

Source:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Filipino-Community-in-Myanmar/138069669561493

Filipinos helping out Cambodian orphans:

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/154287_1618682400764_1647510609_1425887_3549500_n.jpg

Srasrang Orphanage.
You may call us or Goodnah Filipino restaurant(Siem Reap) 017873173 for any infi on our volunteer group.Your donations,cash and in kind,will be done so much and will certainly go a long way..Thank u - from http://www.facebook.com/majucs

Filipinos in Mongolia:

http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/19780083/sn/777262697/name/CIMG2222.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/19780083/sn/671064535/name/IMG_5799.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ef_hT6Yu0PE/SPS-KYqQLNI/AAAAAAAAMXI/_HzLk8P_7CU/S760/pinoym1.jpg

Source: http://pinoymongolia.blogspot.com/

Filipinos in Madagascar:

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/31991_100937693288675_100936403288804_6524_4381401_n.jpg

http://api.ning.com/files/4R3vadMc0e4z-zz95HLhrqNT-cXF1e99t7rQpjDQQF8Md3-Me4AQXpiivqDx7fNorRMuUH4x34ejuupJvAfGlb8NNvdlkJeo/P1100319.JPG?width=737&height=552



Source: http://philsocma.ning.com

^^ Yeah, Mongolia ang gusto kong balikan. Nandun pa yung aking minimithi na nagtratrabaho sa isang bangko. hehehe :lol:

Madagascar...hmmm.. :D

Sure ka:D Magnolia ice cream ata yun bitoy eh:D

Sure ka:D Magnolia ice cream ata yun bitoy eh:D

Meron silang ice cream na umusok din...dahil sa sobrang init.. :lol:
Akala nga namin hindi namin kaya kainin yung mga handa nilang pagkain, marami din palang masarap. Saka marami naman pagpilian na resto sa Ulan bator, sa disyerto lang talaga kelangan handa ang tiyan mo sa native dishes nila.

^^ Kung hindi siguro nagkanakawan sa AFP, baka marami tayong perang pang arkila ng eroplano. Sa ngayon, walang eroplano ang PAF na makakapagsundo ng maraming na stranded na OFW. pag-asa siguro humingi ng tulong sa UN or sa US at China.

Ipadala natin si Ligot doon para dalhin ang mga kababayan pabalik ng Pilipinas na naipit sa gulo doon sa Libya. :lol:

^^ hehehe, ang dami nga palang binalasang mga pondo ng mga ito... sa ibang bansa, kinatay na ang mga yan.


On Libya, akala ko nga smalltime lang ang unrest, tapos lahat na pala inivacuate at sarado na US embassy. Pag nangyari ang ganyan, kadalasan military action na ang kasunod.... tuma-timing si Barack siguro to send in the Jarheads muna.

Me namatay na daw na Pinoy, kawawa naman, Migrante International yata ang namamahala sa locations nila para ma-abisuhan kung saan pupunta. they really need some help to get out of there, ang lawak ng disyerto ng Libya to survive without any assistance.

Meron silang ice cream na umusok din...dahil sa sobrang init.. :lol:
Akala nga namin hindi namin kaya kainin yung mga handa nilang pagkain, marami din palang masarap. Saka marami naman pagpilian na resto sa Ulan bator, sa disyerto lang talaga kelangan handa ang tiyan mo sa native dishes nila.

Punta ko sa Gobi sa June. Nakupo. Magbabaon ako ng Lucky Me. :lol::lol:

Punta ko sa Gobi sa June. Nakupo. Magbabaon ako ng Lucky Me. :lol::lol:

Kung diyan ka manggagaling, makabili ka sa blackmarket ng MREs (meals ready to eat), bili ka marami dahil yung iba, puwede mo ipang-trade sa disyerto for some pleasures. :lol:

^^ Kung hindi siguro nagkanakawan sa AFP, baka marami tayong perang pang arkila ng eroplano. Sa ngayon, walang eroplano ang PAF na makakapagsundo ng maraming na stranded na OFW. pag-asa siguro humingi ng tulong sa UN or sa US at China.
^^
Most airlines in the US are part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) that could be called upon by the government in case there is a need for evacuation or military rapid deployment. I hope the Philippines have some similar program or should have one to rapidly evacuate OFW's.

Kung diyan ka manggagaling, makabili ka sa blackmarket ng MREs (meals ready to eat), bili ka marami dahil yung iba, puwede mo ipang-trade sa disyerto for some pleasures. :lol:

Aww. Mabilis lang ako sa Ulan Bator, I will be picked up straight from the airport in UB and then we drive for hours to the edge of the Gobi to the west where I will be staying for about 3 days in a ger.

Btw, do you have any links re Filipino casualty in Libya?

My friend and contact from the Turkish Foreign Ministry who is currently based in Ankara confirmed that 4 Filipinos boarded a Turkish ship/plane for evacuation from strife torn Libya. My friend also said that more to follow in the next few days.

Here's what he said:

We already evacuated some of your kabayan;)

I'm in ankara now but I'm going brussels in a few hours.the latest figure was 4 pinoys boarded on turkish ships/planes but their number will probably increase in the coming days.

Sorry cant post his name here.

Text messages of a Filipina from the rubble in New Zealand

Associated Press
First Posted 17:48:00 02/25/2011
Filed Under: Disasters (general), Family, Earthquake

A chronology of cell phone communication between Louise Amantillo, missing in the rubble of a quake-collapsed building in New Zealand, and her parents in the Philippines as dictated by her mother, Linda Amantillo.

February 22

12:51 p.m. — Magnitude-6.3 earthquake strikes New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Louise texts:

1:50 p.m. — "Mommy, I got buried."

2:31 p.m. — "Mommy, I can't move my right hand."

Between 2:31 and 2:39 — Louise manages a brief cell phone call to say: "Mommy, it's painful already. Please help me, please have me rescued." Linda Amantillo passes the phone to the girl's father, Alexander Amantillo, but the signal is cut before he hears anything. The mother later says that "Her voice was shaking, like she was really scared. I know she was in pain."

Louise texts:

2:39 p.m. — "I got pinned. I'm hurt in this position."

2:45 p.m. — "I have not yet been rescued. It's painful already."

2:52 p.m. — "It's still shaking. I'm pinned."

3:08 p.m. — "There is no rescue in my area."

3:10 p.m. — "The smoke is overwhelming."

Between 3:10 and 3:29 — Louise's parents send a text: "Where were you trapped?"

Louise texts.

3:29 p.m. — "Right side CTV area."

3:29 p.m. — "Right facing Madras St."

3:32 p.m. — "Cor. Madras St. and Chassel St. Please make it quick."

Later Tuesday — Linda Amantillo tries to call her daughter but there is only a recorded response asking caller to leave a message.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110225-322217/Text-messages-of-a-Filipina-from-the-rubble-in-New-Zealand

DFA: Free calls, hotline numbers for kin of OFWs in Libya

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:47:00 02/26/2011

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in cooperation with SMART Communications, has made available a 24-hour “Libreng Tawag” for families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who may wish to talk directly to their relatives in Libya, the DFA said in a statement to media.

Families of OFWs can go to the south wing lobby of the DFA Main Building in Pasay City to avail of the Libreng Tawag joint public service program, which began at 9 a.m., this Saturday.

A crisis management center has also been set-up with 24-hour hotline numbers (834-4580, 834-3245, 834-3240, and 834-4646 ) at the DFA for families of OFWs who may want to get information about the conditions of their relatives in Libya, the DFA said.

The DFA is on a full relocation and repatriation mode in view of the escalating violence and widespread insecurity in Libya.

It is also fully committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of the Filipino nationals in Libya, the DFA said.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110226-322321/DFA-Free-calls-hotline-numbers-for-kin-of-OFWs-in-Libya

Aww. Mabilis lang ako sa Ulan Bator, I will be picked up straight from the airport in UB and then we drive for hours to the edge of the Gobi to the west where I will be staying for about 3 days in a ger.

Btw, do you have any links re Filipino casualty in Libya?

nasa GMAnews (http://www.gmanews.tv/index.html) na yata, yung sa NZ, kawawa naman, malamang nga daw walang maka survive sa mga natabunan.

Priest: Pinoys stranded in Libya on verge of panic
02/26/2011 | 08:46 AM

Several Filipinos remain stranded in strife-torn Libya and may be on the verge of panic as the situation there threatens to grow worse, a parish priest based there said Saturday.

Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche said many Filipinos could not get out of their homes due to sporadic gunfire and the lack of vehicles to take them to assembly points where they can leave Libya.

“We fear things may get worse for foreigners here. Next week if the situation does not improve, panic may set in. Even local residents have to line up for bread rations because the stores are closed," Arcebuche, assistant parish priest of San Francesco Catholic Church in Tripoli, said in Filipino in an interview on dzRH radio.

“It is hard to mobilize Filipinos for evacuation because of the lack of vehicles available in the desert, as some employers have left their workers behind," he said, adding that more than 1,000 Filipinos are stranded in the desert.

Moreover, he said stranded Filipinos dare not go out beyond 4 p.m. because of fear they may be shot, and that they could not even contact the Philippine Embassy there.

Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) admitted having problems getting in touch with Philippine embassy officials due to communication line problems.

“Sometimes we have problems connecting to the Philippine post. We are doing our best to contact our post," OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon said in a separate interview on dzRH.

Living in fear

Arcebuche said that in Misurata district in northwestern Libya, Filipino nurses could not report for duty due to the intense exchange of fire outside hospitals.

“Pag may nakarinig ng machine gun nagpa-panic sila (They tend to panic if they hear machine gun fire)," he said.

Several Filipino professors also could not leave because of the lack of vehicles that can take them to a rendezvous point.

“Ganito ang sitwasyon sa Tripoli, mahirap kumilos ang contingent dahil ang away narito na sa Tripoli (This is the situation in Tripoli. It is hard for contingents to move because the fighting has come to Tripoli)," he said.

He also cited news reports that the closure of the US Embassy in Tripoli, which is facing sanctions, has prompted the Libyan government to urge people to arm themselves in case of “external aggression."

“This is a scary scenario for Filipinos that other countries must consider. What is needed now is not violence but humanitarian aid, especially since the stores are closed and no food is available," the priest said.

On the other hand, he said some Filipinos are becoming envious of other nationalities whose governments had launched repatriation efforts.

Arcebuche said the best way to evacuate Filipinos now may be by ferry because there is no more safe route except by sea, adding that many major cities have international ports.

“If they try to move by land it is almost impossible now. The government no longer has control of critical roads," he said.

Locked up

In Gharian in northwestern Libya, a Filipina resident complained they had been forced to stay home for more than a week, and she could not get through to the Philippine Embassy.

“We are in virtual house arrest for almost a week. We are ready to leave and we have stocked up on groceries. But the problem is we do not know how to get out of the house," the woman who declined to give her name said in Filipino an interview on dzRH.

She also said Filipinos at the exit area are going hungry, and are complaining that there is no one from the Philippine government coordinating with them.

“Walang gusto umalis sa place namin dahil walang kasiguraduhan. ‘Di kami pwede lumipad. Ang problema ay ang sasakyan (Many Filipinos do not want to leave because of the uncertainty. We cannot fly out. We cannot even find vehicles that can take us to exit points)," she said.

“Even if we get to the exit point, where will we go and who will coordinate with us? We cannot even contact the embassy, the OWWA or the Department of Foreign Affairs," she added.

DFA on repatriation mode

On Friday, the DFA claimed it is now on full relocation and repatriation mode, in the wake of continued violence in Libya.

A news release on the DFA website said the Philippine Embassy has activated relocation centers in Tripoli and Benghazi for OFWs to stay in, “unless they feel safe where they are, in which case they should remain there until further notice."

It said the OFWs in relocation centers will be moved to exit points where they will be transported out of Libya.

* Current initiatives
- Shipping arrangements are being made to take out Filipinos in Benghazi to the safe haven of Crete, and those in Tripoli to the safe haven of Malta, where they will be flown to locations where commercial flights to Manila are available.

- Alternative land routes are being established out of Libya. For those in Tripoli and environs, an outpost is being set up on the border of Tunisia. For those in the Benghazi area their land route would be through the outpost in As Sallum, a border town of Egypt.

- Embassy personnel are posted in these outposts to provide necessary assistance.

* Initiatives in place
- OFWs are enjoined to avail of employer-organized repatriation.

- For others, relocation sites have been activated: the Philippine School and the Filipino Workers Resource Center in Tripoli and the two Philippine Schools in Benghazi.

- An increasing number of personnel are deployed and are assisting in Libya, particularly at the border crossings of Tunisia and Egypt.

- The President has allotted an initial amount of over P100 million for the repatriation program and emergency services for Filipino nationals.

- The assistance of the International Organization for Migration, as well as other countries, have been enlisted.
* Assistance to families
- In cooperation with SMART, a 24-hour “Libreng tawag" is available at the DFA for families of OFWs to talk directly to relatives in Libya.

- A crisis management center has been set up, with a 24-hour hotline number (834-4580) at the DFA, for families of OFWs to get information about their relatives in Libya.

— LBG, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/213992/priest-pinoys-stranded-in-libya-on-verge-of-panic

^^
Most airlines in the US are part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) that could be called upon by the government in case there is a need for evacuation or military rapid deployment. I hope the Philippines have some similar program or should have one to rapidly evacuate OFW's.

Yes, there are a lot of US airline planes enrolled on that emergency mobility support. During the Gulf Wars, some airline planes were used to support the coalition troops. But for now, the USAF airlift units I think can still handle the evacuees from Libya.

RT @Nikobaua: 4 of Gaddafi family's domestic helpers are pinoy and are stuck inside the president's compound. Not allowed to make calls to the embassy.

:ohno::ohno::ohno:

DFA chief off to Tunisia to head Libya evacuation
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/02/26/11/dfa-chief-tunisia-head-libya-evacuation


MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) - Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is on his way to Tunisia to personally head the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers from strife-torn Libya.

Assistant Secretary Ed Malaya, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), announced over radio dzMM that Del Rosario and Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. left Manila past midnight on board an Emirates airline flight and were expected to arrive in Tunisia around 4:05 p.m. (Manila time).

"Ang pakay niya ay gusto niyang makita ng personal kung ano talaga ang kalagayan ng ating mga kababayan at pamunuan mismo ang ating repatriation efforts," Malaya announced.

The DFA spokesman added that teams from Philippine embassies in Riyadh, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and more people from the department's main office in Manila will also travel to Libya's nearby territories to augment teams already in place for the full OFW repatriation.

Malaya added that the DFA has also requested the Department of National Defense and the Philippine Air Force to dispatch C-130 planes for shuttle flight services for the evacuating Filipinos.

He said that the C-130 planes are needed to take repatriated Filipinos to Tunisia and Cairo, where the OFWs will take commercial flights to Manila.

He said that the DFA has already arranged the C-130 planes' overflight clearances through their counterparts in countries surrounding Libya.

First batch arrives


In a separate radio dzMM interview, Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced that OFWs evacuated from Libya will arrive in Manila in several flights.

Twenty OFWs already arrived on board Gulf Air flight 154 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at 10:25 a.m. on Saturday.

A radio dzMM report said the Filipinos are workers of French firm Vinci Construction Grand Projects, which was building a new airport in Tripoli.

The report said 77 more construction workers will arrive at the NAIA in at least 5 batches on Saturday.

Dimzon said that the families of the OFWs have been notified of their arrival and officials from the DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment will welcome the returning Filipinos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

She said the Filipinos and their families can stay temporarily at the OWWA Halfway Home in Pasay City.

Malaya said that aside from the Filipinos arriving Saturday, there are 12 more OFWs who have fled Libya and were on board a British naval ship bound for the southern European country of Malta. Seventy more OFWs have been evacuated to Maris, Turkey.

The DFA, meanwhile, announced that it has made available a 24-hour free call service for families of OFWs in Libya.

The DFA said that the phone boots were opened 9 a.m. Saturday and it will be open to OFWs relatives 24 hours.

It also announced that a crisis management center has also been set-up at the main office. Relatives who want to ask for information about OFWs in Libya can call number 834-4580, 834-3245, 834-3240 and 834-4646.

:ohno::ohno::ohno:

Teka, papano nalaman na hindi sila makatawag sa embassy?

Ganyan din naman nangyari during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, maraming DH na hindi nakaalis until the liberation. Maraming pangyayari sa kanila na hindi na nabalitaan, naging bulongbulungan na lang.

Malamang, bibigay na si Gaddafi with all the sanctions from some nations.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02cqdLSejI1jr/610x.jpg

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/00efcWkf4B6Ti/610x.jpg

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0dNUgFReYi7GA/610x.jpg
Overseas Filipino workers repatriated from Libya wave during their arrival at Manila's International Airport February 26, 2011.

Teka, papano nalaman na hindi sila makatawag sa embassy?

Ganyan din naman nangyari during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, maraming DH na hindi nakaalis until the liberation. Maraming pangyayari sa kanila na hindi na nabalitaan, naging bulongbulungan na lang.

Malamang, bibigay na si Gaddafi with all the sanctions from some nations.

I think some were able to text/call their loved ones, afaik the embassy in Tripoli was closed and all the staff already left a week before it got really bad.

First Libya evacuees have no kind word for gov’t agency
By Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:41:00 02/26/2011
Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Security (general)

MANILA, Philippines—"I came from Libya and all I got was an OWWA ball cap."

The lament was prevalent among the first batch of repatriated Filipino workers, who claimed that all they received from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) upon their arrival were red or blue ball caps and a promise from the agency that assistance to them would be facilitated.

The first batch, consisting of 20 out of 97 migrant workers, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 10:25 a.m. and were welcomed by the OWWA with a briefing.

“The officials of the OWWA briefed us at the airport. They did not even offer us coffee,” Max Bison, 50, a foreman of the French company Vinci Construction Grand Project and a native of Nueva Ecija, told the
Inquirer, while he waited for his family at the LBS Recruitment Solutions Inc. on TM Kalaw Avenue in Manila.

“The OWWA promised to facilitate the delivery of assistance to us. All we got from them were these ball caps,” Bison pointed out, showing the Inquirer a red cap marked “OWWA” which he held by the visor.

Charlie Puyot, 46, a carpenter for the same company, of Batac, Ilocos Norte, said that the first batch had to walk out on the OWWA as soon as the bus sent by LBS to fetch them arrived.

“We all wanted to go home. We were hungry and they weren’t even feeding us. It’s not that it was all we wanted from them. We wanted an assurance of financial support because we escaped from Libya with nothing,” Puyot, who has worked in the now war-torn Libya for two years, explained.

“We had to walk out on OWWA because they wanted us to wait for the second batch of workers from Libya. We cannot do that, our families are waiting for us. At least when we got to LBS, we were fed and
welcomed warmly,” Puyot pointed out and laughed when he said that all he got from OWWA was a blue ball cap.

Conrado Villaflores, 55, an electrical technician for six years, agreed with his colleagues at Vinci Construction, smiling sheepishly as he showed his OWWA ball cap.

“We were lucky we worked for a big company. I don’t know what would have happened to us if we didn’t. What we should be thinking about now are the rest of the OFWs who are still in Libya and get them out as soon as possible,” Villaflores said.

“You can just imagine the difficulty and fear of staying in that country. There was lawlessness everywhere. We heard machine gun fire from outside our compound and just as we were boarding the chartered flight out of Libya, we saw tanks entering the airport. We only prayed that all of us could get out safely,” the 55-year-old migrant worker recalled. The Vinci compound is located in Al Andalus, Libya.

He told the Inquirer that when his wife called him while he was still in Libya, she could not be convinced that he was fine. “When I said everything was okay there, she asked me, ‘Why is your voice shaking?’
I lied because I did not want to alarm her and said because it was cold.”

Villaflores said that all of them had to leave the things, mostly appliances, they bought in Libya so more evacuees could be accommodated on the flights out of the country. “Losing our things is much better than losing our lives,” he said.

LBS vice president for special projects Ezekiel Alunen told the Inquirer that the repatriation of the OFWs was probably the “first successful organized repatriation” of workers from Libya.

“Vinci chartered a plane to evacuate our workers and fly them to Paris. From there, where they were allowed to stay at a hotel, the OFWs flew here,” he said, explaining that the repatriation would be done in batches with the last batch expected to arrive at 11 p.m.

Alunen stressed that most of the workers repatriated from Libya would be placed in jobs in Qatar, where Vinci also has a project.

“It is good that Vinci immediately decided to evacuate our workers. We would not have slept well until they are back here,” the LBS vice president for special projects said.

Valeriana Alunen, 54, whose husband Jemuel works as a safety supervisor at Vinci, told the Inquirer that she was overjoyed that he was back. “I was worried because I learned that last night, the Vinci compound was bombed and I was not sure if my husband was telling me the truth that they were already in Paris.”

“I only got to breathe easier when I was told that they were already boarding for a flight back here,” the teary-eyed woman said.

“I prayed and prayed and kept on calling or texting him to make sure that all of them are okay. They could not communicate with us here because the prices of pre-paid cards were doubled from 5 Libyan dinars to 10 Libyan dinars and stores have become rare,” she said.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110226-322408/First-Libya-evacuees-have-no-kind-word-for-govt-agency

^^ A lousy baseball cap indeed, but nonetheless their butts are safe for now, papano na yung ibang naiwanan pa?...saka na muna yung compensations sa nakabalik na sa Pinas, I'm sure OWWA or their recruiting companies will make some financial assistance.

OWWA - me pera pa ba sila? baka nagkanakawan din ... :D

"I went to 2 gulf wars and all I got were these colorful service ribbons that no one can understand" .. ~ unknown veteran

^^ A lousy baseball cap indeed, but nonetheless their butts are safe for now, papano na yung ibang naiwanan pa?...saka na muna yung compensations sa nakabalik na sa Pinas, I'm sure OWWA or their recruiting companies will make some financial assistance.

OWWA - me pera pa ba sila? baka nagkanakawan din ... :D

"I went to 2 gulf wars and all I got were these colorful service ribbons that no one can understand" .. ~ unknown veteran

I think the recruiting companies will, as for OWWA, sorry, but bilang Pinoy na nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa, I am just extremely pissed off. Nasaan na ang libo ng pera na binabayad ng kada OFW? Tas ang DFA sobrang bagal. You know how I normally defend the DFA here, but this is one thing that made me really pissed off at them.

Noy should not have had cut the department's budget, it's not the ambassadors who will suffer the most, its the Filipino constituency abroad that will bear the brunt of the govt's inability to help.

Grateful Filipinos fear for those still in Libya
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:16:00 02/27/2011

Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Safety of Citizens, Middle East Africa - Africa, Unrest and Conflicts and War, Air Transport, Europe
MANILA, Philippines—Dozens of Filipinos fleeing the unrest in Libya came home Saturday shaken by the experience and profusely thanking their French employers for arranging their evacuation.

The Filipinos, all men except for the wife of one, and employed by Vinci Construction Grands Projets, flew in from Paris where they were taken following their exit under military guard from the capital city of Tripoli.

“We were extremely lucky. [Our employers] took care of everything, including our hotel accommodations in Paris and our plane tickets,” said Jun Salonga, a native of Nueva Ecija, who had been working at Vinci for eight years.

Salonga, 43, said other Filipinos not employed by multinational companies like Vinci were “so much worse off.”

“Right now, there are still Filipinos there who have no way of getting out,” he said.

Others gave similar accounts, saying there were few signs of the Philippine government’s efforts to get Filipinos out of Libya.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday announced that Acting Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario left Friday night for Tunisia to supervise the repatriation of Filipino workers from Libya.

Del Rosario and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. arrived in Tunis late afternoon Saturday, the DFA said.

An expected 97 Filipinos working in Vinci started arriving in batches at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Saturday morning on separate flights booked by their employers.

Only 74 arrived on schedule. Of the 97, one chose to stay in Tripoli for personal reasons, according to Loreto Soriano, chief executive officer of LBS-E Recruitment Specialists Corp., a local agency affiliated with Vinci.

The Filipinos were welcomed by a team from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) led by its chief, Carmelita Dimzon.

Credit to the French

Soriano said Vinci and the French government should be credited for their tireless efforts to evacuate their workers from Libya.

“Even the French Embassy made calls to the families of the Filipino workers to make sure everything was all right with the evacuation,” Soriano said.

He said the Vinci employees were lucky because the company had existing barracks right inside the airport complex.

Soriano said the DFA was also doing its job. He said Ricardo Endaya, executive director of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, had prepared passports for the Filipinos for their easy transit in case their flight was impeded.

“When he came [to Naia], Endaya was carrying the passports in case the French chartered plane was not given landing rights to the airport,” Soriano said.

Salonga said his group was trapped for days in Vinci’s headquarters in Dirah, about 45 minutes away from the Tripoli International Airport.

He recalled a hair-raising encounter with gun-wielding forces of strongman Moammar Gadhafi: “They were in full battle gear and carrying AK-47s.”

Fortunately, he said, Gadhafi’s forces moved on without a word.

Salonga said that in an exchange of text messages with other Filipinos in the area, he heard of the case of a Filipino employed by another company who had left the shelter.

Narrated Salonga: “He said he wanted to go to the embassy to get his passport. Everybody advised him against going because the streets were not safe.

“But he didn’t listen. He was shot. We didn’t see it but I’m almost sure he got killed.”

But Salonga could not remember the name of the Filipino or his employer.

Border outpost

Per government records, there are 26,000 Filipinos in Libya, of whom 13,000 are expected to leave under arrangements made by their employers.

Acting Foreign Secretary Del Rosario and Conejos are to oversee operations at an outpost on the Tunisian border set up to receive Filipinos crossing from Libya.

DFA spokesperson Eduardo Malaya said Del Rosario did not want word on his departure out until he was on the way. Del Rosario called a press briefing at the DFA on Friday afternoon but gave no indication of his flight to Tunisia that night.

Malaya did not disclose how long Del Rosario would be in the region.

“There is a chance that he will be able to go to Tripoli,” said a senior diplomat, who asked not to be named for lack of clearance to speak on the subject, told the Inquirer.

The diplomat said the plan to visit Tripoli to see to the Filipinos there would depend on whether the delegation would be cleared to enter the city.

C-130 on standby

In a radio interview, Malaya said the DFA had requested the Department of National Defense and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to dispatch a C-130 plane to transport Filipinos from relocation areas in Libya to Tunisia and Cairo, from which they could take commercial flights home.

The PAF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol, said its lone C-130 plane was now on standby and awaiting orders from authorities to take off.

The plane is “in good condition” and can hold 150 passengers with baggage at most, Okol told the Inquirer.

On Friday, the DFA said shipping arrangements had been made and alternative land routes established to get most of the Filipinos out of Libya.

It said it was arranging for ferry ships to take the Filipinos from Tripoli to Malta, and from Benghazi to Crete in Greece, and for the establishment of an outpost at the Tunisian border.

A six-member team sent by the DFA to oversee the repatriation of the Filipinos arrived Friday in Tripoli.

In Manila, the DFA, in cooperation with Smart Communications, has set up a 24-hour free call service for the families of Filipinos in Libya

In Paris without visas

The Filipino employees of Vinci left Libya last Wednesday in a chartered jet to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport where they were met by company representatives.

“We were escorted by the military in Tripoli to the plane,” Salonga recalled.

From the airport, despite having no visas, they were taken to a nearby hotel where each man had a room all to himself.

“It was a nice hotel, but we were guarded the whole time so we couldn’t do any sight-seeing,” Salonga said.

Jerry Pulido, 48, a senior staff member at Vinci, said so many other Filipinos in Libya were “not as lucky.”

“Many of them had their shelters ransacked, their food supplies taken by the protesters. Not all of them could leave the city,” Pulido said.

The Filipinos are unemployed for the time being. But they have been told that they would be given priority should there be openings in Vinci’s other projects worldwide.

LBS-E vice president for special projects Ezekiel Alunan said most of them would be deployed to jobs in Qatar.

Ball caps

The first batch of repatriated Filipino Vinci employees, numbering 20, landed at around 10:25 a.m. on Saturday.

“The Owwa officials briefed us at the airport. They did not even offer us coffee,” Max Bison, 50, a mechanical foreman at Vinci, said while waiting for his family at the LBS-E office on TM Kalaw Avenue in Manila.

“The Owwa promised to facilitate assistance to us. All we got from them were these ball caps,” Bison said, showing the Inquirer a red cap marked with the agency’s initials.

Charlie Puyot, 46, a carpenter at Vinci, said the first batch left the airport as soon as the bus sent by LBS-E to collect them arrived.

“We all wanted to go home. We were hungry and they weren’t even feeding us. But it’s not that it was all we wanted from them. We wanted an assurance of financial support because we escaped from Libya with nothing,” said Puyot, who had worked in Libya for two years. With a report from Jeannette I. Andrade

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110227-322445/Grateful-Filipinos-fear-for-those-still-in-Libya

Unrest in the Middle East and Africa -- country by country
By the CNN Wire Staff

February 27, 2011 -- Updated 0214 GMT (1014 HKT)


(CNN) -- Demonstrations have spread across parts of the Middle East and Africa. Here are the latest developments, including the roots of the unrest:
Saturday developments:

LIBYA

City councils in areas no longer loyal to Gadhafi have chosen former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil to head an interim government that would represent all of Libya, according to opposition sources.

Residents of Tripoli braced for the possibility of more bloodshed Saturday as a defiant Moammar Gadhafi continued to hold on to his four decades of power. He still appears to control the capital, though many other parts of the north African nation have slipped from his grip over days of popular uprising.
Gadhafi's son went on air on Al-Arabiya television Saturday, again blaming foreigners for the unrest and denying that Gadhafi's security apparatus was to blame for the bloodshed.

The prime minister, meanwhile, announced on state television that every family would receive 500 Libyan dinars ($406) from the government.
At the border with Tunisia, thousands of foreign workers streamed in with no place to shelter.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in clashes in recent days, according to the United Nations.

Roots of unrest:

Protests in Libya began in January when demonstrators, fed up with delays, broke into a housing project the government was building and occupied it. Gadhafi's government, which has ruled since a 1969 coup, responded with a $24 billion fund for housing and development.

A month later, more demonstrations were sparked when police detained relatives of those killed in an alleged 1996 massacre at the Abu Salim prison, according to Human Rights Watch. High unemployment has also fueled the protests.

BAHRAIN


Bahrain's king reshuffled his cabinet Saturday as protesters continued to call for reforms and a key opposition leader returned to the country. Hassan Mushaimaa, the leader of the Haq Movement, a large opposition party, had planned to return earlier in the week to give a speech on national unity. His return was delayed by his detention in Lebanon, which he blamed on Bahrain's rulers.

Roots of unrest:

Protesters initially took to the streets of Manama to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy. But some are now calling for the removal of the royal family, which has led the Persian Gulf state since the 18th century. Young members of the country's Shiite Muslim majority have staged protests in recent years to complain about discrimination, unemployment and corruption, issues they say the country's Sunni rulers have done little to address. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights said authorities launched a clampdown on dissent in 2010. It accused the government of torturing some human rights activists.

TUNISIA

Three people were killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the capital, Tunis, according to the Interior Ministry. At least nine people were injured and more than 100 arrested, according to the state-run news agency, TAP.

Demonstrators gathered in the city center are demanding that the prime minister, who was appointed executive by the ousted president, step down. They also want a new constitution and an assembly to oversee the transition to democracy.

Roots of unrest

The revolt was triggered when an unemployed college graduate set himself ablaze after police confiscated his fruit cart, cutting off his source of income. Protesters complained about high unemployment, corruption, rising prices and political repression.

An interim government came to power after an uprising prompted autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to leave the country on January 14. Those demonstrations sparked protests around North Africa and the Middle East.

MAURITANIA

Protesters returned to Blocat Square in the capital, Nouakchott, on Saturday, hours after police chased demonstrators from the square. One person was arrested during that melee. But young people returned by evening, promising to continue the protests over the next several days.

The call to action started last week on Facebook, which is said to be very popular in Mauritania, sources tell CNN.

Roots of unrest

In January, a man set himself on fire in front of the presidential palace, according to news reports -- a self-immolation in the same spirit as others in Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria and elsewhere. There have been two bloodless coups since 2005 in the country, which borders Algeria and Mali, with ex-General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz serving as president since 2009.

IRAN


Iranian opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi and their wives were placed in a safe house for their own welfare, but they have not been arrested, Iranian government sources told CNN Saturday.

However, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed concern for the safety of the leaders and their spouses.

Roots of unrest:

Opposition to the ruling clerics has simmered since the 2009 election, when hundreds of thousands of people filled Tehran streets to denounce Ahmadinejad's re-election as fraudulent.

Iranian authorities began rounding up many government opponents this month amid calls for protests like those that have swept across North Africa and the Middle East.

IRAQ

At least eight people were wounded in Samarra Saturday during clashes between security forces and angry mourners accompanying the caskets of two people killed in protests the day before, according to local police. Security forces battled some of the protesters, who defied a curfew to be there. Authorities later opened fire to disperse the crowd, which led to the reported injuries, police said.

In Tikrit, two protesters who had been critically wounded in Friday protests, police said.

And a teenaged boy died Friday night during protests in Anbar province, police said Saturday.

Those deaths brought the number of those reported killed in protests across Iraq to 13, according to official accounts.

Roots of unrest:

Demonstrations in Iraq have usually not targeted the national government. Instead, the protesters are angry over corruption, the quality of basic services, a crumbling infrastructure and high unemployment, particularly on a local level. They want an end to frequent power outages and food shortages.

YEMEN

Leaders of two tribal groups in Yemen say they will join protests demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, following violent crackdowns on demonstrators in Aden.

Medical officials said Saturday that four people died and 26 were wounded -- some critically -- following clashes that erupted Friday night between anti-government protesters and security forces in southern Yemen.

Amnesty International said at least 11 people had died in Friday's protests, bringing the overall death toll since protests began to 27.

Roots of unrest:

Protesters have called for the ouster of Saleh, who has ruled Yemen since 1978. The country has been wracked by a Shiite Muslim uprising, a U.S.-aided crackdown on al Qaeda operatives and a looming shortage of water. High unemployment fuels much of the anger among a growing young population steeped in poverty. The protesters also cite government corruption and a lack of political freedom. Saleh has promised not to run for president in the next round of elections.

EGYPT

Several thousand people protested Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square to urge Egypt's new rulers to implement promised reforms. They pressed Egypt's Supreme Council to end an emergency law and release political prisoners, among other things. They also pressed for civilian representation in the government.

Roots of unrest:

Complaints about police corruption and abuses were among the top grievances of demonstrators who forced President Hosni Mubarak from office. Demonstrators were also angry about Mubarak's 30-year rule, a lack of free elections and economic issues such as high food prices, low wages and high unemployment.

JORDAN

A large demonstration in downtown Amman on Friday ended peacefully a week after clashes erupted between pro-government and anti-government demonstrators near the Al Husseini Mosque.

Protesters in Jordan have called for reforms and for abolishing the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel.

Roots of unrest:

Jordan's economy has been hit hard by the global economic downturn and rising commodity prices, and youth unemployment is high, as it is in Egypt. Officials close to the palace have told CNN that King Abdullah II is trying to turn a regional upheaval into an opportunity for reform. He swore in a new government following anti-government protests. The new government has a mandate for political reform and is headed by a former general, with opposition and media figures among its ranks.

UNITED NATIONS

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday night to punish Moammar Gadhafi's government in Libya for violence against unarmed civilians
In an emergency session, the 15-member council agreed to slap new sanctions on Gadhafi's government and referred the strongman to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an effective solution to end the violence against anti-government protesters and a Libyan envoy tearfully asked the Security Council to step in.



Some key recent events related to unrest in the Middle East and Africa:

ALGERIA

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced this month that he would lift the emergency declaration, first imposed in 1992 and indefinitely renewed in 1993.

Roots of unrest:

Protests began in January over escalating food prices, high unemployment and housing issues. They started in Algiers but spread to other cities as more people joined and demonstrators toppled regimes in Tunisia and later Egypt. Analysts called Bouteflika's announcement about lifting the state of emergency law an attempt to head off a similar revolt.

DJIBOUTI

Thousands of people have marched in protest through Djibouti. On February 18,riot police charged the crowd after the call to evening prayers, shooting canisters of tear gas at the demonstrators, according to Aly Verjee, director of the international election observation mission to Djibouti, who witnessed the event.

Djibouti is home to Camp Lemonnier, the only U.S. military base on the African continent.

Roots of unrest:

Protesters have called for President Ismail Omar Guelleh -- whose family has ruled the country since its independence from France in 1977 -- to step down ahead of elections scheduled in April. Guelleh has held the post since 1999 and is seeking a third term. Economic stagnation is also a source of anger among the people.

KUWAIT

Protesters in Kuwait have clashed with authorities on at least two occasions. Hundreds of protesters are demanding greater rights for longtime residents who are not citizens of the country. They also demanded the release of people arrested in demonstrations. On February 19, protesters attacked the security forces, who managed to disperse people and make arrests. The forces used tear gas on the demonstration involving between 200 and 400 protesters.

Roots of unrest:

Protesters are seeking greater rights for longtime residents who are not Kuwaiti citizens, an issue the country has been grappling with for decades. According to the CIA World Factbook, Kuwait has 2.7 million people, with 1.3 million registered as "non-nationals."

SUDAN

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has decided not to run for another term in 2015, a senior member of Sudan's ruling National Congress Party said. Al-Bashir has ruled since a military coup in 1989. He won another five-year term in a 2010 vote that opposition parties boycotted over complaints of fraud. He also faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region of Darfur.
Demonstrators have clashed with authorities on recent occasions in Sudan. Human Rights Watch has said that "authorities used excessive force during largely peaceful protests on January 30 and 31 in Khartoum and other northern cities." Witnesses said several people were arrested, including 20 who remain missing.

Roots of unrest:

Demonstrators seek an end to National Congress Party rule and government-imposed price increases, according to Human Rights Watch. It accuses the government of being heavy-handed in its response to demonstrations, and using pipes, sticks and tear gas to disperse protesters.

SYRIA

As protests heated up around the region, the Syrian government pulled back from a plan to withdraw some subsidies that keep the cost of living down in the country. President Bashar al-Assad also gave a rare interview to Western media, telling The Wall Street Journal last month that he planned reforms that would allow local elections and included a new media law and more power for private organizations. A planned "Day of Rage" that was being organized on Facebook against the al-Assad government failed to materialize, The New York Times reported.

Roots of unrest:

Opponents of the al-Assad government allege massive human rights abuses, and an emergency law has been in effect since 1963.

MOROCCO

Protesters have taken to the streets in cities across Morocco to call for political reform. Labor unions, youth organizations and human rights groups demonstrated in at least six cities on Sunday. Police stayed away from the demonstrations, most of which were peaceful, Human Rights Watch reported.

Roots of unrest

Protesters in Morocco are calling for political reform. Government officials say such protests are not unusual and that the protesters' demands are on the agenda of most political parties.

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Hundreds of Palestinians rallied for unity Thursday in Ramallah, West Bank, calling on Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian political factions to heal their rifts amid arguments over elections scheduled for September in the Palestinian territories. "Division generates corruption" was one of banner slogans from demonstrators, who flooded the streets after calls went out on social-networking sites as well as at schools and university campuses.

Roots of unrest:

The Palestinian territories have not seen the kind of demonstrations as in many Arab countries, but the Fatah leaders of the Palestinian Authority have been under criticism since Al-Jazeera published secret papers claiming to reveal that Palestinian officials were prepared to make wide-ranging concessions in negotiations with Israel. Negotiations toward a resolution of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict have since collapsed. Palestinian protests, largely in support of Egypt and Tunisia, were generally small and poorly attended. In some cases the Hamas rulers of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority rulers of the West Bank actively tried to stifle protests. The split between Hamas and Fatah hampers internal change in the territories, although calls for political change are growing louder. Large-scale protests have failed to materialize as many Palestinians believe their problem remains Israel.


Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/26/mideast.africa.unrest/index.html?eref=edition

^^^ buti naman at wala dyan sa listahan ang Saudi Arabia. pero naging usapan na rin dito sa office na posibleng mangyari din yan dito sa saudi at yung iba nga raw na kilala nilang expat na may negosyo dito ay medyo nangangamba na. dapat ngayon pa lang ay paghandaan na ng Gobyerno natin lalo na kapag naging matagumpay ang pag aalsa sa libya at bahrain.

^^^ buti naman at wala dyan sa listahan ang Saudi Arabia. pero naging usapan na rin dito sa office na posibleng mangyari din yan dito sa saudi at yung iba nga raw na kilala nilang expat na may negosyo dito ay medyo nangangamba na. dapat ngayon pa lang ay paghandaan na ng Gobyerno natin lalo na kapag naging matagumpay ang pag aalsa sa libya at bahrain.

Nasa Saudi ka ngayon? There were some protests actually pero kokonti lang, if you have noticed Facebook went out for a couple of days in Saudi during the height of the Cairo protests, one of our friends there in Riyadh said that ang sabi raw, ay dahil sa baha somewhere (there was a baha in Jeddah coincidentally, but I dont think that it would have had affected Facebook).

^^^1993 pa ako dito sa Saudi. nasa Pinas ako nung kainitan ng Cairo protest. kontrolado ng gobyerno ang internet dito kaya posibleng tama ang hinala mo. pero sa totoo lang ay malaki na ang pinagbago ng Saudi. unang dating ko rito ay binabato pa ng Mutawa ang mga satellite dish at sa Bahrain ko pa unang kinonect ang kumpanyang pinapasukan ko sa Internet.

^^^1993 pa ako dito sa Saudi. nasa Pinas ako nung kainitan ng Cairo protest. kontrolado ng gobyerno ang internet dito kaya posibleng tama ang hinala mo. pero sa totoo lang ay malaki na ang pinagbago ng Saudi. unang dating ko rito ay binabato pa ng Mutawa ang mga satellite dish at sa Bahrain ko pa unang kinonect ang kumpanyang pinapasukan ko sa Internet.

Afaik, the King started handing out money when he came back from Morocco, tapos may mga pinalaya yata na political prisoners.

Kumusta dyan ang general sentiment? Do the locals know about what's going on in other nearby countries? Libya is definitely going to fall, the UNSC just issued a fresh wave of sanctions, froze Gaddafy's assets overseas and there is a travel ban. The massacre in Tripoli was recommended to the ICJ. Even China signed the UNSC which was unprecedented knowing the Chinese normally go against the west when it comes to UNSC resolutions. It will be a matter of days before Libya will be finished. As for protests in other states, my fearless forecast would be Yemen will be next (there is a big divide in that country and Aden still resents Sanaa's rule). Bahrain is iffish at this point, unless they can sustain it - the problem in Bahrain is more of a Shiite-Sunni rift. As far as I can understand, the majority of Bahrainis are Shiite but the ruling elite have been Sunnis. So I dunno how the sectarian violence is going to play out.

Ang analisa ko dito sa Saudi, medyo mahihirapan ang mag-oganisa nang mga pag-aaklas dahilang halos karamihan ay suni. ilan lang ang lugar nang shia dito karamihan sa eastern at ilang norte. Shia kasi ang mas aktibo sa mga protesta gaya sa Iraq, Bahrain at kahit Qatar. Gaya sa Bahrain na galit sila sa mga ruling suni sa halos lahat nang aspeto.

Ang time bomb lang dito ay ang un-employment nang mga kabataan. Kutural kasi na hindi sila basta papasok nang mababang trabaho lalo na ang nakatapos. Kaya halos sagot nang gobiyerno ang karamihan sa trabaho nila, pribadong negosyo naman ay pinipili pa rin nila ay hindi katutubo, na maraming sagutin sa pag-eempleyo. Kaya ngayon ay binigyan ang empleyado nang gobiyerno nang 15 porsiyentong taas sahod na katataas lang kamakailan at walang interes na pautang sa pabahay. Saan ka pa pupunta.

Isang malakas na panawagan dito ay ang kalayaan nang mga babae, kung mabibigyan lang sila nang pahintulot makapag-maneho mababawasan ang pag-kuha nila nang driver at katulong, pati na rin sa negosyo. Halos lahat nang kabahayan dito ay may sariling driber at katulong dahil lang sa limitadong pag-kilos nang mga kababaihan dito.

Ang analisa ko dito sa Saudi, medyo mahihirapan ang mag-oganisa nang mga pag-aaklas dahilang halos karamihan ay suni. ilan lang ang lugar nang shia dito karamihan sa eastern at ilang norte. Shia kasi ang mas aktibo sa mga protesta gaya sa Iraq, Bahrain at kahit Qatar. Gaya sa Bahrain na galit sila sa mga ruling suni sa halos lahat nang aspeto.

Ang time bomb lang dito ay ang un-employment nang mga kabataan. Kutural kasi na hindi sila basta papasok nang mababang trabaho lalo na ang nakatapos. Kaya halos sagot nang gobiyerno ang karamihan sa trabaho nila, pribadong negosyo naman ay pinipili pa rin nila ay hindi katutubo, na maraming sagutin sa pag-eempleyo. Kaya ngayon ay binigyan ang empleyado nang gobiyerno nang 15 porsiyentong taas sahod na katataas lang kamakailan at walang interes na pautang sa pabahay. Saan ka pa pupunta.

Isang malakas na panawagan dito ay ang kalayaan nang mga babae, kung mabibigyan lang sila nang pahintulot makapag-maneho mababawasan ang pag-kuha nila nang driver at katulong, pati na rin sa negosyo. Halos lahat nang kabahayan dito ay may sariling driber at katulong dahil lang sa limitadong pag-kilos nang mga kababaihan dito.

^^ Mababa din yata dyan ang literacy rate diba? Marami daw dyan na no read no write. Sa tingin ko nga mahirap yanigin ang Saudi ng protesta kasi malamang hindi yan susuportahan ng maraming bansa, kasi lahat magkandaipitan pag nagkagulo dyan sa bansa nyo..

Dito naman a bansa ko, hindi rin mangyayari yang ganyang protesta, kasi anghigpit nila dito. Isa pa, wala namang oposisyon, tas mukhang tamad din mag organisa ang mga tao, sunod sunuran lang. Historically, bihira talaga sila mag aklas. Wala sa kultura nila. Kung sabihin ng lider, sunod lang sila.

^^ palagay ko alam ng mga locals ang nangyayari ibang parte ng ME pero sa tingin ko ay mas marami pa rin ang sumusuporta sa Royal Family lalo na ngayon na si King Abdullah ay maraming proyekto para sa kanila. dati ay mabibilang mo ang eskwelahan at universidad dito pero ngayon ay nagsusulputan na parang kabute tulad na lang ng King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). ang alam ko dito at sa Bahrain mas nakakarami ang mga Sunni, kaya ang posibleng magsamantala sa mga kaguluhang nagaganap sa kalapit bansa ay ang Shiite.

Ang analisa ko dito sa Saudi, medyo mahihirapan ang mag-oganisa nang mga pag-aaklas dahilang halos karamihan ay suni. ilan lang ang lugar nang shia dito karamihan sa eastern at ilang norte. Shia kasi ang mas aktibo sa mga protesta gaya sa Iraq, Bahrain at kahit Qatar. Gaya sa Bahrain na galit sila sa mga ruling suni sa halos lahat nang aspeto.

Ang time bomb lang dito ay ang un-employment nang mga kabataan. Kutural kasi na hindi sila basta papasok nang mababang trabaho lalo na ang nakatapos. Kaya halos sagot nang gobiyerno ang karamihan sa trabaho nila, pribadong negosyo naman ay pinipili pa rin nila ay hindi katutubo, na maraming sagutin sa pag-eempleyo. Kaya ngayon ay binigyan ang empleyado nang gobiyerno nang 15 porsiyentong taas sahod na katataas lang kamakailan at walang interes na pautang sa pabahay. Saan ka pa pupunta.

Isang malakas na panawagan dito ay ang kalayaan nang mga babae, kung mabibigyan lang sila nang pahintulot makapag-maneho mababawasan ang pag-kuha nila nang driver at katulong, pati na rin sa negosyo. Halos lahat nang kabahayan dito ay may sariling driber at katulong dahil lang sa limitadong pag-kilos nang mga kababaihan dito.

tapos sa private companies naman ay kinakailangang masunod yung minimum na bilang ng katutubo na empleyado. kaya dito sa pinapasukan ko ay kahit walang alam ay tanggap at mataas pa ang sweldo basta masabi lang na pasok kami sa minimum.

^^ palagay ko alam ng mga locals ang nangyayari ibang parte ng ME pero sa tingin ko ay mas marami pa rin ang sumusuporta sa Royal Family lalo na ngayon na si King Abdullah ay maraming proyekto para sa kanila. dati ay mabibilang mo ang eskwelahan at universidad dito pero ngayon ay nagsusulputan na parang kabute tulad na lang ng King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). ang alam ko dito at sa Bahrain mas nakakarami ang mga Sunni, kaya ang posibleng magsamantala sa mga kaguluhang nagaganap sa kalapit bansa ay ang Shiite.

Ingat ingat na lang kayo dyan, just in case nga may maghasik ng kaguluhan, always know your exit strategies. (Maybe a backpack with all your important documents, and some food for survival), alam nyo naman, lalamya lamya ang evacuation natin. Im sure nakikiramdam din kayo dyan, pag mga ganyang pangyayari, swerte na lang kayo kung tutulungan kayo ng mga employers nyo.. pag nagkataon, kanya kanya yan gaya ng nangyari sa Libya...