Philippines set to launch hedging facility for OFWs (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2008/January/business_January731.xml&section=business&col=)

A hedging facility to help Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) cope with the strong peso will be launched by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her two-day visit in Dubai.

The facility and two investment tools are seen to realise her effort to transform OFWs to what she calls Overseas Filipino Investors (OFIs), said reports coming from Davos where she attended the World Economic Forum.

Manila, which has always referred to its OFW deployment programme as a "stop-gap" measure until the Philippine economy is able to generate more jobs, hopes that working abroad would someday become only a "career option" for Filipinos.

Arroyo was scheduled to arrive here last night to meet UAE businessmen wanting to invest in the Philippines and open up economic agreements with a number of Gulf traders.

"Because Dubai is a financial capital, several of the businessmen around the Gulf also made appointments to see me," she was quoted as saying by gmanews.tv. "So I am going to have like an extension of Davos there."

She is also expected to meet His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and President of Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz.

Today Arroyo will deliver the keynote speech at a business luncheon organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as part of an initiative to boost bilateral trade and explore new areas of co-operation between the two countries.

The earnings of majority of the over 10 million documented and undocumented Filipinos worldwide have been badly affected by the strong peso, which appreciated to 11.06 against the dirham over the weekend from Wednesday's 11.18, or 40.7 and 41.15 to the US dollar respectively.

The peso gained 19.4 per cent to 11.14 against the dirham by end-2007, overtaking the Indian rupee as Asia's strongest-performing currency. But analysts say it could surge further to the 40- to 35-level against the weak dollar within this year.

The peso's rapid rise against the dollar is due mainly to the strong inflows of remittances from OFWs and increased foreign investments. A lower peso-dollar exchange rate erodes the value of monthly remittances from overseas Filipinos.

Money sent home by UAE-based Filipinos through banks rose 32.9 per cent to Dh1.84 billion ($502.1 million) for the 11-month period beginning January from Dh1.4 billion ($378 million) a year ago. Worldwide remittances by OFWs climbed 14.1 per cent to Dh48.12 billion ($13.1 billion) from Dh41.9 billion ($11.4 billion) for the same period.

The Philippines central bank earlier said that families living on remittances from OFWs worldwide had lost Dh2.2 billion (24.3 billion pesos) in earnings between January and September last year due to strong peso.

Body found in Canada was Filipino worker’s -- DFA

Suspect arrested linked to death

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Canadian authorities have positively identified the battered body that was found by police last week near a train station in Calgary as that of Filipino worker Arcelie Laoagan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

Citing the report by Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Brillantes, DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal also said Monday an arrest has been made in connection with the OFW’s death.

Cristobal said the Calgary Police Service has positively identified the body of Arcelie Laoagan, 41, through her fingerprint.

Laoagan’s body was found near the Franklin C-Train station east of downtown Calgary on January 18.

“The Philippine embassy and the Philippine honorary consul in Calgary, Felixberto Guerrero, are closely following the case and will provide assistance to Laoagan’s family,” Cristobal said.

The Calgary Herald, in a story on January 25, reported that Laoagan’s family and other mourners erupted into cheers and hugged each other when Calgary police showed up at the memorial reception and announced they had made an arrest.

The paper said a man in his early 20s was taken into custody Thursday afternoon, just hours before hundreds of mourners filed into a church to bid Laoagan farewell.

The report quoted the police as saying the violent attack was a random act.

Laoagan, a mother of five who had been working in Calgary to support her family in the Philippines, was disfigured beyond recognition in the attack believed to have occurred on January 17.

Laoagan’s body was released Thursday morning and is expected to be flown back to the Philippines for burial.

Laoagan’s final moments were caught by a surveillance camera. Investigators believe she got on the LRT at the 8th Street S.W. station and got off at the Franklin station. The body was found by a passerby early on January 18 on a well-travelled path near the Franklin station.

Police have been asking anyone who may have seen her on the northeast leg of the McKnight-Westwinds C-Train between 10 and 11 p.m. to contact them.

Laoagan spent her last days at the Calgary Public Library with a friend, surfing the Internet for a good deal on a used car.

She was supposed to test drive one last Saturday. Her brown purse was not found with her body.

Australian Citizen Test a "stunning success" (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23123028-2,00.html)

Fears the citizenship test is unfair to migrants have been proved unfounded by a review showing a stunning 93 per cent pass rate.

Indians and Filipinos are doing far better on the exam than Brits and New Zealanders.

But a high number of newcomers from war-torn states, most of them refugees, are struggling to get through the quiz, according to an analysis released last night.

The study indicates that migrants keen to get citizenship are swotting up on their new country and taking the test seriously.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the Government wanted to ensure the test was not a barrier to migrants in need of support.

But he said: "The test can play a valuable role in helping new citizens understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship."

It was introduced by the former government to "assist" people who want to become Australians understand "Australian values, traditions, history and national symbols".

The test, which started on October 1, has to be taken by migrants aged 18-60, before they apply for citizenship.

The Department of Immigration review from October to the end of December found 92.9 per cent passed on their first or subsequent attempts. Candidates are allowed as many attempts as they want. But there were some surprises:

The lowest failure rate was 0.9 per cent for the 338 South African applicants, followed by just 1.1 per cent for the 634 from India, and 1.9 per cent for the 254 from the Philippines.

The 1103 British migrants had a 2.26 per cent failure rate, and the 282 New Zealanders, 2.8 per cent.

Skilled migrants, who made up 44 per cent of the 9043 people from 172 countries who sat the test, had the best pass rate of 97 per cent, and family reunion migrants, 21.6 per cent of participants had a 90 per cent success rate.

However, for migrants here on humanitarian grounds the success rate fell to 80 per cent.

Source: Khaleej Times
Every OFW is Philippine envoy to UAE: Arroyo
DUBAI - Government officials and employers in Dubai have praised UAE-based Filipinos as hardworking, efficient and full of life - qualities worthy of becoming great goodwill ambassadors of their country, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has said.

She stated this at a select gathering of more than 2,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Sunday night following a meeting with Dubai officials led by His highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and a number of employers.

Continue (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/January/theuae_January859.xml&section=theuae&col=)

Restaurant-Grocery Store in Zurich keeps Filipinos closer to home (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view/20080129-115451/Resto-grocery-in-Zurich-keeps-Filipinos-closer-to-home)

ZURICH, Switzerland -- For Filipino workers and immigrants here, the Philippines is just a train ride away.

Their link to their homeland is this enterprising Filipina’s store-cum-restaurant.

Either they discover it through fellow immigrants and workers, or while passing by on board the tram, a train that cuts through the Zurich city proper and suburbs.

At the Golden Asian Store, Filipinos, and sometimes, even the Swiss, satisfy their cravings for Philippine cuisine such as adobo, caldereta, kare-kare, and pancit.

Beside the restaurant counter is a mini grocery that sells green mangoes and Filipino brands of canned goods, instant noodles, condiments, and even beer, like Red Horse.

"It does not feel like a business, because here, I meet with my kababayan [countrymen]. We're like family in this place," said storeowner Eppie Balagasay-Escopete.

Over meals and karaoke sessions (the restaurant has a "magic sing" set up), patrons talk about their problems, mostly financial and cultural differences with their Swiss spouses, Escopete said.

Posters of the Kris Aquino film "Sukob" and the Vic Sotto starrer "Enteng Kabisote" are plastered on the store’s walls. Escopete also helps distribute subscriptions to The Filipino Channel (TFC) as well as audio and video compact discs by Filipino artists.

Escopete moved to Switzerland in 1991 to take up her masters in political science upon the prodding of her sister. It was also here where she met her husband. She opened the store in 2000.

"This was a grocery for the first two years, but because of the demand from Filipinos, I opened the restaurant," she said.

"Here, it's like you're in your own country. You're at ease," said Elizer Lorina, a regular customer who hails from Palawan province.

Escopete's customers sometimes serve themselves, and even help in the cooking.

Another regular at the Golden Asian, Joy Felder, who is married to a Swiss man, scooped some rice and poured adobo over it while Escopete was talking to reporters.

"They put their payment in the cash register by themselves too," Escopete said.

Felder later helped Escopete's two Filipina staff, Lucy Cordizal and Amparo Octubre, prepare some "palitaw," or boiled rice cakes, in the kitchen.

Escopete said her Swiss customers liked adobo, pancit, caldereta, kare-kare, and ginataang gulay.

"The Swiss people like their food spicy, so we put a little chili," she said.

Aside from food, religion also binds the Filipino community here. Many of Escopete's patrons are members of the Jesus Is Lord Movement of evangelist Eduardo Villanueva.

Escopete, a relative of Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, said she plans to return to the Philippines by 2013, possibly to pursue a career in politics.

British Columbia signs deal with Philippines to attract more workers (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=18c781d5-582b-4dab-a2a6-21ed9ad5449c)

The Canadian province of British Columbia has signed an agreement with the government of the Philippines to help attract more Filipino workers as a way of coping with labour shortages.

On Tuesday, B.C. Minister of Economic Development Colin Hansen signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with Philippine Labour Secretary Arturo Brion.

This will lead to the establishment of a so-called joint labour committee with members from both sides who will hammer out specific guidelines for training, certification and assessment of both employees in the Philippines and employers in B.C.

As well, Brion said the Philippines will establish a labour office in Vancouver to vet potential employers, streamline applications and provide support and social services for Filipino workers in B.C.

"We hope to convene this joint labour committee as soon as possible and to have it set up in three months," set Brion. "We already have a labour attache in Toronto, but this one [in Vancouver] will serve Western Canada."

Although the B.C. government has said that the province needs to attract 30,000 workers per year with specific skills from outside B.C., Hansen said that there is no exact target number for workers from the Philippines.

The agreement will focus first on helping B.C. companies in the tourism, hospitality and construction industries.

"We are confident that this agreement will significantly increase the number of Filipino workers in B.C.," said Hansen, adding that it will allow "us to work closely with recruitment agencies, with the oversight of government, so we can streamline that process and ensure that we have the best experience for the Filipino workers that arrive."

"We want this to be a very good and positive work experience for those individuals, whether they come as temporary workers for a few months and years, whether they come with their families or not, and whether or not they choose to establish permanent residency in B.C.," said Hansen.

The Philippines ranks third as a source of immigrants to B.C.

In late 2006, the Philippines signed a similar agreement with Saskatchewan. Alberta and Manitoba are also seeking such arrangements. When asked about the success of the existing agreement with Saskatchewan, Brion said that he expects workers from the Philippines will be sent more quickly and in greater numbers to B.C. based on greater "interest and will" from parties in B.C.

Brion said that the Philippines currently sends millions of workers overseas to over 190 countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, has been hiring workers from the Philippines since the 1970s and today is home to some 1.2 million Filipinos.

"These are our old markets," said Brion. "B.C. is a very new one. So far, Filipino workers here have been arriving here in an unregulated manner. We want to make sure there is priority for B.C. and regulations that will protect Filipino workers and all stakeholders."

The Philippines currently runs 34 overseas labour offices such as the one that will be established in Vancouver. For 2008, Brion said that the Philippines is also earmarking similar new labour offices in Australia, New Zealand, Macau and Ireland.

Some details from the new labour agreement between B.C. and the Philippines.

The two governments will work with Filipino recruiting agencies, who will ensure that potential workers:

- Pass the medical examination required by Canada for temporary or permanent residents.

- Don't have a criminal record or an outstanding custody or divorce dispute that might make them ineligible to become residents.

- Have satisfactory English-language skills and the skills and knowledge sought by potential employers.

- Nothing in the agreement prevents B.C. employers from recruiting workers in the Philippines on their own as long as they do so under the Philippine Labour Code.

- Employers, not employees, are responsible for paying the costs related to hiring workers. It is illegal to charge those costs to a person seeking work in British Columbia.

- Only agencies licensed by the Philippine government may recruit for work overseas.

New UK work guidelines favor Filipino senior carers (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080131-116005/New-UK-work-guidelines-favor-Filipino-senior-carers----DFA)

MANILA, Philippines -- The United Kingdom has issued new work guidelines that would ease restrictions on work permit renewal, an ambassador said.

In his report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James Edgardo Espiritu described the new guidelines as “significant concessions from the British Home Office that would facilitate the renewal of their work permits.”

Under the new guidelines issued by the UK Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) of the Home Office Department, the waiver of the skills criteria for work permit holders has been extended to include those who have transferred to new employers due to the refusal of their previous employers to pay the required minimum hourly rate of 7.02 pounds.

Previously, transfer applications had been treated as new applications subject to strict compliance with existing skills criteria making renewal of work permits extremely difficult.

“Under the old guidelines, Filipino senior care workers whose employers refuse to pay the required hourly rate simply have no choice but to depart from the UK upon completion of their contract,” Espiritu said.

The new guidelines ensure the renewal of work permits for those who are only a year away of the minimum five-year eligibility requirement for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom. The skills criteria, as well as the required 7.02-pound hourly rate for care workers who have been in the United Kingdom prior to 31 December 2003, has been waived.

“Without those changes, thousands of Filipino senior care workers would have ended up without work,” Espiritu added.

The ambassador thanked the UK government and parliament, and Filipino and British non-government organizations based in the United Kingdom for their unwavering support for migrant workers and for the promulgation of the new guidelines.

During her UK visit in December 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo raised the issue concerning Filipino senior care workers with British government officials and parliamentarians, and asked their assistance in protecting the continued employment of Filipinos in their country.

Source: Khaleej Times
Every OFW is Philippine envoy to UAE: Arroyo
DUBAI - Government officials and employers in Dubai have praised UAE-based Filipinos as hardworking, efficient and full of life - qualities worthy of becoming great goodwill ambassadors of their country, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has said.

She stated this at a select gathering of more than 2,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Sunday night following a meeting with Dubai officials led by His highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and a number of employers.

Continue (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/January/theuae_January859.xml&section=theuae&col=)


hahah pinagmamalake ni gma sa speech nya sa abu dhabi na malaking naitutulong sa mga nagtatanim ng bawang sa ilocos kasi ini export yong boy bawang sa middle east....heheh di nya alam cornic yon di garlic

cornic nga yun na may garlic. lol

^^noooh akala nya yong boy bawang eh laman bawang as in bawang na ginagamit natin sa kusina

Subject: Buhay Amerika (Magandang ARAL para sa nangangarap mag-USA...!)

I received this email from a friend. this is true to all OFW's, i think this is definitely the same in U.K, Japan & some other countries....

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano . Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America ...

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa America . Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo sa kotse, credit card, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase busy din sila maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka ng picture mo sa Disneyland, Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka dun, kailangan mo na naman ang 10 hours na sweldo mong pinangbayad sa ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo, malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso, pero dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America. Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa presyong dolyar mo din gagastusin. Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas $1.00 sa America , ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa pilipinas P40.00, sa America $ 6.50, ang upa mo sa bahay na P10,000 sa Pilipinas, sa America $1,000++.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America . Lalo na mga nurses at mga guro, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America. Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto para mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa.

Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay.Hindi pinupulot ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.

Demand for OFWs rising

By Cher Jimenez
Reporter
The Business Mirror

THOUSANDS of overseas jobs await Filipinos this year as the global market continues to open up employment for the country’s unsung heroes, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

POEA administrator Rosalinda Baldoz expressed optimism that deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in 2007—at 1.012 million workers—would be breached this year as global demand for foreign labor increases.

In Saudi Arabia alone, major companies like Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industries require 30,000 engineers and 200,000 construction workers until 2010 under a total of $95 million worth of projects, said Baldoz.

The Middle East remains the No. 1 employer of OFWs as it offers “vast employment opportunities” in construction, health, tourism, energy, hotel and restaurant management, and information technology to Filipinos, Baldoz said.

Close to 2 million Filipinos are working in the Gulf region.

Romania, which is currently experiencing labor shortages, would require an estimated 150,000 construction workers.

For the next three years, Norway would need about 3,000 health professionals, according to Baldoz.

In addition, Japanese-owned vessels are expected to source 8,000 out of a requirement of 10,000 seafarers from the Philippines. Italian cruise operators are also set to hire more than 1,600 shipboard personnel from the country this year.

Filipino seafarers are also in demand in Norway where a projected expansion of fleet operations this year will open up about 3,000 vacant posts for OFWs.

Baldoz noted that Filipino seamen would continue to dominate the world’s seas as demand increases in Cyprus, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the US, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, countries with quotas on labor import like Italy have also increased the limit from 3,000 to 5,000 Filipino workers to be admitted as nonseasonal workers.

Meanwhile, thousands of jobs also await Filipinos in Australia and New Zealand as demand grows in construction, health, IT, education, and hotel and restaurant management.

The US and Trust Territories are also expected to expand demands in construction, IT, HRM, education, and oil due to labor shortages especially in Canada, Guam and the Caribbean, according to the POEA.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/02042008/headlines04.html

Immigrants should learn how to queue -- British minister

LONDON -- Newcomers to Britain should receive welcome packs containing advice such as not to spit in the street and how to queue in shops, a minister said Monday.

The packs would also urge them not to play music too loudly, not to touch people without permission and not to throw litter, said Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.

She said local councils should provide the information packs to help immigrants better integrate into British society.

"It is only right that we expect migrants to play by our rules. In return we have a role in explaining just what those rules are," Blears was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"Information packs are a way of getting that info across -- providing a rough guide to the country, the county and the city and helping to ensure that new arrivals avoid doing or saying things that might upset local settled communities or getting into trouble with the law."

Britain has long welcomed immigrants, whether from its former colonies in Asia and the West Indies, or more recently from the new European Union member countries of central Europe, notably Poland.

But concern has grown in recent years about the integration of new arrivals and immigrant populations, with the spotlight in particular on Muslim communities amid concern over the growth of Islamist militancy.

The new information packs -- which will be consulted upon before the final versions are produced -- would include advice on basic values such as respect for the law.

Blears acknowledged that teaching people to queue -- often seen by foreigners as a quintessentially British activity -- might not seem as important as, for example, as fighting crime involving minority communities.

"There may be cases where it is legitimate and necessary to target resources at dealing with a specific issue like working with young men to tackle gun crime in the black community," she said.

"But overall we need a rebalancing in how we focus resources with much greater importance placed on integrating different communities," the minister added.

^^ "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." :okay:

Subject: Buhay Amerika (Magandang ARAL para sa nangangarap mag-USA...!)

I received this email from a friend. this is true to all OFW's, i think this is definitely the same in U.K, Japan & some other countries....

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano . Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America ...

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa America . Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo sa kotse, credit card, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase busy din sila maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka ng picture mo sa Disneyland, Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka dun, kailangan mo na naman ang 10 hours na sweldo mong pinangbayad sa ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo, malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso, pero dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America. Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa presyong dolyar mo din gagastusin. Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas $1.00 sa America , ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa pilipinas P40.00, sa America $ 6.50, ang upa mo sa bahay na P10,000 sa Pilipinas, sa America $1,000++.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America . Lalo na mga nurses at mga guro, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America. Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto para mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa.

Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay.Hindi pinupulot ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.

well said and explicitly well defined. It's true and it's just similar in any case here in UK, my friend's case who is based in Germany and some friends who are in US and Canada. Just have to save, save and save and head back to the country for good after few years.....

Subject: Buhay Amerika (Magandang ARAL para sa nangangarap mag-USA...!)

I received this email from a friend. this is true to all OFW's, i think this is definitely the same in U.K, Japan & some other countries....

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano . Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

............................
Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay.Hindi pinupulot ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.


As I said on the other thread/forum to the writer of this E-mail...

"Ba't ka kasi umalis pa sa Pinas, ayan, reklamo ka ng reklamo, pero sa tutoo nag-go-goodtime ka parati sa Amerika siguro kaya nahirapan ka sa buhay. :lol:


Demand for OFWs rising

By Cher Jimenez
Reporter
The Business Mirror


http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/02042008/headlines04.html

Don't you have a mixed feeling about this?

^^ "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." :okay:

When in Manila, do as the Manilans do. Or else, ikaw ang talo pag hindi ka makipagsabayan. :lol:

As I said on the other thread/forum to the writer of this E-mail...

"Ba't ka kasi umalis pa sa Pinas, ayan, reklamo ka ng reklamo, pero sa tutoo nag-go-goodtime ka parati sa Amerika siguro kaya nahirapan ka sa buhay. :lol:






at sinong sinisisi sa kanyang paghihirap?:lol::lol::lol:

POEA over-burdening OFWs
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:46:00 02/05/2008

“POEA to regulate direct hiring of OFWs.” (Inquirer, 1/23/08) This means more burdens for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) wannabes. This means there are new, stricter rules on the direct hiring of professionals by foreign employers, which will terribly affect those who want to work abroad, particularly in Singapore.

Under these rules, direct hiring will be allowed only with the approval of the secretary of labor; but such approval may be issued only after the employers have been screened and the employment contracts have been verified by the labor attaché or the Philippine embassy. There must be a specification as to the maximum number of workers the employer can hire directly. Moreover, the employer has to post a bond of $5,000 for the repatriation of the worker in the event of death, and $3,000 per employee to guarantee the payment of the employee’s salary.

All these, according to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, who is also the board chair of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), are aimed at strengthening the mechanisms for protecting OFWs.

Now, wait a minute there. Why is it that whenever a government agency, particularly the POEA, speaks about protecting the OFWs, it doesn’t seem to do so? The new rules just don’t sound right and they make me feel like someone is digging into my pocket, again. I hope the Department of Labor and Employment and the POEA will soon realize what they have done! The new rules will add another layer of red tape to the already cumbersome procedures that those who want to make a living abroad must go through.

The reality is, the Philippine government is making life harder for foreign employers to hire Filipino workers and professionals. And this comes at a time that equally qualified foreign workers, such as those from India and Indonesia, are offering their services at cheaper rates.
My father once told me that if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t speak at all.
Now, I say to my government, if you don’t have anything good to do, do nothing at all. Leave us OFWs alone. We’re better off without you!

JAY AFABLE (via email)

Subject: FW: fyi - warning


Mayroon na rin dito sa Jeddah sa ngayon na aktibo sa pambibiktima ng mga
Pinoy at Indonesians na biglang ihaharang ang sasakyang GMC O Official
looking vehicle at pababain ang nakasakay kadalasan ay naka taxi o kahit na
pribadong sasakyan. Paaalisin ang taxi driver at tatangayin ang sakay.

Kagabi lang ay may natangay na pinay at dinala sa disyerto at matapos halayin ay
Iniwan sa gitna ng disyerto matapos kuhanan ng SR 500 Riyals. Naiwanan ng pinay ang
kanyang iqama at kopya lang ang ipinakita at sapilitang isinama ng arabo sa sasakyan

Matapang ang arabo at nag aastang tunay na pulis. Kahit na may mga tao ay nanghaharass
at ipinahiya ang kawawang pinay tinangay. Sa lalaking bibiktimahin ay cell phone agad ang kukuhanin at
pag nakakita ng hubad na larawan ay mage extort ng malaking halaga mula sa biktima. Ikalat sana ang balitang
ito upang maiwasang maging biktima. Iwasan din ang pagpunta sa Sarawat, Balad at iba pang lugar na karamihan
ay pinoy at Indonesian. Be extra vigilant and be snappy in case you meet a con artist dressed like policemen.

Ikalat sana ang liham na ito sa lahat ng kabayan.

INGAT LAGI MGA KABAYAN!!! GOD BLESS US ALL!!!

hahah pinagmamalake ni gma sa speech nya sa abu dhabi na malaking naitutulong sa mga nagtatanim ng bawang sa ilocos kasi ini export yong boy bawang sa middle east....heheh di nya alam cornic yon di garlic

^^hahaha , koreksyon hindi sa Abu Dhabi nag speech si GMA...sa Dubai siya nag speech (Madinat al Salam Hotel),at hindi rin 2,000 OFW ang umatend ...nandoon ako sa harapan niya hehehe..puro kasinungalingan tong Al Khaleej news:bash:

Subject: FW: fyi - warning


Mayroon na rin dito sa Jeddah sa ngayon na aktibo sa pambibiktima ng mga
Pinoy at Indonesians na biglang ihaharang ang sasakyang GMC O Official
looking vehicle at pababain ang nakasakay kadalasan ay naka taxi o kahit na
pribadong sasakyan. Paaalisin ang taxi driver at tatangayin ang sakay.

Kagabi lang ay may natangay na pinay at dinala sa disyerto at matapos halayin ay
Iniwan sa gitna ng disyerto matapos kuhanan ng SR 500 Riyals. Naiwanan ng pinay ang
kanyang iqama at kopya lang ang ipinakita at sapilitang isinama ng arabo sa sasakyan

Matapang ang arabo at nag aastang tunay na pulis. Kahit na may mga tao ay nanghaharass
at ipinahiya ang kawawang pinay tinangay. Sa lalaking bibiktimahin ay cell phone agad ang kukuhanin at
pag nakakita ng hubad na larawan ay mage extort ng malaking halaga mula sa biktima. Ikalat sana ang balitang
ito upang maiwasang maging biktima. Iwasan din ang pagpunta sa Sarawat, Balad at iba pang lugar na karamihan
ay pinoy at Indonesian. Be extra vigilant and be snappy in case you meet a con artist dressed like policemen.

Ikalat sana ang liham na ito sa lahat ng kabayan.

INGAT LAGI MGA KABAYAN!!! GOD BLESS US ALL!!!

Kabayan thanks for the info., mai forward ko to sa mga kasama ko sa SA.:)

Filipinos warned about South Africa jobs

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine embassy in Pretoria warned Filipinos on Wednesday about illegal recruitment agencies based in Singapore promising high-paying jobs as fishermen in South Africa.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr. said that seven Filipinos working as fishermen on the Taiwanese-owned vessel Shing An No. 8 were repatriated to the Philippines last January 30 after they were physically assaulted by fellow crew members.

The repatriated OFWs were Edgar Reyes from Benguet; Edward Aoanan from Pozorrubio, Pangasinan; Lucas Manno from Buguias, Benguet; Reymel Saludares from Maddela, Quirino province; Stephen Fernandez from Pozorrubio, Pangasinan; Levi Fuentes from Iloilo; and Pruto Pono from Bacoor, Cavite.

The embassy informed the shipping agent in Cape Town that it was not prudent for the seamen to rejoin the vessel for fear of further physical harm.

The seamen had been working on the fishing vessel for six months, except for Fuentes and Saludares, who had been employed for two years and one year, respectively.

The embassy also sought the assistance of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore in processing the fishermen’s claims for unpaid salaries from the employment agency. The fishermen were told that they could only claim their salaries upon completion of their three-year contract.

In a similar case, Reyes reported that six other Filipino fishermen who arrived last January 29 in Cape Town refused to resume work on a fishing vessel two days later because the work contracts they signed in Manila, stipulating a monthly wage of $250 with overtime pay, were changed by their agency in Singapore.

They told embassy officials in Cape Town that when they reported to their employment agency in Singapore, they were made to sign a contract for $160 a month to work 22 hours a day on the high seas. While ashore, they were to be paid $50, deductible from their monthly pay, with no arrangements for monthly remittances to the Philippines.

The Filipinos paid between P40,000 and P45,000 to their individual recruiters in the Philippines who said they were to work on a cargo ship.

Reyes said that another Filipino fisherman, Jay V. Barcellano, from Amulong, Cagayan, who figured in a vehicular accident, was released from the Groote Schuur Hospital after a head operation. He was due for repatriation on February 2.

The embassy was able to obtain the services of a lawyer to file necessary claims to cover his hospitalization.

In light of these, the DFA reiterated its warning to Filipinos who want to work in South Africa to go through the proper processes of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration to avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters.

The Philippines and Canada sign 3rd labor export agreement
At least 10,000 job opportunities await OFWs in Manitoba this year (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/09/yehey/metro/20080209met1.html)

Some 10,000 jobs await Filipino workers in Canada following the signing on Friday of a memorandum of understanding that will strengthen cooperation between Manitoba and the Philippines in the field of human resource development and employment.

The accord was signed by Premier Gary Doer of the province of Manitoba, Canada and Labor Secretary Arturo Brion in behalf of the Philippine government.

Brion said the signing of the agreement is an important part of the Manitoba mission in the Philippines, noting this indicates Manitoba’s recognition of the capabilities of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The Manitoba-Philippine accord is the third to be signed by the Department of Labor and Employment for the deployment of Filipino workers to Canada. The department earlier signed a similar agreement with the provinces of Saskatchewan and Vancouver in Canada. A fourth agreement is set to be signed with Alberta before the end of the month.

According to Brion, some 10,000 job opportunities await Filipino workers in Manitoba alone this year. That province needs workers like truck drivers, welders, machinists, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, glaziers, pipe fitters, mechanics, plasterers, drywall installers, carpenters, cabinetmakers, bricklayers and stone masons.

“Canada needs a lot of workers because of the developments in many of its provinces. The Philippines is lucky enough to have the advantage and was given preference in recognition of the skills and efficiency of Filipino workers,” Brion said.

Brion disclosed that in the next 10 years, the whole of Canada needs some 1.8 million workers and Filipino workers could get the bigger chunk of the projected manpower needs.

Doer, for his part, said that at present, more immigrants come to Manitoba from the Philippines than another country, with Filipino newcomers accounting for more than 25 percent of the province’s total immigration, adding that there are now some 50,000 Filipino residents in Manitoba.

Doer is in Manila along other members of the Manitoba mission for a series of meetings with several Filipino business and community leaders from February 8 to 12.

No need for placement fees

Under the agreement, the Labor department and the Government of Manitoba will cooperate on the orderly recruitment and deployment of OFWs to Manitoba, and will act in compliance with the laws and regulations on labor and employment prevailing in both the Philippines and Manitoba.

The agreement prohibits recruitment agencies from charging placement fees from workers bound for Canada. Instead, employers will pay the cost of hiring the OFWs.

Brion clarified that OFWs who would like to work in Manitoba will still have to apply for relevant vacancies through recruitment agencies authorized to recruit workers.

The Labor department and Manitoba will also explore projects to sustain and promote human resource development in the Philippines, with a working committee to be established for that purpose.

BI blacklists US couple who maltreated Filipina

MANILA, Philippines -- For treating their Filipino helper badly, an American couple recently convicted in a United States court for abusive treatment, has been included in the Philippine Bureau of Immigration's blacklist.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said James and Elizabeth Jackson, who were fined and sentenced by a Los Angeles judge last Jan. 31, would be barred from entering the country "as undesirable aliens."

"More importantly, this would tell the world that overseas Filipino workers, wherever they are, must be treated humanely," Libanan said in a statement.

He described most OFWs as educated and hardworking people "who do not deserve to be treated like dogs."

In his decision, the US District Judge Dale Fischer said Elizabeth Jackson, 54, treated former schoolteacher Nena Ruiz "worse than her dog."

Elizabeth was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of forced labor. Her husband James, 53, a top Hollywood lawyer and former vice president of the legal affairs division of Sony Pictures, was ordered by the US court to perform 200 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $5,000 after he admitted to the charge of harboring an illegal alien.

The judge also ordered the Jacksons to pay Ruiz $825,000 or P33.5 million in damages, according to Libanan.

Libanan said that while Ruiz cleaned and provided fresh food to the Jacksons' pets, she was only given three-day-old food for her meals.

Ruiz was also forced to sleep on a dog's bed and to work 18 hours a day. She was paid only $300 after working for the Jacksons for several months.

"The Jacksons likewise threatened to turn Ruiz over to the US immigration bureau should she try to leave them," Libanan said.

In another civil suit, Ruiz accused Elizabeth of regularly slapping her and pulling her hair.

Low-income FilAms in Nevada to receive tax refunds

LAS VEGAS — Low-income workers in Nevada, including thousands of Filipinos, will benefit from the government’s largest federal cash assistance program for poor, working taxpayers.

Under the national Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), eligible taxpayers who earned less than $39,783 in 2007 can receive a refund of up to $4,716. However, only 16 percent of Clark County’s qualifying families received EITC refunds last year, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). EITC credits for Clark County – the state’s largest district – totaled over $225 million in 2007.

As part of the program’s information campaign, the “Earn it Keep it Save it" collaborative was launched here last Wednesday, as part of the “National EITC Awareness Day."

“Earn it Keep it Save it" is a new community initiative formed by the United Way of Southern Nevada in partnership with the IRS and 33 local businesses and organizations, including the Nevada Chapter of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). Said program hopes to increase the number of low- to moderate-income workers in Clark County claiming and receiving EITC.

A national cash-incentive program, EITC has been in effect since 1975, yet not many are aware of its benefits. “There’s a lot of low-income Filipinos, especially the elderly, who don’t know of this incentive," Vilma Gorre, NaFFAA’s community projects coordinator, told Philippine News. “So we are enjoining Filipinos – workers and business people – to help educate our people about EITC."

Filipinos comprise 2 percent or 40,529 of Nevada’s 2.5 million population, the highest among Asians and non-Hispanic denominations. Although a significant fraction of the Filipino workforce in Nevada are nurses and doctors whose salaries fall over the EITC cut-off, a huge chunk qualifies for the cash-assistance program.

Many working-class Filipinos maintain minimum or below minimum wage employment in various casinos, hotels, restaurants, and hospitals in Nevada. Currently, a full-time minimum wage worker in Nevada earns from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour, or $10,700 a year, which is nearly $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three in the US.

“Millions of dollars (from EITC) went unclaimed last year," said Dan Goulet, president and CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada. “We want to do something about it."

To facilitate said project, NaFFAA has set up a booth at the Seafood City where IRS-trained staff, with help from UNLV student-volunteers, respond to inquiries and conduct free electronic tax-filing on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Filipino-owned Seafood City is considered a miniature Filipinotown here.

According to Gorre, EITC has been very successful with the Hispanic community for years, due primarily to its huge percentage low-income workers, “until a longtime Filipino employee at IRS, Rey Lopez, introduced the program to our community." NaFFAA, with the help of Lopez, plans to expand its EITC information-dissemination initiatives in Nevada to other communities in West Coast with large concentration of Filipinos, like California.

“It’s only now that our community is slowly learning about the program. Also, most Filipinos wrongly suspect that EITC is no different from tax-filing services that proliferate communities, charging exorbitant fees," Gorre adds. “This program that we are doing is definitely free of charge, just go to us at NaFFAA, and we will help them."

NaFFAA is a national affiliation of more than 500 Filipino-American institutions and umbrella organizations in the US, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Marianas. NaFFAA is also the largest advocacy group for Filipino Americans.

“Our mission is to connect families with the resources and tools to access money available to them through the EITC," said Nevada’s First Lady Dawn Gibbons, the program launch’s keynote speaker. “The positive effect that this tax credit can have on Nevada’s hard-working individuals is staggering."

Enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Gerald Ford in 1975, EITC is a refundable tax credit that reduces or eliminates taxes for low-income married or single working people (such as payroll taxes), and also serves as a wage subsidy for low-income workers. Aside from NaFFAA, the United Way of Southern Nevada and IRS, other partners of “Earn it Keep it Save it" are ACORN, Bank of America, CHR Inc, City of Henderson, City of Las Vegas, College of Southern Nevada, Community Bank of Nevada, Consumer Credit Counseling, East Last Vegas Community Development, Excalibur Hotel & Casino, Family TIES of Nevada, Goodwill of Southern Nevada, HSBC Bank Nevada NA, HACA, HELP of Southern Nevada, Housing Authority of Clark County, Latin Chamber of Commerce, Nevada Federal Credit Union, Nevada HAND, Nevada Legal Services, Nevada Partners, Nevada Society of Enrolled Agents, Nevada State Bank, USAA Savings Bank, United Labor Agency of Nevada, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada, and Wells Fargo & Company.

“Earn it Keep it Save it" partners will provide free tax assistance preparation and e-filing, delivered by IRS-trained volunteers to eligible participants at multiple sites throughout Clark County. Other services include bilingual counseling in the areas of credit and debt relief, financial education, and homeownership.

I read that on the paper not long ago. I make more than double the $7.25/hr wage in Las Vegas but less than $39,783.00 and also majority of workers in Las Vegas not just Filipinos make less than that amount purely based on the service sector industry wages and also the standard of living. The standard of living in Las Vegas is not as high or expensive compared to other major metropolitan areas in the United States. There is always a catch when filing taxes but it wont hurt to check it out. I usually do my own taxes.:)

I'm sure alot of service industry workers also make plenty on tips that goes unreported, especially the casino workers.

I'm sure alot of service industry workers also make plenty on tips that goes unreported, especially the casino workers.

The article above is talking about declared wages including a percentage of tips earned but many cash tips are always under-claimed by many if not all.

POEA suspends memo on employers’ $5,000 repatriation bond

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has suspended a circular requiring employers to pay a $5,000 repatriation bond and direct-hire Filipino workers to post a performance bond equal to three months’ pay.

Memorandum Circular (MC) 04, series of 2007, was suspended after a directive from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said.

In a phone interview, Baldoz told INQUIRER.net the suspension will remain in effect pending discussions by the POEA governing board on Monday.

The suspension means direct-hires will be processed under POEA rules in effect before MC 04 was issued.

MC 04 received a lot of flak from overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) organizations and advocacy groups when it took effect January 16 this year.

The OFWs complained the additional requirements would either be passed on to them by their employers or make them unattractive to employers abroad.

But Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, who heads the POEA governing body, said the additional requirements were meant to protect the workers.

Baldoz said discussions will center principally on professionals who will be adversely affected by the order.

“We will review the order to see if there is a need for a more relaxed policy pertaining to professionals and countries with a long track record of workers’ protection,” she said.

The POEA chief foresees a very lively discussion on Monday, particularly on the definition of professionals.

The new order would “relax” the rules for direct-hire “professionals, those to be employed by reputable companies already providing adequate protection, and similarly situated employers.”

Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) backpedaled on the controversial order and said it would consider exempting countries with verified protective mechanisms.

Some two weeks ago, Brion said of the 35 countries with a high concentration of OFWs, the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in Italy, Geneva, and Hong Kong have so far confirmed that employers have been complying with the requirements guaranteeing repatriation assistance and payment of salaries.

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net

Philippines 2007 overseas workers' remittances at record 14.4 billion dollars (http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/02/15/afx4659876.html)
02.15.08, 4:14 AM ET

MANILA (Thomson Financial) - Cash remittances of Filipinos abroad totaled 14.4 billion US dollars in 2007, exceeding the central bank's target by 100 million dollars, data showed on Friday.

In December alone, remittances coursed through Philippine banks reached 1.4 billion dollars, the highest monthly level ever.

Remittances in 2006 totaled 12.8 billion dollars.

The central bank figures do not include remittances sent through non-banking channels.

Remittances accounted for about 10 percent of nominal gross domestic product in 2007, central bank governor Amando Tetangco Jr said in a statement.

These inflows are propping up domestic demand, fueling GDP growth to 7.3 percent in 2007 -- the best growth in 31 years. They are also providing strong support for the peso, which gained nearly 19 percent against the US dollar last year.

'Robust remittance flows in 2007 were due to continued demand abroad for Filipino workers and enhanced remittance services provided by banks and non-bank remittance agents,' Tetangco said.

A total of 1.07 million Filipinos found jobs abroad last year. That represents a 1 percent increase from the previous year.

Around 8 million Filipinos, or a tenth of the population, are working overseas. They are employed mostly as nurses, ship crew members, domestic helpers, and engineers.

'The significant rise in remittances in 2007 also resulted from the increased presence of commercial banks and local money transfer agents in countries with high concentrations of Filipino manpower,' Tetangco said.

The bulk of remittances come from the US, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Filipinos losing out to Indonesians in HK job market (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080215-119196/Filipinos-losing-out-to-Indonesians-in-HK-job-market)

MANILA, Philippines -- The number of Filipino domestic helpers entering Hong Kong has dropped sharply in the past five years as Indonesians are beginning to challenge the Filipinos’ domination of this job market in the former British colony.

“Data from the Hong Kong immigration office show that fewer Filipinos have been working in the former Crown Colony as Indonesian domestic helpers are taking over their territory,” said recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani Friday.

Geslani said that as of October 2007, 123,000 of the 250,000 foreign domestic helpers working in Hong Kong were Filipinos.

Indonesians comprised 115,000 while Thais, Nepalese, Sri Lankans and other nationalities made up the rest.

“Many Hong Kong employers prefer the Indonesians who are more subservient and allow themselves to be underpaid,” Geslani said.

He said Indonesians agree to work every day of the week unlike Filipinos who always want to have a day off.

Geslani said the Philippine government’s policy of raising the monthly salary rate of Filipino domestic helpers and requiring that they undergo language and skills training before their deployment has made the situation worse.

Meanwhile, a number of Hong Kong recruitment agencies are complaining against the allegedly inconsistent and selective application of the processing rules by a Philippine labor official there, Geslani said.

US senators debate Filipino veteran pension measure (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80702/US-senators-debate-Filipino-veteran-pension-measure)

US senators sparred over whether to pay long-promised pension benefits to Filipinos who fought for the US in World War II.

Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka, a Democrat from Hawaii, has sponsored a measure that would provide Filipino veterans with the pension benefits they were promised when they joined the war effort. Congress took away the benefit in 1946.

Filipinos fought against Japan during World War II under the US flag as part of the US Army Forces in the Far East. The US, which controlled the Philippines as a commonwealth at the time, was responsible for Philippine foreign affairs and national defense.

''These veterans have been denied these benefits for over 50 years. I believe it is time to give these elderly veterans the benefits that they earned and so richly deserve,'' Akaka said in a speech on the Senate floor.

The pension provision, which would cost about $24 million in its first year, is included in a broader bill called the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 that passed the committee in June. It still hasn't come up for a full Senate vote.

But the ranking Republican on the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee said providing pension benefits to Filipino veterans is the wrong priority at the wrong time because the US is now at war.

Sen. Richard Burr told lawmakers Thursday that the government should focus on the needs of US citizens and those injured in battle.

''This bill is also being used as a vehicle for a provision that would take money away from helping veterans of war - of the war on terror - and instead sending the money overseas,'' Burr said.

Burr on Thursday introduced his own version of the bill that deletes pension benefits for Filipino veterans and instead boosts funds for grants to wounded US veterans.

For example, he said his bill would provide retroactive payments between $25,000 and $100,000 to all disabled veterans who were injured since 2001 - and not just in a war zone.

It would also increase grants to help wounded veterans make their homes wheelchair accessible and otherwise user-friendly for the disabled.

Burr has been blocking debate on the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007. But on Thursday he said he's ready to debate the merits of his bill against the legislation passed by the committee.

Filipino veterans who helped resist the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in World War II already receive pension benefits if they live in the US.

But Washington hasn't awarded those same pensions to Filipinos who live in their homeland.

The bill the committee approved would award $3,600 per year to each individual veteran, or $4,500 per year to each married veteran.

Some senators have argued the benefit is too generous given the low cost of living in the Philippines.

But Akaka argues it's fair given the veterans, who are now all in their 80s and 90s, have received nothing thus far in their lives, said the senator's spokesman, Jesse Broder Van Dyke.

sana nga wala nang domestic helper na Pinay dyan. good news yan. karamihan naman dyan professionals, sana makakuha na lang ng call center job dito kay sa maging tsimay sa ibang bansa.

^^ kaya ang mga taga hong kong ang alam eh katulong lahat ang mga pilipino...kaya kahit turista ka doon eh tingin sau eh yaya.

:lol: o kaya taga punas ng pinagkainan nila

Filipinos win concessions in UK (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008021641)

Saturday, February 16, 2008 07:03 PM

Filipino senior care workers in the United Kingdom have won significant concessions from the British Home Office that would facilitate the renewal of their work permits, according to an embassy report.

Philippine Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that new guidelines were issued by the UK Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) of the Home Office Department.

Espiritu said the waiver of the skills criteria for work permit holders has been extended to those who have changed their employers due to the refusal of their previous employers to pay the required minimum hourly rate of 7.02 pounds.

Previously, transfer applications had been treated as new applications subject to strict compliance with existing skills criteria making renewal of work permits extremely difficult.

Under the old guidelines, Filipino senior care workers whose employers refuse to pay the required hourly rate simply have no choice but to depart from the UK upon completion of their contract,� Espiritu said in his report.

The new guidelines ensured the renewal of work permits for those who are only a year away from the minimum five-year eligibility requirement for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom.

^^ kaya ang mga taga hong kong ang alam eh katulong lahat ang mga pilipino...kaya kahit turista ka doon eh tingin sau eh yaya.

Maybe because the Pinoy tourists themselves probably looks, acts, and dresses like the hired help. ;)

the filipinos represents one of the most important tourists group for hkg which along with korea has the greatest potential for high growth

4 Koreans, 2 others face raps for trafficking of Filipinas

MANILA, Philippines -- The National Bureau of Investigation has filed charges against six persons, including four Koreans, for allegedly exploiting young Filipino women through their mail-order bride business.

While the six were charged with violation of Republic Act 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003), only four of them were arrested in an entrapment operation last Thursday.

They were identified as Park Song Ju, Lim Hui Kwon, and Park Dae Wong, all Korean nationals and temporarily residing at Washington Tower, Asiaworld City, Paranaque City; and Jenny Bon Ao, who had a pending case for violation of the Mail Order Bride Law, or Republic Act 6955.

Bon Ao faces additional charges of estafa and violation of RA 8042 (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995), the NBI said.

Bureau agents are on the hunt for the two other suspects identified as Jung Ji Won, the alleged husband of Bon Ao; and Tele Cabagong, of Carmona, Cavite.

Investigation showed that before the suspects’ arrests, authorities were informed that Bon Ao was recruiting minors as workers in Korea. She was allegedly enticing victims to marry visiting Koreans so they could easily migrate to Korea.

By Tina Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

RP official snubbed in Canada trade mission

A Philippine trade representative to Canada is not too happy over the success of a recent trade mission by Manitoba to the Philippines, saying she was snubbed.

Canadian online news site CBCNews (www.cbc.ca) reported Saturday that Edda Pangilinan, the Philippine honorary consul general of Manitoba since last March, said she was not invited to join the mission.

"It's a snub to the Philippine government and to the Philippine community," Pangilinan told CBC News, noting the provincial government did not invite her along on its trade and cultural mission to the Philippines from Feb. 6 to 13.

She said she found it odd that local businesspeople were welcomed on the trip, but not the local diplomat.

"I was disappointed. If you are in my position, will you not be disappointed? I was disappointed because I represent the Philippine government here. Why was I passed by?" she said.

She said many people had asked her why she was not included in the mission. She said she would just reply that she was busy, "just to cover up."

Pangilinan said she wanted the chance to tackle issues such as two-year waiting lists for Filipinos wanting to come to Manitoba, and the role of immigration consultants and the fees they charge.

Yet, she said she still counts Premier Gary Doer as a friend.

The CBC report said the Philippine ambassador was invited but later canceled.

Provincial officials said more immigrants go to Manitoba from the Philippines than any other country, with Filipinos accounting for more than 25 per cent of the province's total immigration.

Manitoba's Filipino community currently numbers about 50,000. -

GMANews.TV

Shoura to Discuss Major Issues With Al-Assaf
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH — Three hot issues — revaluation of Saudi riyal against the US dollar, rising inflation and a GCC common currency — will be the focus of today’s discussion between the 150-member Shoura Council and Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf. Dr. Osama Abu Gharara, deputy chairman of the Financial Committee at the Shoura Council, said the discussions would also deal with the Kingdom’s financial and monetary policies and its efforts to contain inflation.

“So far we have not seen any solution to control inflation,” Gharara told Al-Eqtisadiah business daily, a sister publication of Arab News. Inflation in the Kingdom surged to a record high of 6.5 percent last December.

“We’ll also discuss the possibility of revaluing the riyal against the dollar in tune with its devaluation against other international currencies,” the Shoura member said. He emphasized the need for reviewing the riyal’s exchange rate with the falling American dollar.

Other topics to be discussed with Al-Assaf will include the need for continuing subsidies for essential commodities as being the best solution to control inflation.

“We’ll also explore the possibility of the Finance Ministry cooperating with traders to import products from countries that are less affected by inflation,” he said. Inflation is partly driven by a rise in global commodity prices and a weak American currency.

The Shoura met with two senior ministers — Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani and Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi — earlier this month in order to discuss important issues facing society.

Hamad Al-Sayari, governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), the Kingdom’s central bank, will also attend Al-Assaf’s talks with the Shoura which advises the government on policy matters.

Last month the Council of Ministers approved a 17-point program to offset the impact of price rises on the country’s 25 million people. It included a five percent inflation allowance for government employees and 10 percent increase in social insurance allocations for three years.

Like most of its neighbors in the world’s biggest oil exporting region, Saudi Arabia’s dollar peg means it has been forced to track US monetary policy at a time when the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates to help ward off recession.

Inflation has overtaken official borrowing costs in the largest Arab economy, where the central bank raised bank reserve requirements twice in two months in order to force lenders to keep more money in their vaults in a bid to slow down credit growth.

The Cabinet also decided to revise subsidies for essential commodities every three years, and activate the law for promoting fair competition as well as establishing a Consumer Protection Association and preventing monopolies.

The Cabinet measures also addressed the issue of increasing house rents by deciding to establish a General Housing Authority next year. The move follows increases in house rents by 30 to 50 percent in some areas.

Other major decisions to control prices have been: a 50 percent cut in port charges on imports and a 50 percent reduction in charges of some government services. Shops were urged to place lists of product prices in a prominent place.

“The state will bear 50 percent of charges relating to passports, travel, vehicle licenses, transfer of vehicle ownership, and for the renewal of residential permits (iqama) of domestic workers for three years,” the Cabinet said explaining the program.

The Cabinet also instructed relevant ministries and agencies — such as the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Finance Ministry and the Economy and Planning Ministry — to conduct weekly and monthly surveys to monitor prices in the market. “The government will continue to review prices of medicines and speed up studies related to health insurance for Saudis,” the Cabinet said. The Kingdom will also facilitate the recruitment of skilled workers without affecting Saudization, it added.

Kin of Filipino Beheaded by Compatriot Seeks Swift Justice
Francis R. Salud & Bien Custodio, Arab News

JEDDAH/RIYADH, 17 February 2008 — The brother of the Filipino driver who was killed and beheaded by a compatriot in Riyadh yesterday welcomed the arrest of the suspect and hoped that justice would be rendered in no time.

Jonathan Montecino said the killing of his brother Mitchel Joseph Montecino has deprived the victim’s wife and three children of a breadwinner.

“I’m shocked by the extreme cruelty inflicted on my brother,” said Jonathan, who is also working in the Kingdom. He declined to say where he is based for security reasons.

Vice Consul Roussel Reyes of the Philippine Embassy identified the suspect as Pancho Toronoyba, who, police said has admitted to stabbing the victim to death on Feb. 13 due to a quarrel.

Police in Riyadh’s Sulaimaniya District arrested Toronayba two hours after he was seen dumping the victim’s body at a garbage box. Reyes, citing a police report, said the suspect dumped the body at a garbage bin somewhere in Sulaimaniya and the severed head in Malaz, far away from the crime site.

Police have yet to determine the suspect’s motive in killing his colleague, who started working in Riyadh only six months ago, Reyes said.

Toronayba was said to have worked with his employer also as a driver for over 21 years. The suspect was taken yesterday to the prosecutor’s office, Reyes said.

Subject: Fw: for all OFWs ( POEA Memorandum No. 4)

To whom it may concern...

Worse than Malu Fernandez controversy

02/09/08

Posted under Readers' Blog Posts

IF your answer is yes to one or more of the following questions, then this article is for you:

Were you affected by the Malu Fernandez controversy?
Do you know anyone who is an overseas Filipino worker? (OFW)
Do you have a relative who is an OFW?
Do you believe that many Filipinos are working abroad because of the
lack of opportunities here in the Philippines ?
Do you believe that OFWs help the Philippine economy?
Do you believe that the present administration is corrupt and there has
to be some changes?
Are you an OFW, or an ex-OFW, or are you planning to become an OFW?

If you said yes to any of these, read on…

Perhaps you’ve heard of the controversial memorandum (1) of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regarding the Guidelines on the Direct Hiring of Filipino Workers. Please allow me to explain to you why OFWs need your support against this memorandum. We really need your help! Please forward our plea for help to as many people as possible.

Who are the ‘direct hire’ OFWs?

There are two ways to get a job overseas. You can either go through an authorized recruitment agency in the Philippines or you can directly contact the employer. Obviously, those who can directly communicate with the foreign employer don’t have to go through a recruitment agency and so the process is referred to as “direct-hire” and they are called “direct-hires.”

OFWs who go through a recruitment agency usually have to pay their recruiter a placement fee and/or a commission. While those who are direct-hires sometimes take greater risks by staying in a foreign country (sometimes as tourists) and then by God’s grace and through their contacts, they find work. Some direct-hires find work while still in the Philippines when the employer comes to the Philippines to screen applicants.

Both ways of finding work have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the jobsite, employer, work, and the contract. (2) There are those who say that it’s important to go through a recruitment agency because they make sure that the employer is a good one. Recruitment agencies also look after you when you’re already in your jobsite. On the other hand, there are others who think that they can do away with recruitment agencies. They think they can deal directly with their employers and they can handle their own problems. And if not, they can always run to the Philippine embassies for help. That’s why they’re there, right?

If you were to choose between the two, which one do you prefer: Go through a recruitment agency or directly deal with the employer?

There is another important thing that we should keep in mind when it comes to the definition of direct-hires. Let’s say an OFW who went through a recruitment agency in their first overseas job finishes their contract with their employer. If he/she decides to find another job overseas with another employer, he/she is now a “direct-hire.”

Before Memorandum No. 4

Let’s say, an employer in the Middle East needs to hire an engineer. A Filipino engineer, who has just finished his contract with another employer, applies for the job. He came highly recommended by his previous employer and so he was accepted in the job. His new employer offered him a salary of $1,000 a month. He was more than happy to take the job, especially because if he can’t find work, he will be forced to go back to the Philippines . They signed the contract and the OFW starts working the next day. Simple, right? That’s direct-hiring!

Enter Memorandum No.4!

Memorandum No.4 (Series of 2007) signed by POEA Administrator Rosalindo Dimapilos-Baldoz took effect on January 15, 2008. All employers, whether individuals or companies, must abide by the so-called “guidelines.”

Let’s go back to the story of our Filipino engineer. Now, according to this memorandum, he can’t start working for his new employer. Not yet!
First, his employer has to register with POEA. But there’s no need to worry, because the process will not take longer than one month. One month!
You mean to say that the Filipino engineer has to wait for a month before he can start working! That’s okay, says POEA. I’m sure his family can wait for a month before he can send money for their food and utilities.

But there’s more to it. There are more requirements that the employer has to submit. Here are the other requirements:

1. The employer must submit the following documents to POEA:
a) copies of their business registration, license, and identification paper
b) sample contracts for the OFW
c) proof that the OFW won’t be charged a placement fee (hello? it’s called “direct-hire”)2. Pay a “performance bond” equivalent to the worker’s salary for three months. The performance bond will be used to guarantee compliance of the employer of the contract. So, the performance bond will serve as a penalty fee for the employer in case there’s a breach of contract by the employer. It’s not clear in the memorandum if this performance bond will be given in full to the direct-hire OFW.

In the case of our OFW engineer, his employer has to pay $3,000 ($1,000 x
3 months) which is approximately P120,000. This sum is to be paid even before the OFW starts work. Wow!

3. Provide a “repatriation bond” in the amount of $5,000 or approximately P200,000. This money is to be used for the direct-hire’s repatriation expenses in case the contract is terminated. Also, in case the OFW dies while overseas, this money is going to be used to bring the remains back to the Philippines .

I thought the government considers OFWs as our modern-day heroes. Then how come they can’t even afford to bring back the remains of OFWs who die while working overseas. I thought this is why OFWs are required to pay their PhilHealth even though they’re not in the Philippines .

4. And the last requirement to get the registration process started is the submission of a Medical Insurance Certificate

Isn’t it common practice that the application for medical insurance gets started as soon as the employee starts working? I think this is also true for companies in the Philippines . And isn’t it true that it takes a while before the insurance company releases the medical insurance certificate.
Sometimes, it even takes about three months before the document is released. Wow!

In other words

If you were an employer looking for foreign workers, would you really go through the trouble of doing all the above requirements? Would you be willing to set aside $8,000 or approximately P320,000 so your Filipino employee can start working for you?

I do admire our government’s high regard for our OFWs. They really believe that employers will jump through hoops to get a Filipino worker.

I really hope that employers will do all these things to get a Filipino worker. But what if they don’t? What if there are so many foreign workers in the global market these days that they can easily get workers from other countries whose governments don’t have ridiculous requirements? What if they decide not to hire Filipino workers? Who is going to be directly affected by this? Who is going to suffer?

Who is going to suffer?

It’s fairly obvious that our OFWs are the ones who will be badly affected by this memorandum and I am one of them. Whether you are an engineer, teacher, domestic helper, nurse, doctor, or any other overseas employee, as long as you hold a Philippine passport and you have a job overseas, you will suffer because of this memorandum. If you don’t lose your job now, you’ll have trouble looking for a job later.

Families who rely on remittances of their OFWs will also be badly hit by this memorandum. How can OFWs send money home if they don’t have a source of income because they have no work? We all know that many OFWs have mouths to feed and siblings to help send to school.

Another victim of this memorandum will be our economy. OFWs brought in $15 billion to our economy in 2007.(3) This amount of money is not to be taken lightly. If you think that the call center industry is helping our economy, then multiply it by five times and it will match the amount of money brought in by OFWs.

And how will this affect small and big business companies in our country?
Well, let’s try to simplify it for everyone. Less employers mean less work for our OFWs. Less work means fewer OFWs. Fewer OFWs means less remittance. Less remittance means less “spending power” of Filipinos. Less spending power means less money for other things. People will only have money for their basic needs and commodities. Other businesses will close and there will be less jobs for the millions of Filipinos who are working in the Philippines . So they will start to look for work overseas but they won’t be able to find any. All thanks to Rosalinda Baldoz’s Memorandum Circular No.4.

So who’s going to suffer from this memorandum? You! Me! Everyone!

What should we do?

If you ask me, the first thing we should demand is the immediate resignation of Rosalinda Dimapilos-Baldoz, the POEA administrator who signed Memorandum Circular No.4. This memorandum is evidence that she doesn’t understand the needs of OFWs and she does not deserve to be at the helm of POEA.

Our second demand should be the immediate revocation of Memorandum Circular No.4. We should all join the mass protest action. It’s clear that we will all suffer because of this new policy on direct-hires. Don’t hesitate to take it to the streets. That’s the only way we can get their attention. Let’s show them that we are serious in demanding for the resignation of Baldoz and the revocation of the memo.

If in case you can’t join the mass protest action, here are other ways you can help this urgent cause:

E-mail your relatives, friends, and every one you know and ask them to
join the protest. Forward the link to this post and other posts about
this issue to your friends. There’s also a Filipino version of this
post.
Text all your contacts and ask them to support our protest.
Support the Senate inquiry of Senator Manny Villar (4). E-mail Senator
Manny Villar at mb_villar@yahoo.com or go to his website,
www.mannyvillar.com.ph
Support the Congress resolution of Representative Teddy Casino of Bayan
Muna party-list (5)
Sign the online petition (6)
Blog and comment in blogs about Baldoz and her memorandum. When Malu
Fernandez spoke badly about the OFWs, we were quick to point out her
wrongs and we succeeded. More than ever, our OFWs need your help.
Please hear our plea.

My friend, let’s take action! Let’s demand for the resignation of Rosalinda Baldoz and for the revocation of Memorandum No.4!

Click here for the Filipino version of this post.

===
Notes:
(1) POEA Memorandum Circular No.4 - Guidelines on the Direct Hiring of Filipino Workers
(2) Magandang ipalabas ng POEA ang kanilang statistics kung ilang OFW ang dumaan sa recruitment agency at ilan ang direct-hire.
(3) Top international economist says Philippine economy has to grow 14% to stop OFW exodus, Positive News Media, Jan 31, 2008
(4) $5K bond hinders Pinoys’ search for better opportunities - Villar seeks Senate inquiry on new direct-hire guidelines
(5) Solon wants memo on OFW hiring scrapped, Feb 3, 2008, GMANews.TV
(6) Online Petition - Abolition of (POEA) Memorandum Circular No. 4

California town’s first FilAm mayor quits over breach of ethics

COLMA — First Filipino mayor of Colma, Claro “Larry" Formalejo, has resigned from his position Wednesday, February 13, during a Town Council meeting due to family issues concerning his son’s DUI (driving under the influence) arrest, leaving dozens of Colma resident in shock along with a bundle of unanswered questions.

The opening address of the meeting began with Formalejo presenting his resignation letter stating that in 2006, his 21-year-old son, Dustin Formalejo, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and had apparently asked the police in charge on how he could be assisted in any means to alleviate his son’s situation.

“I took some actions that may have been perceived as in conflict with my ethical obligations as a City Councilman at the time," confessed Formalejo to ‘The San Francisco Examiner.’Because Formalejo failed to reach into specifics concerning his situation, the night was filled with uncertainty. It was unclear on what exactly was said to the police officer by Formalejo during the night of the arrest.

Until further notice, a more in-depth investigation of Formalejo’s case will continue and will later be issued into a report during the town’s next council meeting that will be held on March 12. Vice Mayor Helen Fisicaro will preside as mayor. City Attorney, Roger Peters, advised that resignation was the correct way to go “to avoid any perception of improper behavior," as he told the ‘Examiner.’

“I was shocked that Formalejo resigned from his position. I was very proud to have a fellow Filipino leader take charge in our community," Josephine Mirando-Aquino of the Filipino American Association of Colma told Philippine News. After reciting his resignation, Formalejo did not answer questions. He did indicate the urgency to concentrate on private family matters.

“I only pray that this is just a temporary glitch for Formalejo and that after all is said and done, reason and truth behind all this would actually turn out to be no big deal at all. As any Filipino mother would do to protect her son by all means, I support Formalejo in doing what must be done," Mirando-Aquino further said.

Although there was no mention of running once again as mayor, this Filipino American community leader born in Sta. Mesa, Philippines and raised in San Francisco will continue to maintain his seat on the Town Council. “Hopefully, Formalejo will stand tall though all this," concluded Mirando-Aquino.

- By KRYSTINA OROZCO, Philippine News

^^ Sana ganyan ka ethical yung mga politikos sa atin. Bihira yan sa filipino families sa California. Yung pinsan ko sa Daly City and Kumpadre sa LA, pinagmamalaki pa yung dami ng DUII arrests ng mga anak nila. :lol: Naka kulong yung dalawa until now. :D

^^ Sana nga... pero di "parang hindi sa Pilipinas ah" 'yon. :lol: :jk:

^^ Sana nga... pero di "parang hindi sa Pilipinas ah" 'yon. :lol: :jk:

^^ hehehe, puwedeng mangyari yan sa Pinas pag MAGUGUNAW NA ANG MUNDO sa kinabukasan. :lol:

Aussie immigration chief: 'I have too much power'

SYDNEY -- Australia's new immigration minister surprised a senate committee Tuesday by saying he had too much power and was uncomfortable "playing God" with people's lives.

Chris Evans' statement came after a series of scandals over the treatment of migrants by the conservative government of former prime minister John Howard, ousted by the center-left Labor Party in November elections.

Evans said there had been a big increase in ministerial intervention in individual migration cases during the Howard government and in some cases people had no right to appeal.

"I have formed the view that I have too much power," he told the senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee.

"The [migration] act is unlike any other act I've seen in terms of the power given to the minister to make decisions about individual cases."

"I am uncomfortable with that, not just because of concern about playing God, but also because of the lack of transparency and accountability for those decisions."

Evans' predecessor last year controversially used his powers to revoke the visa of Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef and force him to leave the country even after a terrorism charge against him was dropped.

Evans said he was considering an ombudsman's report that called for reforms to ministerial powers, including his ability to revoke the visas of long-term permanent residents.

This followed concern about the Howard government's deportation to Serbia of a man who had never lived there and held permanent residency in Australia.

Robert Jovicic, 38, who had lived in Australia since the age of two after being born to Serbian parents in France, was deported in June 2004 after committing a string of offenses in Australia.

Having never previously set foot in Serbia and unable to speak the language, Jovicic found himself homeless in sub-zero temperatures during the Belgrade winter.

He staged a lone protest vowing to die on the steps of the Australian embassy in Belgrade and after a long battle was allowed to return in February last year on a two-year protection visa.

Agence France-Presse

kung may integridad lang ang politiko sa atin kagaya ng mga hapon, ubos na sila sa suicide. :lol:

^^ kaya ang mga taga hong kong ang alam eh katulong lahat ang mga pilipino...kaya kahit turista ka doon eh tingin sau eh yaya.

Not all ;)

I rarely got that discrimination and I lived here all my life. Though one gweilo got beaten really bad for talking shit about Pinoys. It happened in Wan Chai, eh some areas there are Pinoy territory :eek:

Anyway, one of the reasons why Indonesians are becoming in demand compared to Filipinos is because they are being trained to become fluent in Cantonese which is essential in HK. Filipinos lack that skill despite them being more fluent in English. Other than that, they are lower salaries can complained less. The only difference is, Filipinos have a well established community in HK unlike Indonesians. Other than that, Filipino DH are becoming less in HK. Note that there are other Pinoy proffesionals in HK whether its business, the arts or entertainment.

BTW, the first known Pinoy OFW in HK was Jose Rizal :D

http://www.backpackingphilippines.com/2007/09/jose-rizal-hong-kong-house-and-clinic.html

http://bp0.blogger.com/_w5zmQN20EOc/RuDx9-dns3I/AAAAAAAABGc/ncxjSA9T8nU/s1600/rizal%2Bbusiness%2Bcard%2Bhong%2Bkong.jpg

http://bp2.blogger.com/_w5zmQN20EOc/RuDKAednsyI/AAAAAAAABF0/Bz61x4gLwbE/s1600/rizal%2Brednaxela%2Bmarker%2Bdown.jpg

http://bp2.blogger.com/_w5zmQN20EOc/RuDKAednsxI/AAAAAAAABFs/jOm9VkulJT0/s1600/rizal%2Brednaxela%2Bmarker.jpg

^^ and ironically, our flag was first unfurled in HK. and Filipino patriots in HK financed the revolution against Spain, and the US.

also, sa HK Disneyland merong around 500 na empleyadong pinoy.

Americans, the bulk of dual citizenship seekers in 2007 (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080219-119913/Americans-bulk-of-dual-citizenship-seekers-in-07)

MANILA, Philippines -- American citizens made up the bulk of former Filipinos who have decided to reacquire their original nationality under the country's dual citizenship law.

Immigration commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Tuesday that of the 4,019 former Filipinos who reacquired their Philippine citizenship in 2007, 3,173 were Americans.

Trailing way behind were 293 Canadians, 189 Australians, 70 Britons, 31 South Koreans, 28 Germans, 27 Spaniards, 27 Taiwanese, 22 New Zealanders, 19 Italians, and 19 Japanese.

“To date, more than 43,000 former Filipinos have already reacquired their Philippine citizenship since Congress passed the law nearly five years ago,” Libanan said in a statement.

He added that the former Filipinos who reacquired their Philippine citizenship could now enter and leave the country anytime and stay for as long as they wished.

“By availing of the dual citizenship law, these applicants have regained their rights and privileges as citizens of the land of their birth,” Libanan said.

Among these rights, the BI chief explained, were holding a Philippine passport, voting, and owning real property in the country.

He said more than 15,000 petitions were approved at the BI main office in Intramuros, while the rest were filed with Philippine consulates overseas.

Libanan, the principal author of Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act when he was a congressman, explained that under this law, former natural-born Filipinos who become naturalized citizens of other countries are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship.

He said the law was enacted in line with the thrust of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration to encourage former Filipinos now settled overseas to return to their land of their birth, buy properties and invest in business in the country.

im doing that this coming mar 3

.

wondering if China and Philippines have also dual citizenship program, if there is... then it will be a nightmare for our intelligence agencies, sorting who is who. :lol:

.

there's none. In China, it's either you're a Chinese citizen or not, there's nothing in between. Under the Nationality Law of PRC, a non-Chinese descent foreigner can apply for a Chinese citizenship, but you have to renounce your original nationality; and don't expect the process to be any convenient. But if you're a Chinese-descent of foreign citizenship you can easily claim/reclaim your Chinese citizenship.

also, why would a Chinese waste so much resources acquiring a Filipino citizenship to spy in the country when he could easily disguised himself in the swarms of tourists arriving? :lol:

^^ and ironically, our flag was first unfurled in HK. and Filipino patriots in HK financed the revolution against Spain, and the US.

also, sa HK Disneyland merong around 500 na empleyadong pinoy.

I have a thread on this in the HK section

HK played key role in RP history
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=493532

I have a thread on this in the HK section

HK played key role in RP history
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=493532

we used to import DH from hk.:lol: now it's the other way around

New citizenship rules for migrants (http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hMS_zz2AYGmKCcLhLBNalM_inThQ)

Foreigners living in Britain will be expected to go through a new expanded citizenship process or leave the country, under new plans outlined by ministers.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she wanted to end the situation where foreign nationals "languish in limbo" by living in the country but not adapting to the British way of life.

Even the ultra-wealthy - who can currently avoid some of the conditions imposed on less well-off immigrants - will be expected to apply for British nationality or permanent residence.

"I would want to see a larger proportion of those that are here moving to full British citizenship," said Ms Smith.

"You will not be able to languish in limbo. Once your period of temporary residence comes to an end you will need to apply for the next stage or leave."

Winning citizenship will take at least six years from the point someone arrives in the UK, a year longer than at present because of a new stage of "probationary citizenship".

The probation period will last 12 months if the foreigner takes part in community activities such as volunteering, charity fund-raising, running a sports team or playgroup, or working as a school governor.

Migrants who do not take part in community work will have to wait longer - the existing five years plus a minimum of three years' probation. This type of community work may even be made compulsory, said a Green Paper.

The rules will not apply to Europeans - including those from the eastern European countries which recently joined the EU. But Ms Smith also announced a new review of access to welfare payments, such as child benefit, by people from other European Economic Area countries.

Immigration minister Liam Byrne said current take-up rates for British citizenship were low among certain foreigners - such as Filipinos (50%), Australians (49%) and Americans (40%).

we used to import DH from hk.:lol: now it's the other way around

Not really but more workers. Read somewhere that Kennon Road were setup by Cantonese workers not necessarily from HK.

But note that neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand have their own share of workers. Even China as well

Send Us Home, Not to Jail, Say OFWs Stranded in Jeddah
Ronald Concha & Gloria E. Melencio, Arab News

JEDDAH/MANILA, 21 February 2008 — Workers stranded at the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah yesterday asked Philippine officials to find a diplomatic solution and get them repatriated.

Many of the workers had their heads shaved and greeted visitors to the consulate with a mock coffin to dramatize their demand.

Painted in black color on the coffin were the words, “The future of our families lies on this coffin. Send us Home, Not to Jail!”

Carlos Rebutar, a spokesman for the stranded workers, said: “The coffin symbolizes the dangers we are facing now. It also symbolizes the death of our family and loved ones as we languish here losing our remaining hope of being repatriated.”

While acknowledging the efforts undertaken by consulate officials to help stranded workers, leaders of the group and the support organization Migrante said it’s time for the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah to find creative solutions.

In a press statement, A.M. Ociones, chairman of Migrante KSA, said: “The ‘legal deportation process’ is a sham, because it endangers our compatriots who left their employers due to various cases of abuse, maltreatment and contract violations.”

The workers said they were resorting to the symbolic protest because the solution Consul General Ezzedin Tago had opted to take was proving to be futile.

As of yesterday, the total number of workers seeking urgent repatriation was placed at 198, with more than 70 staying inside the consulate compound.

Most of the workers fled their employers in the Eastern Province and Riyadh either because of maltreatment, non-payment of their wages, and other abuses and violations of their contract.

Consulate officials have said the workers were lured by a syndicate of “fixers” to go to Jeddah where they can be repatriated via the “backdoor” for a fee. The workers were made to gather under the Kandarah Bridge and wait for immigration officials to pick them up and deport them.

To the workers’ dismay, immigration officials have ignored them reportedly because they did not pass through the “proper channel.”

In a dialogue three weeks ago, Consul General Tago, explained to the workers that the consulate can help the workers only if they pass through the legal process.

Under this process the worker is made to identify his employer, and the consulate or immigration officials would notify the employer and ask if they want to provide an exit visa for the worker.

Fernando Francisco, one of the leaders of the stranded, said he and his colleagues softened up last week after consulate officials promised that they won’t be placed in danger.

But the group started backing out when some of the 54 women and 24 men who were picked up by the Immigration Police through the so-called ‘due process’ in Feb. 10 were returned to their employers.

“We agreed to submit to the legal process but see what happened?” an angry Francisco said yesterday.

According to Migrante, one man was confirmed “returned” to his employer and about 20 were told that they would also be sent back to their employers.

Migrante also said 13 men were transferred to the Deportation Facility in Riyadh in handcuffs and were dumped inside a cell with at least 100 other men of different nationalities.

“This is not what has been promised us when they (consulate officials) were convincing us to sign up for due process,” Ociones yesterday quoted one of the 13 men as saying.

Consul General Tago was unavailable for comment as he was out of the Kingdom for an official mission.

Consul Jose Jacob confirmed that some of the workers were sent back to Riyadh. Jacob said the consulate has the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to intervene. “We wanted to repatriate them as much as we can but the problem is we don’t have control of the process...,” he said.

Jacob rejected suggestions that the consulate help the workers exit via the so-called “backdoor.”

“We will not secure their repatriation through fraudulent means. They came here as a workers, they will be repatriated as workers,” he said.

Vice Consul Lorenzo Jungco, the new head of the Assistance to National Section in Jeddah, said he led a team to talk with the head of the deportation area at the Jeddah airport and requested that no workers be sent back to their employers.

Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor, in an interview by phone from Riyadh, said the stranded workers were in the deportation area and the immigration officials will ask the employers to provide the exit visas for their workers if they have no criminal records.

The head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh, Labor Attaché Resty dela Fuente, said he immediately went to see the workers when they arrived at the Riyadh deportation area on Monday night.

“We will take care of them and we will continue assisting them. They are okay inside and we just hope everything will go smoothly so that they will be repatriated soon,” he said, adding that Ambassador Villamor was also doing his best to help solve the crisis.

Migrante insisted said the officials step up the level of intervention.

“We call on the government therefore, to opt for the more arduous diplomatic or government-to-government solution,” Ociones said.

“It is the solution that the government has been avoiding all this time for whatever reason and the only solution that can send the ‘stranded’ home... now,” he said in a press statement.

Ociones said one of the workers identified as Noel Farrales “is already very weak and might collapse anytime due to the heat inside the deportation cell.”

The workers said if the consulate had managed to send home 925 overstayers and stranded workers last year, there’s no reason it could to do it again with the smaller number this time.

Last year, most of the workers who were repatriated almost single-handedly by then Consul General Pendosina N. Lomondot were also from Riyadh and the Eastern Province.

Struggling with noncitizen status
Hardships of being an undocumented immigrant force student to work long hours to finish school (http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2008/feb/20/struggling-noncitizen-status/)

They finally broke the news to her after 18 years.

Stephanie Solis’ parents had hoped to hold back for as long as any secret could stay hidden, but it was only a matter of time before they had to tell the fourth-year English student the truth.

Solis was not in the United States legally.

For Solis, who only spoke English and had little recollection of her native Philippines, the notion that she wasn’t legally an American shocked her.

“I don’t feel very Filipino,” Solis said. “I’m told I’m not an American. But the only thing that still rings true to me is the English language.”

Her youth so far had been American in so many ways.

In the living room, her father listened to Rush Limbaugh. In the kitchen, her mother read Us Weekly.

Perhaps the only foreign connection to the Philippines that could have been found in her home was the homemade avocado ice cream in the freezer.

Solis felt so betrayed by her parents for having kept her immigration status from her for so long that she moved out and set out on her own.

Solis remembers sitting at a bus stop roughly a year later watching the cars go by as she waited for the bus that would take her to the train that would whisk her to a job making cardboard boxes.

Her life had become one of compromises – commuting six hours a day on public transit because she couldn’t get a driver’s license and saving up to pay for school.

By 2005, Solis started at UCLA, but because of her immigration status, paying for school was a major burden. Undocumented students are ineligible for financial aid, scholarships and many other types of financial assistance to help pay the fees.

Instead, many undocumented students are forced to pick up odd jobs to pay for their education.

Solis, like many undocumented students, has taken an unusually long time to get her degree.

“I’m in a position where I can’t consistently go to school,” she said.

Forced to take time off from work between quarters of school, Solis has been in college on and off for the last six years.

“There is that inconsistency which removes me from the standard college experience. I don’t feel like I’m integrated into it. I drop in when I can, and I visit when I can afford to for a quarter, and I’m there for 3 months, and I leave,” Solis said.

“And by the time I come back, everybody who was at the same level with me and everybody that I knew has already moved on or has graduated. There is that sense that I’m not going to college with my group – with my peer group. I’m going to college just with myself because I am my only peer group because everyone else is moving along at normal speed.”

Due to her hectic and stressful schedule, she woke up at odd hours and slept very little.

But it was the smaller realities of being undocumented – such as trouble cashing checks and getting a library card – that really got to her.

“It is the subtle things that flick me on the forehead reminding me that there is something wrong with who I am,” Solis said.

With her graduation finally imminent, Solis feels uneasy about what’s to come.

Like many undocumented college graduates, Solis will have difficulty finding a job without proof of legal residence, despite her degree from a top undergraduate program.

“The irony about that is that there is a sense of wanting to continue to prolong being in college simply because once I’m out and I have my degree, there’s nothing that I can really do with it.”

Provincial Governments Should Use Their Constitutional Powers On Immigration (http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/1966)

Two provincial governments have recently announced that they will use Ottawa’s provincial nominee programme to recruit foreign workers. Before going any further,both should be taking a sober look at the questionable “worker shortage” statistics they have been given.

Instead of stampeding down the “worker shortage” path, they should be using their constitutionally-granted immigration powers to put their emphasis on hiring unemployed Canadians and to calm frenzied Ottawa.

In response to an alleged labour shortage, Ottawa has been encouraging provincial governments to get involved in nominating immigrants. Employers are supposed to begin the process by identifying jobs that need to be filled. Provincial governments then try to match foreign workers with employer requests.

B.C. and Manitoba are two provinces currently making use of the provincial nominee programme.

British Columbia has said it has signed an agreement with the Philippines to recruit 30,000 workers per year. B.C. Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen has said the province will need 350,000 workers over the next 12 years. The B.C. Trucking Association claims that trucking firms will need 5,000 new drivers each year, particularly for long haul work. The Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association has said up to 44,000 new jobs will have to be filled by 2015. The B.C. Hotels Association says it may need up to 20,000 foreign workers.

However, the labour shortage claims seem to be inflated and unverified. Also, the claims are being made at a time when Ontario and Quebec are experiencing a steep decline in manufacturing jobs.

The following question has to be asked: What sense does it make to look for workers outside of Canada when workers are available here?

The other big issue is whether these jobs are McJobs, that is, jobs that a worker cannot live on and which immigrants will soon vacate. This will soon necessitate another army of immigrants to fill the vacated McJobs---and then another army....

(Immigration Watch Canada.org provides the following link to an earlier analysis of similar highly suspicious worker shortage claims for B.C. and Alberta)

Although federal MP’s from all parties also seem to believe Canada has a labour shortage, B.C.’s NDP Labour Critic is expressing serious reservations. He says that many Canadian workers are employed part-time and that foreign workers should not get preference for full-time jobs.

Ironically for the B.C. NDP Labour Critic, Manitoba’s NDP government seems to have converted to the worker shortage religion. It has sent a delegation, which includes Premier Gary Doer, to the Philippines to sign an immigration agreement with Filipino government officials. No numbers have been announced. Filipinos are the largest immigrant group in Manitoba, making up 25% of all immigrants.

Mr. Doer and his delegation probably enjoyed a warm break from Winterpeg. When they get back to cold reality, they should remember an equally cold reality: many Manitoba Native reserves have 75%+ unemployment rates. Mr. Doer and his group have to ask themselves an important question: Who gets the first shot at jobs: people from across the Pacific or (1) those on the many Manitoba reserves and (2) those registered for work at Manitoba Employment Insurance offices?

Canada’s second largest immigration office is in the Philippines. Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley has just announced plans to add three officers to the staff at Canada’s embassy in Manilla to accommodate recent recruitment, particularly of temporary workers.

Ms. Finley has stated that her government “supports the Filipino community in Canada”. Ms. Finley has to apply some blunt logic to this situation. She has to remember that she is supposed to be playing for the home team. Her job is to keep her eyes on the puck and not to have the other team fake her out with tricky stick-handling.

Both provinces, as well as others who are considering the use of immigration to solve their problems, should really be looking at their own immigration powers to drag Ottawa (kicking and screaming), away from economically and environmentally-destructive immigration policies. Rather than complain about immigration being beyond their jurisdiction, they should remember that British Columbia used its constitutional immigration powers to curb cheap labour practices 100 years ago. At that time, it took a number of attempts to get Ottawa’s attention, but Ottawa finally did something to protect Canadian workers--an action that it previously did not want to take.

Section 95 of Canada’s constitution clearly states that provincial legislatures “may make laws...in relation to immigration into the province”. Those laws will be recognized as long as they are “not repugnant to any Act of the Parliament of Canada”.

The B.C. experience showed that Ottawa could be persuaded to pass immigration Acts that put the interests of B.C. workers first.

The Canadian labor market (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/21/yehey/opinion/20080221opi4.html)

If Filipino workers were made to choose the country where they prefer to work, they will pick the US first and Canada second. Both offer inducements to our workers not only in terms of high salary and attractive fringe benefits but also in the prospect of their becoming permanent residents or naturalized citizens in those lands of hope and opportunity.

The US is highly selective of the types of workers it will admit. Suffering from a severe shortage of health workers, it has relaxed its immigration policy to allow mainly the entry of foreign nurses.

There has been a surge of Filipino nurses’ migration to the US in the past few decades. Because of the continuing heavy demand, Filipino families have chosen nursing as the career of their children. Filipino doctors desiring to have a share of the market have enrolled in nursing schools to qualify them as nurses and work also in the US.

Thousands of Filipinos have also entered the US as teachers. But being a “maidless” country, it has not shown any inclination to hire foreign domestic helpers.

The US’ restrictive immigration policy has driven Filipino workers to Canada as their next favorite destination point. Since the mid-1980s, thousands of Filipino maids have migrated to Canada. After two years working there, they acquired permanent resident status and were free to apply for any job befitting their qualifications.

I was the labor attaché to Singapore at the time when thousands of Filipino domestic helpers there were recruited by local placement agencies to work in Canada. Similar recruitment operations took place in Hong Kong and other countries where Filipino maids had worked and acquired the work experience required by Canadian employers.

Today, Canada has enormously expanded its labor requirements to other fields. It has a need for 1.8 million foreign workers, both in the professional and skilled categories, over the next 10 years.

To facilitate the recruitment of Filipino workers, the governments of three Canadian provinces—Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba—have signed a labor agreement with Labor Secretary Arturo Brion. A fourth province, Alberta, will sign a similar accord next month.

Brion has set up a Canadian Desk at the DOLE Building in Intramuros to handle queries and coordinate with concerned agencies on matters relating to the deployment of Filipino workers to Canada.

Director Salome Mendoza of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) was designated to head the desk.

Under the agreements, all hirings will be made through licensed placement agencies which are properly authorized by the governments of the four Canadian provinces to recruit workers. Work applicants are advised to check with the POEA the list of properly accredited placement agencies.

No placement fees will be collected from applicants as recruitment expenses will be shouldered by Canadian employers.

Most of the skilled workers will be hired by Alberta province which has a standing requirement of 400,000 artisans in the next two years to work in its booming oil and gas industry.

British Columbia is in need of 30,000 hospitality and construction workers as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Those with specific skills will be hired as contract and permanent migrant workers

Canada will continue to hire domestic helpers, health care workers and professionals, with the privilege to become immigrants and naturalized Canadian citizens.

Brion describes the labor agreements as a “milestone in the national efforts to ensure decent working conditions and the continuous training and successful reintegration of OFWs.” Their primary goal is to guarantee the protection and well-being of Filipino workers in Canada.

The labor department has similar labor agreements with South Korea and the United Arab Emirates under which workers deployment will be handled by the POEA. The protection of overseas Filipino workers is written into the accords.

A provision for the employment of professional and medical workers in Japan is included in the proposed Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement which is pending ratification by the Senate.

Private recruitment agencies have been leery of the labor department’s government-to-government arrangements with some countries in the hiring of workers. There is no ground for alarm because the number of workers hired under the accords is only a tiny fraction of the country’s total deployment figure, mostly handled by licensed placement firms.

One thing I find interesting with news of Filipinos in NY are most of them are into nursing or the medical field.

I look at NY as a business and financial city just like HK. I'm sure there are Filipinos working in Wall St. or in the city's top financial institutions.

we used to import DH from hk.:lol: now it's the other way around

India and China are booming countries yet they still have labourers working abroad. Take Dubai for example. Where do the majority of the city's construction workers come from?

^^ That is so sad. You grew up believing that everything is set up for you including your future only to find out the irony at the end.

Struggling with noncitizen status
Hardships of being an undocumented immigrant force student to work long hours to finish school (http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2008/feb/20/struggling-noncitizen-status/)

They finally broke the news to her after 18 years.

Stephanie Solis’ parents had hoped to hold back for as long as any secret could stay hidden, but it was only a matter of time before they had to tell the fourth-year English student the truth.

Solis was not in the United States legally.

For Solis, who only spoke English and had little recollection of her native Philippines, the notion that she wasn’t legally an American shocked her.

“I don’t feel very Filipino,” Solis said. “I’m told I’m not an American. But the only thing that still rings true to me is the English language.”

Her youth so far had been American in so many ways.

In the living room, her father listened to Rush Limbaugh. In the kitchen, her mother read Us Weekly.

Perhaps the only foreign connection to the Philippines that could have been found in her home was the homemade avocado ice cream in the freezer.

Solis felt so betrayed by her parents for having kept her immigration status from her for so long that she moved out and set out on her own.

Solis remembers sitting at a bus stop roughly a year later watching the cars go by as she waited for the bus that would take her to the train that would whisk her to a job making cardboard boxes.

Her life had become one of compromises – commuting six hours a day on public transit because she couldn’t get a driver’s license and saving up to pay for school.

By 2005, Solis started at UCLA, but because of her immigration status, paying for school was a major burden. Undocumented students are ineligible for financial aid, scholarships and many other types of financial assistance to help pay the fees.

Instead, many undocumented students are forced to pick up odd jobs to pay for their education.

Solis, like many undocumented students, has taken an unusually long time to get her degree.

“I’m in a position where I can’t consistently go to school,” she said.

Forced to take time off from work between quarters of school, Solis has been in college on and off for the last six years.

“There is that inconsistency which removes me from the standard college experience. I don’t feel like I’m integrated into it. I drop in when I can, and I visit when I can afford to for a quarter, and I’m there for 3 months, and I leave,” Solis said.

“And by the time I come back, everybody who was at the same level with me and everybody that I knew has already moved on or has graduated. There is that sense that I’m not going to college with my group – with my peer group. I’m going to college just with myself because I am my only peer group because everyone else is moving along at normal speed.”

Due to her hectic and stressful schedule, she woke up at odd hours and slept very little.

But it was the smaller realities of being undocumented – such as trouble cashing checks and getting a library card – that really got to her.

“It is the subtle things that flick me on the forehead reminding me that there is something wrong with who I am,” Solis said.

With her graduation finally imminent, Solis feels uneasy about what’s to come.

Like many undocumented college graduates, Solis will have difficulty finding a job without proof of legal residence, despite her degree from a top undergraduate program.

“The irony about that is that there is a sense of wanting to continue to prolong being in college simply because once I’m out and I have my degree, there’s nothing that I can really do with it.”

If her parents or she have kept themselves abreast with immigration news, read papers or consulted immigration lawyers, they could have availed of some form of amnesty that was granted under immigration laws and extended under the LIFE Act in 1998 and 2001, respectively. :ohno:

OFW kids ‘worse off’ in life

By Cai U. Ordinario
Reporter
The Business Mirror

MIGRATION has placed Filipino adolescents in danger of becoming “worse off” in life, according to a study presented at the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef)-Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Seminar Series on Public Policies and the Rights of Children Thursday.

The study titled “The Effects of Parent’s Migration on the Rights of Children Left Behind” was presented by Asia-Pacific Policy Center (APPC) vice president and executive director Rosemarie Edillon. It showed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) devote less time and money to their children when they reach the age of 13 to 16.

This, Edillon said, makes these children susceptible to being engaged in unwarranted acts, such as premarital sex that results in teenage pregnancies and subjects them to abuse, whether sexual or physical; or they go into drugs.
Based on an index, the study plotted the self-rated scores of both OFW and non-OFW children on overall emotional state, relationship with parent OFWs, relationship with siblings, relationship with other members of the household, health status, performance in school, security for the future, participation in extracurricular activities and participation in family decision-making.

Edillon said that at the onset, at age six to eight, OFW children are better off than children of non-OFWs but as the age progresses, more and more OFW children fell below the general preference of their age group and category—whether OFW or non-OFW.

“Many children of OFWs aged 13 to 16 appear to be worse off than children of non-OFWs of the same age. Some receive less-than-average money inputs but all receive less-than-average adult attention.

“This can be explained by the fact that, on the average, there are fewer adults but still a substantial number of children in these households. This is in complete contrast to the preference of children in this age group, where they require more adult attention [AA] and more budget inputs than children in the other age groups,” the study stated.

Scalabrini Migration Center research director Dr. Maruja Asis said OFW children in this age group should be closely monitored. She said one of the reasons these children require more time may be the fact that most of them already share in responsibilities in the household.

Asis explained that in cases when a parent or both parents go abroad to work, the eldest usually assumes part of the absent parent/s duties, sharing these responsibilities to an older relative like grandparents or aunts and uncles.

This was supported by Aurora Javate-de Dios, executive director of Miriam College’s Women and Gender Institute. She said this is especially prevalent among female firstborns who assume the caregiving responsibilities of mothers who become OFWs.

De Dios even said that migration, whether international or regional, is the engine of the global-care chain. This starts at the provincial level where firstborns become poor substitutes for their mothers, who leave the province to go to big cities like Manila to work for another motherless family—because the mother is abroad to care for foreigners’ children.

“OFW mothers take away 80 percent of care-giving factors when they leave,” de Dios said.

Further, the study showed that only 29 percent of children included in the study said they are better off than other children in the same age group in terms of their family life and their participation in family decisions.

The study also showed that 39 percent said they are better of in their future; 40 percent said they are accepted by their peers; 42 percent said they are better off in terms of their health; 44 percent said they are better off in terms of extracurricular activities; while more than half, or 53 percent, said they are better off in terms of education.

The study recommended that stakeholders, including the community and the church, should become more involved in the development of these children. Stakeholders, the study said, should help improve the communication between OFWs and their children.

The government is also urged to promote health-seeking behavior among parents. This can be done by requiring them to submit a medical certificate in behalf of their children before they are admitted in schools.

Further, but more important, the study said parents must not always equate their presence with material things. The study asked that parents or relatives who stay with the children must be educated regarding the unique circumstances the children are in.

Edillon said that based on Overseas Workers Welfare Administration data, there are 8.23 million Filipinos abroad in 2006. This is broken down into 3.6 million permanent migrants, 3.3 million temporary migrants, and around 0.37 million “irregular migrants.

Unicef deputy country representative Colin Davis said around 56 percent of migrants are married, based on 2000 data. If there are 1 million female and 1-million male OFWs abroad who are married, and assuming an average of three children per household, there are six million children left behind.

“Children bear the brunt of migration, [that’s why] the social costs of migration must be examined and that policies must be formulated to overcome the negative effects of migration. We need to address the tradeoffs,” Davis told the forum.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0222&232008/headlines06.html

SE urges Congress to pass
tax perks for OFW investors

By Honey Madrilejos-Reyes
Reporter
The Business Mirror


THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) has called on Congress to give an improved tax-incentive package to overseas Filipinos who invest their money back to the Philippines.

The bourse, in a statement on Thursday, said the move will help the local capital market and, at the same time, allow the overseas Filipinos overcome the adverse impact of the peso’s appreciation.

“We consider the proposal a win-win solution, because it will address the concerns not only of overseas Filipinos, but also of other key sectors in the economy,” explained president and chief executive Francis Lim.

Data shows the peso appreciated by 18 percent against the dollar last year. And this trend is hurting overseas Filipinos whose earnings are dollar-based. On the other hand, the PSEi, which is the main barometer of local stock-price movements, went up 21.4 percent also in 2007.

Lim said they submitted a position paper on the matter to Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI, chairman of the House Committee on Economic Affairs.

The PSE seeks to include the contents of their position paper as amendments to the proposed Personal Equity Retirement Account (PERA) Act.

PERA bills, which aim to establish a voluntary and supplementary retirement scheme, are now pending in both houses of Congress. They are designed to encourage savings and give incentive to persons to invest in the capital markets to make their money grow.

PERA contributors will enjoy such incentives as a tax credit for the members’ PERA contribution; a tax exemption to cover the income of such contribution; and a tax exemption in the distribution of said contribution.

As originally proposed in both the House and Senate versions, the maximum PERA contribution qualified to enjoy a tax credit is pegged at P50,000 for an individual and P100,000 for a couple.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0222&232008/economy04.html

This is giving me an idea.. Maybe I would invest a little bit of my hard earned money andsavings there in the Philippines. I think most of our fellow filipinos should consider doing. It's least we can do to help our former country and it's people while at the same time we still profit from it...

im doing that this coming mar 3

You're reacquiring your filipino citizenship? Where do you go do have this process done? Philippine Embassy there in Chicago?

I'm wondering if you have dual citizenship, what passport do you present when you travel to the Philippines?

You're reacquiring your filipino citizenship? Where do you go do have this process done? Philippine Embassy there in Chicago?

I'm wondering if you have dual citizenship, what passport do you present when you travel to the Philippines?

when you leave the US, you present your US passport at the check in counter at the airport. i've traveled twice to manila since i reacquired my philippine citizenship. i have NOT tried presenting my philippine passport for departure, so i don't know what might be the difference, if any.

upon arrival in manila, you present either OR both your passports; it's your choice.

when you leave to go back to the states, you show your US passport so they wouldn't have to check if you have a valid visa. if you use your philippine passport for entry (as i did once) they stamp it with your arrival date. you should show it also because they will check on your arrival date in the philippines.

upon US arrival, show your US passport

cycle complete :)

yeah i've got an idea but just want to see what you guys usually do. I think it's a hazzle and would make it complicated if you present two passport in Manila, but that's just me...

yeah i've got an idea but just want to see what you guys usually do. I think it's a hazzle and would make it complicated if you present two passport in Manila, but that's just me...
no hassle nor complication at all. it doesn't take the immigration officer a minute more to look at a second passport :)

in my case, i wanted the passport stamped to show that i've used the philippine passport.

^ are we somehow airport tax exempt when coming back to state?
You're reacquiring your filipino citizenship? Where do you go do have this process done? Philippine Embassy there in Chicago?


Yes,
i didnt go anywhere, just got it download from the pnas embassy site in chgo, and mailed it along w/2 passport pics and fee
yes

2008 GDP growth seen at 5.6%

Strong OFW remittances seen to support economy

FACING a possible slowdown in the global economy, the Philippines is likely to post a gross domestic product growth of 5.6 percent this year, decelerating from the three-decade high of 7.3 percent last year.

This was according to investment bank Credit Suisse, which said the Philippines would not be immune from a volatile external environment considering that it had the United States and Japan as its biggest export markets.

Credit Suisse, however, does not consider the anticipated slowdown in GDP growth worrisome. It said the expected 5.6-percent GDP growth was "decent" considering the external problems.

The projected growth, it said, would be supported by a continually growing remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

OFW remittances helped boost last year's domestic consumption, which posted a 6-percent growth, and served as one of the main growth drivers of the economy.

"We expect remittances to continue growing in 2008, albeit at a slower rate than that in 2007, owing to the boom in the Middle East, which hosts the largest number of overseas Filipino workers," Credit Suisse said in a paper on its assessment of selected Asian countries.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippine central bank, earlier reported that OFW remittances sent through banks and other formal channels amounted to $14.4 billion last year, up 13.2 percent from the 2006 level.

Credit Suisse said that strong remittances would just be one of the factors boosting domestic demand this year.

"The momentum in domestic demand is also strong, thanks to accelerating consumption and investment, and historically low credit risk premiums and local interest rates," the investment bank said.

The low interest rate environment was credited for helping attract FDIs and allowing government to spend less on servicing its short-term debts.

The Department of Finance earlier reported that the government saved about P30 billion last year for spending less than the allocated program for paying interest on maturing obligations. Finance officials said the amount could be used to prepay some of the government's obligations and pull down the country's debt-to-GDP ratio to levels deemed sustainable.

The Philippine government said it was preparing measures to boost the economy and counter the effects of a possible US recession.

Economic managers said the government would spend the bulk of the national budget for infrastructure in the first half of the year to build a buffer against the expected drag.

By Michelle Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

One thing I find interesting with news of Filipinos in NY are most of them are into nursing or the medical field.

I look at NY as a business and financial city just like HK. I'm sure there are Filipinos working in Wall St. or in the city's top financial institutions.



India and China are booming countries yet they still have labourers working abroad. Take Dubai for example. Where do the majority of the city's construction workers come from?

you're right. the demographics of ofws are changing. there are now more pinoy professionals working abroad:cheers:

^^^ It's always been that way, professionals are mostly OFWs, the thing is that, alot of them decided to do certain jobs that is not congruent to what they were actually trained for in their college years. I mean different training to a different profession...

^^ yeah, maybe it's only from the Philippines where nannies are degree holders, and nurses are GPs back home.

Envoy urges OFWs in Saudi not to harbor runaway compatriots (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080227-121600/Envoy-urges-OFWs-in-Saudi-not-to-harbor-runaway-compatriots)

MANILA, Philippines -- With the rising cases of migrant workers in the Middle East running afoul with the host country’s laws, Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Antonio Villamor has asked his countrymen not to harbor compatriots who are escaping from local authorities and instead turn them over immediately to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

In his letter dated February 23 and addressed to all Filipino community organizations in Saudi Arabia, Villamor said the embassy understood that Filipinos could not resist the call for help of a "kababayan" (compatriot).

"However, as guest workers in the Kingdom, we are not only expected but are also obliged to follow and respect the local laws and regulations being enforced by Saudi authorities. It includes the responsibility of not giving refuge to a worker who absconded from his employer,” he added.

A copy of Villamor’s letter was emailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Tuesday by the Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association in Saudi Arabia.

Villamor said giving refuge to somebody on the run from the law was considered a serious offense under Saudi Arabian laws and carried a penalty of imprisonment, lashes and excessive fines if one were to be found guilty.

He noted the increasing arrests of Filipinos who allegedly ran afoul with Saudi laws, “particularly those who are helping/and or harboring stranded and runaway female workers.”

He cited the recent case of one Alberto Guanzon, an employee of the Saudi Public Transport Co. and president of “Kasangga ng OFW,” a Filipino community organization based in Al-Khobar.

Villamor said Guanzon was arrested by Saudi police on February 13 with a Filipina runaway worker aboard his borrowed car.

Guanzon claimed he was only acting as a good Samaritan to the Filipina in distress and was about to turn her to police authorities when he was arrested.

He said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo), in cooperation with Guanzon’s employer, successfully persuaded the Saudi authorities to release the kind Filipino worker.

The runaway Filipina worker was placed under the custody of the Al-Khobar police and was later endorsed to the Saudi Social Welfare Agency in Dammam, Villamor said.

He advised OFWs whose assistance would be sought by runaways to refer the matter to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah or to the nearest Polo, for appropriate action.

Recent reports from Migrante-Saudi Arabia revealed that more than 100 OFWs have been camped in tents under the Al-Khandara Bridge in Jeddah waiting for repatriation.

Philippine Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia said the government repatriation program covered only distressed Filipinos who have been released from detention and Filipino Muslims who overstayed their Umrah and Hajj visas.

Those who have run from their employers are risking arrest, investigation and detention.

The embassy warned Filipino workers to be wary of syndicates who offer an easier route to deportation through the “backdoor exit" in Jeddah in exchange for 500 to 2,500 Saudi riyals (equivalent to about P5,529 to P27,646).

20,000 jobs up for grabs at Singapore career fair

SINGAPORE -- More than 20,000 jobs are up for grabs at the largest career and education exhibition which opens its doors to the public Thursday at Suntec Singapore.

Over 600 exhibitors and companies from 20 countries are looking to fill the openings, which include more than 5,000 spots in educational institutions.

The Singapore Tourism Board has projected that some 50,000 to 60,000 additional jobs will be created by the end of 2010.

Minister of state for Education and Manpower Gan Kim Yong, who was present at the opening ceremony on Thursday morning, said: “The new integrated resorts, hotels and shopping malls, as well as conventions and events like the F1 race, will generate numerous opportunities in the tourism sector.”

He emphasized the importance of students making informed decisions on their courses of study and, subsequently, their careers.

The new features of the exhibition, which has been running for over 20 years, include a scholarship corner, which provides information on the scholarships available, as well as an online job and course search.

Another first is the Silver Talent Pavilion, where matured workers will be able to seek employment in the landscape, healthcare and security sectors.

Lynette Loo, project director of ERC institute who expects to recruit more than 100 new students, said: “Of all the students who sign up, we expect 40 percent to sign up for tourism courses. It is such a popular area now.'”

The event, Career 2008 & Education 2008, will run till March 2 at Suntec Singapore in Halls 601 to 603 on level 6. Admission is free.

The Straits Times-ANN

No job openings for hotel workers in Israel (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080304-122782/No-job-openings-for-hotel-workers-in-Israel----RP-embassy)

"There are no job openings for hotel workers in Israel." This was stressed by a dispatch from the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv following reports that information regarding a job order being processed in the embassy was circulating among Filipinos both here and in Israel.

"Everyone is enjoined to immediately report recruitment activities for hotel workers in Israel to the Philippine Embassy or Israel's Ministry of Labor," the embassy said.

To avoid being victimized by unscrupulous agents and recruiters, the embassy advised Filipinos seeking employment in Israel to communicate first with the embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) on the status of employment agencies’ accreditation by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and on the veracity and legality of the job orders.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo recently organized a consular forum with the Filipino community on the various consular concerns of Filipinos in Japan such as the new Japanese immigration rules and procedures, rules on divorces and marriages, domestic violence, inter-country adoptions, and human trafficking.

About 100 members from the community representing over 20 church groups and NGOs from the surrounding prefectures attended.

Representatives from the Japanese-Filipino Children Network, a non-profit and non-governmental organization that supports "Japinoys," oriented them on inter-country adoption matters, in particular, the procedures for Japanese-Filipino children to be recognized by their Japanese parents.

In his opening remarks, Charge d'Affaires and Consul General Sulpicio Confiado said the forum was part of the embassy's efforts to reach out to the 221,817 Filipinos living and working in Japan.

To date, Filipinos rank as the fourth largest group of foreign nationals in Japan after the Koreans, Chinese and Brazilians.

Confiado stressed that it was important to raise the awareness of Filipinos not only of the relevant rules and procedures but also of their rights and benefits in Japan.

The forum also serves as a venue for members of the Filipino community to communicate to the embassy their problems and other issues. A short briefing on the Philippine machine readable passport was recently held.

SAYS BRION
Saudi backs RP efforts to increase wages of maids


By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:53:00 03/05/2008


Most Read Other Most Read Stories x
Global Nation
Filipina convict dies in Brunei
(UPDATE 3) 1 dead, three missing in ship collision--Japan
Blas Ople job fair
Saudi backs RP efforts to increase wages of maids
RP envoy to Saudi clarifies report on runaway OFWs
Vidal: Hands off on Fr. Ben’s case
She will not step down
Manila Ocean Park to open in December
Cebu car dealers want hot cars destroyed
Cebu furniture pieces impress Grammy stars
Angry Japanese tourist arrested
Scholars Meet the Correspondent
Global Nation Most Read RSS
Close this MANILA, Philippines -- A recruitment regulatory body in Saudi Arabia supports the Philippine government’s efforts to improve the plight of Filipino household workers, including the plan to raise their monthly wages from US$200 to US$400, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said Wednesday.

In a press statement, Brion said the Saudi National Recruitment Committee (Sanarcom) now supports the package of reforms being pushed by the Department of Labor and Employment.

Brion said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the Saudi capital Riyadh successfully promoted the new policy for domestics despite opposition by employers and employment agencies in the kingdom.

POLO-Riyadh received the statement of support from Sanarcom Chairman Saad N. Al Baddah. The committee is an affiliate of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Brion said Sanarcom’s support also shows that many Saudis still prefer Filipino skills and are willing to hire Filipino maids despite the availability of domestic workers from other countries.

Citing the report of Riyadh-based Labor Attache Rustico dela Fuente, Brion said Sanarcom was originally one of the organized manpower agencies in the Gulf region that opposed the reform package.

He said Sanarcom eventually gave its nod to the policy when Dela Fuente issued to Saad's recruitment agency the certificate of prequalification indicating the latter's consent to participate in implementing the new policy.

In December 2006, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) came out a package of welfare and protection reforms for household workers seeking a minimum salary of $400 monthly.

Applicants, however, were required to undergo periodic assessment.

The new POEA policy governing the deployment of household helpers was strongly opposed due to fears that it may push employers overseas to hire maids from other countries who were willing to work for lower wages.

Embassy Warns Filipinos Against Malefactors at Airport
Arab News

JEDDAH, 6 March 2008 — The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh yesterday warned Filipinos in the Kingdom to beware of men preying on expatriates at airports in the Kingdom.

Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor issued the warning in a press statement as he said at three Filipinos who have arrived in the Kingdom for the first time have been victimized by persons posing as taxi drivers or workers of Saudi employers.

In one incident, a Filipino who arrived at the King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh for the first time reportedly made the mistake of believing a person who claimed to have been sent by his employer to fetch him.

The worker found out later that he was conned after he was made to pay a huge amount and dumped at a road in Riyadh. In another incident last week, two new arrivals on their way to Al-Kharj rode separately on “colorum” or unlicensed taxicabs and one was dumped at a place somewhere in Riyadh and the other one almost got raped, said the embassy statement.

The embassy has reported the matter to Saudi authorities, said the statement.

It did not say whether the victims were men or women, but both genders are known to be vulnerable.

While the most recent victims were all “first-timers,” the embassy said everyone should take precaution.

“If nobody was sent to fetch you at the airport, or in case of problems, call the embassy,” said the statement.

The numbers are (01) 482-3559, 482-3615, 4801918, 482 1577, 482-4354, 482-0507, or 482-1802.

Jordan and the Philippines Working to Lift the Temporary Suspension Order to Deploy Filipino Domestic Workers (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/jordan-and-the-philippines-working-to-lift-the-temporary-suspension,303855.shtml)

AMMAN, Jordan -- The Governments of Jordan and the Philippines set up a Joint Committee last December 2007 to improve overall procedures concerning the deployment of Filipino domestic workers and resolve a number of individual cases of domestic workers.

The Committee identified a number of procedural and practical obstacles in the relevant recruitment processes in the Philippines and Jordan. The members of the Committee agreed to change certain procedures and to up-date the 1988 bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the employment of Filipino guest workers in Jordan.

The Committee, comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Labour of Jordan, the Embassy of the Philippines in Amman and Jordanian recruitment agencies, was invited by the Philippine Government to visit Manila to study the deployment process in the Philippines in preparation for the signing of a new bilateral MoU. Dates for the visit will soon be agreed upon.

Within the framework of the work of the Joint Committee, the Government of the Philippines also requested the Government of Jordan to facilitate the repatriation of 140 domestic workers who had lost the legal right to stay in Jordan through their own actions.

The Philippine Ambassador to Jordan, Julius Torres, conveyed his sincere gratitude to the Government of Jordan for facilitating the return of these domestic workers by waiving the fines for overstaying relevant permits. Ambassador Torres also commended the liberal and progressive labour policies of Jordan. The Government of the Philippines will provide these workers with an air ticket.

To facilitate the work of the Joint Committee, both governments agreed in January to temporarily suspend the deployment of Filipino domestic workers to Jordan. Given overall progress made by the Joint Committee, the Government of Jordan and the Government of the Philippines are currently resolving final obstacles before lifting the temporary suspension of deployment of Filipino guest workers to Jordan.

The Minister of Labour of Jordan, His Excellency, Bassem Khalil Al-Salem, praised the work of the Committee and welcomed the invitation of the Government of the Philippines to visit Manila.

Reasons Why Filipinos Don't Progress (http://www.informativepost.com/2008/03/06/Reasons-Why-Filipinos-Dont-Progress-438.htm)

From all the corners of the globe, there is a Filipino present, doing work in all kinds... that is why I don't personally believe the claim of the current Philippine President... that her leadership improved the country's economy.

Speaking from personal experience, this must be all credited to the efforts and sacrifices of all Filipino Overseas Contract workers that despite the loneliness and sadness of leaving their family behind, they need to choose and opt to go the distance just to have their family have something to spend in the Philippines, because as obvious as it seems, even the middle class families are now experiencing difficulty in surviving everyday life.

I am used to the presence of my mother, but now I misses her, she chose to leave us and work abroad, entering a first world country in Europe using a Tourist Visa. We talked almost everyweek, life is not at all easy there...She longs to be with us but cannot do anything about it at the moment because she needs to assist in our everyday expenses. I am epitomising the situation of thousand of Filipino family, which almost one in every household, has a member trying their fate abroad.

Now, almost everyone who graduates from college, seeks opportunity abroad, for what? To help their family? to improve their way of living? Personally, I think it is to escape the Philippines. Most of them lost hope and faith, that someday our beloved country will improve and restore it's once grandieur and stability. Thanks to the growing graft and corruption of the institution that promised to look after the welfare of its people.

Give credit where credit is due, this is all I am asking...every dollar, every penny, equals the hardwork done by our loved ones. And I hope every little bit of it, is spent worthwhile.

I don't totally believe in this assumption on why the Philippines does not progress. It's mainly the mentality of the people. It is very comon that the parents of any filipino would encourage their children to finish their highest education they can possibly get and the parents can provide them, it is not necessarily bad. It's still good for these children but, I think the problem here is that these filipino parents failed to teach their children on how to become an enterpreneur or be business minded. It's always about getting a good education and half of the time they would implant words to their own children's mind that once they get an education in nursing, or other very demand professions overseas, that it will be their ticket to get a better life in another country or be an american, canadian or australian citizen. It's never preached their child to make money while in their own country where they can also be filty rich. Most of the filipino mentality is to get educated and be employed, never was it to be the employer themselves.

I was watching a show in travel channel and it featured several asian countries, vietnam is one country that got my attention, i was comparing them to how Korea and Ireland emerged from an impovirished country to a first world nation, all of it because most of them, the vietnamese, Korean and the Irish are all investing their time and money to start business. Korea and Ireland used to be like the Philippines, they send their people overseas to do the dirty jobs in the countries like the US. In turn, the Koreans and Irish wisened up and started little businesses here and there, alot of them made money and came back to their own countries and started more businesses.

The vietnamese in my opinion are very much like the chineses when it comes to being business minded people. If you noticed here in the US, the chinese and the vietnamese mostly do very well with businesses. It seems that in Vietnam, every single family would find a way to make money by starting their own businesses. This is probably why inspite of ravaged by the bitterness of war, the vietnamese are making a come back and is now emerging from it's shaddow to be one of asia's leading dragon. I wish the filipinos would learn from this. This is probably the reason why the chinese and the Koreans are all interested in investing in the Philippines, starting to build their own business, because they see alot of potential in that country, something that very few filipinos can see. Because half of the time, the filipino student's mind are very focused on someday, they will leave the country and be a nurse elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming them to seek a better life in the Philippines but somehow, I know and I can feel, we can do better than what we have now. Only and if only our parents were not raised in the same way by their parents, then somehow, the children of today aren't just career minded but very business oriented whose goal is to own a corporation and employ thousands of filipinos where they can provide a competitive salaries where they would not consider living the Philippines except to tour other countries for leasure and nothing else.

^^

Population control is not a problem either. The best way for population control is uplifting the economy just like how industrialising nations had found out before. A large population ensures that our country isn’t going to be overrun by foreigners. Look at the Pacific island of Fiji. Their coup - prone country had been overrun by Indian foreigners brought by the Brits and in effect, the native Fijians, our distant cousins, had been reduced to minority status in their native land. So there is no need to worry about population, a good economy will solve that. :banana:

sorry for my lateness but I can't help but react on this...We have a population problem in the Philippines period. It's cyclic with the country's economic problem. We cannot ignore our alarming population growth rate through wishful thinking, hoping that a better economy will counter balance it. A good ecomomy has in it a healthy population level where jobs and provision of the necessary basic needs can be attainable to begin with. If the population remains unchecked, it becomes an ever increasing burden that will continue to stifile our economic growth.

43,000 new jobs in Canada

OTTAWA -- Canada's employers in February added 43,000 new full-time jobs, Statistics Canada said Friday, defying forecasts of 5,000-8,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, for the second straight month, the nation's unemployment rate held steady at its 33-year low of 5.8 percent, the government agency said.

February job growth was mainly in construction; public administration; and professional, scientific and technical services, and almost all was realized in Ontario province.

The gains, however, were partly offset by declines in manufacturing and natural resources.

Employment growth over the last 12 months stood at 361,000, up 2.2 percent.

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 23:59:00 03/07/2008

to keretose----i dont know where you are getting your information about there are lots of jobs in the u.s . the job market here is so tight that even trying to get into a hospital job is so hard. filipinos here are fighting to get a hospital job in janitorial. this place is going to just get worst next yr when 20 million illegal immigrants will be given amnesty. im just saving all my earnings so that i can go back home to p.i . this place is going down hill. its still amazes me that filipinos makes america a big deal. and they think when they go back home for 3 weeks vacation to the p.i they are equal to the rich people of the philippines. not even close.

Come to Jubail, Saudi Arabia, where the word "boom" will be the buzz word for the next 10 years. ;)

^^^ TRUE, If he/she is willing to sacrifice his/her other social activities.

^^^ TRUE, If he/she is willing to sacrifice his/her other social activities.

But you get to save at least 75% of your income. :okay:

^^^ TRUE, If he/she is willing to sacrifice his/her other social activities.


kaya ayoko pumunta sa mga Muslim countries:)

Come to Jubail, Saudi Arabia, where the word "boom" will be the buzz word for the next 10 years. ;)

where in Jubail are you working? SABIC? in the Industrial area?....we used to have an office there before, and the situation is quite nice considering its proximity to nearby beaches too . . .

to keretose----i dont know where you are getting your information about there are lots of jobs in the u.s . the job market here is so tight that even trying to get into a hospital job is so hard. filipinos here are fighting to get a hospital job in janitorial. this place is going to just get worst next yr when 20 million illegal immigrants will be given amnesty. im just saving all my earnings so that i can go back home to p.i . this place is going down hill. its still amazes me that filipinos makes america a big deal. and they think when they go back home for 3 weeks vacation to the p.i they are equal to the rich people of the philippines. not even close.

I seriously doubt if you are really in the US you know? There is something you wrote there that gave it away. Something even most filipinos living in the US already knew, americans don't use that term and filipino americans adapted alot of their host country's slangs and languages... There is only one way to find out. Post your picture with SSC Philippines written on a piece of paper, put date in it and then try taking it in a typical american community with yourself in that picture. How does that sound like to you? Otherwise, stop all these bickering and hateful comments about the US. There is nobody can help you if you desire to go anywhere in the world but you are unable to do so. It's only you, your determination and persistence could get you places. Stop being envious of others...

to keretose----i dont know where you are getting your information about there are lots of jobs in the u.s.

If you are observant enough, I have links to my posts. ;)

you must not be watching the news (kiretoce) the u.s economy is in recession, housing foreclosure in record mumbers. the dow jones is in a free fall. 40 thousand people lost their jobs from january to march. thats why the dow jones lost 142 points last friday when the report came out. if filipinos are really rich in the states how come they have to work till they are 65 yrs old? and it takes them 30 yrs to pay off a house mortgage. you know why filipinos like the u.s so much because most of the pinoys who immigrate to america are poor in the philippines. even they have to work here like a carabaw, its still better than the life they left behind in the philippines. stop making america look like people there are rich and that place is super nice. if you are making good money in the philippines , america is no big deal.

^^wag mo naman lahatin, hindi naman ata totoo na lahat pumupunta sa US ay poor in pinas. marami rin hindi. baka siguro ang na met or nakilala mo lang ay ganon mostly kaya you make this conclusion. And i don't find any problem or anything wrong with people working till 65 and paying mortgage for 30 years. eh ano kung gusto nila mag trabaho hanggang sa ganyang edad. my nanay is already in her 70s pero dami pa ring ginagawa at malakas pa rin nagagalit nga sya pag sabihan na mag pahinga na.:lol:

and i tell you the US is not the only one suffering from this recession. everybody else does. and if somebody or you want to work like a carabao it's his/her or your choice no one is imposing it on him/her/ or you. and it's not only in america that you work like a carabao. And working like a carabao is fine for me as long as you're well compensated.

ano ba yan ba't puro na lang carabao, ano ba kasi ang problema sa carabao :lol:

where in Jubail are you working? SABIC? in the Industrial area?....we used to have an office there before, and the situation is quite nice considering its proximity to nearby beaches too . . .

Really nice, especially if you like angling or weekend picnics by the corniche (shoreline park). This time of the year, Jubail is almost like... utopia?

Are you connected with SABIC up to now? What company?

SAUDI HIRING MORE PINOY NURSES, ENGINEERS (http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl107209.htm)

MANILA, MARCH 10, 2008 (STAR) By Mayen Jaymalin - Saudi Arabia will hire more Filipino nurses, engineers and other highly skilled workers, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported yesterday.

POEA chief Rosalinda Baldoz bared that Saudi officials have arrived in the country to recruit Filipino workers.

Baldoz said Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) officials are conducting interviews until Wednesday of nurses applying for jobs in the oil-rich Kingdom.

“Qualified applicants can register at the POEA for immediate endorsement to the Saudi Recruitment Office,” Baldoz said while noting that the Saudi employers are willing to hire even those without experience in hospital work here.

Baldoz said the MOH is the top employer of Filipino nurses in Saudi Arabia.

She said Filipino nurses working in Saudi Arabia will get salary increases ranging from 20 percent to 60 percent of their current salary starting next week.

The MOH recently approved the salary hike effective March 19 depending on the area of specialization of the Filipino nurses, Baldoz said.

The current salary of nurses in Saudi hospitals ranges from 2,250 Saudi real to P4,000 Saudi real.

“The salary hike which was only granted to Filipino nurses shows the continued preference of Saudi employers for Filipino nurses,” Baldoz said.

Meanwhile, the local recruitment industry also reported that Saudi is projected to hire more engineers and architects in the next five years as the Kingdom starts to construct four super cities.

Saudi Arabia which is the largest oil-producing country in the world will construct four super cities in the next five years to spur urban growth and this would be additional job prospects for Filipinos.

Representatives of a prestigious Saudi firm have arrived in the country to recruit professional and other highly-skilled workers for deployment to their country.

The Riyadh-based architectural firm wants to recruit architectural designers, structural and electrical engineers together with CAD operators for its numerous projects in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Jordanian labor officials will soon arrive in the country to forge an agreement with the POEA on the possible lifting of the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Jordan.

In a radio interview, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Marianito Roque said he and Jordanian Labor Secretary Bassem al Salem agreed that it is time to change certain procedures and update the 1988 bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Labor Matters to reflect the current conditions.

The Philippines banned the deployment of OFWs to Jordan since Jan. 21, 2008, after Filipino workers escaped from their abusive employers who refused to pay their salaries and also maltreated the workers.

Roque said despite the ban many undocumented OFWs still find work in Jordan.

He said the Jordanian government issues work permits even to Filipinos that only have tourist visas.

you must not be watching the news (kiretoce) the u.s economy is in recession, housing foreclosure in record mumbers. the dow jones is in a free fall. 40 thousand people lost their jobs from january to march. thats why the dow jones lost 142 points last friday when the report came out. if filipinos are really rich in the states how come they have to work till they are 65 yrs old? and it takes them 30 yrs to pay off a house mortgage. you know why filipinos like the u.s so much because most of the pinoys who immigrate to america are poor in the philippines. even they have to work here like a carabaw, its still better than the life they left behind in the philippines. stop making america look like people there are rich and that place is super nice. if you are making good money in the philippines , america is no big deal.

65 is the usual retirement age, and 30 years is the average life of a mortgage, in case you didn't know that.

Struggling and Surviving in Kuwait: Another Tale of OFW Woes (http://www.pinoypress.net/2008/03/09/struggling-and-surviving-in-kuwait-another-tale-of-ofw-woes/)

They scrounge garbage bins for leftover food and for anything to sell. If they were able raise 100 fils, approximately 37 cents, from selling cans, cartons and anything that they found in the garbage bin, they would be able to buy kubos or Arabian bread for their meal. They pile up debts amounting to KD500 ($1,830 at an exchange rate of KD1=U$3.66) in a sari-sari store (convenience store). And when these were not enough, they even beg for food or money from fellow Filipinos in Kuwait. All these, they had to endure to survive in Kuwait.

As if these were not enough, two of the 49 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Kuwait who have complained of contract violations by their employer have more things to worry about. Jason Baldoza and Arnold Mirando who are just waiting for their unpaid salaries to be able to buy plane tickets for their trip back to the Philippines are worried that they would be left with nothing if they are not able to collect soon. Their Iqama or civil ID expired on March 9 and a penalty of KD 2 ($7.32) would be deducted from their unpaid salaries daily for as long as they stay in Kuwait without a valid contract and Iqama.

Contract violations

The 49 OFWs were recruited and deployed to Kuwait by the Great Provider Service Exporters, Inc. Before being deployed to Kuwait, they signed contracts with the Kuwait & Gulf Link Transport Company (KGL). The contract even had the seal of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and was verified by the Philippine labor attaché in Kuwait. But when they arrived in Kuwait, some of them were made to sign a side agreement stating that their employer would be the Gulf Coast Shipping Services Co This was an anomalous agreement that the Philippine labor attaché in Kuwait said was in order and legal.

As it turned out, all the 49 OFWs were subcontracted by KGL to different employers. While those who were made to sign the side agreement worked with Gulf Coast Shipping Services, others were subcontracted to other companies to work as cleaners, tea boys, security guards and warehousemen, according to the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and Migrante-Kuwait. Adding to their woes, Gi Estrada, APMM Area Coordinator in Kuwait, said that the salaries of the 49 OFWs were either delayed or were not given at all. Except for nine workers who have been in the company for nine years, majority of the 49 OFWs have been in KGL for a little more than a month to three months.

Aside from the delays, KGL made several deductions from their KD60 ($219) monthly salaries: KD5 ($18) for transportation, KD5 ($18) for accommodations, KD6 ($21.96) for airfare for 24 months, which was practically for the whole duration of their contract. Thus, their salary amounted to only KD44 ($161.04) a month, even lower by a KD to the monthly wage of a domestic helper in Kuwait. The KD5 for accommodations deducted from them is for a small flea-infested room where 25 OFWs were made to share.

Added to this, another KD6 ($21.96) was deducted from them every month for 17 months for a total amount of KD102 ($373). This was supposedly for their placement fee. But the OFWs said that they already paid P5,000 ($122 at an exchange rate of $1=P40.85) each as placement fee and they even have a receipt to prove it. When pressed for an explanation, KGL officials said that the KD6 deduction was for the Iqama. But, Estrada said, the Iqma costs only KD 10 ($36.60), which is valid for the duration of their work contract.

APMM Research and Documentation Program Officer Aaron Ceradoy said the company does not provide the workers with their pay slips and time cards. The 49 complaining OFWs also said that they were made to work 12 hours a day and were not paid for their overtime work.

When they were recruited by Great Provider Service Exporters, the 49 OFWs were told that they would receive a net amount of KD60 ($219) a month. But the official contract that they signed, which even had the POEA seal on it, did not specify the salary that they would receive. This contract was even authenticated by the labor attaché in Kuwait when they arrived.

Estrada said one of the OFWs later discovered a KGL contract, which showed that it receives KD140 for two workers it deployed to one if its clients. Worse, the OFWs deployed by KGL to an airport in Kuwait were not given their basic pay. KGL reasoned out that they were already earning enough money from tips, from which KGL also deducted KD7 ($26.62) for every KD10 ($36.60) tip earned.

These, Estrada said, are but some of the contract violations the 49 OFWs are complaining about.

POLO

The OFWs reportedly filed a complaint with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) on Jan. 24 and followed this up with a faxed letter to the office of Labor Attaché Leopoldo de Jesus.

In an email loop, de Jesus said he facilitated the bringing of some foodstuff for the workers in their dormitory. APMM’s Estrada however argued that the food was distributed to the OFWs only on Feb. 21, almost a month after the initial complaint was lodged at the POLO office. Estrada added that during the distribution photos were taken and a banner of Great Provider Services, Inc. was displayed.

De Jesus also said that through his office’s intervention, the company updated the Filipino workers’ salaries and provided them with new accommodations. He also said that he demanded plane tickets for the nine OFWs who have completed their contracts with the company.

De Jesus was referring to a Feb. 20 meeting he had with KGL at the OFWs’ dorm where the company promised the workers that they would receive their salaries regularly through automated teller machine (ATM) and that their February salaries would be released before March 2.

Estrada criticized the POLO for not being supportive of and immediately acting on the complaints of OFWs. In stead, the POLO allegedly had “standard replies” whenever OFWs file a complaint with its office or with the local labor bureau called sho-on, such as a) “It will take a long time;” b) “the employer might kick them out of their dormitories;” or c) “they might need to go to court and that they would have to pay for their own lawyer as the POLO has no money for this.”

She said she has talked with a lot of OFWs who were given these “standard replies” and were left to fend for themselves like staying with friends. Others, she said, “even sell their own blood just to have some money. And yes they already sought the assistance of the Labatt (labor attaché) on this.”

Estrada added that the POLO also usually told OFWs who filed a complaint that “it would be better to complain in the Philippines through the POEA or the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) because of the joint liability of the placement agency and employer.”

Estrada also said that “Labatt de Jesus and other government officials in and outside Kuwait have a penchant for blaming the workers for their woes,” particularly for accepting wages lower than KD120 ($439.20).

“But looking back, how can you impose a POEA requirement in another sovereign country that does not even have a minimum wage law of its own? And why blame the workers on a policy which they themselves cannot implement/impose?” asked Estrada.

Broken promises

During the Feb 20 meeting, Ceradoy said the workers were paid their January wages except for Marvin Marquez who was not paid a single cent. But de Jesus discouraged them from pursuing the unjust deductions, which were taken from their salaries. Estrada told Bulatlat that during the said meeting, de Jesus told the OFWs that it was best to pursue their claims with regards the deductions when they arrive in the Philippines.

Despite Labatt de Jesus’ promise that his office will keep on monitoring KGl’s compliance to all the commitments it agreed to during the Feb. 20 meeting, Estrada said, a lot of these were violated.

Estrada was informed that the January wages of the 49 OFWs were indeed released but with the unjust deductions. On March 7, 25 of the 49 OFWs did not go to work to protest the delays in the release of their February salaries, which was supposed to be given to them as per the Feb. 20 agreement on March 2. In stead they held a dialogue with the management. Estrada said that although the management released their February salaries after the dialogue, they were considered absent from work that day.

Of the nine OFWs with finished contracts, Estrada said only two, Baldoza and Mirando, have decided to return to the Philippines, while the rest intended to go home only for a vacation.

But when Baldoza and Mirando went to the KGL office, they refused to sign a document written in Arabic allegedly stating that the company has paid them all its commitments and that they already have their plane tickets, because they have not received anything yet.

The company refuses to provide them with plane tickets, despite the agreements during the Feb. 20 meeting. Estrada said the management told the Baldoza and Mirando to shoulder their own airfare. But, Estrada said this was impossible considering the very low wages the two received and the delays in the releases of their unpaid salaries.

Some of the remaining 40 OFWs have been reemployed. But Estrada said they wanted to withdraw from their contracts because they are not aware of its provisions since there is no English translation.

While some are hesistant to return to the Philippines because they are deeply in debt with amounts ranging from P30,000 to 50,000 ($734.39 to $1,223) for the processing of their papers before going to Kuwait, Estrada said, they are united in their resolve to continue pressuring the management to release their salaries on time, without the unjust deductions.

Businessworld
March 11, 2008

THE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY wants Congress to legislate the creation of bank that will cater solely to the financial requirements of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The Federate Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME), in a statement, said it was high time that workers be able to tap a bank that will enhances their investment potentials as well as set exchange rates that will provide maximum value for their hard-earned cash.

FAME is the umbrella association of 12 country-focused recruitment organizations. It has a membership of 700 licensed agencies in the country.

"OFWs have suffered so much in the drop of their dollar value to the peso. An OFW earning $1,000 is now only getting P40,000 unlike in 2007 where the same amount earned P50,000," FAME Vice-President Jackson Gan said.

Senate Bill 639 is one proposal calling for the OFW bank.

The Land Bank of the Philippines has expressed interest in managing the proposed bank. The entity, which will be called the Philippine Overseas Postal Bank, is seen to merge with the Philippine Postal Savings Bank.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration is expected to invest P1 billion in the form of preferred shares while Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines will invest P350 million each. — I. P. Pedrasa

^^wag mo naman lahatin, hindi naman ata totoo na lahat pumupunta sa US ay poor in pinas. marami rin hindi. baka siguro ang na met or nakilala mo lang ay ganon mostly kaya you make this conclusion. And i don't find any problem or anything wrong with people working till 65 and paying mortgage for 30 years. eh ano kung gusto nila mag trabaho hanggang sa ganyang edad. my nanay is already in her 70s pero dami pa ring ginagawa at malakas pa rin nagagalit nga sya pag sabihan na mag pahinga na.:lol:

and i tell you the US is not the only one suffering from this recession. everybody else does. and if somebody or you want to work like a carabao it's his/her or your choice no one is imposing it on him/her/ or you. and it's not only in america that you work like a carabao. And working like a carabao is fine for me as long as you're well compensated.

ano ba yan ba't puro na lang carabao, ano ba kasi ang problema sa carabao :lol:


Wag mo na lang pansinin yang si cruizer333444. Hindi kase siguro makarating ng America yan kaya galit sa mundo. E sus, ang dami ng medical doctors sa America, successful na nurses, mga therapist IT professionals sa America, yuong iba nag retire na sa Pilipinas na may maginhawang buhay na. Halata mo naman kung nakarating na yan si cruizer333444 dito o hindi e, Tignan mo. Hindi siya makakuha ng proweba na naandito rin siya sa America.

you must not be watching the news (kiretoce) the u.s economy is in recession, housing foreclosure in record mumbers. the dow jones is in a free fall. 40 thousand people lost their jobs from january to march. thats why the dow jones lost 142 points last friday when the report came out. if filipinos are really rich in the states how come they have to work till they are 65 yrs old? and it takes them 30 yrs to pay off a house mortgage. you know why filipinos like the u.s so much because most of the pinoys who immigrate to america are poor in the philippines. even they have to work here like a carabaw, its still better than the life they left behind in the philippines. stop making america look like people there are rich and that place is super nice. if you are making good money in the philippines , america is no big deal.

Rich people never stopped working you know? The richer you are, the harder you work. Take the case of Bill Gates, he works over 50 hours a week to keep his empire. And paying off your mortage through it's life doesn't mean you are struggling financially, it means you are being smart to get your money's worth. Does staying in the Philippines makes them get a better life when there is a high poverty rate in the Philippines? Come on man get real. And nobody is saying that people in America is rich, but we do have a better life here comparing to people who works in a food service department there or digging ditches on the street, heck, road workers and constrution workers make far better than there in the Philippines. Maybe those ones who works in business related field there in the Philippines is making it good, but, hell it's a tough life there even if you have higher education most of the time. Maybe what you need to preach about for the filipinos living in the US is to invest their money back there in the Philippines to help improve the Philippine economy, just like what the Irish and the Korean did in the past.


Besides, if the filipinos who came to america were poor in the Philippines? how were they able to afford to come to the US in big groups? It's not free processing and free airfare to come over here most of the time you know?

Not all people who migrate to the US are poor in the Philippines. That is a fact although I must admit that economic justifications form part of the major decision why a bulk of the filipinos go to Uncle Sam, but there is a huge number of filipinos who would want to come back to the Philippines and retire here or do business here and be the bosses. Surely, they don't want to remain as "employees" for so long in the US. This is really good.

Dubai Imposes Fines for Spitting in Public
K.T. Abdurabb, Arab News

DUBAI, 11 March 2008 — Authorities in Dubai have launched a major cleanliness campaign that, among other measures, imposes fines of up to 500 dirhams for spitting in public places or littering.

As part of emirate-wide efforts to make the streets and countryside cleaner, authorities have begun a campaign to raise awareness of recent changes to municipal laws, which includes a fine of up to 10,000 dirhams for septic truck drivers who dump wastewater illegally. Truck drivers found dumping other trash anywhere besides in designated waste-disposal areas could face fines of up to 50,000 dirhams. Vehicles used to dump waste could also be impounded and the owners of the vehicles could face losing their business licenses.

Meanwhile, a study conducted under the project called On-road Vehicle Emission Measurement Using Remote Sensing Devices on Dubai roads has revealed that air pollution from vehicles is considerably high. The study compared emissions from vehicles in Dubai to the same data from numerous US cities and found rates to be much higher in the emirate.

The municipality conducted the survey at 43 locations across the city in cooperation with the Roads and Transport Authority and Dubai Police from May 2007 to February 2008 with the aim of formulating effective strategies and policies to control vehicle emissions which account for over 75 percent of the city’s air pollution.

“The idea was to measure pollutant levels in a vehicle’s tailpipe while the vehicle is plying on the road. Five major air pollutants — hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide — and smoke emissions were detected. The remote sensing technology helped avoid connecting the testing device physically to a vehicle,” said Redha Hassan Salman, head of Environmental Protection and Safety Section in the Environment Department of Dubai Municipality.

Studies in cities with major air pollution problems, such as Mexico City, have shown that the age of the vehicles plays a major factor in pollution: the older the vehicle the more it pollutes. Vehicles with faulty or nonexistent catalytic converters also play an important factor. Policies that have helped reduce pollution in urban centers include an effective system of annual vehicular emission inspections, retiring older vehicles from the roads, promoting public transportation and greener technologies, reducing the traffic of trucks within urban centers, and, in some extreme cases, imposing a ban on the use of personal vehicles one day per week.

DBP, Smart in P1-B job program for OFWs
By Lenie Lectura
Reporter


STATE-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has set up a P1-billion livelihood facility to benefit overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in partnership with Smart Communications Inc.

DBP president and chief executive officer Reynaldo David said the livelihood program, “DBP-Smart OFW I-net Negosyo—Negosyo Mo, Taya Ko,” will provide reintegration and entrepreneurship opportunities for OFWs via bank financing of Smart’s mini-Internet café package, the Smart Bro Computer Station.

“Through the program, OFWs will be able to invest their hard-earned money in a potentially lucrative business that will prepare them for their eventual retirement. Their beneficiaries back home will also become more self-sufficient with the additional income from the business, aside from the monthly remittance,” he added.

The “DBP-Smart OFW I-net Negosyo— Negosyo Mo, Taya Ko” has been premarketed in the first week of May in Dubai, and a number of OFWs have already signed up for the program.

Danilo Mojica, Smart head for Wireless Consumer Division, said the Smart Bro Computer Station package is very affordable for start-up entrepreneurs.

“OFWs and their beneficiaries can start their own one-PC mini-Internet rental shop. A bonus is an e-loading business, which we have conveniently bundled with this livelihood package. Beneficiaries will also be able to use the Internet to keep in touch with their loved ones abroad more often. We have subsidized the rate to encourage our OFWs to become entrepreneurs. Eventually, they can increase the number of PCs, if they wish to expand the business,” said Mojica.

The Smart Bro Computer Station package includes one brand-new top-of-the-line desktop computer with a one-year limited warranty on the hardware, licensed Microsoft Operating System, one-year unlimited Smart Bro wireless broadband Internet connection, streamers and flyers to promote the Internet rental service, and a cellular phone bundled with a retailer SIM with initial e-load value of P500 for e-loading business.

The livelihood program is payable in 12 easy monthly installments which will be paid by the OFW himself from wherever he is worldwide through the DBP EC Remit program.

The amount already includes the subscription to Smart Bro, affordable interest rates, and mortgage redemption insurance. Monthly payments may be coursed through DBP partner remittance and exchange companies.

To qualify, an OFW must have at least one year of guaranteed work contract or a work visa that is valid for the next 12-month period. Other documents needed include POEA registration document and/or OWWA membership ID; photocopy of valid passport; and photocopy of valid work visa. The forms and documents should be submitted to the Negosyo coordinators or DBP overseas marketing representatives in the country where they are working.

To apply for the loan package, OFWs may visit the DBP Remittance Center at the DBP head office in Makati City, or the bank’s subsidiaries and tie-ups abroad.

Smart has been providing wireless broadband Internet access nationwide through its subsidiary, Smart Broadband Inc. (SBI). As of end-March 2007, Smart Bro subscribers number more than 163,000.

Early this year, Smart and DBP entered into a strategic partnership that will push for the use of mobile commerce in delivering financial services for small and medium enterprises, migrant workers, microfinance institutions and other sectors.

Under the partnership, DBP will use Smart’s mobile commerce platform, the Smart Services Hub, in developing new remittance and financial services and products. The Smart Services Hub is Smart’s global financial and telecommunications services hub model based on its award-winning Smart Money electronic financial services platform.

Aside from mobile commerce applications for development financing, services for text-based remittances, mobile banking, payroll account management, mobile payments, e-wallet cards and text-based services are also in the works.

Source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/06132007/economy01.html

i've been hearing for a while about the souring relationship between the Filipinos and the Chinese in the pacific islands.

5 Pinays in Saipan sue former employer for discrimination

GARAPAN, Saipan – Five female workers from the Philippines filed a lawsuit against their former employer for not renewing their employment contracts in 2004 allegedly due to their old age and national origin.

Nenita G. Africa, Adona D. Carino, Emma S. Escobar, Emelita S. Magayaga and Asuncion Sapo, through attorney Steven Woodruff, filed the discrimination complaint in the US District Court against Commonwealth Garment Manufacturing Inc., doing business as Mirage Saipan Co. Ltd.

Magayaga, Escobar and Africa also stated in the complaint that during their period of employment with Mirage Saipan, they were repeatedly subjected by their Chinese supervisors to "various forms of ridicule and harassments" on account of their age.

The complainants added that Mirage Saipan terminated most of the Filipino contract workers but most of the Chinese workers’ employment contracts were renewed.

Some Chinese, the complainants said, were hired from other garment factories on Saipan and from China.

The garment factory, however, claimed that the five Filipino workers could not meet the daily production demand, which led to the termination of their employment.

The workers started working for Mirage Saipan in 2003 and 2004.

The company gave the workers notices terminating their employment effective 10 days after July 19, 2004.

The workers said they were surprised about the termination because the garment factory had not previously informed them about any performance issue, specifically any failure to meet the demand of production as asserted by the company.

To their knowledge, “there was no performance evaluation conducted that could have been the basis of their termination."

The workers’ causes of actions include national origin discrimination, age discrimination, breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against defendant.

They want the federal court to award them their lost earnings and lost benefits, and punitive damages.

The workers are also seeking “exemplary award and punitive damages, compensatory damages and damages for mental suffering, anguish, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and other damages according to law, as well as attorney’s fees, cost of suit and other relief."

This is the latest in a number of discrimination complaints filed by Filipino workers against their current and former employers on Saipan, the capital of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

- Haidee V. Eugenio, GMANews.TV

all i know poor pinoys are the ones immigrating to america, and you know its the truth. why would a rich filipino want to immigrate here, its doesn't make any sense. look at those super rich filipino_chinese, you dont see them coming to america to live and work. its only the poor who does that. to a poor filipino coming to america its like heaven, they can finally own a car and a 30 yr mortgage house. and about bill gates working 50 hours a week is a lie. 4 yrs ago he gave that ceo job to steve ballmer so that bill can concentrate on his charity work. his not working like us, we are the ones who's working like a mule. we are the working slave. im came to america to work but not for 30 yrs or more. i came here to earn and save so that i can go back home to be like a little bill gates. sitting on my behind. im not going to be an employee taking crap for the rest of my life from my employer. whats the used of coming to america just to be an employee, so that you can survive decently. thats the mentality of a working slave. to me your no better than in the philippines.

[1]all i know poor pinoys are the ones immigrating to america, and you know its the truth. [2]why would a rich filipino want to immigrate here, its doesn't make any sense. look at those super rich filipino_chinese, you dont see them coming to america to live and work. its only the poor who does that. to a poor filipino coming to america its like heaven, [3]they can finally own a car and a 30 yr mortgage house. and about bill gates working 50 hours a week is a lie. 4 yrs ago he gave that ceo job to steve ballmer so that bill can concentrate on his charity work. his not working like us, we are the ones who's working like a mule. we are the working slave. im came to america to work but not for 30 yrs or more. i came here to earn and save so that i can go back home to be like a little bill gates. sitting on my behind. [4]im not going to be an employee taking crap for the rest of my life from my employer. whats the used of coming to america just to be an employee, so that you can survive decently.[5]thats the mentality of a working slave. to me your no better than in the philippines.

1. Shows you how much you really know. Having stated that, I assume you're one of the poor people too.

2. What if that rich person is looking for a new experience that will enhance his growth personally and professionally. It's a huge world out there, lots to learn. Only close-minded, xenophobic inviduals like you think that it's not worth the risk.

3. True. Living here in the States can afford you those material things, but you tend to forget that those are necessities, and not luxuries.

4. You must be a disgruntled employee. I suggest you get help before you go postal. One thing, if things are that unbearable where you're working, you always have the option to quit and head home to the Philippines. Who needs a whiner like you anyway. If you can't hack it....fuck it then! You loser!

5. Said the working slave himself.

all i know poor pinoys are the ones immigrating to america, and you know its the truth. why would a rich filipino want to immigrate here, its doesn't make any sense. look at those super rich filipino_chinese, you dont see them coming to america to live and work. its only the poor who does that. to a poor filipino coming to america its like heaven, they can finally own a car and a 30 yr mortgage house. and about bill gates working 50 hours a week is a lie. 4 yrs ago he gave that ceo job to steve ballmer so that bill can concentrate on his charity work. his not working like us, we are the ones who's working like a mule. we are the working slave. im came to america to work but not for 30 yrs or more. i came here to earn and save so that i can go back home to be like a little bill gates. sitting on my behind. im not going to be an employee taking crap for the rest of my life from my employer. whats the used of coming to america just to be an employee, so that you can survive decently. thats the mentality of a working slave. to me your no better than in the philippines.

Just read more about how Bill Gates became where he is now and if you become a little Bill Gates in the Philippines, then you really deserve it.
The rest of your statements about Filipinos here in the US don’t need any rebuttal from me since that's how you see yourself here. I just want to add, there is always room for improvement anywhere in the world, you just need to take your chance in life and prove to yourself that you can.

Ot: napanood nood nyo ba yung bandila sa tfc
yung labanan nung dalwang mayor sa pampanga
yung nakakatawang part e
binuhat yung isang lalaki, tapos yung lalake yung pinangbato dun sa mayor :lol:

1. Shows you how much you really know. Having stated that, I assume you're one of the poor people too.

2. What if that rich person is looking for a new experience that will enhance his growth personally and professionally. It's a huge world out there, lots to learn. Only close-minded, xenophobic inviduals like you think that it's not worth the risk.

3. True. Living here in the States can afford you those material things, but you tend to forget that those are necessities, and not luxuries.

4. You must be a disgruntled employee. I suggest you get help before you go postal. One thing, if things are that unbearable where you're working, you always have the option to quit and head home to the Philippines. Who needs a whiner like you anyway. If you can hack it....fuck it then! You loser!

5. Said the working slave himself.Couldn't agree more. :lol:

In fact, I know this rich Filipino-Chinese guy (classmate of mine in college) who opted to leave the Philippines and settle in Canada. Why? Beats me, but I'm sure he had reasons other than because he was in dire need of money.

can you name one super rich pinoy who immigrated to the states? if america is really that great lucio tan would swim over here.

can you name one super rich pinoy who immigrated to the states? if america is really that great lucio tan would swim over here.

So now, you are saying only the super rich pinoy..... so you are tagging the super rich and not the well off or wealthy pinoys who migrate to the US. I know of some filipinos who were wealthy or above average but they went to the States. I cannot argue with you if your classification is the like of lucio tan.... :lol:

can you name one super rich pinoy who immigrated to the states? if america is really that great lucio tan would swim over here.


The super-rich Tans, Sys, Gokongweis, Ayalas and others can make America like a weekend getaway if they wanted to. They don't need to immigrate here, with their wealth, they can stay here as long as they want. Most of their children are educated here and they would rather do their business in the Philippines since there are no stiff competitions and they know their way around the (system).
Make your way into your nearest Filipino associations group and you will find out the relatives of the super-rich Pinoys that are already here in the US.

if a filipino who owns a gas station, car dealership, pharmacy, franchise restaurant, movie theather, commercial building, sardine factory, etc. he/she wouldn't immigrate to america. a filipino making 100,000 pesos a month or even 50,000 a month which is $2000 would come here. why come here and be an employee when you have your own business in the philippines making $2000 a month. its hard to find a job here in the states making $2000 net income a month. thats about $14 an hr. filiipnos here in cali are fighting to get a janitorial job at LOCAL HOSPITAL that pays $13 an hr. its burtal here in america. then you have house mortgage, utilities, car payments.. we are just sticking our head above water. america is no big deal. stop making this place look like we are super rich. filipinos who go back home for vacation think they are equal to the super rich of the philippines. what a bunch of fools. thats why we have a repution of being mayabang. the reason for this is because 99.9% of pinoys who immigrate to the states are poor. not making $2000 a month in the philippines.

^^ You're beginning to sound like a broken record. Go preach to someone who's dumb enough to listen to a fool like you. People here have more sense than to cater to your incessant whines and self-loathing.

if a filipino who owns a gas station, car dealership, pharmacy, franchise restaurant, movie theather, commercial building, sardine factory, etc. he/she wouldn't immigrate to america. a filipino making 100,000 pesos a month or even 50,000 a month which is $2000 would come here. why come here and be an employee when you have your own business in the philippines making $2000 a month. its hard to find a job here in the states making $2000 net income a month. thats about $14 an hr. filiipnos here in cali are fighting to get a janitorial job at LOCAL HOSPITAL that pays $13 an hr. its burtal here in america. then you have house mortgage, utilities, car payments.. we are just sticking our head above water. america is no big deal. stop making this place look like we are super rich. filipinos who go back home for vacation think they are equal to the super rich of the philippines. what a bunch of fools. thats why we have a repution of being mayabang. the reason for this is because 99.9% of pinoys who immigrate to the states are poor. not making $2000 a month in the philippines.

That's one way of looking at Filipino immigrants here in the US. I don't blame you for being here with a different outlook in life..
Look, not a lot of people in the Philippines own a gas station, car dealership, pharmacy, franchise restaurant, movie theather, commercial building, sardine factory, etc as your example say. Most of those businesses are owned by rich families who most likely inherited them from their relatives and would stay there, but given a chance to immigrate, they would do so to find a better life abroad. Until now, low income, well to do or rich and even super rich Filipinos would grab any opportunities if given a chance to immigrate here in the US. Not everyone are entitled to permanently stay here, but they can make a short visit if they meet the criteria.

I respect the decision of some that decided to stay in the Philippines even though they were given an opportunity to immigrate thru being petitioned by relatives here in the US.

Trust me, with a proper education and attitude in life, anyone can make America a land of opportunity for himself and his family.

to tsinoy----your making america look like only the previlege can come here. have you seen the eritreans, sudanese etiopians, ugandans, kenyans, that are here in the states. those people came from the poorest of the poor countries in the world. for the poor there is an incentive to come here, they can live decently. but for the rich who are making atleast $4000 a month in the philippines they would not come here to live and work. and lets not sugar coat that most filipinos in the states are professionals like doctors. nurses, engineers, etc. we are janitors, nursing aid, clerk, house keepers, server, etc.

Hi Cruizer, im not sure what are you trying to convey.

You are one unhappy camper. I have the impression that you dont like living in the US and yet you continue to work there. How convenient. What gives? It seems that your experience in there is one big dissapontment to you. Too bad. Is it because you are not up to the challenge or you really thought that the US is paradise? Who gave you that idea? You keep on harping that only poor filipinos immigrate in the US, Why is that surprising to you when 80% of filipinos are poor and besides who would want to leave the country of their birth if given the chance to earn a decent living. I dont know who you hang out with but there are plenty of very rich filipinos living in the US. Well to do filipinos have family in the US for obvious reasons. Dont you think so?

On one post you questioned on why people in the US have 30 year mortgage and retire at 65 years old. Do you really know why people do that? Certainly not what you alluded.

Oh by the way, which country do you think is the best for you considering your circumstances.

to tsinoy----your making america look like only the previlege can come here. have you seen the eritreans, sudanese etiopians, ugandans, kenyans, that are here in the states. those people came from the poorest of the poor countries in the world. for the poor there is an incentive to come here, they can live decently. but for the rich who are making atleast $4000 a month in the philippines they would not come here to live and work. and lets not sugar coat that most filipinos in the states are professionals like doctors. nurses, engineers, etc. we are janitors, nursing aid, clerk, house keepers, server, etc.

Not only the privileged but anyone who qualifies and even those who want a better life and take a chance in attaining a permanent visa. If we are janitors, nursing aid, garbagemen, domestic helper or manual laborers here in the US, ano naman ang nakakahiya duon?

At gaano naman karami ang may income ng $2,000 to $4,000/month sa Pinas?
Kaya maraming duktor, nurses at iba pang professional ang umaalis sa Pinas at mag-hanap buhay sa ibang bansa ay para na rin sa kinabukasan nilang pamilya.

Dagdagan mo ang abilidad mo dito sa Amerika, kailangan yan kahit saan. Kung paiiralin mo ang asa ka pa sa magulang at kamag-anakan mo dito, malamang pa-palpak ang buhay mo. Isipin mo ang kapakanan mo at ng iyong pamilya, hindi yung mga nababalitaan mo tungkol sa mga Pinoy dito sa Amerika.

Kung mahirap man kami ng tumuntong dito sa Amerika, hindi mo naman problema yan. Marami ka bang natulungan na mahihirap na Pinoy diyan sa California? Kung marami, aba'y tulungan mo na rin ang sarili mo. :)

Saudi health ministry to hike Pinoy nurses' pay


Starting March 19, Filipino nurses employed by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health will enjoy a 20-60 percent salary increase, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said.

POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz told abs-cbnNEWS.com that the increase indicated the preference of Saudi Arabia for Filipino nurses.

She employment attaché Fahad Al-Msaibeeh of the Royal Saudi Arabian embassy in Manila relayed the information to the POEA.

The present salary of nurses employed by the health ministry ranges from SR2, 250 to SR4,000 (roughly equivalent to P25,000 to P44,000), Baldoz said.

According to Baldoz, a delegation from the Saudi health ministry is in Manila to recruit more Filipino nurses.

The health ministry remains among the top employers of Filipino nurses in Saudi Arabia, providing employment opportunities to even those without work experience

Meanwhile, at least three Filipino nurses who requested anonymity said that the salary increase was implemented in January 2008 but it was only 5 percent. An additional 5-percent retroactive increase will be implemented this month, they added.

One of the nurses interviewed works at the National Guard hospital in Jeddah. Two of them work for the King Fahad University Hospital and the other in a remote clinic in the Eastern Province.

The three also said another 10-percent increase will be given next year while the remaining 15 percent is due in 2010. With reports from Julie Javellana-Santos, abs-cbnNEWS.com and Raffy Beltran, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=112011

Foreign DHs banned in Egypt


The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced Sunday that Egypt is no longer hiring domestic helpers from other countries including the Philippines.

According to an advisory at POEA’s website, the ban on foreign domestic helpers does not apply to those working for foreign diplomats.

The announcement of the POEA came from the Department of Foreign Affairs which did not mention the reason for the ban.

Meanwhile, the POEA has also urging to report to the agency any recruitment firm or people offering jobs for domestic helpers in Egypt.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=111629

DFA warns Pinoys going to UK of Internet recruitment scams

Filipinos looking to work in the United Kingdom continue to be targets of Internet-based scams which originate from there, the Philippine embassy in London said.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to the Court of St. James Edgardo Espiritu said in most of the scams, members of criminal syndicates claim to be officials from the British Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), a unit of the British Home Office that oversees the management of migration to the United Kingdom.

He said the criminal syndicates carry the official address of the BIA in their internal communications but use email addresses obtained from commercial internet and email service providers.

Payment for their service is then required to be coursed through legitimate commercial money remittance service providers which operate from many cities in the Philippines. Other criminal syndicates use the names of other British or Filipino government agencies in their fraudulent activities.

Filipino workers who have been invited to work in the United Kingdom through the Internet are advised to consult with POEA to verify if the recruitment agency is licensed to deploy workers to the United Kingdom. If payment is being required before deployment, the public is advised to consider the transaction as suspicious and discontinue dealing with the recruiter.

There is an estimated 200,000 Filipinos in the United Kingdom, many of whom are employed as nurses or care givers in the British national health system. The United Kingdom adopted last month its new Point-Based System of managed migration which makes entry into the British workforce by non-EU workers more closely monitored by the authorities.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=111631

When buying a house becomes an immigration issue (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/propertyfocus/propertyfocus/view/20080313-124474/When-buying-a-house-becomes-an-immigration-issue)

Mario, a Filipino immigrant, bought his first house in Daly City California at $450,000. When his home increased in value three years ago, he was able to refinance his loan.

His mortgage on the house is now $750,000 and faces the prospect of an interest rate increase in the next few months that may result in a significant increase in the monthly mortgage payment.

He’s contemplating having his home foreclosed as its value is now below $750,000. Mario works for an insurance company, which is undergoing layoffs. He fears he might lose his job soon.

Affidavit of support

Besides his housing payment woes, Mario has to execute an affidavit of support for his children and grandchildren who are all arriving in the US as immigrants this year.

For the past few years, real estate values of homes in the US have increased tremendously. There were many financial institutions willing to extend credit to qualified homebuyers. Unfortunately, there were also loan brokers earning commissions for each home loan that they foreclosed for banks or lenders.

Fraudulent application

With so much easy credit available, there were homeowners who really could not afford a house but who qualified for home loans through fraudulent application. Many would-be homebuyers submitted fraudulent financial documents and tax returns just to be approved for home loans.

When a home is purchased, everyone, including the new owner, is happy. The new homeowner starts paying an affordable monthly mortgage on his house until the interest rates goes up hen the attractive low rates expire. Several homeowners find themselves unable to afford their monthly payments. When increased rates have kicked in, some have to contend with a $5,000/month increase from an initial teaser rate of $2,000/month.

Because of this increase in monthly payments, many homeowners cannot afford the new rates. Some have abandoned their homes, resulting in foreclosures. These cases have become very common and the value of the homes started going down as foreclosed properties increased the available supply of homes for re-sale.

Other buyers are staying out of the market hoping that the values would go down some more before they buy. The US Congress is already talking about an economic stimulus package which may or may not readily alleviate the crisis. All these, I must say, started in greed and illegitimate lending practices.

The real victims

Many first-time homebuyers are immigrants and many of those affected by the mortgage fiasco are Filipino. Some claim to be victims of misrepresentation by realtors, lenders or brokers. Others are just suffering from a natural effect of the falling real estate values.

As many homeowners lose their homes, there is a question of who will eventually be liable for all their financial miseries. The US may be on the brink of a recession, if not officially declared as yet, and the ripple effect will reach not only the new immigrants who are already in the US but also the intended immigrants still in the Philippines.

Family petitions are approved if the petitioner can prove financial ability to support the children who are migrating to the US. The petitioner must have sufficient income - say 125 percent above poverty line - to support petitioned children.

It is important for the petitioner to show other revenues or assets that may be added to his total income to exhibit financial ability to support dependents. If the petitioner is not financially able, another relative or close friend could be requested to be a co-sponsor for the affidavit of support.

Petitioning employers

Another way of obtaining immigrant visas is through petitions by employers. If the petitioning employer suffers from a financial crisis, the immigrant visa petition for the employee will not be approved. It is important for the employer to show financial ability to pay the employee being petitioned before a visa is actually issued. We have seen an increase of denied petitions because of the employer’s inability to show sufficient income to pay the petitioned employee.

When President Bush proposed the economic stimulus package, it was with the intention to make money available to consumers who will hopefully spend the money and stimulate economic activity. But times are very unpredictable. A number of Filipinos in the US are bracing themselves for hard times.

Many have cut down on their own expenses. But the Filipino petitioners always leave a budget for petitioning their relatives. To many a Filipino, reuniting with the family is still a first priority to owning a home.

tsinoy---im sure if you were making $4000 a month in the philippines you wouldn't be here in the states.

I came to America because I was home alone and everyone were having fun out here.

tsinoy---im sure if you were making $4000 a month in the philippines you wouldn't be here in the states.

Not a lot of Filipinos make that much money, I would still be immigrating, we sold our business during martial law and my father wanted to retire in Hawaii after my sister petitioned him.

I came to America because I was home alone and everyone were having fun out here.

Dahil nambabae ka :lol:
You are not the last naman, si bunso had to finish her college also.

tsinoy----you are not rich in the philippines thats why your father jump high when his sisiter petition you guys. doesn't sound like a rich family. you wouldn't come here if you were making $5000 a month in the philippines. america is just a place on planet earth, its not heaven . you think living in america makes you look upscale. what kind of upscale is that when you are with those sudanese, eritrea, ethiopia, etc.

tsinoy----you are not rich in the philippines thats why your father jump high when his sisiter petition you guys. doesn't sound like a rich family. you wouldn't come here if you were making $5000 a month in the philippines. america is just a place on planet earth, its not heaven . you think living in america makes you look upscale. what kind of upscale is that when you are with those sudanese, eritrea, ethiopia, etc.

Well, I'm not saying we were rich in the Philippines, but definitely we are not considered poor also. If you think we were very poor because we immigrated here, then it is up to you, you can label me to be the same with the Africans citizens that you are talking about and it doesn't matter to me. I'm just grateful that I don't complain about on what I have right now.

I think you really don't live the American dream, you seem to be envious of all material things in life. The term upscale(in life) is something that everyone can argue about.


Nadapa ka ba sa mataas mong ambition dito sa America? If so, you can stand up, regroup yourself and find out bakit ka nadapa. Maraming pagsubok ang sasalubong sa iyong buhay, malamang duwag kang harapin ang katotohanan. :)


I feel sorry for your state of mind, there is no way that I can help you understood fully on how to live your life.

Philippines exporting labor and sex (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JC15Ae01.html)

Although prostitution is illegal in the Philippines, sex remains a thriving industry both domestically and abroad. Many Filipinas ply the world's oldest profession in an attempt to overcome crushing poverty and the oppressive economic crisis gripping their homeland. Even Filipinas who work overseas legally - as maids, nannies or in other legitimate occupations - often find themselves turning to the sex trade to supplement meager incomes and to send money home to the Philippines to support impoverished family members.

The Philippines has a bustling sex trade with much variety. Small bars and clubs serve locals - often taxi drivers, laborers and even local teenagers looking to solve their virginity - and employ women from poor rural areas who "service" clients for as little as 200-400 pesos (US$5-$10). More glitzy establishments cater to foreigners, especially in areas such as Makati, Pasay, Ermita or Angeles City where GRO's (Guest Relations Officers) can be known to charge as much as 2,000-3,000 pesos ($50-$75), even for a "short time" experience.

A recent visit to Makati, the business district of Manila, found bars packed with scantily clad girls, many adorned in thong bikinis or lingerie and gyrating enthusiastically to Western pop music. Several were equally enthusiastically about grinding their nearly naked bodies against male customers' in hopes of enticing a business arrangement. The enticement is obviously doubled when two girls set upon a customer, but the 6,000 pesos or so required to take them out can have a cooling effect.

More "off the beaten track" places can be found throughout the Philippines, especially any place catering to foreign tourists, which is just about everywhere. Prices in these venues range from 1,000 - 2,000 pesos ($25-$50), but the price tag is often enough for an overnight companion.

Prices aside, the sheer volume of sex workers in the Philippines is staggering. The most recent report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that as of 1998 there were as many 500,000 women working in the sex trade.

The ILO report also estimated that some 150,000 Filipinas were working in Japan as "entertainers". In a 2005 interview with the Philippine Star a woman explained the realities of working there: "I used to work in Japan. I was there only six months. We enter as entertainers, but most of us have to earn through prostitution".

The Japanese Government was placed in Tier 2 in the 2007 United States Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report for not fully complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but making "significant efforts" to do so. Japan's significant effort appears to be largely based on a few arrests and limiting the number of entertainer's visas to about 80,000 - 100,000.

The Philippine government's own policies regarding overseas contract workers (OCWs) only helps to encourage the flow of women working abroad. But the situation in Japan is hardly unique: the popularity of Filipina OCWs is also evident on any Sunday afternoon on the streets and parks of Hong Kong. As Sunday is traditionally a day off for OCWs, hundreds of thousands of Filipinas meet to socialize with their compatriots. While many work as household helpers, a visit to Wan Chai - Hong Kong's red light district - makes it obvious that some Filipinas are moonlighting in the sex trade.

One such woman told Asia Times Online that she was a domestic helper, but frequented clubs to sell sex to mostly expatriate clients. "Yeah, I come to the bars sometimes to look for some extra cash from the customers for short time sex. In just a couple hours a few days a week I can easily double my salary", said the 23-year-old, who added that she was lucky to work for an employer who let her come out a few times a week.

"Some girls only get to come out on Sundays, it is not as easy for them. Even then some have strict curfews from their bosses. One girl had an ex-employer who would only let her out on Sundays and then she had to be back by 7pm. When the girl asked the employer 'why', the boss said, 'If you go out to the bars you'll get pregnant and then I'll have to find a new maid.' Can you imagine that?" she said.

"If nothing else I can see some friends and have a beer, maybe get lucky and make some money. It is always good when the US fleet is in town; I have had as many as three customers in one night," she said, appearing truly pleased by her good fortune.

"I want to send money back to my family in the Philippines and save some for myself. I don't get much as a maid so this helps me earn more," she said as she placed her hand on the thigh of an Asia Times Online' reporter.

The standard proscribed wage for a domestic helper is HKD$3,480 per month (roughly US$450). Working the bars can mean serious income for girls who charge usually a minimum of HKD $1,000 for a "quickie".

The situation for underpaid domestic helpers is consistent across Asia; not just in Hong Kong, but also in Singapore, Australia and Malaysia. From Shanghai to Dubai, young Asia women, frequently Filipinas, end up featuring prominently in the local sex scene.

The international migration of Filipinos seeking work has been prominent for decades. In the Philippines, labor is the top export; the government has long encouraged the practice by offering assistance in getting overseas jobs. One such perk is that OCWs are given "first grab" at land purchases in certain areas, with mortgages being subsidized by the government at low interest rates.

Asia Times Online reported last month that the Philippines' central bank estimated that migrant workers would send home at least $14 billion in 2007. This makes the Philippines number three in the world for foreign remittances, behind only Mexico and India. Each year funds sent from abroad represents almost 10% of the country's annual GDP.

Some portion of the money sent home, while it is hard to calculate to an exact amount, is no doubt coming from exporting Filipinas not only for labor, but also for sex.

TNT babies (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/mindfeeds/mindfeeds/view/20080313-124472/TNT-babies)

What do you do if you’re working illegally in South Korea and get pregnant?

GMA Network’s Sandra Aguinaldo followed two of these TNT (“tago nang tago,” or hide-and-hide) couples in this week’s “I-Witness” and found out: They have the baby, and then send the child back to the grandparents in the Philippines.

The couple’s stories are stuff for a Korean tearjerker telenovela [TV soap]. One of the couples had just had their son about a month earlier, and was shown preparing to send him to the Philippines. “I-Witness” followed the couple as they went about preparing for their son’s trip: talking to him, telling him to be good, describing the place he was going to (hot, very hot, and no need to be bundled up against the cold). The father buys a lotto ticket, hoping that if he won a large amount, he could use this as a security bond with the South Korean government so his son could stay. “I-Witness” followed them all the way to Seoul’s airport, up through the plane ride, and their landing in Manila for a sort of happy ending, with little Dave being turned over to his grandparents.

The other couple had been in South Korea for 16 years, and the father has never been back to the Philippines. Their youngest was born in South Korea, then sent back home. “I-Witness” didn’t give her age but she looked like she was maybe 9 or 10 years old. Her only contact with her parents has been through an Internet webcam.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, there are about 8,000 Filipinos working illegally in South Korea and there are two to three babies sent home each month, presumably from TNT parents. The TV documentary didn’t explain how the couples are able to access pre-natal care, and the delivery itself, but they’re apparently able to. But, the babies have to be sent home eventually because the parents’ own situation is so precarious. One of the TNT Filipinos explained that if they’re ever arrested, they’d be deported outright, not even allowed to go home and pack.

The babies are brought back to the Philippines by a viajera, one of the women who regularly go to South Korea to sell Filipino goods. Some of them return with one of the TNT babies, giving a different twist to the idea of viajera cargo.

Reproductive decisions

The first thing that came to my mind while watching the documentary was “reproductive decisions,” a term used by demographers. “Decision” makes it sound all so rational, but we know that reproduction involves sex, which has its many irrational moments. One would think that if you were illegal in a country, you’d be careful not to have a baby, but I’ve been in public health long enough to know that a crisis, even with grave risks for the future, can actually spark a baby boom. Many refugee agencies now routinely offer family planning advice and contraceptives in camps because they’ve observed baby booms in refugee centers following a natural disaster or civil war.

But even with family planning services in these camps, there will still be a rise in the number of births, suggesting some logic to these baby booms. In times of crisis, couples may actually be “pushed” to reproduce. Often, it might be spurred by the deaths of children from the natural disaster or civil strife as a way of making up for lost offspring.

It’s just as complicated with our overseas Filipinos. I’ve heard stories as well of baby booms among Filipinos in other countries besides South Korea. If I remember correctly, there are also forced repatriations of babies (and their Filipino mothers) from some of the Middle Eastern countries because these are born out of wedlock.

Pregnancies in those situations are very risky; Filipinas in Middle Eastern countries can be considered lucky because deportation is mild compared to other penalties sometimes meted out for extramarital or premarital sex.

Yet the babies come. The “I-Witness” documentary had a segment showing a Filipino priest delivering a homily, presumably to fellow Filipinos in Seoul. In the homily, the priest gently chided the congregation in Filipino, “We seem to have only baptisms and no marriages,” a reference to the illicit dalliances that produce the babies.

All these stories remind us that our overseas workers also have their needs for companionship and relationships, and that we have to deal with their sexuality, including outcomes like pregnancy. In many cases, there may have been no actual “reproductive decision”: the pregnancy just happens. In other cases, it might even have been planned as a way of strengthening a relationship in the midst of so much stress.

Whatever the reason, or non-reason, there is still another possible outcome that the “I-Witness” episode did not look into: abortion, which is legal in most Asian countries. Even legal Filipino workers in these countries face possible job termination if they get pregnant.

Fertile

The bottom line is that many of the countries that take in Filipino workers want our cheap labor, but also fear our fertility. We have one of the highest population growth rates in the world, and the host countries know this. The issue of a pregnancy is highlighted in places where most of our overseas workers are women, like Hong Kong and Singapore. Employers see pregnancy as lost time from the mothers’ work. And if the babies are allowed to stay, they’re seen as a liability, adding to the host government’s social services burden.

It’s not so much the issue of race here as class discrimination. An upper-income Filipino professional hired by a large multinational in Singapore or Hong Kong is unlikely to have a pregnancy clause in his or her contract and may instead be provided generous education benefits for the children.

What to do then for our blue-collar Filipino workers? The orientation for departing workers now includes information on HIV/AIDS. Perhaps they should include family planning options. But then you only get to those who are leaving legally. It will have to be the Filipino support groups in Seoul and other destinations to reach out to overseas Filipinos, legal or illegal, with a reproductive health package that includes family planning, prevention and treatment of sexually-transmitted infections and counseling in the broader context that puts our overseas workers at risk, including the need for companionship and the whole issue of parenting.

Let’s look, too, at the cultural component. Here in the Philippines, we’ve had several generations of rural women who go to the big cities to work, get pregnant and ship the babies back home to a lola” [grandmother], who cares for the children on the domestic helper’s money remittances for years. We may have created the norm for our overseas Filipinos, assuring them it’s all right to have the babies since God, lolo [grandfather] and lola will provide with the help of their remittances.

DoLE allots P0.78M for OFW livelihood training in Visayas

Groups of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Visayas were recently granted P780,000 by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to be used for livelihood training, in order to provide them and their families alternative sources of income.

The training program falls under the DoLE’s National Reintegration Program for OFWs and extended to their family members or Overseas Family Circles (OFC).

More than 50 beneficiaries will undergo training on making of ladies’ accessories as well as milkfish processing, meat processing and peanut butter making.

DoLE Regional Director Aida Estabillo urged program beneficiaries to cooperate with the provincial staff and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) technical staff under James Mendiola, so that they would be given further assistance for the livelihood projects to prosper.

In the recently held regional conference on reintegration program for OFWs and OFC in Aklan in Visayas, then Labor Secretary Arturo D. Brion said, "Our care for overseas Filipino workers begins before their departure from the Philippines until their return."

Mr. Brion, who took his oath as associate justice of the Supreme Court on Monday, said the OFW and their family should always be given proper orientation, seminars and livelihood trainings in order for them to be prepared for the departure of the family member who will work abroad.

"The OFW and their family should be prepared for the effects of the wife or the husband leaving because of the length of time they will be apart," he said. "They can only be prepared if they already plan their livelihood and what to do with their savings," he added.

Thus, the DoLE is now requiring departing migrant workers to include their family members in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS), where they are encouraged to plan for their eventual return to the country.

Earlier this year, a recruitment industry leader called for an improvement in the Labor department’s reintegration program for returning overseas Filipino workers.

"Since OWWA has more than P9 billion in its trust fund accumulated over the past 12 years, the interest alone of this should be more than enough to fund more reintegration projects like Go Negosyo and other admirable investment programs for our OFWS who wish to retire and re-establish their roots with their families," said Jackson Gan, vice president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME). — Elizabeth Marcelo

Define uses of OWWA fund, Congress urged
03/19/2008 | 03:55 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A migrants’ group urged Congress on Wednesday to come up with a law that would specify the uses of the overseas workers’ trust fund administered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The trust fund, now estimated at $10 billion, is generated from the $25 membership dues paid by overseas Filipino workers for every two-year contract.

John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of the militant Migrante – Middle East chapter, said clearly defining the uses of the OWWA fund by law would prevent misuse and abuse, citing the alleged diversion of the workers’ money for electoral purposes.

He also cited the latest plan of OWWA to set aside P50 million for training and skills upgrading of marine officers.

Monterona said that while the OWWA’s mandate includes provision of training and other special programs that would benefit OFWs, the planned training program for seafarers is something that can better be handled by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

He said his group hopes that the House initiative for an inventory of the OWWA trust fund would lead to the enactment of a measure that would set the parameters on the use of the funds that would truly benefit the larger number of migrant workers and their dependents.

“The P50-million should be wisely spent to provide welfare services to runaways and distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world," Monterona said, referring to the allotment for the seafarers’ training program.

Other OFWs have raised suspicions that the P50-million fund that should be used for the benefit of legitimate overseas workers and their dependents could only end up into the pockets of corrupt public officials.

Monterona noted that nearly 200 Filipinos, including 40 women, are in deportation centers in Saudi Arabia, plus many more languishing in jails in different countries, need money for their repatriation to the Philippines. Most of the stranded Filipinos ran away from their abusive employers.

“Why OWWA can’t disburse an amount to attend on their needs such as food, medicines and air fare tickets?" Monterona asked.

He also suggested that OWWA re-activate welfare programs such as family assistance loan and welfare assistance program which were stopped when the agency implemented what he considered as anti-OFW omnibus policies.

“Migrante, OFWs and their families will strongly campaign and lobby to the members of the Congress for the the passage of a law defining the proper use of OWWA funds. This legislation is necessary to help secure OFWs’ money from misuse and corruption," Monterona said. – GMANews

RP envoy protests Saipan businessman’s 'slur' on OFWs
03/20/2008 | 12:40 PM

SUSUPE, Saipan - Philippine Consul General to the CNMI Wilfredo DL. Maximo urged a businessman on Saipan to be more cautious in his remarks in the future, following what he describes as irresponsible and sweeping statement on the character of all Filipinos on the basis of one employee in recent media interviews.

Island Medical Center owner Tony Glad, during an interview aired on KSPN-2 on March 14, expressed suspicion that his former Filipino accounts manager’s sudden departure from Saipan may have something to do with the forced closure of his clinic.

The Philippine consul general, however, has taken issue with Glad’s statement which the diplomat says is disparaging to Filipino workers in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

“I am writing to express concern over your remarks during an interview with KSPN on 14 March 2008, during which you were heard to say, in connection with the recent departure of the Filipino accountant of Island Medical Center, that 'It is typical of the Filipinos...when they have problems...they [dis]appear and leave for some reasons,'" Maximo said in his March 19 letter to Glad.

Copies of the letter were also given to the media.

On March 5, the CNMI Department of Public Health ordered Island Medical Center to shut down due to alleged noncompliance with rules and regulations.

The health agency cited Island Medical Center’s “unlawful pattern or practice by issuing health
certificates either without blood screening tests or on the basis of false, forged and/or altered lab test documentary results."

In interviews with the local media a few days after the forced closure, Glad expressed suspicion that his Filipino accounts manager, Romeo Dolot, may have something to do with the violations due to the employee's sudden departure from Saipan.

Dolot reportedly went back to the Philippines.

Maximo said Glad's remark was a slur on all Filipinos on the islands.

“As you are perhaps aware, there is a sizable Filipino community in the CNMI and majority of
accountants in the CNMI are Filipinos. Your remarks, though stated in ambiguous terms, virtually cast a slur on all Filipinos. Considering the difficult situation under which all nonresident workers of all nationalities now find themselves in within the CNMI, remarks such as yours are irresponsible, to say the least," Maximo wrote to Glad.

“I urge you to exercise more caution in your remarks in the future, in the interest of keeping the peace and assuring continuing racial harmony within the CNMI," Maximo concluded.

Maximo said that while Glad stated he was unaware of the reason for Dolot's sudden departure after the closure of Island Medical Center, the context within which the statement was issued tended to imply the clinic owner's suspicion of wrongdoing on Dolot's part.

“It is not our intention to prejudge the ongoing investigation and if in fact your employee is
eventually found to have committed wrongdoing, you are well within your rights to institute the proper criminal proceedings against him," Maximo told Glad.

“However, we take issue with your issuing a sweeping statement on the character of all Filipinos on the basis of this one employee, regardless of whether or not he is eventually found to have committed a crime."

Glad earlier told the local media that he is investigating the incident.

He also said that if the clinic were to reopen, there would be more stringent procedures implemented as well as the replacement of at least half of its employees.

Island Medical Center has nurses and other staffers who are from the Philippines.

Filipinos on Saipan have differing opinions about the clinic owner’s statements to the media.

Some have contemplated about boycotting businesses owned by or affiliated with Indian nationals, referring to Glad’s roots. This, however, has been opposed by many who try to be civil about the incident.

Many Filipino workers also expressed gratefulness to Maximo for speaking out on behalf of Filipino workers in the CNMI.

The Island Medical Center is among a handful of private clinics in the CNMI, a US territory about
three hours away from Manila.

The CNMI is home to about 19,000 contract workers from Asian countries, mostly from the Philippines. - HAIDEE V. EUGENIO/GMANews.TV

Japan needs thousands of ICT professionals

Filipino engineers may just find sunrise prospects in the Land of the Rising Sun as Japan needs thousands of information, communication technology and software engineers to fill a growing need for firmware and embedded programs.

Imported videos are used in digital cameras, laptops and other gadgets and appliances which continually need innovations in a tight race for tech and consumer supremacy.

In a 2006 report on the Information and Communications Technology industry Japan's Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry estimates that backlog at about 90,000.

Industry analysts such as from the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center said starting salary hovers at about US$3,000 a month, or about P124,000.

"The people who knows many of these former development or they are retiring so they require many engineers to fill in the gap," said Peter Tan, director of AWS Group.

Athena Rebong, software developer of AWS, Inc. has been working in Japan for over two years. She was part of the team that designed the specs for one of the in-demand, high-end laptops in the market today.

"Kung gusto ko talagang maging competitive globally nakita ko kung gaano pa kalayo ang kailangan kong i-work out," Rebong said.

Love Joy Ramos is one of the Filipinos working at WeServ, a subsidiary of Japanese IT giant Fujitsu.

She said that working in Japan has put her closer to cutting-edge technology.

"Gusto naming mag-advance pa ng knowledge namin," Ramos said.

Japanese IT firms advise prospective applicants some tips on landing a job in japan:

To start learning Niponggo or Japanese.

It's also a must to coordinate and take the necessary certification exams of the Philippine National IT Standards Foundation or PHILNITS.

The most important trait to have a successful IT career in Japan is to be a team player. Charo Logarta, ABS-CBN News

sorry for my lateness but I can't help but react on this...We have a population problem in the Philippines period. It's cyclic with the country's economic problem. We cannot ignore our alarming population growth rate through wishful thinking, hoping that a better economy will counter balance it. A good ecomomy has in it a healthy population level where jobs and provision of the necessary basic needs can be attainable to begin with. If the population remains unchecked, it becomes an ever increasing burden that will continue to stifile our economic growth.

How then do you propose to "check" the population boom? Now that is tricky.

Gee, if only it were that simple. But how exactly was the population problem solved in Western Europe towards the end of the previous century? Certainly not through "wishful thinking". I do not recall Western European countries actively enforcing mass sterilizations nor 1 child policies as some Communist states. By and large, it was their strong economies which kept their young adult population busy at work and leisure with no time for large families. Of course, arguably it can be said that strong economies came about due to a high literacy rate and a productive work culture. All these factors collaborated to bring down the population.

If you are thinking what I think you’re thinking, well, forced sterilizations, tubal ligations nor vasectomies just won’t hack it for me. There are too many moral issues involved. Condoms may work but only to a certain extent.

Upwardly mobile Filipino yuppies and the middle class have less desire to spawn more kids than the uneducated and jobless. It is government’s responsibility to harness/ tap into this huge Human Resource and optimise their full potential; just like the way govt has tapped into the potential of OFWs. I submit that strong economies contribute to a lessening of the population. Examples in abundance are the First World democracies.

(P.S. Allan Greenspan's B.R.I.C. new powerhouses - Brazil, Russia, India & China, all have huge populations which, instead of debilitating their economies, only enhanced their economic strengths. How? Because their govts are slowly starting to learn how to tap into Human Resources.)


:)

^^ it was actually plagues and flu that kept their population in check :lol:

I don't totally believe in this assumption on why the Philippines does not progress. It's mainly the mentality of the people. It is very comon that the parents of any filipino would encourage their children to finish their highest education they can possibly get and the parents can provide them, it is not necessarily bad. It's still good for these children but, I think the problem here is that these filipino parents failed to teach their children on how to become an enterpreneur or be business minded. It's always about getting a good education and half of the time they would implant words to their own children's mind that once they get an education in nursing, or other very demand professions overseas, that it will be their ticket to get a better life in another country or be an american, canadian or australian citizen. It's never preached their child to make money while in their own country where they can also be filty rich. Most of the filipino mentality is to get educated and be employed, never was it to be the employer themselves.

I was watching a show in travel channel and it featured several asian countries, vietnam is one country that got my attention, i was comparing them to how Korea and Ireland emerged from an impovirished country to a first world nation, all of it because most of them, the vietnamese, Korean and the Irish are all investing their time and money to start business. Korea and Ireland used to be like the Philippines, they send their people overseas to do the dirty jobs in the countries like the US. In turn, the Koreans and Irish wisened up and started little businesses here and there, alot of them made money and came back to their own countries and started more businesses.

The vietnamese in my opinion are very much like the chineses when it comes to being business minded people. If you noticed here in the US, the chinese and the vietnamese mostly do very well with businesses. It seems that in Vietnam, every single family would find a way to make money by starting their own businesses. This is probably why inspite of ravaged by the bitterness of war, the vietnamese are making a come back and is now emerging from it's shaddow to be one of asia's leading dragon. I wish the filipinos would learn from this. This is probably the reason why the chinese and the Koreans are all interested in investing in the Philippines, starting to build their own business, because they see alot of potential in that country, something that very few filipinos can see. Because half of the time, the filipino student's mind are very focused on someday, they will leave the country and be a nurse elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming them to seek a better life in the Philippines but somehow, I know and I can feel, we can do better than what we have now. Only and if only our parents were not raised in the same way by their parents, then somehow, the children of today aren't just career minded but very business oriented whose goal is to own a corporation and employ thousands of filipinos where they can provide a competitive salaries where they would not consider living the Philippines except to tour other countries for leasure and nothing else.

I agree. There is still the business mentality with Filipinos of Chinese descent and alot of the big businesses in The Philippines are runned by Chinese Filipinos.

One senator that took noticed of this is Manuel Villar. I heard him talk from a convention and he wanted more Filipinos to get a sense of entrepreneurship and become more business minded.

Deployment crisis seen on freeze of 50 agencies

MANILA, Philippines - More than 10,000 Filipino workers are barred from leaving the country for overseas jobs after the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) suspended the operations of many local recruitment agencies.

Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said the recruitment groups blamed the new regulation on renewal of licenses imposed by then Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, which directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that agencies with pending cases should not be forwarded to his office for license renewal.

"Secretary Brion returned around 50 folders to the POEA with instructions that no license should be forwarded to his office if the agency has a pending case," Geslani said.

Brion was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court before the country breaks for the Holy Week.

According to Geslani, the 50 agencies are responsible for the deployment of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) a month and because of the problem on license they cannot operate.

While the POEA permitted the processing of job orders, recruitment companies are not allowed to deploy new job orders since the licenses of the agencies are deemed to have expired and operations like recruitment, placement and processing of new applicants are prohibited.

The recruitment agencies warned that non-renewal of the licenses could result to crisis in deployment if not addressed immediately.

The POEA previously allows renewal of license upon the full compliance of all requirements by the agencies.

Agencies with four or less cases pending are recommended for approval as provided under the POEA guidelines.

But early this year, Brion ordered the centralization of decision making process in the labor department and reverted to his office the signing of new or renewal of licenses.

Meantime, local agencies are appealing to Acting Labor Chief Marianito Roque, Jr and concurrent OWWA Administrator to set aside the rule of Brion as this is totally against the rules of POEA and is an arbitrary act without any legal or moral basis against the recruitment industry.

The agencies also scored Brion for issuing the household service workers rules in 2006 but implemented on March 15, 2007. The ruling raises the minimum salary of domestic helpers from $200 to $400.

This move resulted in the closure and declaration of bankruptcy of over 100 recruitment agencies deploying domestic helpers to the Middle East, Geslani added. - GMANews

^^ Marami na kasing recruitment agencies na palpak. It is about time to clean up their acts.

10,000 a month? Wow, ang dami nun ah.... and those are from those 50 agencies only.

Foreign nationals recognized as Filipinos once approved by DOJ (http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p080326.htm&no=03)

Bureau of Immigration alien control officer Benjamin Lao said foreign nationals whose parents are Filipinos and have been issued with identification certificates (ICs) from the bureau's alien division would be recognized as Filipinos after their application for recognition are approved by the Department of Justice.

Under the Philippine immigration law, a foreigner whose parents were Filipino citizens at the time he or she was born could be given recognition as Filipino citizen since citizenship in the country is based "on blood".

As reported by Immigration Central Office, over 2,600 foreign nationals have been recognized as Filipinos during the first half of 2006 and can now enjoy all rights and privileges given to the citizens of the country.

The BI explained that recognition as a Filipino citizen is different from dual citizenship, a new law that allow former Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of other countries to reacquire their citizenship here.

Under the Dual Citizenship Law, which was passed by Congress in 2003, Filipino immigrants can be recognized as Filipino citizens and still keep their citizenship abroad.

Recognition for Filipino citizenship applies to foreign nationals who are either natural-born citizens of other countries or do not have Filipino lineage.

The basis for the law on recognition of foreign nationals as Filipino citizens was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court a few years ago over a case involving the citizenship of former Makati City Vice Mayor and actor Edu Manzano.

In said ruling, the high Tribunal upheld the election victory of Manzano, who was previously barred from assuming his post on the ground that he was a natural-born US citizen.

The high court ruled Manzano as a Filipino citizen because it was found out that both his parents were still Filipino citizens when he was born in the US.

Under the 1987 Constitution, a citizen of the Philippines is defined as "any person whose father or mother is a Filipino."

BI said the bureau has recognized thousands of foreign nationals in the last few years.

Deposit scheme for workers overseas approved by BSP

THE CENTRAL bank has authorized state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines to offer up to P5 billion ($120 million) worth of high-yielding long-term deposits to Filipinos working abroad.

The scheme seeks to encourage overseas workers to save and help them hedge against the dollar’s further decline, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. said yesterday.

The government also hopes that the scheme will attract funds that are otherwise sent home with the help of relatives and friends rather than through official channels.

Under the scheme approved by the Monetary Board last week, the peso-denominated deposits, called long-term negotiable certificates of time deposits, will be offered in denominations of P20,000 in five-and-a-half and 10-year tenors starting this month.

The time deposit certificates will be issued here, but the marketing and awareness campaigns will be made in countries with a high concentration of Filipino migrants.

According to the central bank, Filipinos overseas sent home $14.45 billion in 2007 and the amount is expected to rise to $15.7 billion this year. But much of the money has been spent on personal consumption.

The World Bank earlier said the Philippines was among the world’s top five remittance recipients last year.

In many developing countries, dollar remittances provide a lifeline for the poor, an essential source of foreign exchange and a stabilizing force for the economy during ecnomic crises.

Under the Landbank offering, Filipinos working or living abroad may opt for zero coupon where they can get their interest income in lump sum at the end of the 10th year; or the annuity bond, where investors will get the interest income after five years, on a staggered basis.

The deposits will be covered by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. up to 250,000 pesos per depositor and would be exempt from withholding tax if held to maturity.

The deposits will carry an indicative yield of 6.25% for the five-and-a-half-year term, and 6.88% if held for 10 years. The final interest rates, however, will depend on the prevailing market rates at the time of issuance. — Gerard S. dela Peña with Reuters

US firm accused of holding back wages of Filipinos

Agence France-Presse
03/26/2008

NEW YORK--A US medical staffing firm has been charged with violating a foreign labor program after it allegedly owed almost three million dollars back wages to its Filipino workers, the labor department said Tuesday.

The New York-based Advanced Professional Marketing Inc. (APMI) and its president, Marissa Beck, were charged by the department with violating provisions of an immigration law that authorized employers to bring non-immigrant workers into the United States under the H-1B program.

An investigation found that 156 H-1B guest workers from the Philippines, employed by the company primarily as physical therapists in hospitals and other medical facilities in the New York metropolitan area, were owed almost three million dollars in back wages, the department said in a statement.

The department sent a "determination letter" enumerating the results of the probe on March 11, assessing penalties totaling $512,000 for the alleged violations by the company.

It also directed the company and Beck to return the owed wages to the workers.

The duo could request a hearing on the issue before a US Labor Department administrative law judge within 15 days, the statement said.

The H-1B program permits employers to temporarily hire foreign workers for jobs in the United States in professional occupations such as computer programmers, engineers, physicians and teachers.

H-1B workers must be paid at least the same wage rates as are paid to US workers who perform the same types of work or the prevailing wages in the areas of intended employment.

Middle East OFWs set 'no remittance' day on April 5
03/27/2008 | 10:22 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Middle East chapters and affiliates of Migrante International have scheduled April 5 as next month’s “No Remittance Day" as a form of continuing protests over the Arroyo administration’s stay in power.

This would be the second No Remittance Day called by Migrante in the Middle East since March 8, coinciding with the observance of International Women’s Day.

Migrante’s chapter and affiliates in Hong Kong set April 6 as No Remittance Day in the former British colony. Progressive Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong first had its No Remittance Day on March 2, the first Sunday of the month when most OFWs used to send money to their families in the Philippines.

Next month, the No Remittance Day in Hong Kong was set for April 6, also the first Sunday of the month.

The No Remittance campaign, according to Migrante Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona, is “a milestone of the collective act of OFWs’ civil disobedience until Mrs. Arroyo and her minions in Malacanang are compelled to step down or be removed by the Filipino people from office."

Monterona said more OFWs have committed to observe the “No Remittance" campaign as they complain about the Arroyo administration’s continuing neglect and disservice to OFWs.

“Our continued and unrelenting advocacy for the protection and advancement of migrant rights and welfare is paving the way for the realization of our fellow OFWs and families to collectively act and be organized against the most corrupt and most anti-OFW Arroyo administration," Monterona said. – GMANews

OFW money fails to bridge income inequality

INQUIRER.net (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/mindfeeds/mindfeeds/view_article.php?article_id=126969)
First Posted 12:50pm (Mla time) 03/28/2008

MAKATI CITY – EXTREME reliance on money from Filipinos overseas hasn’t helped the country get out of the poverty rut and may even hobble the poor’s income capability, says an economist.

Using government’s triennial Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES), University of the Philippines economist Ernesto Pernia said in a research that remittances from overseas Filipino workers may even be contributing to the persistence of high inequality in the country.

The 2003 and 2006 datasets of the FIES saw the total measure of inequality of wealth called ‘Gini coefficient’ hardly changing: 0.4605 Gini coefficient in 2003 and 0.4580 in 2006.

As overseas employment and permanent settlement continue to persist, Pernia said remittances “could result to a further worsening of income inequality…”

“Such inequality tends to dampen the poverty reduction effect of remittances—FIES reveals that poverty incidence rose to 32.9 percent in 2006 from 30 percent in 2003.” The poverty incidence figure reflects that percentage of the population that is considered poor.

The recently-released 2006 FIES showed there were 27.6 million poor Filipinos, some 3.6 million more than the survey’s last conduct in 2003. This means the number of Filipinos who said they were poor increased to 700,000 or a total of 4.7 million poor families in 2006.

In a press conference early March, socio-economic planning secretary Augusto Santos declined to link remittances and income gap between the “haves” and have-nots.” He said he wants to the 2009 FIES done first before citing effects of remittances to poverty and inequality.

But Pernia, using data on the FIES covering the years 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003, noted that while remittances expanded household incomes, the gain is smaller for the lower quintile groups (21.5 percent) compared to the upper quintile group (46.3 percent).

“Despite their beneficial effects, remittances cannot be relied on as a principal instrument for reducing poverty or fostering the country’s long-run development,” he said in his paper titled “Migration, Remittances, Poverty, and Inequality.”

Full story (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/mindfeeds/mindfeeds/view_article.php?article_id=126969)

^^^^

:ohno: The guy Pernia is pernicious...
I know what the article is driving at, but read from another angle, it could be misleading.

I fail to appreciate the title “OFW MONEY FAILS TO BRIDGE INCOME INEQUALITY”. Or why the economist is even doing what he is doing. In the first place, OFW money does make a huge difference in alleviating the incomes of OFW FAMILIES. How on earth did people start correlating OFW money with saving EVERYBODY else in the country? Ask any OFW you know and the uniform answer would be, we are doing this for our families, period. Why is there a sinister slant that “we MAY BE EVEN contributing to the persistence of a high inequality in the country”?

From the very onset of the OFW phenomena, we were never there to REPLACE government as the SOLE provider of the needs of the poor and underprivileged. That responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of GOVERNMENT, not us, the civilian OFW’s. Lest any one forget, we are not public officials.

Where did this idea of us being the miracle cure for everything come from? An irresponsible GOVERNMENT, where else. Government wants to shirk itself of its basic responsibilities to the poor and the economy and shift the ONUS/ BURDEN from itself toward us. The Filipino OFW has already done his/ her patriotic fair share in helping the economy; NOW WE WANT TO SEE WHAT GOVERNMENT HAS TO OFFER IN RETURN!! What, indeed???

:doh:

Filipinos, Asians growing groups in New Zealand (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080402-127890/Filipinos-Asians-growing-groups-in-New-Zealand--officials)

New Zealand's ethnic Asian population is expected to grow faster than any other group, almost doubling in the next 20 years, government officials said Wednesday.

Government statistician Geoff Bascand said the country's Asian population, among them Filipinos, was expected to grow 3.4 percent a year, rising from about 400,000 in 2006 to 790,000 by 2026.

Asians will make up an estimated 16 percent of the New Zealand population by 2026, up from 10 percent in 2006.

"The relatively rapid growth of the Asian population is mainly driven by migration, with a net inflow of about 240,000 migrants assumed over the 20-year projection period," Bascand said.

Among other major ethnic groups, the European population was projected to grow at an annual rate of 0.3 percent from 3.21 million to 3.43 million in the same period.

Maori numbers were expected to grow by 1.4 percent a year to 820,000 and Pacific islanders by 2.4 percent annually to 480,000.

The 2006 census showed 148,000 ethnic Chinese made up the biggest nationality amongst Asian ethnic groups, followed by 105,000 Indians.

The other significant groups were Koreans, Filipinos, Japanese, Sri Lankans, and Cambodians, Statistics New Zealand said.

The number of Asians has been growing rapidly in New Zealand, rising 50 percent in the five years to 2006.

about the woman in kuwait, do you guys really think that she's innocent?

IMO, if indeed she was guilty of the crime charged against her, then she might as well face the consequences...

^^

From what I have heard in the news, she admitted the crime

We appreciate how Filipinos go abroad to find better opportunities, etc. The only problem is if the country or city they will go will accept them or will treat them fairly.

Take Macao for example. Filipinos are becoming the largest minority population there just like HK. Thousands of them come to Macao to look for better jobs, etc. Unfortunately, The SAR government and most business owners give first priority to Macanese citizens rather than those coming from overseas. With this, thousands of Filipinos are left jobless.

DFA: 42 Filipinos living under Saudi bridge home soon

By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:47:00 04/06/2008

Close this MANILA, Philippines—Forty-two overseas Filipino workers who have been living for months under a bridge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will finally be back home this week, Vice President Noli de Castro said on Saturday.

They are among 237 Filipinos who have been camped out for months under the Al Khandara Bridge with other runaway foreign workers, turning the area into a “tent city.”

De Castro, who is also presidential adviser on OFWs, said the 42 workers had been cleared by Saudi authorities for deportation and would arrive in Manila on April 10.

The other Filipinos, he said, were being assisted by the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah in getting their deportation clearances. They were either overstaying workers or runaways, he added.

According to Foreign Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos, the bridge fiasco apparently started with text messages saying that OFWs who wanted to return to the Philippines immediately should go to Jeddah and wait at the Al Khandara Bridge for a bus that would pick them up.

Hundreds of disgruntled overseas workers from all over Saudi Arabia showed up.

According to Conejos, a bus did arrive but most of the Filipinos did not have the proper papers and were not allowed to get on. Apparently, the deportation bus only applied to those who had overstayed, pilgrimage visas, Conejos said.

Some of the Filipinos complained they were duped by fixers who took their money, promising fast processing at the Jeddah deportation center.

Among those stranded were 91 Filipino pilgrims who were immediately repatriated, Conejos said.

On Jan. 25, 38 Filipino women and children who were camped under the bridge returned home.

Visible minorities increasing in Canada (http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/News/390699.html)

When Clarizze Truscott first moved to Fort Saskatchewan in 1992, she was one of six Filipino residents in town. Now, she estimates there are hundreds of Filipinos in the Fort and surrounding areas.

“(The Filipino population) has definitely grown quite a bit since I moved here,” said Truscott, who owns and operates Inglis Avenue Bed and Breakfast with her husband David.

In fact, Filipinos have grown to become the fourth-largest visible minority group in Canada. According to recent figures from the 2006 census, Filipinos represent 8.1 per cent of visible minorities in Canada.

The number of visible minorities in Canada overall has increased significantly over the last 25 years. In 1981, there were an estimated 1.1 million visible minorities, which was 4.7 per cent of the total population in Canada. In 2006, that number jumped to an estimated 5.1 million making up 16.2 per cent of the total population in Canada.

The largest three visible minorities in 2006 are South Asians (1.3 million individuals), Chinese (1.2 million individuals) and Black (784,000 individuals).

Statistics Canada attributes the large population of visible minorities to the increasing number of recent immigrants, particularly from non-European countries.

Truscott said she doesn’t find these statistics surprising.

“I’m an immigrant myself and I understand why they come here,” she said. “They are here for better opportunities.”

Truscott and her brother immigrated to Canada from their hometown of Manila in 1991, sponsored by their mother who had been working in Cardston, Alta., as a live-in caregiver.

Soon after, Truscott met her husband David who had worked with her step-father at the Wetaskiwin Times. The two quickly fell in love and were married in 1993.

Armed with a business management degree from Manila, Truscott said she hoped to find a job in Fort Saskatchewan, where she thought opportunities would abound. However, she was unable to find a company that would recognize her degree.

“That’s a very common problem for immigrants coming here,” Truscott said. “And that hasn’t changed, really.”

Truscott said she had always wanted to run her own business, so she and her husband opened a bed and breakfast in 1993, the same year they were married.

“I gave myself a job because nobody else would give me work,” she said.

Truscott said many Filipinos immigrated to Canada in the early 90s as part of the live-in caretaker program. And in the last three years, many more immigrated as temporary foreign workers responding to Alberta’s labour shortage.

Many of them had to leave their families behind in the Philippines to work in Canada. To make them feel welcome, members of the Filipino community in the Fort gather together regularly for social events, Truscott said.

That’s how the “unofficial Filipino choir of Fort Saskatchewan” was born, she added. Starting as a group of about 25 to 30 Filipinos who love to sing, they started performing at various functions around town. Soon they were performing on a float at the annual Santa Claus Parade.

“I don’t know how it happened. It’s just a social group,” Truscott laughed. “If you know Filipinos, they love their karaoke. We love to sing and dance. I don’t know why, but it’s a part of our culture.”

Truscott’s 12-year-old son, Martin, is familiar with Filipino traditions, but he doesn’t speak the Filipino language Tagalog.

“We bring him to parties – he is aware of the culture and language, but he doesn’t speak it. But maybe down the road he will,” she said.

Although Truscott has lived in Canada for 16 years, she still remembers her experiences as a new immigrant and feels for those starting a new life in a foreign country.

“It’s very difficult to come here,” she said. “Many immigrants are highly educated… but it’s a lot of money. Some have to sell their homes, sell their cars, sell their cattle to get here.”

“There’s a lot that is sacrificed to come here just for the opportunities.”

Stay and help RP, Nobel laureate advises Filipino profession (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080407-128857/Stay-and-help-RP-Nobel-laureate-advises-Filipino-profession)

A Nobel laureate has urged educated Filipinos to shun overseas jobs and stay in the Philippines where their services are needed more.

Professor Aaron Ciechanover, one of the winners of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, said serving one’s country by staying home and empowering others was one of the best ways to boost the Philippine economy and improve the quality of life of Filipinos.

Ciechanover, a chemistry professor in his native Israel, noted that one of the sad facets of the Philippine economy was that educated Filipinos tended to leave the country to serve foreigners at their country’s expense.

“People can make an impact in their own countries, why do they have to serve Americans, Europeans or Middle Easterners? The Philippines is the biggest exporter of manpower in the world. We are educating nurses and [then we] send them away? Nobody stays here anymore,” Ciechanover told the Inquirer on Saturday.

Ciechanover toured Baguio schools and delivered lectures as part of his Northern Luzon visit.

The International Peace Foundation (IPF) brought Ciechanover to the Philippines under its “Bridges” program which aims at building bridges, through Nobel laureates, to link up with universities and other institutions in Southeast Asia. It wants to establish long-term relationships that may result in common research programs and other forms of collaboration.

Ciechanover, a member of the faculty of medicine of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, shared the 2004 Nobel Prize with professors Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose.

Ciechanover said he understood the economic needs of professionals who pursue careers abroad, but he said the basic sectors in the Philippines, such as in health care, needed the services of their countrymen.

“Money is a legitimate driving force… but on one hand, it is alarming that there are many Filipinos who study nursing and do not stay here,” he said.

He said one of the best investments the government could focus on was education, especially on science and technology, to improve the country’s economy and Filipinos’ lives.

In an earlier press forum, Delfina Camarillo, Cordillera director of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), said even threats and the weakening of the US dollar would not stop many Filipinos from leaving the country.

“Filipinos still insist on leaving and working abroad, even in war-torn countries where [the government had imposed] a ban [on the entry of Filipino workers],” said Camarillo. “We always hear from them that they would rather eat bullets than die of starvation in our country.”

“The weakening of the dollar is not affecting the number of Filipinos who want to work abroad. You cannot stop the deployment because employment in our country is still a problem,” he said.

I agree with Ciechanover. And the fact that Filipinos are willing to work in war-torn countries, say Iraq is already extreme. I heard that it is forbidden to a Filipino citizen to travel to Iraq but there are some who take the risk.

Another thing, the media is partly responsible in the exodus of educated Filipinos. I see alot of advertisements, show, etc that encourages Filipinos to study and end up working abroad.

Skills fail to find right job (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4472521a6530.html)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/images/715031.jpg
FRUSTRATED: Ron Laforpeza, front, is working as a caregiver despite being trained as a doctor.
Flatmate Romeo Padiernos, back left, is a secondary school teacher working as a caregiver,
his wife and doctor Mary Ann Padiernos works as a nurse.

Filipino doctor Ron Laforpeza came to New Zealand for a better life, but is struggling to have his qualifications recognised.

He is one of a group of foreign-trained professionals working well below their skill level because of difficulties finding employment in New Zealand, new research shows.

Laforpeza studied medicine for 10 years in the Philippines. The 28-year-old has three years experience as a GP and is a registered medical laboratory technician in New Zealand. After studying in English since he was a child, he speaks the language effortlessly.

He came to Christchurch six months ago and, after applying for several jobs as a medical laboratory technician without success, has taken a job as a caregiver.

The exams he needs to pass to work as a doctor here cost about $4000, a sum he cannot afford.

"I was really amazed, because it's been in the news that New Zealand needs a lot of doctors. There are a lot of doctors here working as caregivers and cleaners."

Laforpeza said he could understand a New Zealander would get a job before him, but he felt the Government could do more to help qualified migrants into the workforce.

"I can see it's your country, but if you're talking about skills and qualifications, we (Filipinos) are very competitive."

Laforpeza's flatmate, Mary Ann Padiernos, is also a trained doctor from the Philippines, but is working as a nurse in Christchurch.

She had hoped to eventually find work as a doctor, but was told she would have to travel to Australia or the United States to sit an exam.

"We were very surprised, because we thought we could do it here. It didn't turn out as expected, but I'm still thankful I can work and have been given a chance," she said.

A New Zealand Medical Council spokesman said doctors qualified outside New Zealand and Australia needed to pass the council's medical registration exam if they did not satisfy criteria for other registration.

To be eligible to sit the exam, doctors needed a medical degree listed in the WHO Directory of Medical Schools or a directory of the Philadelphia-based Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

They must also have an overall score of at least 7.5 in the International English Language Testing System and a satisfactory result in the United States Medical Licensing Examination or Australian Medical Council multiple-choice question exam, the spokesman said.

Recent Massey University research showed educated immigrants struggled to find professional jobs.

^^ I agree with that University research that educated immigrants struggled to find professional jobs. But some Pinoys made it here although the unsuccessful outnumbered them, most are still trying hard to find a better job.
I met a newly arrived doctor from the Philippines last sunday he and his wife are working as caregiver now but are looking for ways to take his professional exam and his wife is continuing her post graduate studies. Much of luck to them.

That's pretty much what is going on there in the Philippines. Their parents and partly the advertisements and the government lure the students to take a certain degree in hopes for a job overseas. I guess that is now becoming the comon mentality among most filipinos. They study hard and follow their parent's footsteps to work overseas if not, just like the majority, to experience the great american dream , so now, we have all students wanted to go into nursing schools. It's not necessarily a bad thing but somehow, the filipinos and the Philippines has to pay for the price for it.

When I see it there are two big options for alot of Filipino youths. Either they work abroad or work in a call centre or any BPO industry.

It's hard tsinoy. The filipino doctors I knew here where I am at came to the states after finishing their medical degree, they were from FEU and UST, one is from UP all of them came over and started their medical residency as if they would be doing it back then in the Philippines, after their residency, they can take the US licensure which they all passed and took their specialization, some of them just went to family practice but most of them became an oncology, internal medicine and one as a surgeon.

If you came from the Philippines and has already finished your residency, alot of times, it is hard for them to take the US Medical because they have to go through all the requirements. Somehow I see why each country would lay down a strict rule because first of all, the foreign trained doctors needs to learn alot of the comon ilnesses especifically plaguing a certain race in that country, it's something that usually isn't trained in the Philippines. I don't think no country yet would allow a foreign doctors to practice medicine that easy. Basically, it's for liability purposes. I'm sure it's very rare that a foreign doctor is allowed to perform his practice in the Philippines as well without being scrutinized and underwent training in the Philippines first.

.... I heard that it is forbidden to a Filipino citizen to travel to Iraq but there are some who take the risk.

Another thing, the media is partly responsible in the exodus of educated Filipinos. I see alot of advertisements, show, etc that encourages Filipinos to study and end up working abroad.

Yup, that's true. On page 1 of my best friend's passport, it's clearly stamped in both English & Arabic... "Not Valid for Travel to Iraq".

It's ok to work overseas. If u & I are able to do so, thence I think younger Filipinos should also be given every chance to follow their dreams.

I know, my friend's sister in law had a hard time getting her license here. She is now with OSHU and in surgery. She would tell her story with some tears in her eyes on how she was able to accomplish that.

About those liability issues... pamatay ang medical insurance ng mga doktor dito... kaya mahal sila sumingil.
:lol:

When I see it there are two big options for alot of Filipino youths. Either they work abroad or work in a call centre or any BPO industry.

Yup, that's true. On page 1 of my best friend's passport, it's clearly stamped in both English & Arabic... "Not Valid for Travel to Iraq".

It's ok to work overseas. If u & I are able to do so, thence I think younger Filipinos should also be given every chance to follow their dreams.


You'd be surprised on how many Pinoys that I met in Iraq that work there in spite of their travel restrictions. Although some were hired by American agencies in food services and for personal security, they would rather bite on the good salary pay than take a lower paying job somewhere else.

Yup, that's true. On page 1 of my best friend's passport, it's clearly stamped in both English & Arabic... "Not Valid for Travel to Iraq".

It's ok to work overseas. If u & I are able to do so, thence I think younger Filipinos should also be given every chance to follow their dreams.

I don't find it a problem at all but what's happening is, the number of Filipinos especially professional ones emigrating is very high. And the result is a massive brain drain.

Plus there's the mentality that the Filipino working overseas is considered a hero.

Yup, that's true. On page 1 of my best friend's passport, it's clearly stamped in both English & Arabic... "Not Valid for Travel to Iraq".

It's ok to work overseas. If u & I are able to do so, thence I think younger Filipinos should also be given every chance to follow their dreams.

I don't find it a problem at all but what's happening is, the number of Filipinos especially professional ones emigrating is very high. And the result is a massive brain drain.

Plus there's the mentality that the Filipino working overseas is considered a hero.

You'd be surprised on how may Pinoys that I met in Iraq that work there in spite of their travel restrictions. Although some were hired by American agencies in food services and for personal security, they would rather bite on the good salary pay than take a lower paying job somewhere else.

If that's the case, imposing travel restrictions on Filipinos is useless :(

if you have talked to these ofws i think you could only hear one truth, that they rather gamble their lives and die with money than wait and starve in the philippines with their meager incomes. a tanker seaman once told me that when i asked him why he choose his job, at least, he said, if he die in accidents he has millions of insurance fo his family anyway he said everyone will ultimately die then i'll die with money:lol:

It's just sad that i know a lot of people who also are willing and would like to stay in the philippines but the problem is their salary or maybe their income in their business is not even enough to provide their familie's basic needs thus a need to go out. I don't even know how can an ordinary person afford a decent house by just working in the philippines.

I don't find it a problem at all but what's happening is, the number of Filipinos especially professional ones emigrating is very high. And the result is a massive brain drain.

Plus there's the mentality that the Filipino working overseas is considered a hero.

In a way, the remittance of the OFWs is the driving force of the present economy. They send in liquid assets that a lot of establishments will benefit from right away. Pag dating pa lang ng $100 or more na padala ng isang OFW to their families, gumugulong na ang mga negosyo na dinadaanan niyan, including the kotongs of our kababayan na politicians. :D

If that's the case, imposing travel restrictions on Filipinos is useless :(

Kelan naman sumunod ang mga Pinoy sa restriction-restrictions na yan? :lol:
If given any opportunity for a better life, Pinoys and other third country nationals would take the risk.

You'd be surprised on how many Pinoys that I met in Iraq that work there in spite of their travel restrictions. Although some were hired by American agencies in food services and for personal security, they would rather bite on the good salary pay than take a lower paying job somewhere else.

Filipinos will violate their passport restrictions and go to Iraq just to bite the bullet -- for the sake of the families.

I was in Kuwait last summer for a project & we stayed at the Crown Plaza Kuwait. Puchang hotel yan pinapaligiran ng concrete slabs mga 1-2 feet thick ata!! Dami kasing Kano dun na di na tinatanong kun ano sila. Understood na. At sino pang nakikita ko e di majority of the staff were Filipinos and they lived in houses outside the hotel complex. Usually daw yung mga pinoy na tag along sa mga Kano yun na yun. Biglang mawawala and then andyan ulit sa hotel. Wala namang nagsusuot ng uniform, puro in civvies but iba pa rin ang kilos at dating nila e.

I don't find it a problem at all but what's happening is, the number of Filipinos especially professional ones emigrating is very high. And the result is a massive brain drain.

Plus there's the mentality that the Filipino working overseas is considered a hero.

I’m surprised to hear you say that, since you are one yourself.
Alright, let’s say for instance you & I and every one of the millions of OFWs/ OCWs returned en masse to the Philippines. Then what? Back to the same old structures, same environments, same low pay? The skills that we have now are not enough to turn the Philippines into Paradise. The work environment in the Philippines has to change a lot to compete with the outside world, too. Our skills will only stagnate and remain underpaid in a Philippine setting. The only result is the Philippines will have all its people in one country BUT the whole policital-economic system will suffocate us all.

Filipinos will violate their passport restrictions and go to Iraq just to bite the bullet -- for the sake of the families.

I was in Kuwait last summer for a project & we stayed at the Crown Plaza Kuwait. Puchang hotel yan pinapaligiran ng concrete slabs mga 1-2 feet thick ata!! Dami kasing Kano dun na di na tinatanong kun ano sila. Understood na. At sino pang nakikita ko e di majority of the staff were Filipinos and they lived in houses outside the hotel complex. Usually daw yung mga pinoy na tag along sa mga Kano yun na yun. Biglang mawawala and then andyan ulit sa hotel. Wala namang nagsusuot ng uniform, puro in civvies but iba pa rin ang kilos at dating nila e.

Duon naman sa Kuwait karamihan nag-ha-hire ng mga Pinoys to Iraq. Yung mga nakita ko nga na mga member ng Blackwater parang mga ex-PNP, astig sila pumorma, pati kami sinita. :lol:

I’m surprised to hear you say that, since you are one yourself.
Alright, let’s say for instance you & I and every one of the millions of OFWs/ OCWs returned en masse to the Philippines. Then what? Back to the same old structures, same environments, same low pay? The skills that we have now are not enough to turn the Philippines into Paradise. The work environment in the Philippines has to change a lot to compete with the outside world, too. Our skills will only stagnate and remain underpaid in a Philippine setting. The only result is the Philippines will have all its people in one country BUT the whole policital-economic system will suffocate us all.

No I don't consider myself an OFW. I was born and raised in HK. I was born a British citizen but I gave up my BNO passport for an SAR one. OFWs to me are those who are from the Philippines that means they are born and raised there and have decided to go abroad to seek better pastures. And they are usually under contract with the companies they are supposed to work with. There's a big difference between my status and them.

HK is my home not The Philippines but since I have Filipino in me I pay attention to what is going on there.

And I don't work for a company at all.

But the idea for Filipinos to work abroad is already part of history. Just like your national hero Jose Rizal when he practiced medicine in HK back in the days.

No I don't consider myself an OFW. I was born and raised in HK. I was born a British citizen but I gave up my BNO passport for an SAR one. OFWs to me are those who are from the Philippines that means they are born and raised there and have decided to go abroad to seek better pastures. And they are usually under contract with the companies they are supposed to work with. There's a big difference between my status and them.

HK is my home not The Philippines but since I have Filipino in me I pay attention to what is going on there.

And I don't work for a company at all.

But the idea for Filipinos to work abroad is already part of history. Just like your national hero Jose Rizal when he practiced medicine in HK back in the days.

Tsk. Tsk. My national hero Rizal, but of course he is, but what of it? Any one who claims to be interested in Filipino affairs would’ve realized by now that Rizal is National Hero to all shades of Filipinos. Long before Rizal worked in Hongkong, thousands of Chinese already immigrated to the Philippines for work. :)

The concept of the Diaspora and working overseas is not originally from us Filipinos. After all, we only copied it from the originators of the word “Diaspora” – the Jews as they were dispersed around the world. Of course, the millions of overseas Chinese also preceded us in this game. Esp. the ones from Hongkong, Amoy (Xiamen) where my great grandpa came from & the South China coast of Fujian. If the overseas Jews and the overseas Chinese were able to make a difference in their respective countries I surmise the same can be said of overseas Filipinos. :)

Interesting, we have 3 co-workers here from the former Brit colony of Seychelles and not one of them had given up their British issued passports in favour of the local one.

If you’re not from the working class, thence it must be either your parents are extremely rich or that you’re still in college. Be that as it may, I still opine strongly that the Filipino OCW/OFW is a new breed of hero. We dared to transcend beyond our comfort zones and thrived in strange lands without any support system like back home. We matched our skills with foreigners and found that we are at par w/ them & w/ world standards. :)

The OCW/OFW phenomena is merely the twin of this other half – ‘tis called the immigrant Filipino to Western Europe, Australia, NZ & North America.

But Ciechanover also said that government has to do its part in upgrading the economy and people’s lives before it can even begin putting all the burden on its overseas nationals. :)

Tsk. Tsk. My national hero Rizal, but of course he is, but what of it? Any one who claims to be interested in Filipino affairs would’ve realized by now that Rizal is National Hero to all shades of Filipinos. Long before Rizal worked in Hongkong, thousands of Chinese already immigrated to the Philippines for work. :)

The concept of the Diaspora and working overseas is not originally from us Filipinos. After all, we only copied it from the originators of the word “Diaspora” – the Jews as they were dispersed around the world. Of course, the millions of overseas Chinese also preceded us in this game. Esp. the ones from Hongkong, Amoy (Xiamen) where my great grandpa came from & the South China coast of Fujian. If the overseas Jews and the overseas Chinese were able to make a difference in their respective countries I surmise the same can be said of overseas Filipinos. :)

Interesting, we have 3 co-workers here from the former Brit colony of Seychelles and not one of them had given up their British issued passports in favour of the local one.

If you’re not from the working class, thence it must be either your parents are extremely rich or that you’re still in college. Be that as it may, I still opine strongly that the Filipino OCW/OFW is a new breed of hero. We dared to transcend beyond our comfort zones and thrived in strange lands without any support system like back home. We matched our skills with foreigners and found that we are at par w/ them & w/ world standards. :)

The OCW/OFW phenomena is merely the twin of this other half – ‘tis called the immigrant Filipino to Western Europe, Australia, NZ & North America.

But Ciechanover also said that government has to do its part in upgrading the economy and people’s lives before it can even begin putting all the burden on its overseas nationals. :)

We're only middle class :) Anyway, the reason why my parents ended up in HK is because the company where my dad worked assigned him there. My mum was able to work with the same company she used to work with in Malaysia. And since they have lived and worked here for more than 7 years, both were granted the right of abode status that means they can live and work in HK for the rest of their lives.

Anyway, I don't have any problems with Filipinos working abroad but I'm impressed with those who decided to stay in The Philippines and have contributed themselves and their skills in their own country.

I mean The Philippines isn't a bad country at all. Manila is as modern as it gets.

BTW off topic but HK did experienced its "brain drain" problem once that was the few years before 97. Alot of HKers were uncertain with the territory's future with China so alot of them emmigrated out. But nothing change. HK is still capitalist :)

Filipino Dies in Deportation Cell
Ghazanfar Ali Khan & Gloria Esguerra Melencio, Arab News

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=109049&d=17&m=4&y=2008&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom

RIYADH/MANILA, 17 April 2008 — Philippine Consul General Ezzedin Tago confirmed yesterday that a Filipino worker died inside a crowded deportation cell in Jeddah on April 6.

The man reportedly posed as a pilgrim who had lost his identification and turned himself in to expedite his deportation.

Arman Navarro, a Filipino who was deported to Manila this week, identified the fatality as Ryan Castillo, a 30-year-old from Batangas City. The cause of death is unconfirmed, but Navarro claims Castillo contracted a disease inside the prison cell where he was brought by the Saudi immigration authorities and later succumbed to a heart attack.

“The death of the OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) indeed raises many questions,” said a statement from Connie Bragas-Regalado, the head of Migrante International, a Manila-based human rights group that advocates for Filipinos working in the Gulf. “If it’s true that he was already ill before being imprisoned, he should have been brought to a hospital and not a deportation center. His death and testimonies by the other OFWs also belie claims by Manila’s mission posts that they are closely monitoring the situation of the OFWs imprisoned and providing them necessary medicines and other items.”

Migrante International, which has a branch in Riyadh, claims that about 300 inmates of different nationalities are cramped inside a 40-foot by 40-foot cell. During the day, the detainees endure hot temperatures and sleep on cold cement floors at night, the report said.

Last Wednesday, acting Labor Secretary of the Philippines Marinito Roque announced that 62 Filipino workers stranded in various regions in Saudi Arabia were repatriated on April 15.

Tago said yesterday that the Philippine Consulate had not endorsed the man who died. Endorsement by the Philippine government is required for Filipinos before they can be held for deportation. This process is aimed at weeding out criminals seeking an easy way to flee the country incognito, as well as workers who walked away from their jobs and want to avoid the more complicated process of seeking clearance from their employers on a final-exit visa.

Migrante International chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado in the report also blamed Philippine Embassy officials for neglecting the welfare of the stranded Filipinos.

Some 200 stranded OFWs were reported earlier to have been rounded up by Saudi authorities while camped under the Kandara Bridge in Jeddah. These OFWs converged there hoping to be sent back home immediately.

Most of the stranded OFWs are runaways, have no work visa, or had a spat with their employers due to contract substitution or unpaid salaries.

Tago reiterated his warning to OFWs in Saudi Arabia not to pose as religious pilgrims that have lost identification papers in order to facilitate a quick exit out of the country.

Teen girls tell of being trafficked, beaten up in Jordan

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:59:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- They should be in school.

Instead, they left their homes to work overseas only to endure beatings and missed meals in strangers’ homes.

Passed on as 24-year-olds by "escorts" when they left Manila between last year and this January, six teenaged girls who worked as househelp in Jordan shared their stories on Monday after coming home from months of staying in a cramped Filipino shelter.

As similar as their reasons for leaving, the girls, aged 13 to 17 when they left the country, suffered similar experiences.

"They would slap me, hit me on the head, kick me," said one of the six, who were repatriated on Sunday and Monday afternoon.

"Sometimes they would deny me food," said the 13-year-old, the eldest in a brood of four who decided to find a job abroad to help her jobless parents raise their family.

All unknowing victims of human trafficking through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the teenagers returned home with two other female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through what Senate President Manuel Villar called his long-time "personal crusade" to help distressed migrant workers fleeing abusive employers.

One of the repatriated workers, 29-year-old Jeanelyn Martinez of Bacolod City, brought along her Jordan-born two-year-old son.

"I have long been seeing cases like these in my travels, though I have been doing it privately. But I decided to let the public know so that our government will see the situation. They're too young, how come they were able to pass through the airport? They were illegally recruited and there are many cases like this," Villar told reporters at the airport Monday afternoon.

"And this happens not just in Jordan but in all countries where many Filipinos are employed. If you put them all together, there will be thousands of these cases," said the senator, who encountered the teenagers on a recent visit to Jordan.

Full story here (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080421-131813/Teen-girls-tell-of-being-trafficked-beaten-up-in-Jordan)

U.S. Military Opens 20,000 Jobs For Filipinos In Guam (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010731960)

The U.S. military in Guam has opened up some 20,000 jobs for Filipinos in its Pacific island territory in a span of four years as part of its expansion in the region.

Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc., president Victor Fernandez said the U.S. military has allocated at least $13 billion to construct various facilities and housing for American military personnel in Guam.

The expansion would accommodate the thousands of American military personnel who will be transferring to Guam from Okinawa Japan. There were at least 33,453 U.S. military personnel in Japan and 5,500 civilians.

The Pentagon has recently decided to relocates its military facilities from Japan to its island territory in Japan as part of the streamlining of its organization.

According to Fernandez, he would ask the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to enforce a no-placement policy for the 20,000 Filipinos expected to work in Guam.

Already, Fernandez said he met with Guam's labor officials, labor and trade unions, placement offices and local Filipino recruitment firms.

6 Filipinos detained in Kuwait for leading protest (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=200804245)

Thursday, April 24, 2008 09:00 AM

Six Filipino truck drivers working in Kuwait were reportedly arrested last Saturday by the Kuwaiti police and were detained at the Mina Abdullah Police Station for allegedly leading a protest last Friday.

The protest action reportedly triggered a commotion that damaged a police car.

Online website the Arab Times identified the six as Jonathan Abad, Mario Mesinas, Joel Buenaventura, Jolito Bawaan, Jose Bugnot and Eduardo Barali.

The report said that about 400 workers mostly truck drivers of various nationalities including Filipinos, Indians, Egyptians, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Pakistanis staged the protest action to demand a salary increase. The workers earn around KD 100-110 and they want an increase of KD 250 as well as their trip allowance due to the rising prices.

The truck drivers also asked for hazard pay for assignments in Iraq as well as food allowance.

Philippine Labour Attache Leopoldo De Jesus has already met with about 30 Filipino workers last Saturday to discuss the issue. --Alexa Villano

7 OFWs repatriated from UAE
(http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008042429)
Thursday, April 24, 2008 05:44 PM

A second batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were stranded in the United Arab Emirates were flown back to the country today.

A radio report said that the seven OFWs arrived this afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Senate President Manny Villar reportedly shouldered their plane tickets.

The seven women were identified as Lea Malunes, 27, of Camarines Sur; Salama Bakal, 28, of Cotabato City; Bernadette Romero, 38, of Cavite; Luciana Lunar, 44, of Batangas; Fennie Tiletile, 48, of Tagum City; Mesa Palares; and Loyda Adlawa.

Last Monday, nine standed Filipino workers, some of them minors arrived in the country after allegedly enduring abusive treatment from their employers for almost a year.

The workers were also given financial assistance by the Senate President. -- Alexa Villano

Let us pray for the soul of Nestor Suplico, a Filipino taxi driver in New York, USA, who was called "the most honest taxi driver in New York".

We are proud of him!!!

May his soul rest in peace!!!


Honest cabbie dies of cancer in Iloilo

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:22:00 04/26/2008


ILOILO CITY – An Ilonggo who worked as taxi driver in New York and was recognized four years ago for returning $70,000 worth of black pearls left in his cab died here on Thursday from stomach cancer.

Nestor Sulpico, who was called “New York’s most honest taxi driver,” died at 51 years of age without fulfilling all his dreams. But to his family and those who knew him, Sulpico was a hero.

Sulpico drew international praise four years ago after he returned $70,000 worth of black pearls that a passenger left in the cab he was driving in New York City.

His mother Elena said Sulpico, who died at his home in Jaro District, Iloilo City was diagnosed with stomach cancer shortly after he returned home from New York in December last year.

“He was complaining of continuous stomach pains,” Elena told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

His 20-year-old daughter Angel by his estranged wife found him dead in their room Thursday morning.

Sulpico’s mother said Sulpico was preparing to return to New York to finish a nursing course.

“He had two subjects left and he had wanted to be a nurse so that he could bring Angel with him to the US,” said Elena.

Sulpico came to the US in 1990. He drove a taxi up to 16 hours daily to earn a living in New York.

But his fate changed on July 15, 2004, after he found the pearls inside a backpack left by hedge-fund manager Lawrence Policastro.

In an interview shortly after he found the pearls, Sulpico had said that, at first, he imagined how the jewels, worth nearly P4 million then, could change his life.

“I thought of the days when I was just roaming New York, shivering in the snow, desperately looking for a job.”

But Sulpico said that returning the jewels was one of the easiest decisions he ever made in his life. “I believe that honesty is the most important virtue which serves as a foundation of all other virtues.”

He called Policastro through the mobile phone he found in the backpack and told the businessman that he had the jewels.

The deed earned him praises from New Yorkers, who called him “New York’s most honest taxi driver” because taxi drivers in there were notorious for being discourteous and for over-charging their passengers, especially tourists.

Policastro had offered him a $500 reward, which Sulpico was reluctant to accept. The businessman also raised at least $5,000 for an educational fund to help the Filipino driver finish nursing studies at the Bronx Community College.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also gave him an “integrity award” and a symbolic key to the city.

Sulpico returned to a hero’s welcome in Iloilo.

The Senate passed a resolution commending his honesty and he received a citation and P100,000 in cash from President Macapagal-Arroyo.

Elena said his son did not have any regrets.

“He lived and died with the virtues that I taught them since they were children. Nothing changed him even after he became famous,” said the 88-year-old Elena.

In an interview four years ago, Sulpico said his feat fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a hero.

“I could not ask for more and even if I die, I feel that I have become a role model for the younger generations,” he said.

Link : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20080426-132788/Honest-cabbie-dies-of-cancer-in-Iloilo

Deported OFWs Urge Replacement of Philippine Officials in Saudi
PUBLISHED ON April 28, 2008 AT 10:44 AM

BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN

No doubt the stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) recently deported back to the Philippines from Saudi Arabia are rushing to be with their families.

But before getting home, they have called on Philippine officials to act on their problems.

Deported Armando Navarro and Ricardo Abad urged the Philippine government to replace all Philippine officials assigned in Saudi Arabia.

“Palitan n’yo na lahat ng nakaupo mula sa ibaba hanggang sa itaas” (Replace all officials there from bottom to top), said Navarro. “Imbes na sila ang makatulong sa amin, sila pa nagpapahirap sa amin” (Instead of helping us, they have caused us hardships.)

Navarro is willing to stay a little longer at the Migrante office just to wait for his fellow OFWs, even if that means it would delay his reunion with his family in Palawan.

“Nagpaplano nga kami ng reunion pag nakabalik na kami dito” (We are planning to hold a reunion once we all get back home), he said. “Y’ung inumpisahang laban (sa Saudi), itutuloy namin dito. Parang nawalan na kami ng takot sa nangyari sa amin.” (We’ll continue here the fight we started in Saudi. It seems we’ve become unafraid because of what happened.)

Unfortunately, one of them will no longer be reunited with his friends and his family.

Navarro identified the fatality as Ryan Castillo, an OFW from Batangas City. He said that while in Riyadh deportation, he received a phone call from a fellow OFW at the Jeddah deportation informing them that Castillo contracted a disease inside the prison cell where he was brought by Saudi immigration authorities, and later succumbed to a heart attack.

Philippine Consul General Ezzedin Tago confirmed that an OFW died at the Jeddah Deportation Center on April 6 and admitted that the OFW was unaccounted for as he was not endorsed for deportation.

Castillo reportedly posed as a pilgrim who had lost his identification and turned himself in to expedite his deportation.

Tago said that the Philippine Consulate had not endorsed the man who died. Endorsement by the Philippine government is required for Filipinos before they can be held for deportation. This process is aimed at weeding out criminals seeking an easy way to flee the country incognito, as well as workers who walked away from their jobs and want to avoid the more complicated process of seeking clearance from their employers on a final-exit visa.

Meanwhile, Migrante International, an alliance of organizations composed of OFWs and their families, held the Arroyo administration, which includes Philippine officials in Saudi Arabia, responsible for this death.

“This tragically concretizes the criminal neglect of RP posts in the Kingdom,” said Maita Santiago, Migrante International secretary-general.

Migrante International organized a press conference dubbed as “Lugawan” for the stranded OFWs Arman Navarro and Ricardo Abad, and families of OFWs who are still stranded in Saudi Arabia. “Lugawan” (porridge) symbolized the country’s economic hardship because of rising food prices and high unemployment that the stranded OFWs still have to endure when they return home.

Aside from the death, the two OFWs also shared other cases of deplorable conditions they and fellow OFWs experienced in the deportation centers. They also recounted how two pregnant Filipino women were unable to join the trip home because they gave birth inside the deportation center just days before their scheduled flight; how another Filipino woman vomited blood; and how another OFW had a stroke while imprisoned.

“How many more OFWs must die or fall ill before immediate measures are taken to ensure such tragedies are not repeated?” Santiago said.

“The death of this OFW indeed raises many questions. If it’s true that he was already ill before being imprisoned, he should have been brought to a hospital and not a deportation center. His death and testimonies by the other OFWs also belie claims by RP posts that they are ‘closely monitoring’ the situation of the OFWs imprisoned and providing them necessary medicine and other items.”

The Migrante leader added that hundreds more stranded OFWs still await repatriation from Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Singapore and elsewhere. Migrante-Saudi Arabia estimates there may be around 500 stranded OFWs still in deportation centers while Migrante International’s Rights and Welfare Assistance Program case files show 200 women OFWs stranded in Jordan; approximately 200 women OFWs stranded in the RP shelter in Kuwait; and a number of others stranded in the UAE and Singapore.

“While the repatriation of this initial batch of OFWs is a victory of the OFWs themselves, their families and Migrante’s campaign for their repatriation - the campaign to bring home the stranded OFWs will continue given the hundreds of others still left behind,” said Santiago.

The OFW deportees, Navarro and Abad also called for the recall and replacement of all Philippine officials in Saudi, from the rank-and-file to the higher ups, noting that “they are not of help to the OFWs in distress” but more of “added burden.”

“At the same time, we will intensify calls for Gloria’s ouster given her growing list of injustices and ‘crimes’ against migrants and the Filipino people,” said Santiago. Bulatlat / (pinoypress.net (http://www.pinoypress.net/2008/04/28/deported-ofws-urge-replacement-of-philippine-officials-in-saudi/))

3 Filipinos Born In Milan Daily, Populates City With Declining Birth Rate (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010793964)

At least three Filipinos are born in the Italian city of Milan, repopulating a city with declining birth rate. Surprisingly, many Italians view this as a blessing.

Philippine consul general to Milan Pedro Chan in his report to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs head office in Manila, that an average of 1,000 Filipino births were registered in his office annually.

This translates to three Filipino births in one day.

He said, "Some Italians view this phenomenon as a blessing to their country, which has a declining -- if not zero -- birth rate, arguing that if Italian couples no longer want to bring forth babies, then Pinoys [Filipinos] are happily doing their work for them."

According to Chan, the foreign affairs office had also solemnized a number of marriages among Filipinos in Milan, with many young couples already expecting a baby.

To address the growing number of marriage among young Filipinos there, Chan said the consulate had decided to conduct pre-marriage counseling seminars since April.

Record's from the Philippine government showed there were an estimated 128,000 Filipinos in Italy as of December 2006. While Italians comprise 1.3 million in Milan.

^^ Calling all Pinoys! Calling all Pinoys!!!... let's all move to Italy and propagate. :lol:

Hmm quite interesting... How is the living and working conditions there in Italy? I believe the weather there is nice!

Could there be a time when Filipinos would dominate Italy the way the Romans conquered Europe, Africa and the Middle East? :lol:

Supermaids, the modern slaves (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116762)

Recently, more than a hundred Pinoy workers from the Middle East, mostly abused domestic helpers, returned home under the mass repatriation program of the Philippine government thru the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Majority of these repatriated workers are called "runaways," a term used for workers who escape from their employers after being victims of abuse and various forms of maltreatment.

For several weeks or even months, they stayed in various shelters or half way houses provided by OWWA before they were repatriated.

In the Middle East, the number of runaway Pinay maids is usually high. During President Arroyo's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2006, there were about a hundred Pinay domestic helpers inside the Philippine Embassy's Bahay Kalinga (shelter for runaways) in Riyadh.

But Mrs. Arroyo's busy schedule prevented her from seeing these runaways.

If she did, the President would have realized that about 90% of these women were victims of rape and other forms of physical abuse.

Distressed in Kuwait

Also in 2006, the Philippine embassy in Kuwait had the highest record of about 500 distressed workers inside their shelter. Most cases include physical and sexual abuse.

As one labor official noted, almost everyday, runaways would come and go in their shelters, indicating the number of abused workers, especially among domestic helpers. This is constant in every part of the Middle Eastern region.

The monthly salary they receive to endure sufferings averages about US$150-200 only, although the government had recently imposed a minimum of $400 dollars for the monthly salary of a Pinay domestic helper.

My greatest fear is that after the mass repatriation program, the labor department will suddenly announce the significant decline in the number of runaways inside OWWA shelters, hence justifying the lifting of the deployment ban of workers to some countries like Jordan, where cases of abused workers are high.

And soon after, runaways will start filling again every shelter of OWWA.

Same old stories

Images of female workers who are either abused, raped or beaten black and blue will again be watched on television news, the Internet and the newspapers.

TV sound bytes of workers saying, "di na ako mamamasukang katulong" or "di na ako babalik sa gitnang silangan" will once again fill the air.

Nothing new. Same old stories.

Our government simply does not learn from lessons of the past.

Instead of continuously sending Pinay maids to the Middle East, why can't we impose a total ban in the region, then divert these women to other parts of the globe who have better respect and treatment for household workers.

In the Philippines, we call our maids "kasambahay," and we treat them like a real

member of the family.

On the other hand, our government brands them as supermaids.

But here in the Middle East, for most people, they are simply slaves.

Hmm quite interesting... How is the living and working conditions there in Italy? I believe the weather there is nice!

Could there be a time when Filipinos would dominate Italy the way the Romans conquered Europe, Africa and the Middle East? :lol:


Italy is nice.. very nice... :D


Ok, Filipinos are invading the entire world slowly, it just a matter of time that Filipinos will rule the world. BUWAHAHAHAHA :devil: !!!!!! and yes we will !!!!

^^ That will further complicate things, especially Pinoys with the IMSCF Syndrome. :lol:

^^ Calling all Pinoys! Calling all Pinoys!!!... let's all move to Italy and propagate. :lol:

Sama ako diyan!! magtatrabaho ako ng 6 mos sa Milan, lakad sa Kalye araw-araw sumisigaw ng BULOG, BULOG ka yo diyan !!!! LMAO (di ba yuon ang tawag sa laguna para palahian nila yuong baboy na babae nila para dumami? LMAO) 100 bucks per bulog LMAO

Sama ako diyan!! magtatrabaho ako ng 6 mos sa Milan, lakad sa Kalye araw-araw sumisigaw ng BULOG, BULOG ka yo diyan !!!! LMAO (di ba yuon ang tawag sa laguna para palahian nila yuong baboy na babae nila para dumami? LMAO) 100 bucks per bulog LMAO

:lol: With the Pinoy OWFs all over the world, malaki ang chance talaga na malahian ng Pinoy ang taga-ibang bansa. Yung kasama nga namin na Pinoy, sa Italy na ata siya mag retire, ganda ng asawa niya. Para silang Kape't gatas. :D





^^ That will further complicate things, especially Pinoys with the IMSCF Syndrome. :lol:


In the near future, mankind will be traced by their Filipino lineage or Pinoy DNA. :lol:

^^^ Heck it's easy to find in any foreign land someone who has filipino lineage. Sa dami ng babae sa Pilipinas kumkuha ng foreigner na mapapangasawa I can see half of the population of the world would have filipino ancestry. Kahit saan ka yata pumunta sa mundo, may filipino communities or half filipino, kahit sa middleast pa yan... Maybe the only remaining countries that does not have many filipinos around them would be Tibet or many other communist like countries that are also underdeveloped.

in milan, the filipino ofw's are raising a whole generation of domestic helpers. i can forgive the first generation of ofw's for not finding good jobs and that they have to work as domestic helpers but i think that their children - the newer generation should strive to attain some form of status improvement. but this seems to be impossible, seeing that most of them leave school early or attend vocational schools instead of frequenting a regular university to get a degree that allows you to enter the professional sphere. But thats not the only problem. its not just the kids themselves but it is also the parents. i think that most of them fail to instill some form of principles to their kids in order to encourage them to really strive to achieve something bigger. and yeah they says... italians prefer Italians to occupy the professional jobs but we must not let this idea discourage us or to believe in ourselves that we do not deserve a better life irregardless of that fact that this is not our motherland. These kids... they go to elementary or high schools where normal Italians go. And with this thing, it gives the Filipinos a chance to influence a whole generation of Italians to think that Filipinos are more than just domestic helpers and that we are great thinkers as well, and that we are very well capable of handling important tasks in the society aside from our own. But then all these opportunities have been wasted just because they are satisfied by the money that they are already earning. For most of them, and in particular the younger ones... the only thing that they desire is to be able to buy the trendiest clothes and the most high tech of mobile phones. They would do whatever it takes to get a hold of this simple luxuries even if it means quiting schooling and having to work as a delivery boy or a waitress. And this is sad because, i have seen far to many cases to these things happening. And this thing... this cycle of stupid individual choices ultimately affects a whole society of people. Filipino babies are being born everyday immediately being labeled as future domestic helpers.

I think that this is not only happening here in milan, or italy... i think that its the same thing in hong kong, dubai, spain, greece, uk and all these other developed countries where Filipinos would dare sell all their properties just to go there and work as "slaves".

This is really saddening because even countries that we believe to be poverty ridden such as indonesia have this sad impression of our country. For example, i have an indonesian friend who has said to me... oh in Singapore there are a lot of filipinos doing cadd and 3d works.. their really good at that but then again they get stuck doing that kind of job. and these are the types of people who never get boss-type jobs.

I am a graduate of architecture and it saddens me that every year young graduates scramble to get into these kinds of job in singapore, in doha or in dubai etc... just to work in these monkey-see-monkey-do type jobs that inspite of being satisfying in an economic point of view... does not really offer a high degree of career growth.. which really sucks but again these things are true and i don't know why a lot of Filipinos are happy, ecstatic and contended to be in this position. I truly think that it is almost a sin that these people are satisfied with their lives and that i think that it is selfish of them to desire for something that is not that great and to aim always for mediocrity, which has had serious repercussion not only in our daily normal lives but in our work life as well because we have been branded as highly skilled but non-leadership type workers destined to be stuck in the service sector industry.

I am really not happy about this because... it is not that i honestly care about how these people run their lives and how these people decide on how they want to go on with their lives. But the fact that i am Filipino and being that... i belong to that society and with that, i am forced to accept all the negative connotation and impression that come along with my citizenship. And being in a global city such as Milan, it is a daily struggle that i have to contend with... which is hard because this is something that i can not solve myself even if i try my hardest, and believe me... i am trying to do my best to somehow change this image by studying the best as i can and presenting myself in the my performance in the university the best that i can. But then again... it is out of my hands... i alone can not change the world... :( all i can do is to do my part and hope that the others realize and do their obligation to the Filipino society...

Pinoy domestics in Belgium in demand among European expats (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=117059)

Industriousness, honesty and dedication to their work, these are only some of the traits that Filipino domestic helpers possess, which make them in demand among European diplomats and expatriates.

Mara Bares, a Spanish expatriate, expressed her contentment with the Filipinos who have been responsible for keeping her house tidy for more than a year.

"I am really happy with my Filipino workers because they are efficient, serious, and I trust them. And I think, the most important thing is they do their work well", she said in an interview with ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.

Sarah Walker, a British expatriate, for her part, emphasized the importance of the Pinoy’s profound Christian faith which makes Filipinos more trustworthy and increases their employers’ confidence in them.

"The Filipino domestic helpers I know in Brussels are very lovely people, very honest, very hardworking, and I’m very happy to employ them. And also, the Filipinos who work for me are Christians, and I think their faith in God provides an extra dimension to our relationship. So I am very happy to have them in my home when I’m on holiday and to look after my children," she said.

On the other hand, Vigdis Wang, wife of a Norwegian diplomat expressed her gratitude to her Filipino helpers who were recommended to her by another Norwegian.

"I thank them and say I’m so blessed and fortunate for keeping my house nice and clean and in order. This way, I can perform my work here in a proper way and be relaxed for the rest of the week," she said.

She also stated that domestic helpers, in general, should be looked upon with great respect and should be provided with better employment terms and conditions.

"Everyone is talking about people serving them. I don’t look upon it that way. I look upon these people as co-workers. It’s like running a company. You need people helping you. You can’t do everything yourself. And I feel that if you treat these people nicely, they will treat you the same way," she added.

There are lots of people in Belgium who provide domestic assistance for expatriates and diplomats, mostly those from Poland, Africa, and Spain.

But still, Filipinos never run out of work. Thanks to European employers who consider Pinoy domestic helpers a one-of-a kind gem, believing on the quality of work they give.

--

SUNDAY LIFE STORY: THE FIRST OFW (http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl107430.htm)

http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/pictures/00004739.jpgMANILA, MAY 5, 2008 (STAR) By Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil - We come across the very first Filipino overseas foreign worker in the parchment pages of the 16th century Age of Exploration when Europeans discovered both the New World (North and South America) and the exotic Old World of the Indies and the Pacific.

Sometime in 1508, we first see our hero, a young Malay from the archipelago that would be named Felipinas, clad only in a short sarong of indeterminate color, standing under the scorching sun on a crude, wooden platform in the slave market of the Moluccas (Malaysia). His status as slave is proof that he left his homeland against his will, probably captured from a beach in Eastern Visayas which Muslim pirates raided for the human inventory of their slave trade.

But there is no bitterness or defiance in this young Malay’s level gaze. On his tanned beardless face, a half-smile plays which soon broadens to reveal a row of perfectly white teeth. It is that smile, characteristic of his race, that today, thanks to the new Philippine diaspora, lights up hospitals in America, the docks and shops in Europe and the Middle East and the corridors of the United Nations. That day in Moluccas, the smile catches the eye of a weather-beaten seaman and explorer who is standing in the shade of the clamorous slave market, shopping for a manservant. He is the Portugese aristocrat, Fernao Magalhaes (better known to us as Ferdinand Magellan). He approves of what he sees in the strapping Malay: the erect head of long, thick, very black hair; the wide shoulders; the smooth, unscarred torso with well-developed muscles; the sturdy legs.

The buyer steps forward and claims the Malay with a few gold coins. The transaction is completed by a friar in the entourage, who baptizes him with a Christian name, that of the day’s saint, “Enrique,” and he is brought home by his master to Portugal. They travel through the Indian Ocean, along the western coast of Africa to Lisbon. For the next 10 years Enrique is Magellan’s body servant, arquebus carrier, and valued assistant. He would have been with Magellan on the campaign fought against Moorish rebels in North Africa, when Magellan crushed his knee as his horse fell during battle, during the years Magellan maneuvered his way through the byzantine Renaissance court politics in Lisbon and Madrid, where Enrique learned Portugese, Spanish and even French.

By 1518-1519 Magellan had hatched a plan to lead an expedition to find a route to the fabled Spice Islands, but the Portugese King Manuel rebuffed him. There were two reasons. One was that Portugal was already engaged in the highly lucrative trade in the Indies, using Vasco da Gama’s route and direct contacts with India, China and Southeast Asia. It already enjoyed a bonanza of silks and spices that had previously been monopolized by Venice and Genoa. The second was that the king could not stand Magellan, who was arrogant and overbearing, repeatedly demanding money and honors for his accomplishments.

Through his connections with navigators and astronomers, Magellan succeeded in persuading the young Spanish king, who was also Emperor Charles V to finance his expedition. Magellan used visual aids worthy of our 21st century communication skills: first, a painted globe depicting the world, and next, the presentation of Enrique, native of the Spice Islands (a fib) and all-important interpreter of the newly-found islanders. An Armada of the Moluccas was officially sanctioned with Magellan as Captain General.

Overjoyed that he would be returning to his homeland, Enrique merited a berth in the Flagship, Trinidad. A fleet of five ships left San Lucar de Barrameda in Spain, in September 1519, with officers and a crew of 260 Spaniards, Portugese, French, Britons and North Africans. The expedition was beset by difficulties and disasters: inferior, inadequate supplies; three mutinies and conspiracies, furious storms, cannibals, giants, violent deaths. From Spain, it sailed south to Cape Verde, crossed the Atlantic and sailed around South America, along Brazil, came to a strait full of glaciers, and finally emerged into an endless ocean, the Pacific, the largest body of water in the world, an immensity “past imagination” which Magellan’s armada crossed under curiously perfect weather conditions. The admiral, his officers and crew were tormented instead by uncertainty, treason, despair, starvation (they ate rotten biscuits, shoes, and rats), scurvy, and the loss of two ships. They discovered Micronesia and finally landed at Guam where they were robbed of weapons and provisions.

At last, one morning, in March 1521, the ocean currents brought them to a large majestic island, Samar, but high cliffs impeded landing, and they sailed to a smaller island, Homonhon, which appeared to have a safe harbor. They found a rainforest and abundant water. Pleasant natives appeared in a boat and gave the mariners coconuts, rice wine and bananas. They moved on to the next island which had attracted them with campfires lighting up the sky. As the Trinidad approached the shore, Enrique was ordered to communicate with the brown men on the beach. They replied in the same language with shouts of recognition and familiarity. Magellan and the other Europeans in the three black galleons were flooded with relief and gratitude, for, until that moment, they had been painfully uncertain of where they were, or where Enrique had come from. They found magnificent shelter and excellent food (fish, abundant rice, roast pork with gravy) in breezy grass huts, a native king who was decorated with large chains of gold.

The rest has been told and retold in countless world histories which have recorded March 1521 as “the discovery of the Philippines” and Enrique as the first, true circumnavigator of the globe. He had sailed from the archipelago where he had been kidnapped to the Moluccas, from there to Europe and back again to the archipelago with Magellan.

Enrique was also our first documented OFW, and our first balikbayan. We are left to guess what it was he shouted to the men on the beach. Was it, “Hoy! Kayo diyan! Nakabalik na rin ako!”? He had one more thing to teach the white men. He was against doing battle with Lapu-lapu, who had resisted Christianity and Spanish sovereignty. Enrique refused to get off the boat at Mactan. After Magellan’s defeat and death, he declined to return with the surviving Europeans, who told him he was still a slave and the property of Magellan’s widow. He was back in his homeland and had decided to remain. And he was ready to kill, if need be, to continue to stay in his country with his own people.

We can be sure Enrique died happy among his own folk, although he never knew of the fame he had acquired in European and world history. It took 50 long years before another, European, Legazpi, would arrive in the Philippines, engage the Filipinos and set off another round of slavery and OFWs.

^^Swerte naman ni Enrique. Nakabalik na.

Shoot! Ako, hindi pa ako makaka-uwi! :(

Enrique was also our first documented OFW, and our first balikbayan. We are left to guess what it was he shouted to the men on the beach. Was it, “Hoy! Kayo diyan! Nakabalik na rin ako!”?

^^^ Heck it's easy to find in any foreign land someone who has filipino lineage. Sa dami ng babae sa Pilipinas kumkuha ng foreigner na mapapangasawa I can see half of the population of the world would have filipino ancestry. Kahit saan ka yata pumunta sa mundo, may filipino communities or half filipino, kahit sa middleast pa yan... Maybe the only remaining countries that does not have many filipinos around them would be Tibet or many other communist like countries that are also underdeveloped.


Malay mo, yun mga Pinoys (o isa) na nag-climb sa Mt. Everest, mey nag sow ng "wild oats!" :lol:

Magiging mapagpupuri-purian ka na pinoy din pala sila! Hindi ba?? wink wink

Estrada urges new graduates to stay in RP (http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080507123847.html)

Former President Joseph Estrada appealed to the nation’s corps of 2008 graduates last Monday to stay and accept the challenge to help rebuild the Philippines "for love of country" and not leave their homeland and seek employment and livelihood opportunities in foreign shores to secure a solid future.

"Our national hero, Jose Rizal, gave us that much quoted belief that the youth is the hope of the Motherland. We must begin believing again in that conviction because you stand to inherit this nation," Estrada reminded the University of Makati graduates Monday evening at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

He called on the graduates to "give the country and our people another chance," saying that there will be no other people who can love and save the Philippines, "except us Filipinos alone."

"Today, I ask the graduating classes of 2008 to stay and not leave our shores, but instead accept the challenge of reforming and rehabilitating this nation for love of country," Estrada said.

The popular opposition leader and much-sought commencement speaker, Estrada told the graduates that before his arrest and detention in 2001, he was offered by then Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to leave and go on exile to any country of his choice, and no government charges will be filed against him.

According to Estrada, the offer of Perez was made on the condition that he sign a formal letter of resignation as President. He said Perez’ offer for him and his family to leave was made twice, adding "and twice I refused."

"I refused to leave because I believed then and now, that I am innocent. But more than this, I believed I must stay to be part of the efforts for reform and help our people, even if that meant having to go to jail for almost seven years," Estrada said.

He stressed he chose to be jailed and stay in the country "where I was born, where I belong, and where I will die."

Estrada, however, admitted that this year’s graduates are receiving their diplomas "at a most difficult time when the country is confronted with yet another crisis, a debilitating food shortage and high prices of food commodities."

Rice and food shortages, he contended, are serious problems only in addition "to un-productivity and unemployment nationwide, fighting insurgency and the many evils and venalities from corruption in government, to violence and criminality in our streets."

"Unfortunately, these problems are being set aside by a government more concerned about its survival, refusing to be accountable and to tell the truth, embroiled instead in scandal after scandal, from the broadband to the fertilizer and irrigation scams, and many other anomalies," Estrada said.

The Philippines, he added, is being far left behind by the powerhouse economies of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and even wartorn Vietnam "who continue to enjoy and experience waves of economic dynamism and prosperity."

Estrada told the graduates he believes the country can still recover and be redeemed "if only the youth will assume the activist role of restoring decency and sanity in this nation, . . . not because of this government, but in spite of it."

"Today you mark an important milestone in your young and promising lives. You have a bright future ahead of you to help build a future with the Philippines in mind as citizens who will love not only God and family, but the only country God gave us," he said.

Are Filipinos entrepreneurial? (http://business.inquirer.net/money/columns/view/20080504-134539/Are-Filipinos-entrepreneurial)

I have often lamented that Filipinos tend to be geared toward finding a job rather than creating jobs, and are too oriented toward earning incomes (i.e., wages or salaries) rather than creating wealth. It's no surprise, then, that our unemployment rate is significantly higher than in most of our neighbors. If only more Filipinos would be entrepreneurs rather than employees, then we probably wouldn't have as much unemployment and poverty in our midst.

Are Filipinos indeed not entrepreneurial enough? Are too many of us content with working for others--including and especially for foreign firms and foreign lands?

Surprisingly, an international comparison actually ranks the Philippines among the highest in business ownership, with four out of 10 Filipinos (39.2 percent) owning some kind of business, second only to Peru (49.6 percent). The London-based Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Research Consortium is the largest single study of entrepreneurial activity in the world, covering 42 countries in various stages of development. The Philippines participated in GEM for the first time in 2006, through the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE).

The above finding seems to imply that contrary to my lament above and common perception, Filipinos are actually quite entrepreneurial, and among the most so across countries of the world. But are we really?

On closer examination of the GEM results, we find that the surprise ends once we compare the nature of the businesses that we have with that in other countries.

Business quality

Four kinds of enterprises are identified in the GEM survey, namely: extractive (e.g., agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining); transformative (construction, manufacturing, transportation, wholesale distribution); business services, where the primary customer is another business; and consumer-oriented (e.g., retail, restaurants, lodging, health, education, recreation, etc.). The survey found that Filipino business owners are mostly in customer-oriented and extractive businesses, with our country ranking ninth and third respectively in terms of incidence. On the other hand, we rank very low (39th out of 42 countries) in transformative businesses and in business services (41st).

GEM considers level of innovativeness (newness of product and technology, competitor differentiation) and growth expectations (employment and expansion plans) as the traits that distinguish a business as being "entrepreneurial." Unfortunately, it is in these and other related measures of entrepreneurship where we move to the bottom end of the list.

Bottom dweller

We are third from the worst performer in product newness (after Hungary and Brazil), and the worst among participating countries in competitive advantage. In contrast, Thai and Indian businesses rank very high in introducing new products. We are also near the bottom on number of businesses that export. Quite notably, six out of 10 Filipino businesses report not having any employees, suggesting that most business owners are in business primarily to support themselves and their families. In fact, our established businesses rank the lowest in job creation among the 42 countries, with only 3.3 percent employing any workers at all.

The Philippine survey also showed that very few businesses (only one in every 20) make use of any bank financing; in fact, only about one out of three deal with banks at all, even just to deposit funds. And yet, lack of financing comes up to be the most widely cited impediment to starting and maintaining a business.

Deepening enterprise

The GEM results affirm that Filipino businesses are mostly small (micro) in scale and may be characterized as lacking in originality and innovativeness, reflecting the often-lamented gaya-gaya (copycat) syndrome. They are also predominantly inward-looking, largely nonjob creating, and fiscally conservative.

The findings suggest that while business prevalence is already wider in the Philippines than in most countries, it is in deepening entrepreneurship where our bigger challenge lies. To this end, we need deliberate efforts to make banks more responsive to the particular needs of start-up and growing enterprises, while also improving the capability of businesses to make use of the banking system. Research and development especially focused on the needs of small and medium enterprises must be strengthened in public research institutions, inasmuch as SMEs normally do not have the capacity to do R&D on their own. Finally, assistance in tapping export opportunities would also be important if our enterprises are to contribute not only to output (GDP) growth, but to sustained employment growth as well.

^^^ Heck it's easy to find in any foreign land someone who has filipino lineage. Sa dami ng babae sa Pilipinas kumkuha ng foreigner na mapapangasawa I can see half of the population of the world would have filipino ancestry. Kahit saan ka yata pumunta sa mundo, may filipino communities or half filipino, kahit sa middleast pa yan... Maybe the only remaining countries that does not have many filipinos around them would be Tibet or many other communist like countries that are also underdeveloped.

Tibet isn't a country anymore. Its part of mainland China ;)

Anyway, I usually think of Mongolia or most of South America as places where there are hardly any Pinoys.

BTW, how about Filipinos joining the French Foreign Legion?

"Probe" reveals misery of Filipina overseas workers in Jordan

abs-cbnNEWS.com (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=117486)

For the more than 200 wards at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration center in Amman, Jordan, their life in Jordan is hell on earth.

Fearful of the possible consequences, some of the Filipinas secretly handed letters to "Probe" while in the center. The Filipinas, mostly domestic helpers, 23 of whom are minors, escaped from their abusive employers.

Some still bear marks of physical abuse. The others complain of unpaid wages, sexual abuse and rape.

But life at the OWWA center, where they take refuge, is not any better. Food and water is rationed, 200 of them are crammed like sardines in rooms.

Even in this supposedly safe haven, they are verbally abused by some Filipino officers. But they would rather stay at the center than be returned to the recruitment agency or their employer.

It seems like Filipino domestic helpers who run away from their employers are always on the losing end. If they can not produce evidence of abuse, they are sent to a detention center where they are consequently taken again by their employers.

But making it to the OWWA center does not guarantee their immediate return to the Philippines. Seventy five percent of the wards are undocumented or have fake passports.

Some have cases filed against them by their employers. They have to wait for proper travel documents or raise money to pay for contract fines with agencies.

Their heart-wrenching stories reveal how they were trafficked out of the Philippines with the help of government employees.

Back in the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration answers how Filipinos with fake documents make it past immigration officials.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Jordan is ranked as the worst destination for Filipino domestic helpers, prompting the department to ban the deployment of Filipino overseas workers to Jordan early this year.

Philippine Ambassador to Jordan, Julius Torres, wanted the ban lifted on labor day, May 1.

Probe revealed the life of Filipina overseas workers in Jordan in a two-part documentary, “Letters from Amman,” on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 on ABS-CBN, right after Bandila.

Watch the replays on the ABS-CBN News Channel, Saturday 5:30 am and Sunday 1:30 pm.

It is sad that we don't have this quality or skills to create more jobs. Is it still due to colonial mentality? Where each and every filipinos dreamt of earning a degree in various fields just to be employed in foreign lands and live there permanently as much as possible? If this is the case, the Koreans and the chinese who chose to live in the Philippines and invest their hard earned money to start businesses and create more jobs in the Philippines. Then, I can see that the native filipinos would slowly disappear and be replaced by a new wave of filipinos whose heritage is actually from Korean or China. This can be a good thing but it can also be something bad.

I'm sure barriers in starting businesses also plays a role in stymying entrepreneurship. I haven't seen any evidence indicating that we are any more or less averse with risk, nor any more or less innovative than our neighbors.

The Philippines' Ease of Doing Business ranking was 133rd out of 178 nations. This was 13 places behind India, 42 behind Vietnam, and 50 behind China.

Rankings were based on ten factors: starting a business (in which we placed 144th), dealing with licenses (77), employing workers (122), registering property (86), getting credit (97), protecting investors (141), trading across borders (57), enforcing contracts (113), closing a business (147).

Starting a business can be daunting. To start one you'd have to go through 15 different procedures which would take 58 days (compared to the United States which has 6 procedures, taking 6 days; and India which has 13 procedures and 33 days).

Closing a business is also a problem, as it takes on average 5.7 years to resolve bankruptcies (this is better than India's average of 10 years; but India on average provides a better recovery rate for claimants on insolvent firms - 11.6 vs 4.2 cents to the dollar).

Just to name a few.

The question is, is the Philippines addressing these issues through reforms like India, China, and Vietnam are? We need to look into doing so if we wish to become competitive in the global marketplace.

Source: http://www.doingbusiness.org/

Could it because alot of those who are starting a business in the Philippines are mostly foreigners such as chinese and now Koreans?

I know for sure that our filipino parents usually push us hard to go to college and finish it. Normally, when they send us to college, it's always a degree that would land us a job most especifically in the US. Only half of the parents pushed their kids to college to whaatever degree their children wanted. But there are really very few parents whom aside from sending their kids to college to earn a business degree, would really guide their children to follow their path in doing business or creating their own business as most of these parents are an employee instead of being an employER.

This is just my opinion based on my observations, I don't think I've seen any stats or studies about these as well so who knows?

I'm sure barriers in starting businesses also plays a role in stymying entrepreneurship. I haven't seen any evidence indicating that we are any more or less averse with risk, nor any more or less innovative than our neighbors.

The Philippines' Ease of Doing Business ranking was 133rd out of 178 nations. This was 13 places behind India, 42 behind Vietnam, and 50 behind China.

Rankings were based on ten factors: starting a business (in which we placed 144th), dealing with licenses (77), employing workers (122), registering property (86), getting credit (97), protecting investors (141), trading across borders (57), enforcing contracts (113), closing a business (147).

Starting a business can be daunting. To start one you'd have to go through 15 different procedures which would take 58 days (compared to the United States which has 6 procedures, taking 6 days; and India which has 13 procedures and 33 days).

Closing a business is also a problem, as it takes on average 5.7 years to resolve bankruptcies (this is better than India's average of 10 years; but India on average provides a better recovery rate for claimants on insolvent firms - 11.6 vs 4.2 cents to the dollar).

Just to name a few.

The question is, is the Philippines addressing these issues through reforms like India, China, and Vietnam are? We need to look into doing so if we wish to become competitive in the global marketplace.

Source: http://www.doingbusiness.org/

neat resource

Estrada urges new graduates to stay in RP (http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080507123847.html)

Former President Joseph Estrada appealed to the nation’s corps of 2008 graduates last Monday to stay and accept the challenge to help rebuild the Philippines "for love of country" and not leave their homeland and seek employment and livelihood opportunities in foreign shores to secure a solid future.

"Our national hero, Jose Rizal, gave us that much quoted belief that the youth is the hope of the Motherland. We must begin believing again in that conviction because you stand to inherit this nation," Estrada reminded the University of Makati graduates Monday evening at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

He called on the graduates to "give the country and our people another chance," saying that there will be no other people who can love and save the Philippines, "except us Filipinos alone."

"Today, I ask the graduating classes of 2008 to stay and not leave our shores, but instead accept the challenge of reforming and rehabilitating this nation for love of country," Estrada said.

The popular opposition leader and much-sought commencement speaker, Estrada told the graduates that before his arrest and detention in 2001, he was offered by then Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to leave and go on exile to any country of his choice, and no government charges will be filed against him.

According to Estrada, the offer of Perez was made on the condition that he sign a formal letter of resignation as President. He said Perez’ offer for him and his family to leave was made twice, adding "and twice I refused."

"I refused to leave because I believed then and now, that I am innocent. But more than this, I believed I must stay to be part of the efforts for reform and help our people, even if that meant having to go to jail for almost seven years," Estrada said.

He stressed he chose to be jailed and stay in the country "where I was born, where I belong, and where I will die."

Estrada, however, admitted that this year’s graduates are receiving their diplomas "at a most difficult time when the country is confronted with yet another crisis, a debilitating food shortage and high prices of food commodities."

Rice and food shortages, he contended, are serious problems only in addition "to un-productivity and unemployment nationwide, fighting insurgency and the many evils and venalities from corruption in government, to violence and criminality in our streets."

"Unfortunately, these problems are being set aside by a government more concerned about its survival, refusing to be accountable and to tell the truth, embroiled instead in scandal after scandal, from the broadband to the fertilizer and irrigation scams, and many other anomalies," Estrada said.

The Philippines, he added, is being far left behind by the powerhouse economies of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and even wartorn Vietnam "who continue to enjoy and experience waves of economic dynamism and prosperity."

Estrada told the graduates he believes the country can still recover and be redeemed "if only the youth will assume the activist role of restoring decency and sanity in this nation, . . . not because of this government, but in spite of it."

"Today you mark an important milestone in your young and promising lives. You have a bright future ahead of you to help build a future with the Philippines in mind as citizens who will love not only God and family, but the only country God gave us," he said.

For once I agree with something Estrada said. :okay:

I know for sure that our filipino parents usually push us hard to go to college and finish it. Normally, when they send us to college, it's always a degree that would land us a job most especifically in the US. Only half of the parents pushed their kids to college to whaatever degree their children wanted. But there are really very few parents whom aside from sending their kids to college to earn a business degree, would really guide their children to follow their path in doing business or creating their own business as most of these parents are an employee instead of being an employER.

This is just my opinion based on my observations, I don't think I've seen any stats or studies about these as well so who knows?

how very true, my mum always dreamt of me going to UP but having move overseas she always had a goal to push me to university after highschool and instead i chosen to do a skilled trade apprenticeship she was so dissapointed at the start but now i've got a year to go and about to start my engineering degree she couldn't be any happier since i exceeding the expectation and could buy and do whatever i want but i don't know if thats the sort of attitude i'd have if i still live in subic

I thought this article was an interesting read:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=117899
5/12/08
Fil-Ams in Virginia Flexing Political, Economic Power

The article notes that the 50,000 strong fil-am population in the Norfolk area are one of the most educated and highest-paid groups.

An interesting note, which I thought is relevant to this thread:

Employees, not bosses

"We found that Filipinos in the region earn more income than the average person, they're better educated but they tend to be employees rather than the boss," said Dr. James Koch, an economics professor at ODU in Norfolk.

Nearly 24% of all Hampton Roads adults have a bachelor's degree or higher – but over 32% of Filipinos here enjoy that same distinction.

The same study showed that the median Fil-Am household income here is $51,509 – 21% higher than the region's average.

"The Filipino American contribution to the Hampton Roads economy is substantial, although at least a small portion of this income is remitted back to family members and other institutions in the Philippines," the study reported.

And this...

"If there is anything we saw in our survey, it's that Filipinos tend to be not entrepreneurs, not starting their own firms," Dr. Koch added.

"I think that in the region, the strong military tradition is one used to taking orders and not to be the boss," he told Balitang America.

"If one looks at the Indian community (there are less than 2,000 of them in the region, according to the ODU study), they own 70-75% of all hotel rooms in this region," he said.


As the person in the article mentioned, most of the families here are from military backgrounds. That may be one of the reasons why they're not entrepreneurial, instead of other cultural factors. Still interesting, nonetheless.

(emphasis mine)

UK citizenship for record 164,000 foreigners (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1996387/UK-citizenship-for-record-164,000-foreigners.html)

Record numbers of foreign nationals are being granted citizenship, according to figures published on Tuesday.

Home Office data showed that 164,635 people became British last year – a seven per cent rise in 12 months.

The total was the highest since the Home Office began keeping comparable records in 1997. It led to accusations that Labour has created a lax immigration regime.

More than nine in 10 people who applied for citizenship were accepted.

The biggest group was from India, who made up nine per cent of the total with 14,490. Filipinos constituted seven per cent with 10,840, Afghans six per cent with 10,555 and South Africans five per cent with 8,150.

A quarter of citizenships, about 41,000 were given to children, while about 29,000 became nationals through marriage.

Last year, 160,980 people applied for citizenship while 14,725 applications were refused. Of those, 2,365 were rejected because the applicants failed "citizenship tests" by not demonstrating a sufficient command of English and knowledge of life in Britain.

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said that the figures were an indictment of Labour's management of the immigration system.

He said: "Given the Government's proven record at granting passports to people like Muktar Said Ibrahim - the July 21 ringleader - the public will be alarmed that passports are being handed out at such a rate.

"Given the Government's ineptitude, how can they guarantee they are being granted to suitable people? This shows why it is essential our border controls are tightened."

Liam Byrne, the immigration minister, insisted that the Government is making it harder to become a British citizen.

He said: "Only those with something to give can become a British citizen, including a mastery of English."

The figures also showed a 16 per cent rise in asylum applications in the first three months of this year to 6,595, compared with the same period last year.

The number of failed asylum seekers deported from January to March was down 13 per cent to 2,805, although the total number of people removed - including other categories of people such as foreign criminals - was up 12 per cent to 16,760.

More than 100,000 of the eastern Europeans who have come to Britain in recent years are claiming benefits, official figures showed on Tuesday.

Some 102,029 are receiving child benefit and an estimated 58,000 are receiving tax credits, Home Office data disclosed.

The figures also showed that the number of eastern Europeans who have applied to work in Britain since their countries joined the EU in 2004 has reached 845,000.

Cleaning Lady (http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_life/?cat_id=16568&ew_0_a_id=306270)

Almost every other Pinay (slang for Filipino woman, Pinoy for men) I meet in Iceland is a cleaning lady. Not because they are poorly educated but mainly because it can be magnificently hard for non-EEA people to have their credentials accredited.

Many of them have university degrees, come from good families and generally lead an exemplary invisible life as migrants. Of course, they could have survived on what they earned back home. However, like most migrants, these cleaning ladies did not want to just survive. They wanted and still want a better life for themselves and their families.

How is that possible by working in Iceland? Simple. Only 60,000 Icelandic krónur (something between 27,000 to 30,000 pesos—USD 805, EUR 516) provides monthly sustenance for a family of five in the Philippines with two kids going through university.

Generally, the first migrants are women initially establishing a life for themselves, sending money home in the interim and because she wants better opportunities for her kids, sends for them and eventually sets up a home in the new country. Husband optional. Mainly because by the time she is ready for her family to come to Iceland, communication and intimacy with her significant other would have most likely broken down. It is also likely that she has met and been wooed by a lonely Icelandic widower or divorcee who in turn filled in her need for companionship and financial security in a strange country.

Many cleaning ladies have permanent jobs and cleaning homes is a moonlighting, tax-free opportunity. It does not pay much of course (between ISK 2,500 and 5,000 (USD 33 and 67, EUR 22 and 43) an hour for back back-breaking work) but whatever little they get is additional moolah to send home or maybe even for this week's groceries.

On her spare time, she finds solace in the two Catholic churches in Reykjavík, bingo sessions or a spot of mahjong (that Chinese game played with tiles). Every weekend there is a celebration, every birthday a riotous event with karaoke and variations of Filipino food (a few substitutions for key ingredients).

She does not go to museums, art being a non-entity in normal Filipino existence. Concerts are boring. Who wants to listen to instrumental renditions anyway? Well, unless you want to sleep. Coffee shops and bars are expensive, besides the cool ones never let in cleaning ladies on their days off anyway. It's a doorman thing. She does not ski, river raft or ice skate. Fun, outdoorsy stuff is not in her vocabulary.

Iceland as a new home can be trying. First, there is the language barrier. While Filipinos speak some form of English and many Icelanders do, it is still a challenge to find your way in the city. Traffic signs, notices and announcements are made in Icelandic. Our ears and tongues are not used to hearing Nordic languages. Every sound is new, every sentence unintelligible. Also, again because we come from a non-EEA nation, regardless of skill or expertise, Filipinos are required to learn Icelandic for a permanent work permit to be granted. This is a long and painful process.

Second, food is strange and new. Our palates are used to pork, tropical fruits, freshly picked veggies and the wide variety of seafood available in warm tropical shores. The taste of lamb takes a while to get used to (although once we do, it becomes a favorite), what Icelanders call lobster is actually langosteen and shrimp is unshelled. Many flavors are dulled by freezing.

Third, whatever people may say, Iceland is still a trying place for sociable people. Back home in the motherland, walls are thin, backyards are shared and babysitting duties are not considered favors but neighborly responsibilities. What Icelanders regard as privacy, most Asians see as social isolation.

Still, we persist. You see as little as 60,000 krónur is enough for a family of five to survive in a country where people demonstrate in streets over rising rice prices and schoolchildren stop attending classes because they have nothing to eat for lunch.

Iceland is a land of opportunity. Yet, we are keenly aware that once the need for extra workers dwindles to nothingness in Iceland, it may be time to go home and leave this invisible existence.

Cleaning Lady (http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_life/?cat_id=16568&ew_0_a_id=306270)

Almost every other Pinay (slang for Filipino woman, Pinoy for men) I meet in Iceland is a cleaning lady. Not because they are poorly educated but mainly because it can be magnificently hard for non-EEA people to have their credentials accredited.

Many of them have university degrees, come from good families and generally lead an exemplary invisible life as migrants. Of course, they could have survived on what they earned back home. However, like most migrants, these cleaning ladies did not want to just survive. They wanted and still want a better life for themselves and their families.

How is that possible by working in Iceland? Simple. Only 60,000 Icelandic krónur (something between 27,000 to 30,000 pesos—USD 805, EUR 516) provides monthly sustenance for a family of five in the Philippines with two kids going through university.

Generally, the first migrants are women initially establishing a life for themselves, sending money home in the interim and because she wants better opportunities for her kids, sends for them and eventually sets up a home in the new country. Husband optional. Mainly because by the time she is ready for her family to come to Iceland, communication and intimacy with her significant other would have most likely broken down. It is also likely that she has met and been wooed by a lonely Icelandic widower or divorcee who in turn filled in her need for companionship and financial security in a strange country.

Many cleaning ladies have permanent jobs and cleaning homes is a moonlighting, tax-free opportunity. It does not pay much of course (between ISK 2,500 and 5,000 (USD 33 and 67, EUR 22 and 43) an hour for back back-breaking work) but whatever little they get is additional moolah to send home or maybe even for this week's groceries.

On her spare time, she finds solace in the two Catholic churches in Reykjavík, bingo sessions or a spot of mahjong (that Chinese game played with tiles). Every weekend there is a celebration, every birthday a riotous event with karaoke and variations of Filipino food (a few substitutions for key ingredients).

She does not go to museums, art being a non-entity in normal Filipino existence. Concerts are boring. Who wants to listen to instrumental renditions anyway? Well, unless you want to sleep. Coffee shops and bars are expensive, besides the cool ones never let in cleaning ladies on their days off anyway. It's a doorman thing. She does not ski, river raft or ice skate. Fun, outdoorsy stuff is not in her vocabulary.

Iceland as a new home can be trying. First, there is the language barrier. While Filipinos speak some form of English and many Icelanders do, it is still a challenge to find your way in the city. Traffic signs, notices and announcements are made in Icelandic. Our ears and tongues are not used to hearing Nordic languages. Every sound is new, every sentence unintelligible. Also, again because we come from a non-EEA nation, regardless of skill or expertise, Filipinos are required to learn Icelandic for a permanent work permit to be granted. This is a long and painful process.

Second, food is strange and new. Our palates are used to pork, tropical fruits, freshly picked veggies and the wide variety of seafood available in warm tropical shores. The taste of lamb takes a while to get used to (although once we do, it becomes a favorite), what Icelanders call lobster is actually langosteen and shrimp is unshelled. Many flavors are dulled by freezing.

Third, whatever people may say, Iceland is still a trying place for sociable people. Back home in the motherland, walls are thin, backyards are shared and babysitting duties are not considered favors but neighborly responsibilities. What Icelanders regard as privacy, most Asians see as social isolation.

Still, we persist. You see as little as 60,000 krónur is enough for a family of five to survive in a country where people demonstrate in streets over rising rice prices and schoolchildren stop attending classes because they have nothing to eat for lunch.

Iceland is a land of opportunity. Yet, we are keenly aware that once the need for extra workers dwindles to nothingness in Iceland, it may be time to go home and leave this invisible existence.

Montreal tough for well-educated immigrants (http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=ff0ff5a2-0fba-4771-a052-e59693071fa3)

Well-educated recent immigrants to Canada appear to have more difficulty finding employment in Montreal than in any other large metropolitan centre, according to a study of the latest census figures.

While the study of census employment figures by Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies, found that different cities presented different challenges, when it comes to new immigrants finding jobs it was Montreal that had the bleakest overall picture.

In several other cities, however, the employment picture varied significantly depending on whether someone was from a visible minority and their particular ethnic background.

As to the most recent immigrants (arrived between 2001 and 2006) with university degrees, it is in Montreal that the groups have the highest rate of unemployment," Jedwab wrote.

"However, the gaps in levels of employment between white and non-white immigrants are not as significant in Montreal (and) are not as wide as they are in Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary.

"In other words, (while) Montreal appears to be a more difficult place to secure employment for the most educated immigrants, it does not seem to be more of a problem for immigrants on the basis of their skin colour than it is in other major immigrant-receiving cities."

The study comes a few days after Statistics Canada issued new census figures showing that overall, the employment rate for immigrants to Canada was better in 2006 than it was in 2001. The figures dealt only with employment rates and not income figures.

"Every group seems to have improved slightly as the economy has improved from 2001 to 2006," Jedwab said.

However, Jedwab's study shows job outlook for immigrants can vary considerably from city to city.

Looking at the census figures for a control group of immigrants between the ages of 35 and 44 with university degrees, Jedwab found Montreal had the highest unemployment rate among major metropolitan areas - 14.1 per cent for those from a visible minority compared with 10.4 per cent for immigrants who weren't.

However, when Jedwab broke the results down by ethnic group, he found the rates of unemployment varied substantially from one group to the next. While the unemployment rate was 20.6 per cent for Arabs, 17.9 per cent for Koreans and 17.7 per cent for Latin Americans, it was only 5.8 per cent for Filipinos and 3.7 per cent for those from southeast Asia.

South Asians in Montreal posted an unemployment rate of 13.9 per cent, while the rate for black immigrants was 13.7 per cent.

Across the board, the unemployment rate in Montreal was higher for each ethnic group than it was in the five other major cities studied.

In Edmonton, what stood out was the difference in the unemployment rate between immigrants from visible and non-visible minorities, Jedwab said.

Again looking at the same cohort, the unemployment rate among visible minorities was 6.3 per cent while the rate among those who aren't visible minorities was only 1.1 per cent - the largest gap between visible and non-visible minorities among the six major cities studied.

U.S. immigration policy should encourage faster assimiliation (http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080520/COLUMNISTS19/805200308/1005/OPINION)

A new study out this week by the Manhattan Institute should dispel a few myths on immigrant assimilation. The study looked at a range of factors -- economic, cultural and civic -- to assess whether immigrants are becoming part of the American mainstream. But it also compared this generation of immigrants to the great wave who came to America's shores in the early part of the 20th century. The good news is that immigrants appear to be assimilating at faster rates than those older generations of immigrants, even though they start out with more disadvantages.

Fully integrated

Not surprisingly, some immigrant groups -- Canadians, Cubans and Filipinos -- are perfectly assimilated on economic measures, while others, especially Mexicans, lag behind. The study's author, Duke University professor Jacob L. Vigdor, looked at earned income, labor force participation, unemployment, occupation, educational attainment and home ownership in computing economic assimilation. On these measures Canadian, Cuban and Filipino immigrants were indistinguishable from the native-born.

But the study also contained some interesting surprises. For example, even though Vietnamese immigrants scored 99 (on a scale of 100) on economic assimilation and exhibited the highest degree of civic assimilation (as measured by naturalization rates and military service), they scored about the same on cultural assimilation (as measured by English proficiency, intermarriage and childbearing) as Mexicans and Salvadorans. And the groups that fared the worst on cultural assimilation measures were Asian Indians and Chinese; while Mexicans, Salvadorans, Canadians and Asian Indians measured poorly on civic assimilation.

Legal status matters

The study did not distinguish between immigrants who entered the country legally and those who entered illegally, because Census data don't include such information. But, of course, across all measures, legal status is critical to assimilation. Mexicans are far more likely than other immigrants to have entered the U.S. illegally, so it's little wonder they have the lowest civic assimilation rates and fare more poorly on economic measures.

But what about Canadian and Asian Indian immigrants? There's little clue why they don't join the military or become citizens at higher rates, but Vigdor does suggest that those who scored highest on civic assimilation, Vietnamese and Filipinos, come from countries that experienced recent U.S. military intervention in the past 100 years; but then so did the Dominican Republic, whose immigrants score in the middle range on civic assimilation.

The immigration debate -- at least at the national level -- has simmered down since its boiling point last summer. Congress continues to abrogate its responsibility to come up with reasonable immigration reform, but it can't avoid doing so forever. States and local jurisdictions have already tried to fill the void, but with mixed results. Arizona, for example, passed tough laws to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants, only to find itself in a labor crunch, with dire consequences for the state economy. Now Arizona, Colorado and a handful of other states are exploring whether they can create their own "guest worker" programs to bring in more Mexican workers.

When Congress does get around to changing our immigration laws, it should consider ways of encouraging the assimilation of immigrants, as well deciding on whom and how many to admit.

Offer incentives

That doesn't mean we take only people who hail from English-speaking countries; language is, after all, a skill that can be learned. But why not give incentives for learning English before they get their green card? And why not encourage employers who want to hire these workers by giving them tax incentives if they offer on-the-job English classes to improve immigrants' skills? We could also give priority admission to immigrants willing to serve in the U.S. military, provided they have the requisite English and educational skills.

Successful assimilation should be the goal of U.S. immigration policy. Instead, it's usually given short shrift in drafting immigration laws. When Congress takes up the issue again, as it most assuredly must next year, we should look to improve the assimilation index across all measures: economic, cultural and civic.

^^ Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. :lol:

^^ I think Pinoys already are "assimilated" to the American way of living even before they leave the Philippines to emigrate to the United States, don't you think so? ;)

^^

How icy life in Iceland....:lol:

^^ Yup, we are at par with how the Los Angelinos drive on the freeways. :lol:

^^^ Heck it's easy to find in any foreign land someone who has filipino lineage. Sa dami ng babae sa Pilipinas kumkuha ng foreigner na mapapangasawa I can see half of the population of the world would have filipino ancestry. Kahit saan ka yata pumunta sa mundo, may filipino communities or half filipino, kahit sa middleast pa yan... Maybe the only remaining countries that does not have many filipinos around them would be Tibet or many other communist like countries that are also underdeveloped.

:lol: This is just funny but partly true.

Tibet isn't a country anymore. Its part of mainland China ;)

Anyway, I usually think of Mongolia or most of South America as places where there are hardly any Pinoys.

BTW, how about Filipinos joining the French Foreign Legion?

I think there's a strong representation of Filipinos in S. America especially in Brazil and Argentina. I read something about it online. Talking about lack of representation, I always thought of North Korea as one of a few countries where there are hardly Filipinos.

Cleaning Lady (http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_life/?cat_id=16568&ew_0_a_id=306270)

Almost every other Pinay (slang for Filipino woman, Pinoy for men) I meet in Iceland is a cleaning lady. Not because they are poorly educated but mainly because it can be magnificently hard for non-EEA people to have their credentials accredited.

Many of them have university degrees, come from good families and generally lead an exemplary invisible life as migrants. Of course, they could have survived on what they earned back home. However, like most migrants, these cleaning ladies did not want to just survive. They wanted and still want a better life for themselves and their families.

How is that possible by working in Iceland? Simple. Only 60,000 Icelandic krónur (something between 27,000 to 30,000 pesos—USD 805, EUR 516) provides monthly sustenance for a family of five in the Philippines with two kids going through university.

Generally, the first migrants are women initially establishing a life for themselves, sending money home in the interim and because she wants better opportunities for her kids, sends for them and eventually sets up a home in the new country. Husband optional. Mainly because by the time she is ready for her family to come to Iceland, communication and intimacy with her significant other would have most likely broken down. It is also likely that she has met and been wooed by a lonely Icelandic widower or divorcee who in turn filled in her need for companionship and financial security in a strange country.

Many cleaning ladies have permanent jobs and cleaning homes is a moonlighting, tax-free opportunity. It does not pay much of course (between ISK 2,500 and 5,000 (USD 33 and 67, EUR 22 and 43) an hour for back back-breaking work) but whatever little they get is additional moolah to send home or maybe even for this week's groceries.

On her spare time, she finds solace in the two Catholic churches in Reykjavík, bingo sessions or a spot of mahjong (that Chinese game played with tiles). Every weekend there is a celebration, every birthday a riotous event with karaoke and variations of Filipino food (a few substitutions for key ingredients).

She does not go to museums, art being a non-entity in normal Filipino existence. Concerts are boring. Who wants to listen to instrumental renditions anyway? Well, unless you want to sleep. Coffee shops and bars are expensive, besides the cool ones never let in cleaning ladies on their days off anyway. It's a doorman thing. She does not ski, river raft or ice skate. Fun, outdoorsy stuff is not in her vocabulary.

Iceland as a new home can be trying. First, there is the language barrier. While Filipinos speak some form of English and many Icelanders do, it is still a challenge to find your way in the city. Traffic signs, notices and announcements are made in Icelandic. Our ears and tongues are not used to hearing Nordic languages. Every sound is new, every sentence unintelligible. Also, again because we come from a non-EEA nation, regardless of skill or expertise, Filipinos are required to learn Icelandic for a permanent work permit to be granted. This is a long and painful process.

Second, food is strange and new. Our palates are used to pork, tropical fruits, freshly picked veggies and the wide variety of seafood available in warm tropical shores. The taste of lamb takes a while to get used to (although once we do, it becomes a favorite), what Icelanders call lobster is actually langosteen and shrimp is unshelled. Many flavors are dulled by freezing.

Third, whatever people may say, Iceland is still a trying place for sociable people. Back home in the motherland, walls are thin, backyards are shared and babysitting duties are not considered favors but neighborly responsibilities. What Icelanders regard as privacy, most Asians see as social isolation.

Still, we persist. You see as little as 60,000 krónur is enough for a family of five to survive in a country where people demonstrate in streets over rising rice prices and schoolchildren stop attending classes because they have nothing to eat for lunch.

Iceland is a land of opportunity. Yet, we are keenly aware that once the need for extra workers dwindles to nothingness in Iceland, it may be time to go home and leave this invisible existence.

:ohno: Terrible. It goes to show how Filipinos are turning desperate just so they could make ends meet back home w/ their families. It's the true embodiment of the Pinoy character 'Matiisin'.

On a positive note, I think just recently (last year) Finland started to open its doors for our nurses. Another window of opportunity.:)

On a positive note, I think just recently (last year) Finland started to open its doors for our nurses. Another window of opportunity.:)

But you're wishing it was Sweden, right Custer? ;)

^^ Haha, yes yes yes.:lol:
I could still go there even w/o my nursing degree.
The question is when? And How? :gaah:

^^ When you say? When you have enough money saved up to take a vacation, and preferrably not a budget/shoestring one. And how? Well, I believe SAS flies to Stockholm from Singapore. :colgate:

Pinoys are very westernized for sure if you would compare it with most asian countries, that's for sure...

It does but you have to change planes twice (in Bangkok, and Copenhagen). Hmp, I just wish someday, I could eat a genuine and authentic smorgasbord in Swedish soils.

Makamundong bata talaga itong si brownman...oops mali pala ako LMAO

When buying a house becomes an immigration issue (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/propertyfocus/propertyfocus/view/20080313-124474/When-buying-a-house-becomes-an-immigration-issue)

Mario, a Filipino immigrant, bought his first house in Daly City California at $450,000. When his home increased in value three years ago, he was able to refinance his loan.

His mortgage on the house is now $750,000 and faces the prospect of an interest rate increase in the next few months that may result in a significant increase in the monthly mortgage payment.

He’s contemplating having his home foreclosed as its value is now below $750,000. Mario works for an insurance company, which is undergoing layoffs. He fears he might lose his job soon.

Affidavit of support

Besides his housing payment woes, Mario has to execute an affidavit of support for his children and grandchildren who are all arriving in the US as immigrants this year.

For the past few years, real estate values of homes in the US have increased tremendously. There were many financial institutions willing to extend credit to qualified homebuyers. Unfortunately, there were also loan brokers earning commissions for each home loan that they foreclosed for banks or lenders.

Fraudulent application

With so much easy credit available, there were homeowners who really could not afford a house but who qualified for home loans through fraudulent application. Many would-be homebuyers submitted fraudulent financial documents and tax returns just to be approved for home loans.

When a home is purchased, everyone, including the new owner, is happy. The new homeowner starts paying an affordable monthly mortgage on his house until the interest rates goes up hen the attractive low rates expire. Several homeowners find themselves unable to afford their monthly payments. When increased rates have kicked in, some have to contend with a $5,000/month increase from an initial teaser rate of $2,000/month.

Because of this increase in monthly payments, many homeowners cannot afford the new rates. Some have abandoned their homes, resulting in foreclosures. These cases have become very common and the value of the homes started going down as foreclosed properties increased the available supply of homes for re-sale.

Other buyers are staying out of the market hoping that the values would go down some more before they buy. The US Congress is already talking about an economic stimulus package which may or may not readily alleviate the crisis. All these, I must say, started in greed and illegitimate lending practices.

The real victims

Many first-time homebuyers are immigrants and many of those affected by the mortgage fiasco are Filipino. Some claim to be victims of misrepresentation by realtors, lenders or brokers. Others are just suffering from a natural effect of the falling real estate values.

As many homeowners lose their homes, there is a question of who will eventually be liable for all their financial miseries. The US may be on the brink of a recession, if not officially declared as yet, and the ripple effect will reach not only the new immigrants who are already in the US but also the intended immigrants still in the Philippines.

Family petitions are approved if the petitioner can prove financial ability to support the children who are migrating to the US. The petitioner must have sufficient income - say 125 percent above poverty line - to support petitioned children.

It is important for the petitioner to show other revenues or assets that may be added to his total income to exhibit financial ability to support dependents. If the petitioner is not financially able, another relative or close friend could be requested to be a co-sponsor for the affidavit of support.

Petitioning employers

Another way of obtaining immigrant visas is through petitions by employers. If the petitioning employer suffers from a financial crisis, the immigrant visa petition for the employee will not be approved. It is important for the employer to show financial ability to pay the employee being petitioned before a visa is actually issued. We have seen an increase of denied petitions because of the employer’s inability to show sufficient income to pay the petitioned employee.

When President Bush proposed the economic stimulus package, it was with the intention to make money available to consumers who will hopefully spend the money and stimulate economic activity. But times are very unpredictable. A number of Filipinos in the US are bracing themselves for hard times.

Many have cut down on their own expenses. But the Filipino petitioners always leave a budget for petitioning their relatives. To many a Filipino, reuniting with the family is still a first priority to owning a home.


Sad but consumers in this case homebuyers should know first hand and educate themselves before getting into their first mortgage. This is a big purchase that people should use extreme common sense when getting into this kind of predicament.

My sisters both bought their homes at a 30 year FIXED and NOT an ADJUSTABLE RATE on their mortgage so their monthly payments will stay the same for as long they own their homes until it is finally paid off. So far,15 years later they are still paying the same monthly payment on their homes. Yes it is affordable and yes they have equity on their homes after having owned it for the past 15 years.

^^ I think Pinoys already are "assimilated" to the American way of living even before they leave the Philippines to emigrate to the United States, don't you think so? ;)

i wonder, with all this obsession with the American way, we tend to imitate their lifestyle, but why cant we at least imitate those traits and practices that make American culture 'noble'?

for example, Filipino kids love singing along to hip-hop tunes heavily laden with sexual connotations...but why cant we copy the practice of cleaning up our tables after eating in a fastfood shop? or why cant we for once follow traffic rules?

Filipinos in Austria OKs making integration a law for immigrants (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=119190)

The Austrian Interior Ministry reported that almost 816,000 foreigners migrated to Austria over the past 20 years. Nevertheless, Interior Minister Gunther Platter admitted that Austria should not be considered as a "country of immigrants."

Because of this increasing number of immigrants, the Alliance for the Future of Austria (Bündnis Zukunft Österreich, BZÖ), a right-wing political party in Austria wants to stop immigration, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.

BZÖ leader Peter Westenthaler has called for an end to immigration to Austria. He made an exception, however, for needed skilled workers, who should be allowed into the country through a "green card" similar to those used in the United States of America and Canada.

However, the alliance suggested that even skilled workers must learn to speak fluent German, be well-educated and have a desire to be integrated into the country’s society. Westenthaler further proposed that foreigners who refused to integrate themselves into Austrian society should be deported.

Filipinos in Austria remain unaffected by the proposals being debated on and which the Austrian parliament is about to enact. The Philippine embassy said this is perhaps because Filipinos in Austria are willing to integrate themselves into Austrian society.

Emelita Villanueva, a Filipina care giver commented: "Ako ay sang-ayon sa mga proposals ng mga mambabatas dito at gawin itong batas, dahil marami akong kasamahan sa hospital na galing sa ibang bansa pero 20 years na sila dito hindi pa rin marunong mag-German." (I agree with the proposals of the lawmakers and this should really be made into law since I have a lot of fellow workers in the hospital, who come from other countries, too. We have already been working here for 20 years and until now, they still cannot speak the language.)

A Filipino who is now the holder of an Austrian passport, Danilo Garcia said "I waited for a long time before I got my Austrian passport. I studied to be an immigrant and my studies included acquaintance with my rights and duties as well as relevant provisions of Austrian law."

He said he did not regret the extra studies since it strengthened his self-confidence and through it he gained respect from Austrians who at first did not believe in his capability to blend in.

From the official statistics of the Philippine Embassy in Austria, 30,000 or more Filipinos are living in the country. Almost half are working in the hospitals and homes for the aged. Majority of these Filipinos have no problems at all with regard to integration and language

Filipinos can now find jobs via online guide (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p080522.htm&no=52)

Jobs and skills mismatch among Filipinos, particularly young jobseekers, is expected to be mitigated with the new online career guide.

Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman said new graduates and jobseekers may now access online a valuable and free Career Guide, particularly at the newly launched GMA (Greater Modular Access) Jobs Center kiosks nationwide.

In Western Visayas, the GMA Jobs Center kiosks were established in major malls in Iloilo City and Bacolod City, he said.

The other GMA Job Center kiosks that were also launched in May 1 include Starmills (San Fernando, Pampanga); Galeria (Ortigas) and Forum (Pioneer, Mandaluyong); Lipa City, Batangas, and Dasmarinas, Cavite; and earlier at the Robinson's Mall in Malate, Manila, Lagman said.

He added that aside from the online kiosks, the Career Guide is also readily accessible at the Internet directly through the Philjobnet website at www.phil-job.net, or the Bureau of Local Employment website at www.ble.dole.gov.ph.

Lagman revealed that the GMA Jobs Center is the Philippines' first unified and synchronized system incorporating the DOLE's time-tested Phil-Jobnet job search facility, with a better capacity to reach out to a much greater client base with free, relevant jobs and skills information.

By means of the Career Guide, the DOLE, through the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) which supervises the GMA Jobs Center, aims to broaden relevant information on highly in-demand but hard to fill occupations, and increase the access to opportunities, he said.

He added that the Career Guide, which is a series of occupational briefs on more than 40 occupations, contains relevant information such as the nature of a job, its education and competency requirements, earnings, employment and job outlook.

The guide, he said, covers the in-demand occupations identified during the DOLE-led National Human Resource Conference in 2007.

First OFWs in China (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/23/yehey/top_stories/20080523top8.html)

As early as the 17th century, there were already “OFWs” in China. No kidding. According to Volume 4 of Ming Xi Zong Shi Lu (actual record of Ming Emperor Xi Zhong) in 1621 or the first year of Tian Qi, the minister of criminal justice, Huang Ke Zhan, reported to the emperor, “When I assisted in defense matters, I recruited big brass cannon makers from Luzon to the capital, and fabricated 28 units of big cannons. Seven units were delivered to Liao Yang [in northeastern China], the one that weighed more than three thousand jin [equal to half a kilo] went to Li Bing Cheng. With one shot at Fong Ji, it killed more than 700 Manchurians of Jianzhou, including two officers.”

This historical record is important. It tells us that as early as 1621, Filipinos from Luzon were already being recruited to Peking (today’s Beijing) to work there as cannon makers. It also shows that Filipinos were good at manufacturing big brass cannons that their skill had attracted Chinese officials in Peking. The cannons that they fashioned for the Ming court were used for defense against the Manchurians in northeastern China.

The Filipinos were producing cannons that weighed about 1,500 kilos. The cannons appeared to be of high quality, as shown by the incident in which more than 700 enemies were killed by just one cannon shot.

The account does not say how many cannon makers of Luzon were recruited by the Ming high official. But considering the size of the cannons and the fact that 28 of them were fabricated, it is safe to speculate that quite a few must have been recruited then. Certainly, more than one “OFW,” or “overseas Filipino worker” was hired.

Our own historical records show that Filipinos already had artillery they used to defend themselves against their enemies even before the Spaniards came. Raja Baginda, Muslim Prince from Sumatra, supposedly brought the first firearms to Sulu in 1390, or 141 years before Ferdinand Magellan arrived on Philippine shores.

It is not known, however, when Filipinos began making cannons and who introduced them to cannon making. But accounts show that Panday Pira set up a cannon-forging shop on the north bank of Pasig River, now San Nicolas district, when he and his relatives moved from southern Philippines to Manila. He was then 20.

On Rajah Soliman’s order, Panday Pira forged several pieces of cannon that were mounted on the palisades surrounding the kingdom and on the seaside portion of the wooden kuta or fort guarding the mouth of Pasig River. As large as the largest Malaga cannons that the Spaniards used, Panday Pira’s cannons defended Maynilad (today’s Manila).

The Chinese already had extensive trade with the Philippines long before Magellan landed on the islands. Since Pasig River was the main mode of transporting trade wares at the time, it is highly plausible to think that these traders must have seen Panday Pira’s cannons at the fort there. News of the Filipinos’ cannon-making prowess could have then spread to the Peking high officials in the Ming court through these traders.

i wonder, with all this obsession with the American way, we tend to imitate their lifestyle, but why cant we at least imitate those traits and practices that make American culture 'noble'?

for example, Filipino kids love singing along to hip-hop tunes heavily laden with sexual connotations...but why cant we copy the practice of cleaning up or tables after eating in a fastfood shop? or why cant we for once follow traffic rules?

We are getting there. I've seen some young kids in a Macdo along NLEX who were trying to cleanup their tables after they ate, but was confronted by a worker to take care of things on their table.
Following traffic rules... hmm.. medyo matagalan pa yan until they cleanup LTO and to discipline all the drivers in Pinas.

i wonder, with all this obsession with the American way, we tend to imitate their lifestyle, but why cant we at least imitate those traits and practices that make American culture 'noble'?


does that mean we should have self-service gas stations too???:D

370,000 jobs await Pinoys in Singapore and Macau (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business2_may22_2008)

As many as 370,000 tourism jobs are available in Singapore and Macau, and many of the hotels and resorts in these tourist destinations are looking for Filipino talents, according to a Singaporean executive.

“We need the skills and talents of the people of the Philippines,” said Edward Liu, managing director of Conference and Exhibition Management Services Pte. Ltd., at the sidelines of the Trabaho sa Turismo Manila 2008 fair at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

“The Filipinos are the best.” Liu said. “Filipinos’ hospitality is known all over the world.”

Liu said Singapore alone would need 70,000 individuals to fill the jobs to be created by 10 to 20 hotels being built on the island state.

Two of these projects, a hotel in Sentosa Park and a facility of the Universal Studio in Singapore, will require 30,000 staff over the next two years.

In Macau, 30 hotels and casinos will be built in two to three years, which will generate 100,000 to 300,000 new jobs.

Among the positions that are needed in the two states are receptionists, chefs, waiters, events organizers and other tourism staff, he added.

Liu’s company has teamed up with the Tourism Department to look for Filipino talents in the next tourism jobs fair.

He said he would bring 100 companies, including hotels, resorts and casinos, from Singapore and Macau to hire Filipino staff next year.

Singapore, which has a population of 4.4 million, attracts more than 10 million foreign tourists a year.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said thousands of tourism jobs were also awaiting Filipinos in their own country. He said companies that participated in the jobs fair at SMX are hiring 15,000 individuals.

“What we are doing is to make sure that everybody is given job opportunities in tourism,” Durano said.

More than a dozen hotels began hiring additional staff yesterday, each one recruiting more than 10 personnel. These hotels include Makati Shangri-La, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Peninsula Manila, Ascott Hotel, Manila Pavilion, Pan Pacific Manila, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Palm Plaza Hotel, Microtel Inn, Fuego Hotel, Legend Hotels, Traders Hotel, City Garden Hotel, Econotel, and Victoria Court.

I was just wondering how most filipinos in the philipines view the US. Positively or negatively?

hmmm seems like most positivly... hmmm but didnt american soldiers commit alot of atrocities?

nah, I guess fighting and dying together along the same lines, forges a strong bond......

It's a love-hate relationship.

It's a love-hate relationship.

madalas love pero siyempre, parang mag-asawa e may hate din kahit papaano...

so ano ba ang pilipinas?? asawa? o querida?

Parang patis sawsaw yata!! LMAO nabiro lang po ako!!!

i said yes even tho im on the other spectrum hehe

girlfriend no. 2 siguro

Positively. But I think the Philippines isn't getting the maximum possible out of her special relationship with the US. So we're neither asawa or querida, but more like neglected martyr girlfriend... :nuts:

Isa pa, kung madiskarte lang sana gobyerno natin pwedeng-pwedeng paglaruin natin ang 'Tate at Tsina. Pareho silang may vested interest sa kinaroroonan natin... ;)

Makamundong bata talaga itong si brownman...oops mali pala ako LMAO

:yes: Depending on how you denote it. :naughty: :lol:

^^ what the...wouldn't that make us a slut?? :jk: :nocrook:

^^ Hindi naman. Kung maayos ang "packaging" mo socialite ang tawag sa iyo. :colgate:

Sort of a wait and see relationship.

It's a love-hate relationship.

in that case, sort of an ambivalent relationship

^^ Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Can't live with them, can't live without them.

Okay, what other cliches can we apply? ;)

^ live and let die?

does that mean we should have self-service gas stations too???:D

...and no maids, yayas and drivers?:lol:

^^ hey, why not? I can appreciate now the benefit of letting the kids help out in the house chores as office to having someone do it for them... atleast they would learn that "katulongs" are human being also and not a slave... Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say it really happens that way to every filipinos there is, but in many instances, kids in the Philippines are too dependent on somebody else to do things for them ...

When I first met my brother inlaw in the Philippines (he is now in the US with his family) I'm almost disgusted with how they work the maids to death... He is almost 6 foot and a big guy(he is pinoy, just happen to be a big one..LOL) He allow his 4 foot 11 skinny housemaid to carry the balikbayan boxes full of our present for them he watches while the poor little gal dragged the 65lbs box upstairs up to the 3rd floor for him. I didnt feel sorry for the girl but I feel sorry for my bro-inlaw, I can pretty much tell he won't survive in this world because he pay almost everybody to do things for him and he thinks when he move to America, he will hire house maids left and right..

I also can't stand to see any filipino kids being followed around by housemaids so they can spoon feed them, i probably wouldn't think any of it if the child is still around a toddler's age but if the child is already 7 or 8.. that's ridiculous.. I don't want my kids to grow up and turn into a sponge or a jelly fish who does not have it's own backbone...