Kin Suspects Foul Play in Death of Qatar OFW

The family of an overseas Filipino worker who was found dead at the top of her rented apartment in Doha, Qatar on September 4, 2011 is suspecting that there was foul play involved based on the initial observation on her remains, according to a Filipino migrants rights group Migrante-Middle East.

Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) through its local chapter, the Samahan ng Migranteng Mangagawa in Qatar (SAMMAQA), on Sept.25 reported OFW Edielyn Buno Mirasol, 28 years old, from Tagum, Davao City, was found dead at the top of the apartment where she is residing on September 4, 2011 in Doha, Qatar.

SAMMAQA reported that a fellow OFW and flat-mate found her laid back on top of the platform with rope on her neck. The fellow OFW reported to the local police on the same day OFW Edilyn was found dead.

“Our Migrante chapter in Davao City confirmed that OFW Edielyn remains’ arrived in Tagum, Davao on Sept.30,” said John Leonard Monterona, M-ME regional coordinator.

Monterona added that Migrante-Davao were able to talked to one of the sisters of OFW Edielyn as the group asked its Migrante chapter in Davao to convey their sympathy to the OFW’s family and relatives.

Continue reading at Migrant Rights

Lawmaker: Filipino Teachers Among Lowest Paid in Asia

WITH only a starting salary of $9,200 yearly, it is no wonder that university teachers are forced to leave the country to seek greener pastures, legislators said during World Teachers’ Day on Wednesday.

“Our teachers are among the least compensated in the region. Salaries of teachers in Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan almost doubled after 15 years of teaching experience while those in the Philippines receive a meager 10 to 15-percent increase,” Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luzviminda Ilagan, who taught at Ateneo de Davao University for four decades, said.

Citing data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the starting salary of Filipino teachers after 15 years only increased to $10,150. Their highest salary amounts to $10,930.

Countries like Korea and Japan provide starting salaries of at least $25,000 which may double or triple depending on years of teaching experience.

Ilagan said “not only is it a dishonor, it is also an injustice for our teachers to teach amid conditions of scarcity and slave-like compensation”.

Continue reading at Sun Star

Comelec to ask Congress to allow Internet voting for OFWs

The Commission on Elections is considering the idea of internet registration and voting for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In an interview, Commissioner Armando Velasco told reporters Sunday the poll body is looking at the possibility of allowing Filipinos abroad to register and vote through the internet from the convenience of their home or office.

“Actually, one problem kasi sa low participation is yung convenience eh. If we can address yung kanilang convenience, I believe they will participate,” he said.

The poll body receives a number of registrants for overseas absentee voting, but only a small portion of this actually vote.

At the 2004 national polls, there were 359,296 registered overseas absentee voters but only 233,137 voted; at the 2007 midterm polls, the registered OAVs increased to 504,124 but only 81,732 overseas Filipinos voted; and during the 2010 automated national polls, the number of OAV registrants jumped a little to 589,830 but only 153,323 voted.

Velasco said more are likely to participate if they could from their homes and offices. The current law allows only personal or postal voting.

He noted that even the House of Representatives approved of the idea of Internet registration and voting if Comelec could secure the system against hacking.

So far there is no law that allows Internet registration and voting among OFWs, but the Velasco, who is the head of OAV, urged for the amendment of Republic Act 9189 or the OAV law.

“Wala kasi sa batas e (There is no law yet), so there must be an amendment to the law to include the use of Internet,” he stressed.

The OAV registration for the 2013 midterm elections will start on October 31, 2011 and end on October 31, 2012.

RA 9189 clearly states that “All citizens of the Philippines abroad, regardless of their immigration status, can participate I Philippine elections via the OAV.”

In Section 8 of the law, OFWs registrants are required to furnish a valid Philippine passport; accomplished registration form prescribed by the Commission containing that 1) last known residence of the applicant in the Philippines before leaving for abroad; 2) address of applicant abroad, or forwarding address in the case of seafarers; and 3) where voting by mail is allowed, the applicant’s mailing address outside the Philippines where the ballot for absentee voters will be sent.


by Pots de Leon, InterAksyon.com

Emirati Gets 10 Years Jail Term for Kidnapping, Molesting Pinay

An Emirati man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Sunday by the Court of First Instance for kidnapping and molesting a woman cleaner. The verdict is open to appeal within 15 wdays.

According to prosecution records, the defendant, a 28-year-old jobless, kidnapped the Filipina cleaner after he lured her into his car posing as a CID officer (Criminal Investigation Department). The court also convicted the accused of charges of impersonating as a public officer and theft.

The Filipina cleaner, 26, who works at a hotel, told the investigating prosecutor that the incident happened in Umm Suqeim.

In her statement, she said that the local man stopped his vehicle as she was waiting at a bus stop in Jumeirah.

It was about 11am on November 30 last year. He stopped near her and said he worked for the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

Continue reading at Khaleej Times

Filipino Document Controller in Dubai Loses Dh12,000 to Hacker

Online hacking has claimed yet another victim with a Dubai resident losing her savings of Dh12,000 from her bank in a matter of minutes.

And she claims the bank did not act fast enough, which could have helped prevent the heist.
On August 20, at around 1.30pm, Kathryn Magadia, a 28-year-old Filipino document controller, received an SMS that a single transaction made on her bank account without her authorisation left her with just Dh5.

Within minutes she was on the phone with the bank’s call centre staff trying to stop the transaction, but it was too late. Magadia reported the matter to the police immediately.

She said Emirates NBD took three weeks to respond to her request for a certificate about the illegal transfer. She said police needed that document to open a case. Magadia fears the suspect, an African man who is also a customer with the same bank, may have already slipped out of the country.

Continue reading at Gulf News

80% of Saudi Men, Women Prefer to be Treated by Foreign Nurses: Survey

Eighty percent of Saudi men and women would rather be treated by a foreign nurse than a local one, according to an Arab News survey.

Twelve percent of around 200 people responded to the online survey said they did not care about the nationality of the nurse, while only 8 percent said they preferred a Saudi to treat them.

“Saudi nurses don’t have people skills and don’t care about your pain and feelings. If I had to describe them using one word, I would say ‘unkind’,” said Mouneera Dawood, a 38-year-old schoolteacher.

“I have been dealing with them for a while and every time I go for a checkup I ask my doctor for a new nurse, until I gave up on Saudis and decided to have a Filipino nurse who was more gentle when dealing with my pregnancy,” she added.

Saudi nurses are in a dilemma between meeting their patients’ needs and conforming with local culture and tradition, according to nursing consultant Dr. Sabah Abuzinadah.

Continue reading at Arab News

DFA Mulls Lifting of Iraq Deployment Ban

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has entertained the idea of lifting a longstanding deployment ban of Filipino workers to Iraq.

DFA secretary Albert del Rosario has tasked a delegation of five members to Iraq to study the possibility of reopening of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad — which relocated in Amman, Jordan in 2005, and the resumption of OFW deployment into the war-torn Middle Eastern state, where ban has been imposed in 2004. The group, header by DFA Undersecretary Rafael Sequis, arrived in Iraq Monday and will meet with Iraqi officials as well as Filipino workers based in Baghdad and Erbil.

The delegation will also look into the impact of the withdrawal of American military forces in December on the security of Filipinos, the DFA said in a press release. While deployment ban is in place, the Philippine government has allowed those working inside American military camps and facilities to finish their contracts.

This is the first visit to Iraq by a ranking Philippine government official since the DFA transferred its Baghdad embassy to Amman, Jordan in 2005 following the kidnapping of Angelito dela Cruz and Robert Tarongoy in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

Switzerland Eyed for PH Nurses

Switzerland. Photo Credit: gcools.blogspot.com

THE Philippine Embassy in Switzerland is looking into the possibility of opening doors for Filipino healthcare workers to Switzerland to address the problem of oversupply of Filipino nurses in the Philippines.

In this relation, a bilateral working group met in Manila under the auspices of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to discuss the procedures on how a bigger number of Filipino trainees could avail of the training program in Switzerland.

The embassy is studying how Filipino healthcare workers can work in Swiss hospitals by starting as trainees.

As this develops, two Filipino trainees of Swiss company APM Technica, Shera Cardinal and Rianne Cabiao, called on Ambassador Leslie J. Baja at the embassy in Berne on September 9.

Continue reading at Journal Online

Smart Offers Hub for Seafarers

Wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) recently inaugurated a one-stop hub designed to provide its slew of services for Filipino seafarers, within the premises of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) along Taft Avenue in Manila.

MARINA, the government agency tasked with the development, promotion, and regulation of the country’s maritime industry, including the issuance of Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB), partnered with Smart in putting up the hub to provide convenience to Filipino seafarers seeking for communication, remittance, and other services prior to deployment.

There are now an estimated 300,000 Filipino seafarers worldwide – or about a quarter of the world’s sailors, making the Philippines the world’s leading supplier of ship crewmen and women.

The country benefits largely from the remittance of seafaring Filipinos, who have sent to their loved-ones back home over two billion US dollars just within the first half of 2011, according to the latest figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

At the one-stop hub in MARINA, Smart offers information on various services designed to answer the needs of seafaring Filipinos. In the forefront is Smart Link – the country’s first and only satellite telecommunication service for Filipino seafarers.

Smart Link, deployed across 7,500 maritime vessels all over the world, provides coverage to seafarers sailing within Asia-Pacific, Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa, and some parts of Europe and the Mediterranean.

Smart also provides its Infoboard service to the country’s top ship crew manning agencies — enabling them to use any Internet-enabled computer to send important announcements, such as training venues and deployment schedules, to seafarers or their loved-ones, whose Smart cellphones are registered to the Infoboard.

These messages will be received by the registered members’ cellphone via SMS, at no cost to them, wherever they are in the country and at any time of the day.

Continue reading at Manila Bulletin

OFW Remittances Reach $11.4B From Jan-July

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported over the weekend that remittances sent to the Philippines by overseas Filipinos totalled $11.4 billion in the first seven months this year.

The BSP said that money sent home by OFWs with last July’s inflows have also reached $1.7 billion.

Data released by BSP show that inflows last July alone was up by 6.1 percent against a year ago’s $ 1.62 billion while the end-July level rose by 6.3 percent from the $10.7 billion same period last year.

Bulk of these inflows came from the U.S., Canada, Saudi Arabia, U.K., Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Italy, and Germany, all of which account for 82.8 percent of remittances that passed through the formal channel.

BSP governor Amando Tetangco Jr. attributed the robust remittance inflows to the continued demand for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Citing Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) records, the Central Bank chief said processed job orders for August expanded by 19.5 percent to 26,504 bringing the year-to-date figure to 162,574.

“The processed job orders are expected to match the requirements for production, service, professional, technical and other related workers in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Taiwan, Qatar, Kuwait, and Hong Kong, among others,” he said.

He also cited that the number of land-based workers with processed contracts who are waiting to be deployed grew by 24.2 percent to 313,709 from 252,666 in July 2010. While the number of sea-based workers grew by 5.5 percent to 280,348 from 265,656 same period last year.

Relatively, the BSP chief is confident that growth of remittances for the rest of the year will not be greatly affected by Standard & Poor’s downgrade of US’ credit rating, the prolonged sovereign debt crisis in the Euro area, and the social unrest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

“The favorable remittance outlook is expected to be supported by the ongoing geographical diversification of deployment of Filipino workers and efforts by the government to redeploy displaced workers in crisis-affected countries,” he said.

Source: Philippine Information Agency

Mt Mattheos I With 14 Filipino Seafarers Seized

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that a Cyprus-flagged and Norwegian-managed tanker was seized on September 14, with 14 Filipino seafarers onboard in Lome, Togo in West Africa.

MT Mattheos I has a total of 23 seafarers of mixed nationalities onboard.

In a report to the DFA, the vessel’s local manning agency also stated that all crew members are well and safe and that the families of the Filipino seafarers were already apprised of the incident.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario has instructed the Philippine Embassy in Abuja to make representations with the Nigerian authorities for the safe rescue of the Filipino seafarers and the Philippine Embassy in Oslo to coordinate with the vessel’s principal in Norway to ensure that negotiations for the release of the Filipino seafarers is being undertaken.

The DFA is closely coordinating with the Embassies and the local manning agency of the vessel for any further developments.

The last incident of kidnapping in West Africa involving Nigerian pirates was in July 2011 involving 20 Filipino seafarers of MT Anema E Core who were eventually released after 24 days of captivity.

Of the 104 Filipinos who have been kidnapped off the coast of West Africa since February 2006, 88 Filipinos have been released, two are still missing, and 14 are being held captive.

Off the coast of Somalia, a total of 32 Filipino seafarers onboard five vessels have been held captive as of date.

The Philippine government has undertaken measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to piracy attacks, including making arrangements with ship principals and manning agencies for vessels to travel along a safety corridor and to adopt best management practices as a deterrence to piracy attacks.

It has likewise taken up the issue of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean before the United Nations and other international organizations. The Philippines is a member of the intergovernmental Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS).

The DFA continues to coordinate closely with the concerned Philippine Embassies, the vessels’ principals and the local manning agencies for the early and safe release of the other Filipino seafarers.

Source: DFA.gov.ph

Philippines and the UAE Have Joint Duty to Protect Workers

Labour relations between the UAE and the Philippines is one of supply and demand, as is the case for every country that sends its citizens to work overseas. For the Philippines, it is important to remember that workers, unable to find employment at home, keep local economies afloat with billions of dollars in remittances sent by around 10 million overseas Filipinos.

The former president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, started the overseas labour programme to the Gulf in the 1970s. Since then, every administration, including the present government under President Benigno Aquino, has continued its heavy reliance on exporting labour; more than a million Filipino workers are sent abroad yearly.

In the Philippines, the overseas labour market is deregulated, which has given birth to a lucrative labour export industry. The complications of the industry mean that it has gone beyond government control. The arrival of recruitment agencies that act as intermediaries has also corrupted the process.

There have been efforts to address these shortcomings. In 2007, the UAE and the Philippine governments signed a memorandum of understanding that was aimed at promoting healthy relations through a bilateral labour service cooperation. But this agreement failed to recognise the need for protections for overseas workers. Even today the rights and well-being of overseas workers, in this case Filipino but concerning many expatriate workers in the Gulf, remains in question.

Overseas Filipino workers in the UAE are mostly employed in the service sector in hotels and restaurants; other key sectors are domestic staff, medicine, IT and education.

Based on the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration records, in 2010 there were more than 200,000 Filipinos working in the UAE, in the Gulf second only to Saudi Arabia, which employs nearly 300,000. But there are probably hundreds of thousands more; Filipinos who jump from one job to another after running away from their employers.

Often this is due to labour malpractices, failure to pay salaries, unpaid overtime work, or sexual and physical abuse. Our labour advocacy office receives two to three abuse allegations every day.

It is worth noting that the UAE government recently published and distributed worker’s rights booklets translated into various languages. This was an attempt at explaining the rights and responsibilities of migrant workers as well as provide a guide to get legal redress in case of abuse, harassment or malpractice.

The Philippine government, meanwhile, has amended the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 prescribing policy to send workers only to countries where there are laws recognising the rights of overseas workers or guarantee programmes promoting their welfare. Every Philippine diplomatic post is required to submit its assessment and issue certifications in compliance with this law.

Continue reading at The National

284 Pinoy Nurses Leave for Japan

The first batch of 284 nurses and caregivers hired under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) leave for Japan on Sunday, Labor Undersecretary Luzviminda Padilla said yesterday.

Several months ago, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services for the recruitment of 1,000 Filipino nurses and caregivers for the next two years. Under the agreement, an initial batch of 200 nurses and 300 caregivers will be recruited to work in hospitals and health institutions in Japan.

The Philippine government aims to have more nurses and caregivers deployed to Japan but hiring is expected to be slow because the prevailing global financial crisis forces health institutions in Japan to stop hiring new workers.

Labor officials said the Japanese government will assess the performance of the first batch deployed after which they will decide if they will hire more Filipino medical workers.

The new hires will undergo a six-month language and culture training, during which they will receive an allowance of 40,000 yen equivalent to P21,000 per month. They will be allowed to stay in Japan for three years, during which they will be allowed to take the licensure examination to become a full-fledged nurse. They will then have the option to stay for an unlimited period in the country to practice their profession based on an upgraded contract with their employer.

Continue reading at Philippine Star

Italy’s Remittance Tax Hurts OFWs

Many Filipino workers in Italy have expressed disappointment with the recent imposition of a 2 per cent tax on money remittance sent by foreign migrant workers.

“Hindi ako pumapayag doon. Binabawasan na nga ang ating sweldo ng gubyerno ng Italya, ano pa matitira sa ating pera? Wala na,” said overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Adoracion Buhay.

The new tax measures are part of the Italian government’s bold austerity measures in an effort to fight back a stinging debt crisis that hounded eurozone’s third largest economy. Despite strong opposition from Italy’s largest labor group, a session in the Senate budget committee approved the 2 per cent tax on money remittance sent by foreign migrant workers through banks and other money transfer agencies.

“Magkano na lang ba ang natitira sa sweldo ng Pinoy plus padami ng padami ang tao dito, ang mga estranghero, padami ng padami nawawalan ng trabaho so bumababa yung salary in effect,” said another OFW, Dante Perez.

The new remittance tax is an additional burden to foreign workers who are already charged with hefty cable charges for money transfer transactions. Italy’s labor union group added that foreign workers should not be made to suffer because of the current economic problems of Italy.

KSA Health Ministry’s Foreign Nurses with 10-yr Service Face Layoffs

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has announced a plan to localize nursing jobs across all its facilities, the Saudi Gazette reports.

The ministry directed its administrative units, the ministry indicated that working contracts of foreign nurses serving at least 10 years in the country will be terminated. However, specialists in hemodialysis, emergency and ICU medicine will be retained as no local replacements are immediately available. The localization plan also does not apply to nurses working for primary healthcare centers located in remote areas unless suitable Saudi replacement is found.

The ministry’s order has been made obligatory for administrative units to strictly abide by these guidelines.

A source said the ministry plans to localize 300 senior nursing positions in the next three years. It also added that a new generation of qualified Saudi locals are capable of taking over jobs currently held by foreigners.

Filipinos have dominated the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia for decades. There are approximately 133,000 Filipino nurses who work in both private and public hospitals across the country. About 90 per cent of them are females.

‘Sagip Migrante’, a monitoring and assistance campaign launched only Friday by Migrante chapters in Saudi Arabia has monitored the termination of 39 Filipino workers from their jobs with the addition of six nurses working at the Saudi Ministry of Health.

Filipino Nurses ‘First Casualty’ of Saudi Nitaqat’s New Phase

As the new phase of Saudi labor localization, otherwise known as Nitaqat, commences, a Filipino migrants support group said Tuesday around 130,000 to 150,000 OFW nurses in Saudi Arabia are facing an uncertain situation in regards to the status of their employment.

Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said, citing local news report, that Saudi’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has already announced a plan to localize nursing jobs in all its medical facilities.

According to the reports, Saudi’s MoH issued a circular to all its administrative units indicating that employment contracts with foreign nurses, including OFW nurses, who have already completed 10 years of service, will be terminated to give way to the employment of newly graduate Saudi nurses.

“Though it is a bad news to our OFW nurses, we are quite certain that Saudi’s MoH plan of replacing 10-year in-service foreign nurses including OFW nurses is in line of the Nitaqat that entered its new phase of implementation,” Monterona noted.

Saudi’s Ministry of Labor, last week, had announced that the Nitaqat enters new phase of implementation last Saturday, September 10.

Monterona added though the replacement of foreign nurses by local Saudi nurses will not be abrupt, termination is already occurring in government-run hospitals and clinics.

As per Migrante-ME ‘Sagip Migrante’, a monitoring and assistance campaign launched by Migrante chapters in Saudi Arabia, it already monitored 27 OFW nurses, out of the total 60+ that were terminated as of August this year.

The terminated OFW nurses were working in Saudi health ministry hospitals in Al-Tager and in Jeddah, both at the western region of Saudi Arabia. Fifteen (15) OFW nurses worked in Saudi-German hospital, also in Jeddah.

Continue reading at Migrante

Public warned vs. offers of non-existent jobs in US bases in Afghanistan

A RECRUITMENT expert warned the public against illegal recruitment syndicates offering non-existent jobs inside US bases in Afghanistan after the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) lifted a partial ban on workers currently working inside the said bases.

Emmanuel Geslani, a recruitment and migration specialist issued the warning after learning that illegal recruitment syndicates are now going to some provinces, particularly in Central Luzon, luring skilled construction workers by offering to take them to Dubai and transit them to Kabul where there are reportedly high-paying jobs waiting inside US bases in Kandahar and Bagram.

The US Military Central Command has earlier allowed private contractors to extend the work contracts or letters of appointment for Filipinos beyond 2011.

Current employment contract usually covers six months and renewable at the option of the company and the employee.

The memo from the US military explicitly states that only those with existing contracts can have their employment contracts.

The POEA partial ban states that no new workers can be deployed to those bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Benigno Aquino 3rd earlier stressed that only Filipinos presently working inside the bases can be allowed to continue working and be allowed to return home for their vacation leaves upon the renewal of their contracts.

Geslani, who is also the spokesman for Filipinos in Afghanistan, an informal group that worked for the extension of the working privileges for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), scored the POEA’s Balik-Mangagawa Section for inconsistent policies on the processing of the OFWs returning to Afghanistan through the Dubai International Airport, the jump-off point to the bases in Bagram and Kandahar Airfields.

He maintained that the E-visa which is now the common form of issuing visas should be accepted by the evaluators at POEA for the procurement of an Overseas Exit Clearance, the travel document needed at airports.

Some companies in Kandahar and Bagram have stopped using old original visas, according to Geslani.

However, POEA’s chief evaluator, according to Geslani, insists on sticking to the original visa.

“The E-visa, the company ID, contracts, or letters of appointment should be enough evidence that the POEA should accept for workers applying for an OEC and passports which bear the multiple stamps for entry and exit of workers from Dubai International airport are also proof that the worker has worked and is still working for companies in the US bases,” Geslani added.

“The POEA Balik-Mangagawa section should not make it any harder for our workers who were granted this privilege through POEA Governing Board Resolution No.5 which allows them to renew their contracts and take vacation in the country,” he said.

Source Manila Times

Afghan Deployment Ban Change Sparks Illegal Recruitment Activities

The partial lifting of deployment ban to Afghanistan is not only seen as opportunity for Filipinos to land lucrative jobs in the war-torn Middle Eastern country. It also ushers a spate of illegal recruitment campaigns orchestrated by unregistered agencies or private individuals.


Recruitment veteran Emmanuel Geslani revealed this development as he warned aspiring OFWs looking to work in Afghanistan to check job offers carefully.

“The memo from the US military explicitly states that only those with existing contracts can be renewed and that no new workers can be deployed to those bases,” he said.

Geslani disclosed that part of illegal recruiting syndicates’ modus operandi is to post job openings for skilled construction workers to Dubai, and then transited to Kabul, where high-paying jobs at US bases in Kandahar or Bagram are located. Illegal recruiters are now looking for applicants in some provinces, especially in Central Luzon, Geslani said.

The deployment ban in Afghanistan and Iraq was partially lifted last Wednesday after the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board approved it amid the clamor of workers there and upon recommendation of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa of Malacanang’s Overseas Preparedness Team.

Workers in Afghanistan may now also take a vacation back in the Philippines and will be allowed to go back to work place to finish their contracts.

According to POEA records, an estimated 5,000 OFWs are employed in US and international military camps in Afghanistan despite the deployment ban imposed by the agency in the war-torn country since 2001.

12 Common Scams Targeting OFWs in Hong Kong

To new OFWs — mostly domestic helpers — working in Hong Kong, having new friends is one of the things we want to achieve so we can share our lives, ask questions and just be there to listen to us. But at the same time, these so-called friends could be prowling to take advantage of you. They can steal your money, destroy relationships or even cause your employment termination. So before you put your trust to these friends, be aware of possible outcomes.

1. Passport borrow scam
Never lend your passport to anyone. Our passport needs to be taken cared of. It serves as our entry document coming to a foreign country. With working visa properly stamped into one of its pages, your passport becomes a powerful weapon that will legally protect you from possible employer abuse. However, a friend could ask for your passport to obtain financial loans. Using your identity in borrowing sums of money, you are potentially allowing a friend to use your credibility to make money. And since you allow your passport to be used to obtain cash loan, be prepared to pay for this loan.

2. Money loan scam
A friend’s friend you met in a gathering approaches you with a sad story to share (brother figured in an accident, house was destroyed in a typhoon) and asks if you know someone who can lend her money. While you’re not obligated to tell her if you don’t know anyone, you’ll be moved by her gestures (crying and all, panic and paranoia) so here comes your true Filipino trait, maawain and mapagbigay and try to offer her money by digging in your savings. Sadly, she soon disappears without a trace as she gets the money you offer. Sooner, you realize, your trait isn’t maawain or mapagbigay but madaling maloko.

3. Sick parents scam
Just like the previous item, certain people within your circle of friends try the ploy of using relatives back home bedridden by some disease not particularly disclosed in order to solicit for mercy in the form of loose change and free meals. A self-anointed leader or the elderly “ate” begins to gesture the proverbial “pass the hat” for that worthy cause. A few months later when friends ask how was the bedridden mom, the unrepentant offender is prepared with her response “oh, she’s fine, thank you” while familiarizing a brand-new smartphone. Got the hint?

4. Boarding house scam
Some Filipinas in Hong Kong agree to a sublet subdivided homes so they can spend time cooking, sleeping and other recreational activities during their days off. At minimal cost of about HK$100 to HK$200 a month, the deal seems good enough to bond with close friends. But as days wear on, tenants realize that there are other occupants in the house during other days of the week. Such arrangement with other parties increase risk in losing properties or maybe other people using your shampoo.

5. Love offering scam
During Sundays, many Filipinos congregate in Central Hong Kong to enjoy a well-deserved day off. While standing by outside the subway station waiting for a friend, someone approaches and greets ‘good morning sister’, and asks if you can help build their church somewhere in Nueva Ecija, help educate children in Negros or aid victims of flash flood in Cagayan Valley. With coin bag or envelope on hand, it is implied that she expects help in monetary form. If you insist you’re not interested after figuring out she doesn’t have enough papers to support her claims, she does a backup plan of selling you some crunchy snacks or home-made rice cakes, under the premise that proceeds will go to less fortunate brethren.

6. Loan share scam
When a friend detects that you are planning to loan sums of money for whatever reason, she asks if she can join you and promises she’ll pay you monthly. If you’re kind enough or trust her words, feel free to give in to the offer. But beware, she’s off the hook while you’re contractually obliged to pay the loan since agreement was between you and the loan company. Other variation includes a friend asking that you loan a laptop or mobile phone and she’ll pay you later.

7. SIM card scam
If a friend knows you own multiple phones and may have extra SIM cards, you may offer that extra SIM card so there is no need for them to buy a new one. Alas, if that SIM card is under contract — by default roaming is activated and overseas SMS is enabled — you could end up paying for her bills.

8. SMS scam
You may receive a text message from a new number back in the Philippines purportedly from a family member who just updated his contact number. This person must have researched quite well about your family Surprised yet encouraged by the new communication channel, you begin to give in to this person’s requests. But beware, this person may have no blood relation with you and is simply making money off under false pretenses. Telltale signs: asking you to transfer money to an unfamiliar recipient name through Western Union. Another form of SMS scam is that you receive an anonymous message

9. Chat mate scam
You may be hooked into Yahoo!, Skype or Facebook. And you meet someone you easily fall in love with. Then this person proposes to marry you, be your business partner or help you apply for a job in some popular destination such as USA, Canada or Europe. But the catch is that you need to shell out money “to make things happen”. He tells you he was employed in an oil depot in Nigeria and he was robbed so he needs you to send money. Or he has connections with a well-known employment agency and promises to expedite your papers if you send a certain amount of money. Once money is involved, you should be more wary about letting go of your money.

10. Balikbayan box scam
A friend preparing to send a box of goodies back home could be asking you if you have anything to send to your family as her box still has space available. You might find this a good opportunity to send box of chocolates or a pair of shoes to loved ones since this friend offers her box space for free. Typically, boxes arrive within 3-6 weeks. Yet, if you ask this friend if the box arrived, she could sound as though someone was cheating her. “The box hasn’t arrived yet!”, in a worrying voice. It could be that the box already arrived and she just denied it. Or she didn’t send any cargo box at all.

11. Beauty pageant scam
As it is your childhood wish to be part of a beauty pageant, you join a contest organized by the United Kalokohan Benevolent Association Hong Kong Chapter. You get to be seen by everyone on stage in your evening gown and swimming suit as you would expect. But you don’t win based on your talent and smart answers to questions. Instead, before you qualify in the pageant, you’ll be asked to sell tickets (you pay for all unsold ones). You’ll be crowned Reyna ng UKBAHKC if you were able to sell the most number of tickets. You win the loudest applause and brightest spotlight plus a piece of trophy.

12. Mailbox scam
A friend asks a favor if she could use your address — and your name — to identify her account (loan, mobile phone subscription, etc) because her employer doesn’t allow her to use their mailbox. You gladly oblige, not knowing the real intention of this so-called friend. As the friend refuses to pay the loan or honor her roaming bills worth thousands of dollars, she simply disappears from your radar. Ultimately, you become accountable for her deeds simply because her transaction is now associated to your address. Worse, loan company contacts your employer, thereby risking your job and reputation as a good employee.

List of OFW Dependent Scholars in Misamis Oriental

22 OFW dependents from the province of Misamis Oriental, signed the contract and received their individual Notice of Award under the “OFW Dependent Scholarship Program” today during the regular Monday program of the Provincial Capitol at the capitol grounds.

The OFW Dependent Scholarship Program, by mandate of Memorandum of Instructions No.003, offers financial assistance to the qualified dependents of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are active members of the OWWA and receive a monthly salary of not more than US$400. The beneficiary shall enroll in any four year or five year baccalaureate degree or associate degree leading to a baccalaureate degree.

NAME	ADDRESS	COURSE
Welnie Rose D. Aguilar	Centro, Pagatpat, CDOC	AB Mass Communication-COC
Ron Ron Jay M. Obliosca	Lagonglong, Mis. Oriental	BS Mechanical Engineering-MUST
John Albert T. Capricho	Macanhan Carmen, CDOC	BS Information Technology –MUST
Audrey F. Cagalawan	Brgy. 3 Balingasag, Mis. Or.	BS Education-SPC
Steeve Josepine R. Banawa	Lower Balulang, CDOC	BS Business Administration-BSU
Kevin S. Labalan	Macabalan, Cag. de Oro City	BS Mechanical Engineering-CU
Jade R. Casas	Villanueva, Mis. Oriental	BS Education-MUST
Queeny Rose R. Daayata	Sacred Heart, Carmen, CDOC	BS Accountancy-LC
Mark Gleen J. Bajao	Kauswagan, Cag. de Oro City	BS Business Administration-XU
Farrah Lou B. Daaca	Macabalan, Cag. de Oro City	BS Education-MUST
Haron T. Malazarte	Balingasag, Misamis Oriental	BS Auto Mechanical Tech.-MUST
Rizel P. Gabutan	Lagonglong, Mis. Oriental	BS Education-BSU
Keane Bee M. Ariata	Balingasag, Misamis Oriental	BS Computer Engineering-MUST
Jaybee W. Simacon	Villanueva, Mis. Oriental	BS Electrical Technology-MUST
Elmer S. Tadena	Balingasag, Misamis Oriental	BS Information Technology-STC
Vince R. Caiña	Xavier Heights, CDOC	BS Computer Engineering-MUST
Ryan R. Batuto	Opol, Misamis Oriental	BS Auto Mechanical Tech.-MUST
Ruben E. Dangcal	Jasaan, Misamis Oriental	BS Information Technology-MUST
John Mikelle C. Sabequil	Balingoan, Misamis Oriental	BS Business Administration-BSU
Evangiline S. Domo	Balingasag, Misamis Oriental	BS Elect. Comm. Tech.-MUST
Ruperto D. Calderon	Balingasag, Misamis Oriental	BS Environmental Engr. MOSCAT
Earl John C. Granados	Xavier Heights, CDOC	BS Information Technology-LDCU

The OFW dependent shall also receive a financial assistance of P20,000 per year or P10,0000 per semester to cover the tuitions fees and other academic-related expenses. Also covered in the package is a group health and accident insurance worth P100,000 per scholar.

The 22 scholarship grants are only part of the 68 slots allotted for Region 10. The remaining slots are distributed to the other provinces of Region 10 of which the dispensation of the Notice of Award will soon be scheduled.

The significant event was also witnessed by Governor Honorable Oscar S. Moreno, Vice-Governor Norris C. Babiera and some of the members of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan of Misamis Oriental.

In his message, Governor Moreno quoted OWWA 10 as one of the most dependable partner agencies in the government and further expressed his gratitude to the responsive conduct of the agency to the requests of the Province.

Source: OWWA