Showing posts with label OFW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OFW. Show all posts
More Filipino maids suffer during Ramadan
Filipino maids in the Middle East suffer more during the fasting month of Ramadan when some of them are required to work long hours, lasting way beyond 8 hours per day. A number of these women are forcibly asked to observe fasting in domestic households against their will.
John L. Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator who works for the welfare of OFW;s, said the number of maids who runaway from their employers rise from 5 before Ramadan to about 6 to 8 per month----a result of intolerable work conditions which tend to worsen during the Muslim fasting season.
“Just last night, I received several short messages from OFW Marie (not her real name) asking for help as she couldn’t anymore endure staying with her employer. She complains that she works 18 to 20 hours a day, with only a single meal and not enough sleep,” Monterona said.---- Inquirer (08/30/09, Uy, V.)
In 2006, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) lists about 90,000 Filipino maids working abroad, mostly in the Middle East. There is a lot that the Philippine government and the host country have to do to improve the labor condition of house-helps working outside the country.
Exploitation of maids in abroad is still a problem in spite of international covenants by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN aimed to protect them and assert their human rights. =0=
Ambassador Lauro Baja’s abuse cases of Pinay maid
Former Philippine Ambassador Lauro l. Baja remains accused by his domestic helper Marichu S. Baoan. Out of the 15 charges, the accuser and her lawyers rounded them to 12 charges that included forced labor, trafficking, peonage, slavery, and involuntary servitude. Her lawyers filed an amended complaint without the the violation of the racketeer influenced and corrupt organization act (RICO).) Baja is given 20 days from August 18, 2009 to answer the charges.
“Baoanan complained that she worked at the Bajas as domestic helper for three months, her visa facilitated by Labaire International Travel. The Bajas collected fees from her, provided her temporary housing and organized her travel from the Philippines to New York. She was forced to work 18 hours a day, seven days a week with no days off for three months and paid merely $100…
Baoanan is taking action under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, federal and state labor laws, and common law to recover her lawful minimum and overtime wages, other damages, attorneys’ fees. She is also seeking redress for violations of her basic human and civil rights.”----GMANews.Tv (08/26/09, Lariosa, J.G.)
Charges against the Bajas are pretty serious. If true, they reflect the discordant lifestyle of Filipinos that I mentioned in the blog before. The accusations are cautionary tales for Filipinos who dream of ritzy life-styles in USA cum maids in tow, but don’t have enough money, or a least plan to scrimp, to sustain such luxury. Circumventing the law, particularly by high Philippine officials on foreign assignments adds to the multiple black eyes our country suffer in the international stage.
An embarrassing story like Ambassador Baja’s is reminiscent of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo’s travels outside the country. Feeling the pinch of a jet-setter’s lifestyle with accusations of abuse and extravagance, the president creates an ugly picture about us Filipinos. It's the whole nation that bears the brunt.
The best policy therefore is still to live within one’s means---any extras, like having a maid in America or eating in a plush restaurant at New York’s Le Cirque restaurant at P1,000,000 a throw can spell trouble. (Photo Credit: filipinoexpress)
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Recession not the only reason for lack of nursing hires in the USA
The number of Filipino nurses seeking jobs in the United States fell 16% according to Trade Union of the Philippines (TUCP) secretary general and former senator Ernesto Herrera. The declining number of nurses trying to find work in USA was also reflected in countries like India, Korea, Canada and Cuba. NCLEX-takers who prepared for jobs in America showed a decrease.
“A total of 20,746 Filipino nurses took the NCLEX for the first time for the whole year of 2008 and Herrera said the number was lower by 3.5 percent compared to the 21,299 Filipino nurses that took the test for the first time in 2007.
Filipino nurses accounted for 37 percent of the 22,500 foreign-educated nurses who took the NCLEX for the first time in the first semester.”---Philstar (08/01/09, Maymalin, M.)
It’s hard to attribute the decline of hires to the economic meltdown alone occurring in the United States as Herrera explained. In the Philippines, factors such as unavailable visas for nurse applicants, lack of money to finance an expensive application, and preference to go to other countries or stay at home are significant reasons as well.
In the last 3 to 5 years, there is a current backlog of applicants waiting to be issued visas so they can work in the USA. The NCLEX and visa screens and other application fees have gone up. Many nurses have found alternatives in other countries like Saudi Arabia, Japan, United Kingdom and Australia as they impatiently wait for openings in USA.
For lack of jobs locally, thousands of nurses take employment in call centers, department stores and manufacturing. The staggering professional loss has not been addressed by the educational and labor departments.. With or without the recession, USA is still a preferred destination. Filipino nurses have very limited choices and many are willing to go anywhere and anyplace to find a job. (Photo Credit: Meijinmike) =0=
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10 Filipino OFWs perish in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan
Breaking the prohibition by the Philippine government, 10 Filipino OFWs illegally worked in war-torn Afghanistan. They were killed when a Russian-owned civilian helicopter they were riding crashed in the Kandahar Airbase tarmac. Investigation to know the cause of the crash was on-going.
Among the recognized fatalities are Marvin Najera of San Fernando, Pampanga; Ely Cariño of Cabusao, Camarines Sur; Manolito Hornilla of Taysan, Batangas; Mark Joseph Mariano of Floridablanca, Pampanga; Celso Caralde of Butuan City; Rene D. Taboclaon (Cagayan de Oro City), Recardo E. Vallejos (Bislig, Surigao del Sur) and Noli M. Visda, of Lubao, Pampanga.
The OFW’s who previously worked in the Middle East in 2004 came to Afghanistan to work illegally. After returning to the Philippines, they left the country in July this year to find employment abroad. Approximately 1,500 Filipinos have presently taken jobs in Afghanistan.
Even if the country forbids Filipinos from taking jobs in dangerous and far places like Afghanistan. the workers came, acting as tourists from Dubai. This illustrates the desperation of Filipinos to find employment---anywhere, anytime and anyplace? (Photo Credit: Aryty) =0=
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US Visa Availability August 2009
Each month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issue the visa availability of those who wish to immigrate (family-based application) or work (employment based application) in America. For the month of August 2009 here are the abridged priority dates:
FAMILY CATEGORIES August
Categories----Worldwide----China (PRC)----India-------Mexico-----Philippines
1st------------01-08-03-----01-08-03-------01-08-03----01-01-91---09-15-93
2A------------01-15-05-----01-15-05-------01-15-05----09-22-02---01-15-05
2B------------05-01-01-----05-01-01-------05-01-01----05-08-92---05-01-98
3rd-----------11-01-00-----11-01-00-------11-01-00----07-01-01---08-08-91
4th-----------12-22-98------12-22-98-------12-22-98----08-01-95---09-08-86
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES August
Categories--- Worldwide----China (PRC)----India-----Mexico-----Philippines
1st--------------Current------Current---------Current---Current----Current
2nd------------Current------10-01-03--------10-01-03---Current----Current
3rd------------05-01-05-----10-22-02--------10-15-01---08-15-03---05-01-05
Other workers---Unavailable--Unavailable---Unavailable--Unavailable--Unavaiable
4th------------Current------Current----------Current---Current----Current
Religious-----Current------Current----------Current---Current----Current
5th-------------Current------Current--------Current---Current----Current
Targeted
Employment areas--Current----Current--------Current---Current----Current
For detailed information I suggest the websites: State Department Visa Bulletin---http://travel.state.gov/; http://shusterman.com/vb.html (Photo Credit: Yuhuru1701)
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Crash site of Air France flight #447 confirmed; Filipino seaman among the missing
With no survivors so far reported, the tragedy could well be the worst aviation mishap of Air France through its years of operation. The crash site of the Air France jetliner was confirmed by fuel oil floating at sea, an aircraft passenger seat and pieces of metal debris seen in deep sea, a three-mile path of wreckage between the coasts of Brazil and Africa. Six hundred fifty (650) km northeast of Fernando do Noronha archipelago, the pieces of debris in the Atlantic Ocean were reported by the Brazilian Air Force.
The appearance of aircraft fragments is bolstered by a report that a pilot of TAM, a Brazilian airline saw glowing spots on the sea surface in what was thought to be site where the plane fell from the sky. Continued effort to find the plane’s black box to explain the circumstances of the crash is underway. In spite of the tragedy occurring during a supposed inclement weather, terrorism and sabotage have yet to be ruled out by investigators.
Among the 228 on board the airbus A330 are 12 crew members and Pinoy OFW Arden Jugueta counted among the missing with very little chance of surviving. On a connecting flight en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro, Jugueta was on his way to Manila when the horrible mishap occurred. This was relayed by the French Foreign Ministry (FFM) to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA.)
In accordance to the rules of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA,) the family of Jugueta is entitled an accident insurance benefit of P200,000 plus a burial compensation of P20,000 once the seaman’s death is ascertained. OWWA promises to bring back the victim’s body to the Philippines if found.--- AP (06/03/09 Pia Lee-Brago)
As the personal heart-rending details of the disaster are disclosed, the magnitude of human suffering becomes more obvious. People learn that the missing passengers are human beings with jobs, children and social roles to play in society. Their families and friends are from more than 30 countries in disbelief, waiting for the news of the search teams---- rushed to rescue their loved ones from the coldness of the ocean. (Photo Credit: AFP/ Vanderlei Almeida) =0=
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US Visa Availability June 2009
Each month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issue the visa availability of those who wish to immigrate (family-based application) or work (employment based application) in America. For the month of June 2009 here are the abridged priority dates:
FAMILY CATEGORIES June 2009
-------Worldwide------China (PRC)--------India------------Mexico--------Philippines
1st-----11-08-02-------11-08-02---------11-08-02--------10-08-92-------09-01-93
2A------12-15-04-------12-15-04---------12-15-04--------05-15-02-------12-15-04
2B------02-01-01-------02-01-01---------02-01-01--------05-01-92-------04-01-98
3rd-----10-08-00-------10-08-00---------10-08-00--------10-22-92-------07-01-91
4th-----08-15-98-------08-15-98---------08-15-98--------05-22-95-------08-01-86
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
-------------------Worldwide------China (PRC)------India-------Mexico----Philippines
1st-----------------Current--------Current--------Current------Current----Current
2nd-----------------Current--------02-15-05---------01-01-00---Current----Current
3rd-----------------Unavail.------Unavail.---------Unavail------Unavail.-----Unavail.
Other workers-----Unavail.-------Unavail.---------Unavail.------Unavail.---Unavail.
4th-----------------Current-------Current----------Current------Current----Current
Religious-----------Current-------Current----------Current------Current-----Current
5th------------------Current------Current----------Current------Current-----Current
For detailed information I suggest the websites: State Department Visa Bulletin---http://travel.state.gov/; http://shusterman.com/vb.html (Photo Credit: Yuhuru1701)
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14 million Filipino adults are jobless, but the Arroyo administration thinks it’s just a “perception”
It’s one of the bad news that we Filipinos rather forget, but the Social Weather Stations (SWS ) registered a dismal picture of adult employment in the country. Thirty four (34%) of Filipino adults, approximately 14 million people are jobless. No one can argue against the strain unemployment brings to the economy.
According to the SWS, the number does not include those who don’t look for jobs---those who are sick, the disabled, home mommies and daddies. Philippine unemployment is almost 4x as high as the jobless rate (8.9% as of April, 2009) in USA at this time. Jobless Filipinos are more than 10x the entire population of Trinidad and Tobago and 2x greater the inhabitants of Georgia, a former state of the Soviet Union.
“In its First Quarter Social Weather Survey last Feb. 20 to 23, SWS also said 13 percent of adults voluntarily left their old job, while 12 percent were retrenched. The 12 percent who were retrenched included nine percent who were laid off and three percent whose previous contracts were not renewed."---GMA TV News (05/12/09)
Since I am forcibly retired because of illness, I meet many Filipinos my age who don’t work----either they have given up looking because there’s almost no job for them out there or they have been laid off too early as early retirees----an option in the company of work. Able-bodied and healthy, some of the jobless have not been employed all their lives, spending their time sitting around.
What will these jobless adults do if they live long enough to grow in an old age of 100? What happens to a country where more than a third of adults have no way to earn a living? How long can the people take their poverty?
Since 2005, the joblessness is persistently high----more than 20%. Many companies have closed shop and left the country. The few jobs available are positions in the government, not in the private sector. Many have to travel abroad to work as overseas foreign workers (OFWs,) yet this too has suffered a slump.
It’s truly sobering to think of the huge unemployment problem. But in times of recession, one needs to be creative and persistent. We can’t rely on the word of the Arroyo administration to survive. It’s a foul joke for the government to dismiss this staggering joblessness as “perception.” Interestingly, Pres. Gloria Arroyo also says the same thing about corruption.
International Labor Organization (ILO) Definition of Unemployment
“The current definition of "unemployed" is based on the International Labor Organization (ILO) concept.
Adopted by the National Statistics Office in April 2005, the ILO concept sets three criteria in order for a person 15 years old or older to be considered as unemployed. He or she must be:
1. without work, AND
2. is actively seeking work OR not seeking work due to valid reasons, AND
3. currently available for work.
The old Philippine definition of "unemployed" considered only the first two criteria.
Under the new definition (ILO concept), people unavailable for work, or are available for work but are not looking for work, are not part of the labor force and are not considered as unemployed.”---Source: GMA TV News/ National Statistics Office (NSO) (05/12/09) (Photo Credits: DenesG1; No Worries Windor)
RELATED BLOGS: Typhoon Emong’s death toll of 43, a drop in OFW employment and a rise in H1N1 flu Posted by mesiamd at 5/12/2009; For lack of local jobs, Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo asks Filipinos to leave for employment abroad Posted by mesiamd at 3/02/2009 ; Fearless economic forecasts Posted by mesiamd at 3/11/2009; Fearless economic forecasts Posted by mesiamd at 3/11/2009; Fewer local jobs, rising numbers of OFW’s & fishermen plucked from stormy sea Posted by mesiamd at 1/22/2009
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Typhoon Emong’s death toll of 43, a drop in OFW employment and a rise in H1N1 flu
30%
Is the percentage drop in employment of land-based overseas foreign workers (OFW) last year observed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) compared to the previous 2007. This translates to only 216,803 newly hired workers in 2008 compared to 306,383 in 2007. Affected by the global economic crunch, the decrease in hiring of workers are noted in the leading countries that employ Filipinos.
"Saudi Arabia, the top destination, only had 76,148 new hires compared to 96,890 in 2007. Other markets in the Top 10 were Qatar, with 25,186 new hires (-13.3 percent); Taiwan, with 17,204 (-39.5 percent); Kuwait, with 10,107 (-38.7 percent); Hong Kong, with 8,333 (-62.6 percent), Canada, with 4,849 (-41.6 percent), Bahrain, with 2,882 (-30.9 percent), Italy with 2,288 (-56.4 percent) and Singapore with 2,276 (-38.2 percent)."---Inquirer (05/10/09, Aning, J)
P20 million
Is the estimated loss in a paper factory fire which occurred in the early morning of May 12, 2009 in Valenzuela, Metromanila. The origin of the fire was believed to come from highly combustible chemicals according to firefighters. Two people were injured as a result of the blaze.
4,694
As of May 11, 2009, this is the number of people infected by the H1N1 flu officially recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO.) It is believed that this number is lower than the actual people infected. There are now 30 countries reporting the swine flu.
84
The number of ferry passengers on board ML Ric-Ric were stranded for 12 hours at sea near Tubbataha reef in Palawan after the boat experienced engine breakdown. From t Puerto Princesa City on its way to Cagayancillo, the ferry sent distress signals which was caught by an Indonesian-bound vessel before rescue came along.
92
Under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), 92 nurses together with 188 caregivers left last Sunday, May 10, 2009 from the Philippines to Japan to work. The standard salary of nurses in Japan is between 350,000 to 420,000 yen per month, but the Filipinos will only be paid about half--- between 150,000 and 180,000 yen per month according to Labor Assistant Secretary Reydeluz Conferido.
Unless the nurses pass the licensure exam of the host country, the nurses are allowed only 3 years to work. They will start with retraining for 6 months and they have to learn Jaapanese before they can assume responsibilities on the job. Such adjustments remind the Philippines of the need to make jobs for its people so that they’ll not be forced to travel in faraway places in search for employment.
P781.7 million
The estimated damage caused by Typhoon Emong on agriculture crups, homes and infrastructures in the Philippines. The storm left a total of 43 dead and 13 missing from heavy rains, floods and landslides. The National Disaster Coordinating Committee (NDCC) said 34,626 families or 161,020 persons were affected by last week’s tropical cyclone which immediately followed “Dante”. There were 822 families or 4,142 persons stranded in evacuation centers as a result of the calamity. (Photo Credit:Jensm; Reinar) =0=
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US Visa Availability May 2009
Each month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issue the visa availability of those who wish to immigrate (family-based application) or work (employment based application) in America. For the month of May 2009 here are the abridged priority dates:
FAMILY CATEGORIES May 2009
-------Worldwide------China (PRC)--------India------------Mexico--------Philippines
1st-----09-22-02-------09-22-02---------09-22-02--------10-08-92-------08-01-93
2A------10-08-04-------10-08-04---------10-08-04--------04-01-02-------10-08-04
2B------11-15-00-------11-15-00---------11-15-00--------05-01-92-------02-01-98
3rd-----09-08-00-------09-08-00---------09-08-00--------10-22-92-------06-22-91
4th-----06-08-98-------03-22-98---------06-08-98--------05-01-95-------07-08-86
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
----------Worldwide------China (PRC)-------India-----------Mexico--------Philippines
1st--------Current---------Current----------Current---------Current-------Current
2nd--------Current--------02-15-05---------02-15-04--------Current-------Current
3rd--------Unavailable---Unavailable-----Unavailable----Unavailable---Unavailable
Unskilled--Unavailable---Unavailable-----Unavailable----Unavailable---Unavailable
4th--------Current---------Current-----------Current---------Current-------Current
Religious--Current---------Current-----------Current--------Current-------Current
5th---------Current---------Current-----------Current---------Current-------Current
For detailed information I suggest the websites: State Department Visa Bulletin---http://travel.state.gov/; http://shusterman.com/vb.html (Photo Credit: Yuhuru1701)
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More than 100 Filipino seamen still on the hands of Somali pirates
Of more than 300 hostages pirates keep in captivity off the coast of Somalia, about a third of them are Filipino seamen. On Friday, April 17, 2009, 17 Filipinos have been released leaving about 105 still to be freed.
According to Philippine Foreign Affairs official Esteban Cornejos, a total of 227 Filipino seamen have been abducted in the sea off the Gulf of Aden in 2006 and they were released without government intervention. The country is a leading supplier of seafarers worlwide, numbering about 350,000 who serve as crews of oil carriers, luxury vessels, and passengers ships.
This time more than a hundred Filipino seamen are yet to be released from the clutches of Somali marauders. Malacanang Palace have decided to ban the deployment of Filipino mariners on ships that pass within 200 nautical miles or 300 kilometers from Somali coast.
In spite of the UN Security Councils adoption of Resolution 1838 since October last year calling on nations with boats in the area to use military force to halt piracy at sea, the kidnapping activities of Somali pirates for ransom continue. They have intensified attacks on shipping---causing travel to be more expensive and dangerous.
“Pirates have attacked more than 80 boats this year alone, four times the number assaulted in 2003, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau. They now hold at least 18 ships — including a Belgian tanker seized Saturday with 10 crew aboard ”----AP/MSNBC (04/18/09)
The most recent is the attack on Saturday April 18, 2009, when a Norwegian vessel MV Front Ardenne was attacked by 7 Solmali pirates who were foiled after a 7 hour speed chase by NATO anti-piracy ships and helicopters from Canada and United States. (Photo Credits: Chris & Steve) =0=
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Immigrant Filipinos among victims in Italy’s earthquake
Many are wondering how the people in the medieval city of L Aquila and neighboring environs are coping with the strong earthquake that brought death to close to 300 people, damaged more than 10,000 buildings and rendered 58,000 people homeless. 33,000 emergency tents were set up to house those who were displaced."There is little industry here, the economy was based on the students from out of town, and they are not coming back for a long time," said Daniele Cerrone, who owned a pub in L'Aquila's ravaged historic center. "In the meantime what are we going to do? Buy clothes and go the pub between ourselves?"----AP/ Yahoo. News (04/15/09, David, A)
The suffering and uncertainty of the earthquake victims aren’t shared by the local Italians alone. Scores of immigrants from Peru, India, the Philippines and neighboring countries who set up their lives in their adopted land sought refuge in tent shelters after their homes were leveled on the ground. Filipino expatriates Julyn Macabenta and Shane Cipriano who lost their home were among the thousands who were displaced.
It will take years for the city ravaged by the earthquake to recover. With many aftershocks, the April 6 tremblor with an intensity of 6.3 has raised a rebuilding dilemma which is estimated to cost $12 billion euros ($16 billion dollars)---Bloomberg.com (04/14/09, Krause-Jackson, F.)(Photo Credit: AP/ Alessandra Tarantino)=0=
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Hongkong’s Chip Tsao & his cheap racial slur against Filipinos
Tsao in part wrote in his HK magazine column:
“Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter."
“As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.”---Chip Tsao
Reactions of Filipinos
“The most racist, insulting and demeaning attack yet against Filipino domestic helpers."---Migrante International Sec. Gen. Gina Esguerra
“His very announcement that he gave her Filipino maid a harsh lecture and warned her to tell every one of her compatriots that Spartly Islands belong to China or she’d lose her wages, is already a sign of an unstable, irresponsible and racist employer who resorts to verbal abuse even for perceived bilateral and historic infractions. Luisa deserves a sane and more humane employer while he deserves to clean up his own filth.” -----Susan Ople, Blas F. Ople Policy Center.
"According to the meeting of leaders of the Filipino community, they are now preparing street protests]… The sentiment of our countrymen here is that the one who wrote the article, Chip Tsao, should apologize." ----Romulo Salud, labor attache of the Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong
“We will look into that because we should not be provoked by one columnist. What that writer did was reprehensible. Let’s see what needs to be done. Press Sec. Cerge Remonde:
"If Filipinos stop going to Hong Kong, their economy would collapse. I propose a six-month, nay a one-year boycott of Hong Kong and let's see what happens to their shops and hotels. We can do without going to HK and HK products." ---- Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez Golez.
"I don’t think we should dignify his (Tsao) statement as he is just one person and not a government or Hong Kong official but it is understandable that we are offended,” -----Pres. Spokesman Lorelei Fajardo
"That comment is uncalled for, it's atrocious. We should protest vigorously against this slur against Filipino workers in Hong Kong," ----Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco
“I am not asking the DFA file a diplomatic protest. But our government must address this squarely and defend the dignity of Filipinos, If we need to take legal action against Tsao, let us do so. Our government should be in the frontline on this; they can hire a lawyer in Hong Kong if at all and file a case for damages.” ---Sen Francis Escudero
"This disgusting, derogatory, and vile remark can only come from dim-witted and mediocre writing. The magazine should apologize straightaway. The article reflects the kind of attitude that promotes abuses against Filipina workers," ----Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros
“Filipinos deserve no less than a formal public apology."---Sen. Pia Cayetano
"It's the view of one person and we don't think it is shared by the Hong Kong community and society... I think we ought to take it as that." ----DFA spokesperson Ed Malaya
“Because of the administration’s failed employment policies, a record number of Filipino women have been forced to seek jobs abroad to make ends meet.”--- Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay
"For the protection of migrant workers, the POEA should look into the said allegations, not only confined to forms of physical abuse but also emotional abuse such as public humiliation and verbal harassment."--- Sen. Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri (Photo Credit: Mattviews) ==0=
RELATED BLOG: "A “nation of servants” insults Filipinos in Hongkong" Posted by mesiamd at 3/30/2009
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A “nation of servants” insults Filipinos in Hongkong
The Philippines has been a recent target of a snide remark from a pea-brained Hongkong journalist who described the country as a “nation of servants.”
In a magazine write-up entitled on March 27, 2009, “The War at Home” Chip Tsao mockingly wrote that he told his Filipino maid she’d lose her job if she won't tell her countrymen that Spratly’s islands for which the Philippines has long-standing ownership claim, belongs to China.
Tsao allegedly asserted that the Philippines’ claim on Spratlys was “reproachable," adding that “as a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.’"----GMA TV News. (03/27/09)
This is again an insult that parallels the “Desperate Housewife” episode when Fil-Am doctors where maligned as incompetents in a US soap-opera. Some years ago, there is also that dictionary that equated "Filipino" as a synonymous to maids. The disparaging comment of Tsao is certainly foul---another insensitive verbal abuse that could only come from a loose cannon.
Susan Ople, a former labor undersecretary said the Chinese columnist must be declared “undersirable foreign employer” for his racist and arrogant remark. Such can be a weak retaliation to a blistering insult. She also needs to stress that the country must find ways to make jobs available at home and curb the sending of Filipinos abroad. In the long term, the deployment of maids to foreign countries is exploitative, unsustainable, and bad for national pride. (Photo Credit: MattViews x 2) =0=
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More OFWs leave the country for jobs abroad
It should tbe consolation to the Philippines that more Filipinos work outside the country in January this year than last year. Philippine Overseass Employment Administration (POEA) reports that 165,737 compared to 132,285 left the country for jobs abroad. “This resoundingly affirms the sustained global preference for our skilled and semi-skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFW), and their productive role in staving off the adverse effects of the global slowdown in the greater portion of the world’s economies," said Labor Secretary Marianito Roque.---GMA TV News (03/24/09, Tan, JT)
The exodus of workers to foreign land has brought about US$16.4 billion dollars to the Philippine economy. In spite of the economic benefits, working abroad has caused a lot alienation, family displacement, and separation.
Filipinos still need to develop local placements and not rely on foreign work opportunities which disrupt local labor. There are many jobs with difficult working conditions abroad and Filipinos are forced to take them for lack of employment in the country. It is not hard to imagine that many of these jobs are menial, dangerous, and demanding that many locals of host countries refuse to take. (Photo Credit: Atsibatsi)=0=
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US Visa Availability April 2009
Each month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issue the visa availability of those who wish to immigrate (family-based application) or work (employment based application) in America. For the month of April 2009 here are the abridged priority dates:
FAMILY CATEGORIES
Categories------Worldwide---China (PRC)----India--------Mexico---------Philippines
1st-------------08-15-02----08-15-02-------08-15-02-----10-08-92-------08-01-93
2A--------------08-15-04----08-15-04-------08-15-04-----01-01-02-------08-15-04
2B--------------09-01-00----09-01-00-------09-01-00-----05-01-92-------01-15-98
3rd-------------08-22-00----08-22-00-------08-22-00-----10-22-92-------06-15-91
4th-------------04-15-98----01-08-98-------04-15-98-----04-22-95-------06-22-86
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
Categories------Worldwide---China (PRC)----India--------Mexico----------Philippines
1st--------------Current-------Current--------Current------Current---------Current
2nd-------------Current-------02-15-05-------02-15-04---Current---------Current
3rd-------------03-01-03----03-01-03-------11-01-01-----03-01-03--------03-01-03
Unskilled-------03-01-01----03-01-01-------03-01-01-----03-01-01--------03-01-01
4th-------------Current--------Current--------Current--------Current---------Current
Religious-----Unavailable---Unavailable---Unavailable--Unavailable-----Unavailable
5th-------------Current--------Current--------Current------Current---------Current
For detailed information I suggest the websites: State Department Visa Bulletin---http://travel.state.gov/; http://shusterman.com/vb.html (Photo Credit: Yuhuru1701)
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Kazakhstan's Caspian Seascape
by Pitoy Moreno
"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime? It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset?”
I may rarely see the flight of fireflies at dusk, the feel of warm air coming from a buffalo’s nostrils in the cold of winter, or the shadows that moves when nightfall sets in, but I can show you some breath-taking views of a place known for its taigas, flatlands, snow-capped mountains and picturesque seas.
For a time I thought I was the only Filipino living here in Kazakhstan, but diaspora made sure it wasn’t true. The saying that “in every nook of the earth, there is a Filipino” came real. As one among the few expatriates working in an enchanting place somewhere in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, I could say so.
About the size of Texas in the USA, Kazakhstan is nestled south of Russia. On its eastern border is China while Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are located in the south. The Caspian Sea and part of Turkmenistan are in the west.
The territory is rich in mineral resources. From out of the 1,177 mi (1,894 km) of coastline of Caspian Sea, is a huge deposit of oil discovered in 2000, the largest ever found in the last 30 years. A fuel pipeline connects the Tengiz oil field of western Kazakhstan to the Novorossiysk, a Russian Black Sea port. Another pipeline brings oil to China.
From the beginnings of human history, it is in this country where the first horses have been first domesticated. From the tribes of the once nomadic Kazakhs and their neighbors has evolved the distillation of a cultures so diverse and interesting.
Sparsely populated through the ages, Kazakhstan has been part of the Soviet Union until its independence in December 16, 1991. In this beautiful locale are memorable awesome red sunsets, pristine blue skies, and numberless grains of sand on the seashore---among the most wonderful scenes I have seen. In addition, there is this buzz of industrial and cultural activity that spurs the country’s growth and hope for the 21st century. They make me remember our country, the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Pitoy Moreno,Xhancock; Anguskirk)=0=
Republic of Kazakhstan
National name: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
President: Nursultan A. Nazarbayev (1990)
Prime Minister: Karim Masimov (2007)
Land area: 1,049,150 sq mi (2,717,300 sq km); total area: 1,049,150 sq mi (2,717,300 sq km)
Population (2008 est.): 15,340,533 (growth rate: 0.3%); birth rate: 16.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 26.5/1000; life expectancy: 67.5; density per sq km: 5
Capital (2003 est.): Astana, 288,200 (formerly Aqmola; capital since 1997)
Largest cities: Almaty (former capital), 1,045,900; Karaganda, 404,600; Shymkent, 333,500; Taraz, 305,700; Pavlodar, 299,500; Ust-Kamenogorsk, 288,000; Aqtöbe, 234,400
Monetary unit: Tenge
Languages: Kazak (Qazaq, state language) 64%; Russian (official, used in everyday business) 95% (2001 est.)
Ethnicity/race: Kazak (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German 2.4%, Tatar 1.4%, Uygur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999)
Religions: Islam 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
National Holiday: Independence Day, December 16
Source: www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107674.html
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"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime? It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset?”
I may rarely see the flight of fireflies at dusk, the feel of warm air coming from a buffalo’s nostrils in the cold of winter, or the shadows that moves when nightfall sets in, but I can show you some breath-taking views of a place known for its taigas, flatlands, snow-capped mountains and picturesque seas.
For a time I thought I was the only Filipino living here in Kazakhstan, but diaspora made sure it wasn’t true. The saying that “in every nook of the earth, there is a Filipino” came real. As one among the few expatriates working in an enchanting place somewhere in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, I could say so.
About the size of Texas in the USA, Kazakhstan is nestled south of Russia. On its eastern border is China while Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are located in the south. The Caspian Sea and part of Turkmenistan are in the west.
The territory is rich in mineral resources. From out of the 1,177 mi (1,894 km) of coastline of Caspian Sea, is a huge deposit of oil discovered in 2000, the largest ever found in the last 30 years. A fuel pipeline connects the Tengiz oil field of western Kazakhstan to the Novorossiysk, a Russian Black Sea port. Another pipeline brings oil to China.
From the beginnings of human history, it is in this country where the first horses have been first domesticated. From the tribes of the once nomadic Kazakhs and their neighbors has evolved the distillation of a cultures so diverse and interesting.
Sparsely populated through the ages, Kazakhstan has been part of the Soviet Union until its independence in December 16, 1991. In this beautiful locale are memorable awesome red sunsets, pristine blue skies, and numberless grains of sand on the seashore---among the most wonderful scenes I have seen. In addition, there is this buzz of industrial and cultural activity that spurs the country’s growth and hope for the 21st century. They make me remember our country, the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Pitoy Moreno,Xhancock; Anguskirk)=0=
Republic of Kazakhstan
National name: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
President: Nursultan A. Nazarbayev (1990)
Prime Minister: Karim Masimov (2007)
Land area: 1,049,150 sq mi (2,717,300 sq km); total area: 1,049,150 sq mi (2,717,300 sq km)
Population (2008 est.): 15,340,533 (growth rate: 0.3%); birth rate: 16.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 26.5/1000; life expectancy: 67.5; density per sq km: 5
Capital (2003 est.): Astana, 288,200 (formerly Aqmola; capital since 1997)
Largest cities: Almaty (former capital), 1,045,900; Karaganda, 404,600; Shymkent, 333,500; Taraz, 305,700; Pavlodar, 299,500; Ust-Kamenogorsk, 288,000; Aqtöbe, 234,400
Monetary unit: Tenge
Languages: Kazak (Qazaq, state language) 64%; Russian (official, used in everyday business) 95% (2001 est.)
Ethnicity/race: Kazak (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German 2.4%, Tatar 1.4%, Uygur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999)
Religions: Islam 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
National Holiday: Independence Day, December 16
Source: www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107674.html
==========================================================
US Visa Availability March 2009
Each month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issue the visa availability of those who wish to immigrate (family-based application) or work (employment based application) in America. For the month of March 2009 here are the abridged priority dates:
FAMILY CATEGORIES March
Categories----Worldwide----China (PRC)----India-------Mexico-----Philippines
1st------------07-22-02-----07-22-02-------07-22-02----10-08-92---07-15-93
2A------------07-01-04-----07-01-04-------07-01-04----10-15-01---07-01-04
2B------------06-22-00-----06-22-00-------06-22-00----05-01-92---12-01-97
3rd-----------08-08-00-----08-08-00-------08-08-00----10-15-02---06-08-91
4th-----------03-01-98------11-15-97--------03-01-98----04-08-95---05-15-86
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
Categories--- Worldwide----China (PRC)----India-----Mexico-----Philippines
1st--------------Current------Current---------Current---Current----Current
2nd------------Current------02-15-05--------02-15-04---Current----Current
3rd------------05-01-05-----10-22-02--------10-15-01---08-15-03---05-01-05
Unskilled-----03-15-03-----10-22-02---------10-15-01--03-15-03---03-15-03
4th------------Current------Current----------Current---Current----Current
Religious-----Current------Current----------Current---Current----Current
5th-------------Current------Current----------Current---Current----Current
For detailed information I suggest the websites: State Department Visa Bulletin---http://travel.state.gov/; http://shusterman.com/vb.html (Photo Credit: Yuhuru1701)
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For lack of local jobs, Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo asks Filipinos to leave for employment abroad
Without enough jobs available locally, Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo continues to call on her people to pursue jobs abroad. About 500,000 employment positions, mainly in construction are available in the Middle East, Australia, and Canada. This is the recommendation of the country's president (the "top economist and chief executive officer") for the employment-seekers present in a job summit at the Malacanang Palace.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Augusto Syjuco advises Filipinos to take alternative courses in butchery, tile-laying, roofing, carpentry and other menial jobs just to survive in a growing economic crisis.
Something is wrong with their recommendations. The policy of sending Filipinos outside has drifted away from the task of government to provide livelihood for its people. For the government to adopt a policy of encouraging talents to leave the country is objectionable.
An estimated 9 million Filipinos are currently working abroad to support families and help avert the financial collapse of the country. Government critics complain that more Filipinos will be separated from their families and placed in risky conditions as a consequence of being forced to leave the country.
There is sadness in seeing a president advise its people to take menial work abroad as a way to build a nation back home---much more sadness in seeing officials propose second courses in preparation for jobs availabe outside. (Photo Credit: Mark Hillary) =0=
RELATED BLOG: "Who says we are spared from the effects of recession?" Posted by mesiamd at 2/27/2009
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Who says we are spared from the effects of recession?
Presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the Philippines wasn’t among the Asian countries affected by the worldwide recession. It might be a lie that Malacanang Palace wanted us to believe. He based his conclusion to the non-inclusion of the country in the International Labor Organization (ILO) list which projects 113 million jobs loss in Asia as the world economy continues to falter (Malaya , 02/20/09 Bengco, R.) According to ILO, the expected unemployment number this year will be more than the 22.3 million jobs Asian countries lost in 2008.
It will do us good if we look closely at the data Golez is referring to before we celebrate. We aren't that trusting anymore. The effects of the financial meltdown are just beginning to show. It is foolhardy for him and the government he represents to assume that we aren’t affected.
The unemployment we see in the street is a better gauge than the assurances of government officials. We see what food we eat and what clothes we wear. Most of us are familiar of the signs of chronic job loss and their aftermath. The employment stagnation in the country is long-standing and antedates the global economic meltdown.
5,500 OFWs lose jobs—--Arroyo
"Some 5,500 Filipino overseas workers have lost their jobs abroad and returned home over the past four months, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Thursday. The Department of Labor announced earlier this week that 39,000 Filipinos had lost their jobs since October, a number which included overseas workers."---Agence France-Presse/ Inquirer (02/26/09)
Foreign companies are pulling out their business operations in Manila. Unemployment among fresh graduates continues to rise. There is pervasive underemployment and lay-offs. The rush for jobs abroad doesn’t abate even if applicants downgrade their qualifications just to grab work even if it is risky and suffers from inadequate pay. With a bearish investment climate, people are afraid to shell out money that stir spending and growth. The number of impoverished Filipinos continues to rise.
Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo’s job creation is too little to assuage the fear and anger of the public. The government projects that are quick-disbursing, high-impact, and labor intensive (according to Management Dir. Hermogenes Esperon) don’t come close to reality when one sees the widespread unemployment, poverty, and corruption in the country. That’s why we rely early on ourselves more than depend on announced legislated measures by the administration. (Photo Credits: Slavishtubesocks; JRIOrion)=0=
3,000 IT & 10,000 semiconductor jobs at risk
"At least 3,000 information technology (IT) jobs are at risk in first quarter alone while 10,000 positions in semiconductor industry could be shed during the first half of the year due to the global economic slump."---GMANewsTV (02/28/09)
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