By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
7:10 am | Saturday, November 26th, 2011
MANILA, Philippines—Immigration agents at the country’s international
airports should not just offload Filipino workers holding overseas
employment certificates (OECs) on the mere suspicion that these are
fake, leaders of recruitment groups said on Friday.
The recruiters said this Friday at a forum hosted by the government’s
Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, which has been tasked by Vice
President Jejomar Binay to create a technical working group review the
Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) authority to offload overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) suspected of being undocumented or victims of human
trafficking.
The OEC, issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
(POEA), serves as proof that its holder is a documented OFW whose
employment abroad has been certified compliant with the agency’s
deployment regulations.
However, airport immigration officers have been unjustly overzealous
in offloading departing OFWs on mere suspicion that the OECs are fake,
according to the recruiters who included recruitment consultant Emmanuel
Geslani, Victor Fernandez of the Philippine Association of Service
Exporters, Alfredo Palmiery of the Federated Association of Manpower
Exporters, and Lita Hizon of the Coalition of Legitimate Agencies
Deploying Domestics.
They said the proposed offloading guidelines of the Bureau of
Immigration contained “redundant and incoherent layers” of requirements
which give immigration agents wide discretion to interrogate departing
OFWs.
These requirements are unnecessary since the departing OFW has
already passed through the Labor Assistance Center (LAC) which verifies
and approves the travel documents of the OFW whose OEC has already been
processed at the POEA, they said.
Workers’ rights
Geslani said immigration agents were not only violating OFWs right to
travel but also their right to seek gainful employment when they miss
their flights and could not report to duty on time because they were
offloaded.
“The OEC should be respected by the BI since the POEA is the sole
authority on workers leaving for jobs abroad, not the BI. The
immigration agents should not deny OFWs the opportunity to work abroad
based on mere suspicion. They should not require documented workers to
present other proofs of employment aside from the OEC,” Geslani said.
The recruiters pointed out that before an OEC is issued, the OFW has
to provide various documents such as their authenticated employment
contract, employment or work permit card, passport, two-way ticket or
itinerary issued by the travel agency, proof of membership with the
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and latest receipt of Pag-Ibig
Fund membership contributions.
“The frequent off-loading of some OFWs due to the indiscriminate
decisions of the agents—because they were suspicious of the OFW’s travel
documents or they had profiled OFW as an illegal—have resulted in the
loss of job opportunities for OFWs,” Geslani said.
The delays in the departure translates to “huge expenses” for the
recruitment agencies since they have to repurchase new tickets for the
workers, and some delays have caused some employers to cancel the job
orders, he said.
The recruiters recommended that the draft guidelines proposed by the
BI should be divided into two sections—one for tourists and the other
for fully documented workers carrying genuine and valid OECs.
The POEA reestablished the LAC at the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport early this year to serve as a clearing house where documents of
departing OFWs are checked and verified.
Geslani said an OFW who has been cleared by the LAC should not
anymore be questioned on his destination, documents, travel money, or
sponsors aside from checking the appropriate visa for the country of
destination.
http://bit.ly/uUoGR5
Saturday, November 26, 2011
OFWs come home for high paying jobs
Agence France-Presse
7:14 am | Friday, November 25th, 2011
MANILA, Philippines—While many continue to seek greener pastures abroad, some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are going against the tide to take up job offers at home.
One such OFW is Malaysia-based computer whiz Arlene Teodoro who packed his bags and flew home to the Philippines this year.
Forced to leave his family and friends in 2008 in search of a decent job overseas, the 35-year-old bachelor is back for good because his skills are suddenly in big demand amid a business process outsourcing boom.
“Nothing compares to being back in the Philippines,” said Teodoro, who was part of a 30-strong computer science class at a Manila university in the early 1990s, most of whose members also went overseas to find work.
“When I was working abroad, I’d use up all my vacation leaves to attend family events and reconnect with my family,” he said.
Teodoro now earns about P130,000 a month as a business intelligence analyst for a US data mining firm, which uses powerful software to predict such key measures as future sales and trends for clients.
Big multinationals from aircraft manufacturers to retail chains are increasingly using these sophisticated tools, and the Philippines and India offer the most cost-efficient locales for such labor-intensive tasks, he said.
The Philippines has for decades suffered an exodus of people who have headed overseas to escape dire economic conditions, with one quarter of the population currently living on a dollar a day or less.
Nine million, or 10 percent of all Filipinos, now live overseas, performing low-skilled jobs such as maids and sailors, but also working as nurses, engineers and IT specialists.
Modern-day heroes
OFWs sent $18.17 billion back to the Philippines last year, equivalent to 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and their importance to the nation is such that they have earned the nickname: “mga bagong bayani,” or “modern-day heroes.”
The exodus, however, has also led to a massive brain drain and caused social disruption as families are torn apart, with one or both parents going overseas and leaving their children at home with relatives.
But now the rise of outsourcing is giving many Filipinos a chance to stay home.
The outsourcing workforce grew about 10 percent this year to 600,000, and is expected to expand to 900,000 employees by 2016, according to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines.
More than 60 percent of the outsourcing jobs are in call centers with Filipinos fielding telephone inquiries from or selling products to customers across the globe.
P20,000 a month
Although these employees are the lowest-paid in the sector, an entry-level call center job still pays between P14,000-P20,000 a month.
This is roughly equivalent to what a Filipino maid would typically earn in a wealthier Asian country such as Singapore, or a seaman’s starting salary in the global merchant fleet.
The local outsourcing industry is also increasingly attracting work for higher-paying skills such as data warehousing, accounting and medical transcription, as well as creative work ranging from webpage design to animation and video games.
“Before, it was the call center boom in the Philippines, but now it’s more of really specialized skills,” Teodoro said.
The Philippines has risen to have the second biggest outsourcing sector in the world behind India partly because it has a huge English-language workforce.
Filipino workers are also particularly prized in the United States and other Western nations because of their familiarity with their culture, a legacy of the Philippines’ history as a former US colony.
A pleasant experience
“We have had expats telling us that working with Filipino teams is a very pleasantly unique experience, which they have not had elsewhere in the world,” said Gillian Joyce Virata, a senior executive director of the industry association.
The government has also sought to amplify the country’s natural advantages by offering significant tax breaks for outsourcing firms and easing labor laws, such as one that used to bar women from working past midnight.
The industry association said outsourcing would generate revenues of $11 billion this year, up from $8.9 billion in 2010, and continue to grow by at least 15 percent annually to hit $20 billion by 2016.
This would place the outsourcing industry’s revenues almost on a level with the money sent home by overseas workers.
‘A very big support’
“This industry has provided a very big support to the economic environment of the Philippines in the past decade,” Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo told an outsourcing forum recently.
Apart from the direct benefits of employing people, Domingo credited the industry with a wide range of other knock-on effects such as increased car sales and the explosion of 24-hour convenience stores.
Outsourcing has also begun to transform Metro Manila’s skyline, with skyscrapers rising to cater to big foreign banks and technology companies that have set up shop with workforces that run into the tens of thousands.
“The contribution of this industry cannot be overstated,” Domingo said.
http://bit.ly/tRMLZF
7:14 am | Friday, November 25th, 2011
MANILA, Philippines—While many continue to seek greener pastures abroad, some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are going against the tide to take up job offers at home.
One such OFW is Malaysia-based computer whiz Arlene Teodoro who packed his bags and flew home to the Philippines this year.
Forced to leave his family and friends in 2008 in search of a decent job overseas, the 35-year-old bachelor is back for good because his skills are suddenly in big demand amid a business process outsourcing boom.
“Nothing compares to being back in the Philippines,” said Teodoro, who was part of a 30-strong computer science class at a Manila university in the early 1990s, most of whose members also went overseas to find work.
“When I was working abroad, I’d use up all my vacation leaves to attend family events and reconnect with my family,” he said.
Teodoro now earns about P130,000 a month as a business intelligence analyst for a US data mining firm, which uses powerful software to predict such key measures as future sales and trends for clients.
Big multinationals from aircraft manufacturers to retail chains are increasingly using these sophisticated tools, and the Philippines and India offer the most cost-efficient locales for such labor-intensive tasks, he said.
The main advantage of the two countries is their large English-speaking populations.
Data mining is just a small part of the outsourcing phenomenon in the
Philippines that has emerged from virtually nothing 10 years ago to
become one of the country’s most important economic planks and sources
of jobs.The Philippines has for decades suffered an exodus of people who have headed overseas to escape dire economic conditions, with one quarter of the population currently living on a dollar a day or less.
Nine million, or 10 percent of all Filipinos, now live overseas, performing low-skilled jobs such as maids and sailors, but also working as nurses, engineers and IT specialists.
Modern-day heroes
OFWs sent $18.17 billion back to the Philippines last year, equivalent to 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and their importance to the nation is such that they have earned the nickname: “mga bagong bayani,” or “modern-day heroes.”
The exodus, however, has also led to a massive brain drain and caused social disruption as families are torn apart, with one or both parents going overseas and leaving their children at home with relatives.
But now the rise of outsourcing is giving many Filipinos a chance to stay home.
The outsourcing workforce grew about 10 percent this year to 600,000, and is expected to expand to 900,000 employees by 2016, according to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines.
More than 60 percent of the outsourcing jobs are in call centers with Filipinos fielding telephone inquiries from or selling products to customers across the globe.
P20,000 a month
Although these employees are the lowest-paid in the sector, an entry-level call center job still pays between P14,000-P20,000 a month.
This is roughly equivalent to what a Filipino maid would typically earn in a wealthier Asian country such as Singapore, or a seaman’s starting salary in the global merchant fleet.
The local outsourcing industry is also increasingly attracting work for higher-paying skills such as data warehousing, accounting and medical transcription, as well as creative work ranging from webpage design to animation and video games.
“Before, it was the call center boom in the Philippines, but now it’s more of really specialized skills,” Teodoro said.
The Philippines has risen to have the second biggest outsourcing sector in the world behind India partly because it has a huge English-language workforce.
Filipino workers are also particularly prized in the United States and other Western nations because of their familiarity with their culture, a legacy of the Philippines’ history as a former US colony.
A pleasant experience
“We have had expats telling us that working with Filipino teams is a very pleasantly unique experience, which they have not had elsewhere in the world,” said Gillian Joyce Virata, a senior executive director of the industry association.
The government has also sought to amplify the country’s natural advantages by offering significant tax breaks for outsourcing firms and easing labor laws, such as one that used to bar women from working past midnight.
The industry association said outsourcing would generate revenues of $11 billion this year, up from $8.9 billion in 2010, and continue to grow by at least 15 percent annually to hit $20 billion by 2016.
This would place the outsourcing industry’s revenues almost on a level with the money sent home by overseas workers.
‘A very big support’
“This industry has provided a very big support to the economic environment of the Philippines in the past decade,” Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo told an outsourcing forum recently.
Apart from the direct benefits of employing people, Domingo credited the industry with a wide range of other knock-on effects such as increased car sales and the explosion of 24-hour convenience stores.
Outsourcing has also begun to transform Metro Manila’s skyline, with skyscrapers rising to cater to big foreign banks and technology companies that have set up shop with workforces that run into the tens of thousands.
“The contribution of this industry cannot be overstated,” Domingo said.
http://bit.ly/tRMLZF
Thursday, November 24, 2011
OWWA reps fail to remit P21 M in overseas collections—COA
Philippine Daily Inquirer
6:55 pm | Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
MANILA, Philippines—Officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration assigned abroad have failed to remit over P21 million in overseas collections to the Manila account of the OWWA, putting these funds at risk of misappropriation, according to the Commission on Audit.
The COA, in its 2010 OWWA report, said dollar and euro collections from various foreign posts which are equivalent to P21.587 million, had been unremitted “for a long period of time.”
These represent collections for the agency’s voluntary membership program, under which overseas workers get assistance for themselves and their family for various concerns.
According to the COA, OWWA’s overseas officers are required to remit their monthly collections to the OWWA Land Bank-Manila dollar account not later than the fifth day of the following month.
But in its scrutiny of the records, it found that P21.587 million had not been remitted for periods ranging from one to 10 years.
Several of the concerned collecting officers are still in the service, four have absconded or are absent without official leave, while another 10 have resigned or moved to another agency, COA said. It also noted that collections from Switzerland from October 2007 to December 2010 were remitted by a labor department employee.
Because the collections were not remitted timely, the funds are at risk of being misused, the COA warned.
“With the lapse of time and the continuous failure of the said collecting officer, particularly those with large amounts of accountability, to remit the said collections, the possibility that the same had been misappropriated could not be discounted,” it said.
It was also concerned that some of the funds may already be lost.
“Moreover, recovering the same may become difficult and may even be doubtful for those who had absconded or had been separated from the service,” it said.
The audit agency told the OWWA that it should demand the immediate remittance of the full amount from the concerned collecting officers.
The OWWA should also withhold payment of any money to the collecting officers, and hold them accountable, it said. It added that the OWWA should get in touch with those who have gone AWOL and demand that they settle their accountability for the unremitted collections.
The OWWA, in response, told the COA that it had sent demand letters to their employees and had withheld their salaries and other benefits in the meantime. It had also sent notices to the collection officers who are not with the OWWA anymore, but are still in the service at the labor department, it added.
It also vowed to find those who have absconded so that they could be held accountable.
http://bit.ly/v2tri6
6:55 pm | Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
MANILA, Philippines—Officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration assigned abroad have failed to remit over P21 million in overseas collections to the Manila account of the OWWA, putting these funds at risk of misappropriation, according to the Commission on Audit.
The COA, in its 2010 OWWA report, said dollar and euro collections from various foreign posts which are equivalent to P21.587 million, had been unremitted “for a long period of time.”
These represent collections for the agency’s voluntary membership program, under which overseas workers get assistance for themselves and their family for various concerns.
According to the COA, OWWA’s overseas officers are required to remit their monthly collections to the OWWA Land Bank-Manila dollar account not later than the fifth day of the following month.
But in its scrutiny of the records, it found that P21.587 million had not been remitted for periods ranging from one to 10 years.
Several of the concerned collecting officers are still in the service, four have absconded or are absent without official leave, while another 10 have resigned or moved to another agency, COA said. It also noted that collections from Switzerland from October 2007 to December 2010 were remitted by a labor department employee.
Because the collections were not remitted timely, the funds are at risk of being misused, the COA warned.
“With the lapse of time and the continuous failure of the said collecting officer, particularly those with large amounts of accountability, to remit the said collections, the possibility that the same had been misappropriated could not be discounted,” it said.
It was also concerned that some of the funds may already be lost.
“Moreover, recovering the same may become difficult and may even be doubtful for those who had absconded or had been separated from the service,” it said.
The audit agency told the OWWA that it should demand the immediate remittance of the full amount from the concerned collecting officers.
The OWWA should also withhold payment of any money to the collecting officers, and hold them accountable, it said. It added that the OWWA should get in touch with those who have gone AWOL and demand that they settle their accountability for the unremitted collections.
The OWWA, in response, told the COA that it had sent demand letters to their employees and had withheld their salaries and other benefits in the meantime. It had also sent notices to the collection officers who are not with the OWWA anymore, but are still in the service at the labor department, it added.
It also vowed to find those who have absconded so that they could be held accountable.
http://bit.ly/v2tri6
Monday, November 21, 2011
‘My OFW husband came home a different man’
By Susan K
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:20 am | Sunday, November 20th, 2011
Vicky’s story began like those of many wives whose husbands leave to seek jobs overseas—full of hope for a better future.
“I used to hear bells ringing in my ears every time I heard the name of the place—Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I can’t explain the joy I felt every time I received a letter. I felt hope, love, longings, kisses, and hugs were enclosed in those envelopes from my beloved husband… and they came one after the other,” she recalled.
She married her husband in 1986, and after a year they had a son. “It was a blissful marriage,” said Vicky. “My friends can attest that he put me on a pedestal. I was a lucky wife, they said.”
“My husband left the house to work abroad because he thought that what we were both earning here in the Philippines would not be enough to provide our son a better future. So in January 1988, he decided to try his luck in the Kingdom.” He left a two-year-old marriage and a year-old son.
“I was the typical, supportive wife. Although deep inside I was hurting, I was also willing to sacrifice. And I loved him even more.”
Fast forward—2011. “My husband is now living with another woman. Our marriage started to crumble in 1991, before the birth of our second child.”
Vicky said her husband came home from the Kingdom a changed man—a violent and abusive man. “He was no longer the same person I married. I saw a complete stranger. It was hard to describe because in all honesty I didn’t know exactly what kind of life he had while he was abroad.”
“I persevered. Perhaps, I thought, this too, will pass. Perhaps he was also a victim of society, as much as we, his family.”
But after more than a decade living the nightmare of a battered wife, most times feeling like a zombie and seeing the look of horror in her children’s eyes, Vicky finally had the courage to ask him to leave, citing laws against domestic violence.
“We have moved on. My son is trying to finish his course and is now a third year college student. My daughter just graduated cum laude from a well-known university and is now employed.”
The government sings high praises to OFWs, they call them the “unsung heroes.” They sacrifice for their families; bring in dollars. They help the Philippine economy, etc.
This is another side of the story. What do they call the victims of abusive OFWs?
http://bit.ly/sGOMaU
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:20 am | Sunday, November 20th, 2011
Vicky’s story began like those of many wives whose husbands leave to seek jobs overseas—full of hope for a better future.
“I used to hear bells ringing in my ears every time I heard the name of the place—Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I can’t explain the joy I felt every time I received a letter. I felt hope, love, longings, kisses, and hugs were enclosed in those envelopes from my beloved husband… and they came one after the other,” she recalled.
She married her husband in 1986, and after a year they had a son. “It was a blissful marriage,” said Vicky. “My friends can attest that he put me on a pedestal. I was a lucky wife, they said.”
“My husband left the house to work abroad because he thought that what we were both earning here in the Philippines would not be enough to provide our son a better future. So in January 1988, he decided to try his luck in the Kingdom.” He left a two-year-old marriage and a year-old son.
“I was the typical, supportive wife. Although deep inside I was hurting, I was also willing to sacrifice. And I loved him even more.”
Fast forward—2011. “My husband is now living with another woman. Our marriage started to crumble in 1991, before the birth of our second child.”
Vicky said her husband came home from the Kingdom a changed man—a violent and abusive man. “He was no longer the same person I married. I saw a complete stranger. It was hard to describe because in all honesty I didn’t know exactly what kind of life he had while he was abroad.”
“I persevered. Perhaps, I thought, this too, will pass. Perhaps he was also a victim of society, as much as we, his family.”
But after more than a decade living the nightmare of a battered wife, most times feeling like a zombie and seeing the look of horror in her children’s eyes, Vicky finally had the courage to ask him to leave, citing laws against domestic violence.
“We have moved on. My son is trying to finish his course and is now a third year college student. My daughter just graduated cum laude from a well-known university and is now employed.”
The government sings high praises to OFWs, they call them the “unsung heroes.” They sacrifice for their families; bring in dollars. They help the Philippine economy, etc.
This is another side of the story. What do they call the victims of abusive OFWs?
http://bit.ly/sGOMaU
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Loida Nicolas Lewis gets Eleanor Roosevelt legacy award
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:30 am | Sunday, November 20th, 201
Filipino-American businesswoman and philanthropist Loida Nicolas
Lewis was awarded the Trailblazer of Democracy Award by The Eleanor’s
Legacy organization on October 24, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New
York City.
Eleanor’s Legacy, which is an organization focused on empowering women’s political candidates who follow in the footsteps of former United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, honored Lewis for her continued contributions to the empowerment of women in the political and public arena.
Eleanor’s Legacy supports Democratic women who are aspiring for local and state offices in the State of New York.
Lewis is active in political campaigns. She was a supporter of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaigns, as well as the current Philippine President’s campaign in 2010, when she visited different US states to campaign for then Sen. Benigno Aquino III. She is also an advocate of voter registration and mobilization, encouraging Filipino-Americans to “show power in their numbers.”
“The triumph of Loida Nicolas Lewis’ life reminds us all that the real legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt is an obligation to think of ourselves as citizens of the world,” said New York Sen. Hassell-Thompson. “Loida has followed in the footsteps of Mrs. Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was known as the first lady of the world, and Loida’s vision of a better world, where children are given a chance to learn, where giving young women a chance to lead is not contained to New York State.”
Also among the guests was New York Senator Charles E. Schumer, who also spoke highly of Lewis.
“Loida Lewis is one of America’s leading Filipina women,” said Schumer. “Fifteen years ago, when there was a desperate shortage of nurses in this country, and the talent of Filipina women to come here and be nurses was being blocked by the same kind of non-thinking approach to immigration that too many exhibit in Washington today. Loida led the charge to change. There are now thousands of Filipina nurses in America, and particularly in New York.”
Just as Mrs. Roosevelt stepped to the forefront when her husband President Franklin
D. Roosevelt fell ill during his presidency, Lewis stepped forward as
CEO of her husband Reginald F. Lewis’ investment firm TLC Beatrice
following his untimely death at the age of 50. Lewis, who was the first
Asian woman to pass the bar exam in New York without studying in the
United States, showed she was a capable businesswoman in her own right,
eliminating the company’s debt while making a series of decisions that
resulted in an internal return of 35 percent for stockholders.
“I accept this with great honor and humility, and I am honored to represent my fellow Filipinos” said Lewis who was the first and only Filipina Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Awardee. During her speech, Lewis shared her secrets to achieving success. She named goal setting, maintaining Order in your life and having determination in your endeavors.
As a philanthropist, Lewis has contributed a considerable amount to a number of causes, such as The Lewis College in her hometown of Sorsogon Province, that gives scholarships to Filipino children from pre-Kindergarten to university. Her People’s Alternative Livelihood Foundation, is involved in micro-financing. As chair of US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG), Lewis led simultaneous prayer forums at 175 communities and cities around the world last August 21, 2011 for the peaceful resolution of the Spratlys dispute with China. The group also held rallies in front of the China Consular offices in the US last July.
http://bit.ly/sY0kpg
12:30 am | Sunday, November 20th, 201
 |
| LOIDA NICOLAS LEWIS (left) flanked by US Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Senator for New York, Charles Schumer, is the first Filipino- American to get the award. CARISSA VILLAC |
Eleanor’s Legacy, which is an organization focused on empowering women’s political candidates who follow in the footsteps of former United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, honored Lewis for her continued contributions to the empowerment of women in the political and public arena.
Eleanor’s Legacy supports Democratic women who are aspiring for local and state offices in the State of New York.
Lewis is active in political campaigns. She was a supporter of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaigns, as well as the current Philippine President’s campaign in 2010, when she visited different US states to campaign for then Sen. Benigno Aquino III. She is also an advocate of voter registration and mobilization, encouraging Filipino-Americans to “show power in their numbers.”
“The triumph of Loida Nicolas Lewis’ life reminds us all that the real legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt is an obligation to think of ourselves as citizens of the world,” said New York Sen. Hassell-Thompson. “Loida has followed in the footsteps of Mrs. Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was known as the first lady of the world, and Loida’s vision of a better world, where children are given a chance to learn, where giving young women a chance to lead is not contained to New York State.”
Also among the guests was New York Senator Charles E. Schumer, who also spoke highly of Lewis.
“Loida Lewis is one of America’s leading Filipina women,” said Schumer. “Fifteen years ago, when there was a desperate shortage of nurses in this country, and the talent of Filipina women to come here and be nurses was being blocked by the same kind of non-thinking approach to immigration that too many exhibit in Washington today. Loida led the charge to change. There are now thousands of Filipina nurses in America, and particularly in New York.”
 |
| FIL-AMS
SPEAK OUT Over 200 concerned Filipino Americans in the East Coast joined Nicolas Lewis (center) in the simultaneous protests against China’s intrusions in the West Philippine Sea earlier this year. |
“I accept this with great honor and humility, and I am honored to represent my fellow Filipinos” said Lewis who was the first and only Filipina Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Awardee. During her speech, Lewis shared her secrets to achieving success. She named goal setting, maintaining Order in your life and having determination in your endeavors.
As a philanthropist, Lewis has contributed a considerable amount to a number of causes, such as The Lewis College in her hometown of Sorsogon Province, that gives scholarships to Filipino children from pre-Kindergarten to university. Her People’s Alternative Livelihood Foundation, is involved in micro-financing. As chair of US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG), Lewis led simultaneous prayer forums at 175 communities and cities around the world last August 21, 2011 for the peaceful resolution of the Spratlys dispute with China. The group also held rallies in front of the China Consular offices in the US last July.
http://bit.ly/sY0kpg
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Rural banks eye OFW remittances via BSP’s PhilPaSS
11/15/2011 | 07:13 PM
Rural bankers see an opportunity to be competitive in the money transfer business, which they intend to maximize by joining the Philippine Payments and Settlements System (PhilPaSS) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
“While remittance centers are a dime a dozen, there is still a way for us rural bankers to enter the industry by offering a faster yet affordable service to our clients in the countryside who are also beneficiaries of many OFWs. This is where the PhilPaSS remitting system comes in," said Ian Pama, president of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP), which has 600 members.
Pama said none of the RBAP members have yet tapped into the PhilPaSS, the online and real-time payment system the BSP administers to facilitate transactions between banks.
"RBAP has a strategic role to play if and when the organization decides to use the system. Should RBAP members decide to use the system, then we can offer cheaper, if not the cheapest transaction fees without incurring any losses,"
The BSP has been urging banks to use the PhilPaSS Remit System for OFW remittances because it has a rate of P50 per transaction compared to P100 to P500 per charged by other money transfer systems. — ELR/VS, GMA News
http://bit.ly/rZ2IsI
Rural bankers see an opportunity to be competitive in the money transfer business, which they intend to maximize by joining the Philippine Payments and Settlements System (PhilPaSS) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
“While remittance centers are a dime a dozen, there is still a way for us rural bankers to enter the industry by offering a faster yet affordable service to our clients in the countryside who are also beneficiaries of many OFWs. This is where the PhilPaSS remitting system comes in," said Ian Pama, president of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP), which has 600 members.
Pama said none of the RBAP members have yet tapped into the PhilPaSS, the online and real-time payment system the BSP administers to facilitate transactions between banks.
"RBAP has a strategic role to play if and when the organization decides to use the system. Should RBAP members decide to use the system, then we can offer cheaper, if not the cheapest transaction fees without incurring any losses,"
The BSP has been urging banks to use the PhilPaSS Remit System for OFW remittances because it has a rate of P50 per transaction compared to P100 to P500 per charged by other money transfer systems. — ELR/VS, GMA News
http://bit.ly/rZ2IsI
Friday, November 11, 2011
1 out of 10 OFWs financially broke: study
Posted at 11/11/2011 10:43 AM | Updated as of 11/11/2011 12:37 PM
The study made by the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships
Inc. (SEDPI) also showed that most or around 80% of Filipinos working
abroad overspend on investments on houses and home improvements.
Also, 8 out of 10 do not have savings and are unable to prepare for
their retirement or return to the country and are caught in a cycle of
debt and poverty.
The study also showed that only 5% save a fixed amount regularly and about 15% save monthly but not with a fixed amount.
These worrying statistics was told to ABS-CBN Europe at SEDPI's
financial literacy seminar for Filipino workers in Oslo, Norway last
November 5.
According to Vincent Rapisura, CEO of SEDPI, it is a sad phenomenon
that OFWs do not enjoy financial stability despite years of working
abroad.
Pressures from family members for regular remittances and investing
in idle assets (such as houses) have contributed to bankruptcy and
financial insecurity for most OFWs.
He also told the participants of the seminar, mostly those working
as au pairs in Oslo that it is important to set boundaries when it comes
to sending remittances.
"Ginagawa kayong insurance ng inyong pamilya di ba?" he asked.
He also has three pieces of advice to Filipinos who are working abroad or are planning to work abroad.
First, they must make their goal for going abroad very clear and
discuss this with their family. If the goal is to send the children to
school, the OFW should be able to go home after this goal is achieved.
Another is to learn the discipline of saving money and lastly, acquire
insurance cover to prepare for eventualities.
He also told the participants that unless they have these things,
they should think twice before they send all their money back home.
Rapisura said that Filipinos working abroad should set aside up to 3
to six months of their monthly salary as emergency savings and should
hold a 10-year insurance and health cover for themselves to ensure that
they are protected from economic shocks.
It is also important, he said, for OFWs to be realistic about their
financial position and set a financial goal in order to plan for
financial security in the future.
Asked if these harsh advise had led to economic backlash from
families back home, Rapisura said that on the contrary, families in the
Philippines learn to understand the predicament of their relatives and
has ironically led to closer family ties.
When ABS-CBN Europe asked some participants on the relevance of the
seminar to their life situation, some seem to have taken the
information to heart.
"Every month nagpapadala ako ng 1,000 kroner sa pamilya bilang
tulong sa pamilya ko dahil nandito ako sa abroad. Pero kung hihingi pa
sila ng sobra, siguro may limit na," Carmi Derillo told us.
She also said that she learned how to save money from the seminar.
At 23, she came to Norway to work as an au pair and hopes to save enough to open a business venture in the Philippines.
Jennifer Rarugal, 24 who also works as an au pair also revealed
that she has to struggle with her budget at first since she wanted to
provide for her family's needs.
"Noong una kasi noong pumunta dito sa Norway, iniisip ko lang kasi
ang pamilya ko, na makapagpadala ako, masustentuhan ko sila especially
sa food, kung may nagkakasakit, gusto ko mapagamot agad. (Pero sa
seminar), 'yong isa sa naiintindihan ko na kailangan pala meron kang
perang ipon para makatulong. Paano ka makakatulong kung sarili mo wala
ka naman pera di ba?," she added.
The seminar was organized by the New Filipino Working Group (NFWG)
in Oslo to provide guidance to the au pairs in managing their money.
Jean Langerud, coordinator of the NFWG said that they hope the
seminar will be able to help Filipino workers in Oslo especially the au
pairs to attain financial stability.
"It is a challenge to us Filipinos, on how to manage our money
especially for those who suffer from a culture of deprivation. We tend
to spend on things that we were not able to afford before and that can
lead to overspending and inability to save for the future," Langerud
added.
Monday, November 07, 2011
POEA to review ban on OFW deployment
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:45 am | Monday, November 7th, 2011
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will study
a proposal by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to defer
enforcement of a ban on the deployment of Filipinos to 41 countries
deemed as not providing enough protection to foreign workers.
The POEA governing board, chaired by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, initially met on Friday to deliberate on the DFA proposal seeking postponement of the implementation of POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 7.
POEA Administrator Carlos Cao, board vice chair, told reporters that the resolution ordering the ban was to take effect on November 18, or 15 days after its publication.
“Resolution 7 does not take effect until after 15 days and we will take advantage of this.
We believe this will give us ample time to discuss the matter thoroughly and extensively on whether to defer or not,” Cao said.
Cao earlier defended the ban, saying that the agency was only complying with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10022, which restricts the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to countries duly certified by the DFA as having adequate protection for migrant workers.
However, former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Raul Señeres said the certification provisions of RA 10022 should be repealed by Congress as soon as possible because they are difficult to implement.
“The law will be unimplementable in the long run. The hiring of migrant workers in labor-receiving countries is a lucrative and flourishing business dominated by foreign manpower companies. Nothing can prevent a manpower company based in an unbanned country such as Saudi Arabia from recruiting workers from the Philippines purportedly or on paper, to work in Saudi Arabia but their actual destinations are somewhere else, such as banned Afghanistan,” Señeres said.
He added, “Also, what will prevent an employer in the United Arab Emirates who has 10 Filipino housemaids from bringing five of them to Iraq to work in the household of his relatives there? Stamping the OFWs’ passports with a notice that travel to, say, Lebanon, is restricted is obligatory only on the part of Philippine immigration officials and not on the part of the other countries’ immigration officers.”
Señeres said the Philippine government should instead deploy diplomats determined to fight for the rights of OFWs wherever they might be.
“The best thing to do is to send ambassadors who are briefed to truly fight for every Filipino worker’s rights like a Doberman, not a poodle. They should send a strong signal to employers of OFWs that they should not mess around with an OFW. They should not be afraid of being declared persona non grata for fighting at all costs for an OFW,” he said.
After all, he added, the Migrant Workers Act directs that the “top priority concern of the secretary of foreign affairs and the Philippine ambassadors is the protection of OFWs.”
http://bit.ly/vBFTz1
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:45 am | Monday, November 7th, 2011
 |
| Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ NIÑO JESUS ORBETA |
The POEA governing board, chaired by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, initially met on Friday to deliberate on the DFA proposal seeking postponement of the implementation of POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 7.
POEA Administrator Carlos Cao, board vice chair, told reporters that the resolution ordering the ban was to take effect on November 18, or 15 days after its publication.
“Resolution 7 does not take effect until after 15 days and we will take advantage of this.
We believe this will give us ample time to discuss the matter thoroughly and extensively on whether to defer or not,” Cao said.
Cao earlier defended the ban, saying that the agency was only complying with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10022, which restricts the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to countries duly certified by the DFA as having adequate protection for migrant workers.
However, former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Raul Señeres said the certification provisions of RA 10022 should be repealed by Congress as soon as possible because they are difficult to implement.
“The law will be unimplementable in the long run. The hiring of migrant workers in labor-receiving countries is a lucrative and flourishing business dominated by foreign manpower companies. Nothing can prevent a manpower company based in an unbanned country such as Saudi Arabia from recruiting workers from the Philippines purportedly or on paper, to work in Saudi Arabia but their actual destinations are somewhere else, such as banned Afghanistan,” Señeres said.
He added, “Also, what will prevent an employer in the United Arab Emirates who has 10 Filipino housemaids from bringing five of them to Iraq to work in the household of his relatives there? Stamping the OFWs’ passports with a notice that travel to, say, Lebanon, is restricted is obligatory only on the part of Philippine immigration officials and not on the part of the other countries’ immigration officers.”
Señeres said the Philippine government should instead deploy diplomats determined to fight for the rights of OFWs wherever they might be.
“The best thing to do is to send ambassadors who are briefed to truly fight for every Filipino worker’s rights like a Doberman, not a poodle. They should send a strong signal to employers of OFWs that they should not mess around with an OFW. They should not be afraid of being declared persona non grata for fighting at all costs for an OFW,” he said.
After all, he added, the Migrant Workers Act directs that the “top priority concern of the secretary of foreign affairs and the Philippine ambassadors is the protection of OFWs.”
http://bit.ly/vBFTz1
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Migration promotes cultural and religious harmony
By Susan K
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:03 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
The 7th Interfaith Dialogue of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM-IFD7) was held last Oct. 13-14 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila with the theme “Harnessing the Benefits and Addressing the Challenges of Migration through Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue.”
It ended with the issuance of The Manila Statement on ASEM Interfaith Dialogue on Migration.
The statement called on ASEM member countries to promote understanding, tolerance and respect for diversity of cultures, and for freedom of religion and beliefs in the context of increased mobility and people-to-people interaction.
Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the country’s representative in the event, defined interfaith dialogue as “cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between or among people of different religious traditions and spiritual or humanistic beliefs.”
According to Dimzon, respect for religious, non-religious and cultural diversity is integral for our well-being, prosperity and peace.
International migration, by bringing people of different beliefs together, can promote cultural and religious harmony.
Filipino migrants—over eight million of them in about 190 countries—bring with them their values, traditional beliefs, ethical standards and norms, and even ideologies. Yet they are able to mix and blend easily with other nationals. Dimson attributes this to the predeparture orientation programs conducted by the government that remind Filipino migrants to be sensitive to the behavior and culture of other people.
Over the years, host governments have also become more open and tolerant of foreign migrants. Religious discrimination against has has diminished, she said.
In Macau or Hong Kong, where there are over 130,000 Filipino migrants, a Catholic mass is celebrated by a Filipino priest in Filipino for Filipino mass-goers. Overseas Filipinos workers say the freedom to express themselves through their faith helps them cope with the pressure, stress and loneliness they face while being away from home, Dimson said.
Truly, OFWs can become catalysts for inter-faith harmony in the world today.
Dimzon lamented that some societies have stayed restrictive, repressive and intolerant of other people’s humanistic and religious beliefs. To her, these societies have not yet realize the benefits they receive from the presence of migrants in their country. She expressed hope that in due time and through continued and sustained interfaith and inter-cultural dialogues, they will become part of one, big, open world whose people have come together despite differing beliefs.
Susan Andes, a.k.a. Susan K is on board at RADYO INQUIRER 990 DZIQ AM, Mon to Fri, 7:00-8: 30 p.m.
http://bit.ly/ttTFK8
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:03 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
The 7th Interfaith Dialogue of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM-IFD7) was held last Oct. 13-14 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila with the theme “Harnessing the Benefits and Addressing the Challenges of Migration through Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue.”
It ended with the issuance of The Manila Statement on ASEM Interfaith Dialogue on Migration.
The statement called on ASEM member countries to promote understanding, tolerance and respect for diversity of cultures, and for freedom of religion and beliefs in the context of increased mobility and people-to-people interaction.
Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the country’s representative in the event, defined interfaith dialogue as “cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between or among people of different religious traditions and spiritual or humanistic beliefs.”
According to Dimzon, respect for religious, non-religious and cultural diversity is integral for our well-being, prosperity and peace.
International migration, by bringing people of different beliefs together, can promote cultural and religious harmony.
Filipino migrants—over eight million of them in about 190 countries—bring with them their values, traditional beliefs, ethical standards and norms, and even ideologies. Yet they are able to mix and blend easily with other nationals. Dimson attributes this to the predeparture orientation programs conducted by the government that remind Filipino migrants to be sensitive to the behavior and culture of other people.
Over the years, host governments have also become more open and tolerant of foreign migrants. Religious discrimination against has has diminished, she said.
In Macau or Hong Kong, where there are over 130,000 Filipino migrants, a Catholic mass is celebrated by a Filipino priest in Filipino for Filipino mass-goers. Overseas Filipinos workers say the freedom to express themselves through their faith helps them cope with the pressure, stress and loneliness they face while being away from home, Dimson said.
Truly, OFWs can become catalysts for inter-faith harmony in the world today.
Dimzon lamented that some societies have stayed restrictive, repressive and intolerant of other people’s humanistic and religious beliefs. To her, these societies have not yet realize the benefits they receive from the presence of migrants in their country. She expressed hope that in due time and through continued and sustained interfaith and inter-cultural dialogues, they will become part of one, big, open world whose people have come together despite differing beliefs.
Susan Andes, a.k.a. Susan K is on board at RADYO INQUIRER 990 DZIQ AM, Mon to Fri, 7:00-8: 30 p.m.
http://bit.ly/ttTFK8
Interests of OFWs paramount, says bishop
By Philip C. Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:33 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
A ranking Catholic prelate on Saturday urged the government to implement the deployment ban on 41 countries found to be lacking in protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who once headed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI), urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to prioritize the “interests of OFWs.”
The DFA, facing protests from some labor-receiving countries, had urged the Department of Labor and Employment to defer the implementation of the deployment ban.
“Please tell the DFA not to close their eyes or minds. Money is not enough. Human dignity is worth more than the dollars these heroes remit,” Arguelles said.
“The adverse effects (of a deployment ban) would be less than the inhuman treatment (of OFWs) in problematic countries,” he said.
Arguelles said that even when he headed ECMI, his stand was for “a total ban on countries whose cultural mindset is discriminatory to women and strangers like in most Arab lands.”
The labor department earlier announced that it was banning the deployment of OFWs to 41 countries because the DFA had certified that they did not meet the safety requirements for Filipino workers set by the Migrant Workers Act.
That law states that countries where OFWs work should have “existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers; are a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers; and have concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs.”
The countries on the list are Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chad, Croatia, Cuba, North Korea, Dominica, East Timor, Eritrea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are well known to have few laws protecting domestic labor, are not on the list.
Ople said the recruitment industry and millions of OFWs were waiting for the next and final list that would include several Gulf countries with a high concentration of Filipino workers.
Migrant labor organizations have yet to question the new law’s impact on their basic freedom of mobility and employment.
http://bit.ly/tGDLDB
Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:33 am | Sunday, November 6th, 2011
 |
| Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles. Photo taken from http://sois.census.gov.ph |
Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who once headed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI), urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to prioritize the “interests of OFWs.”
The DFA, facing protests from some labor-receiving countries, had urged the Department of Labor and Employment to defer the implementation of the deployment ban.
“Please tell the DFA not to close their eyes or minds. Money is not enough. Human dignity is worth more than the dollars these heroes remit,” Arguelles said.
“The adverse effects (of a deployment ban) would be less than the inhuman treatment (of OFWs) in problematic countries,” he said.
Arguelles said that even when he headed ECMI, his stand was for “a total ban on countries whose cultural mindset is discriminatory to women and strangers like in most Arab lands.”
The labor department earlier announced that it was banning the deployment of OFWs to 41 countries because the DFA had certified that they did not meet the safety requirements for Filipino workers set by the Migrant Workers Act.
That law states that countries where OFWs work should have “existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers; are a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers; and have concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs.”
The countries on the list are Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chad, Croatia, Cuba, North Korea, Dominica, East Timor, Eritrea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are well known to have few laws protecting domestic labor, are not on the list.
Ople said the recruitment industry and millions of OFWs were waiting for the next and final list that would include several Gulf countries with a high concentration of Filipino workers.
Migrant labor organizations have yet to question the new law’s impact on their basic freedom of mobility and employment.
http://bit.ly/tGDLDB
Friday, November 04, 2011
PNoy's ultimate goal: Bring OFWs back to PH
Posted at 11/04/2011 6:44 PM | Updated as of 11/04/2011 6:44 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino government is finding ways
to bring back overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and encourage potential
ones to stay in the country.
“That is the ultimate goal--that we have 10 million OFWs and we want them to be back here and the way to be able to do that is with the jobs that are available here,” President Benigno Aquino III said in the live interview on the YouTube Worldview series Friday.
The first question raised in the interview was by Rey Ambler. He asked, “Mr. President, what can you do so that Filipinos will start to work here and for our country instead of migrating and working abroad?”
“We’re trying to attract investors both domestic and international,” Aquino said, adding that his government is likewise tapping the outsourcing industry as one of its sources to be able to create more local jobs.
“Every time I go abroad, for instance, perhaps two-thirds of the entire mission is spent trying to get investors to come in. And we have had successes,” Aquino said.
China visit windfall
Among the accomplishments that Aquino cited was his recent trip to China, where he got billions of dollars in investments for the Philippines.
“The most recent is the state visit to China wherein we got about 1.2 or 1.8 billion dollars worth of new investments that conceivably can become about 11 to 12 billion,” he said.
The president said he was able to secure pledges from Chinese businessmen. “US$1.2 [billion] that are finished items already; $3.2 [billion] that need one or two details that have to be tackled; and $7.9 billion that is forthcoming. They are really, seriously, interested in investing and they are at the exploratory stage,” he said.
“The BPO industry will reach about 640,000 direct jobs this year, produces between 2-and-a-half to 5 jobs for every direct job, and they are venturing into areas in the countryside which have schools, which have the talent that they do need. It’s not a dream, but rather something that is already a reality. Areas are opening up because of these industries that we’re hoping to nurture,” he said.
Skills mismatch
At the same time, the government is also instituting reforms in the educational system and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Our DOLE has a website called phil-job.net that has something like 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available but are not being met because of skills mismatch.
Aquino said he already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DOLE to coordinate in order to prepare students for jobs that would be available upon graduation.
He explained that the trend is that students aim for jobs that are currently hot but are no longer in demand when they graduate.
“So we want to end that mismatch between the skills and job opportunities,” he said.
Aquino said there are other industries that can be a source of future growth for jobs aside from the outsourcing industry.
“One thing that has been a dream is also the manufacturing side and we're hoping to get that back. Again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country.
http://bit.ly/uTGDxt
“That is the ultimate goal--that we have 10 million OFWs and we want them to be back here and the way to be able to do that is with the jobs that are available here,” President Benigno Aquino III said in the live interview on the YouTube Worldview series Friday.
The first question raised in the interview was by Rey Ambler. He asked, “Mr. President, what can you do so that Filipinos will start to work here and for our country instead of migrating and working abroad?”
“We’re trying to attract investors both domestic and international,” Aquino said, adding that his government is likewise tapping the outsourcing industry as one of its sources to be able to create more local jobs.
“Every time I go abroad, for instance, perhaps two-thirds of the entire mission is spent trying to get investors to come in. And we have had successes,” Aquino said.
China visit windfall
Among the accomplishments that Aquino cited was his recent trip to China, where he got billions of dollars in investments for the Philippines.
“The most recent is the state visit to China wherein we got about 1.2 or 1.8 billion dollars worth of new investments that conceivably can become about 11 to 12 billion,” he said.
The president said he was able to secure pledges from Chinese businessmen. “US$1.2 [billion] that are finished items already; $3.2 [billion] that need one or two details that have to be tackled; and $7.9 billion that is forthcoming. They are really, seriously, interested in investing and they are at the exploratory stage,” he said.
“The BPO industry will reach about 640,000 direct jobs this year, produces between 2-and-a-half to 5 jobs for every direct job, and they are venturing into areas in the countryside which have schools, which have the talent that they do need. It’s not a dream, but rather something that is already a reality. Areas are opening up because of these industries that we’re hoping to nurture,” he said.
Skills mismatch
At the same time, the government is also instituting reforms in the educational system and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Our DOLE has a website called phil-job.net that has something like 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available but are not being met because of skills mismatch.
Aquino said he already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DOLE to coordinate in order to prepare students for jobs that would be available upon graduation.
He explained that the trend is that students aim for jobs that are currently hot but are no longer in demand when they graduate.
“So we want to end that mismatch between the skills and job opportunities,” he said.
Aquino said there are other industries that can be a source of future growth for jobs aside from the outsourcing industry.
“One thing that has been a dream is also the manufacturing side and we're hoping to get that back. Again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country.
http://bit.ly/uTGDxt
Thursday, November 03, 2011
DTI, DOLE tie up in training OFWs become entrepreneurs
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio
(The Philippine Star) Updated August 01, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA,
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are collaborating in training
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to become entrepreneurs which will hopefully help strengthen the Philippines’ exporting capability.
“Export-driven economies such as the Philippines would need to build
the capacity of entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs to enhance our
exporting activities and boost the local economy,” said Trade and
Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo.
The DOLE, through the National Reintegration Center for OFWs has
tapped the DTI through the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) to
organize a training package for overseas workers and encourage them to
venture into business.
These free training sessions, which began this July, consist of key
topics on how to start a business, entrepreneurial education activities
where they learn the business cycle, market supply and demand, and
selling as well as preparing the business plan.
A study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) noted that overseas
remittances could spur local development through entrepreneurship. The
study also cited the role of government
to provide support mechanisms to overseas workers and
remittance-receiving families who are self-employed or who have entered
into enterprises.
In 2010, the DTI, through the PTTC, has organized similar trainings
for some 300 overseas workers in cooperation with the Overseas Workers
Welfare Administration (OWWA).
For this year, the PTTC training targets some 2,000 overseas workers
as participants. The sessions will culminate with an activity on
preparing the business plan. The best business plans will qualify for a start-up loan package from the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.
There are about two million Filipinos
working abroad, majority of whom are based in the Middle East. The
training sessions will assist returning OFWs affected by the recent
political unrest in the region and reintegrate them into the economy.
The government is likewise readying several other programs.
A study by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) showed
that the Philippines is one of the world’s largest labor exporters
since the 1980s and one of the largest recipients of overseas workers’
remittances. In 2010, international remittances from abroad reached
$18.8 billion, according to recent Bangko Sentral data.
Shipping ‘balikbayan’ boxes
It’s
this time of the year that Filipinos around the world send parcels and
packages to their loved ones to and from the Philippines and other
countries. Filipinos are known to have the longest
Christmas season celebration and a way to express their love for their
families and friends is through sending of gifts in balikbayan boxes.
The
anticipation of loved ones is high when they know that they will
receive gifts from their families and friends from distant places. That’s why one can only imagine their frustration when the much-awaited balikbayan box was delayed or not received at all.
For
the past several months, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
received quite a number of complaints on the delay, nondelivery and
damage of balikbayan boxes. The DTI, through its Philippine Shippers’ Bureau (PSB), assisted many of the complainants who were able to acquire their balikbayan boxes but after a long wait.
Thus, the DTI-PSB provides a list of frequently asked questions to properly guide the consumers on shipping their balikbayan boxes especially this Christmas season.
FAQs:
Q. How much are the shipping rates of balikbayan boxes? How long is the transit time from origin to destination?
A. There are various rates for shipping of different sizes of balikbayan boxes. Below is a sample rate for a standard size balikbayan box (24”x24”x24”) and transit time from origin to destination.
Q. Where are most balikbayan boxes coming from?
A. OFWs and other Filipinos living abroad from these countries have the large number of packages sent through balikbayan boxes.
- Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar)
- the USA
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
- Singapore
- Italy
- UK
- Korea
Q. What are the common complaints received by the DTI-PSB regarding balikbayan boxes?
A. Most of the complaints on balikbayan boxes are:
- nondelivery or failure to deliver balikbayan boxes
- pilferage of balikbayan box
- overcharging
- damaged cargo
Q. How does one file a complaint with the DTI-PSB?
A. Complainants
should submit a written complaint with documentary evidences such as
official receipts, cargo receipts, bills of lading, shippers’
declaration, way bills, etc.
Q. How does the DTI-PSB handle these complaints?
A. The DTI-PSB has a mediation and arbitration unit which handles/resolves the above complaints.
Q. What are the tips in shipping balikbayan boxes?
A. The following are few tips to ensure that your balikbayan boxes reach its destination.
- Organize all the things you want to send through a balikbayan box. This would give you an idea on the size of box you would need to use. Check out how much shipping would cost per box size (door-to-door charges, other fees, if any).
- Book your boxes only with PSB-accredited sea cargo consolidator/freight forwarder companies. These companies normally have Philippine counterparts which must have an accreditation from the DTI-PSB if by sea, or from Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines (Caap) if by air. Senders may verify the company name of Philippine seafreight forwarder counterpart at www.dti.gov.ph under the Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation section or thru our Philippine Consulate Office abroad.
- Beware of exceptionally very low rates. Most complaints for non-delivery involve cargo shipments that usually charge very low door-to-door rates. In these cases, the foreign principals do not have enough funds to bear the cost of transporting the cargoes, compounded by their failure to remit releasing and delivery funds to their Philippine breakbulk agent, causing the shipments to be abandoned at the ports.
- Declare your shipment by accomplishing a detailed packing list stating all the contents of your box and value of shipment, per item if possible as well as your preferred shipping date. Inquire for proper or standard (or extraordinary, if needed) packing, wrapping, strapping, sealing and labelling requirements of your box.
- Secure transport documents such as cargo receipt (or Official Receipt) for fees paid, and Bill of Lading—a document issued by a transportation carrier to the shipper as proof that they have received the cargo shipment and have placed them on board a particular vessel for delivery to a particular destination. It also states the transport terms in which the received cargo shipments are to be carried and delivered.
- Get the name and contact details of the forwarder’s agent in the Philippines. Be sure that these information are clearly indicated in the transport document and/or receipt.
- Monitor the movement of your cargo from origin to destination to make sure it is being shipped and delivered. You may inquire for a tracking scheme or continuously contact the forwarding company. You may ask them to provide you details such as the name of shipping line, vessel’s name, voyage number, container number, and expected time of departure and arrival of your cargo/package.
- Inform your consignee to check your cargo with the Philippine freight forwarding agent even before it arrives. When it does, make sure to inspect the seal and wrapping of the box before signing the delivery receipt. If you observe that has been tampered with, do not receive the cargo/package and ask the delivery agent to have it double-checked.
- If you encounter pilferage or lost item, or nondelivery, file an immediate claim or complaint with the freight forwarder’s customer service. You may also lodge your complaint directly to the Philippine Shippers’ Bureau at 2nd Floor, DTI Building, 361 Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, or call the DTI-Direct (02) 751-3330 for assistance.
Q. What items that should not be sent through balikbayan boxes?
A. The following items are not allowed to be included in the box:
- Currencies, checks, money orders and traveler’s checks;
- Jewelries;
- Firearms, ammunitions and explosives;
- Prohibited drugs and other substances;
- Pornographic materials, gambling cards and toy guns; and
- Pirated products i.e., dvd, cd, tapes, etc.
Q. What sanctions/penalties may PSB impose on freight forwarders violating PSB policies on balikbayan boxes?
A. PSB may impose monetary fines, suspension or cancellation of accreditation pursuant to Administrative Order 6 Series of 2005.
For more information, call DTI Direct 751-3330 or visit www.dti.gov.ph
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
PH urged to bolster ties with Saudi
Posted at 11/02/2011 10:06 AM | Updated as of 11/02/2011 11:37 AM
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines needs to reinvigorate
bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia to maintain its edge over other
labor-sending countries.
“At a time when all of these reforms in Saudi Arabia are taking
place, we need a more vibrant economic diplomacy to maintain our
competitive advantage over other labor-sending countries,” said Susan
Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center.
Ople said the Philippine government needs to do this, following the
Kingdom's new policies aimed at regulating the number of foreign
workers and their remittances.
The Ministry of Labor in Saudi Arabia had announced that it is
planning to launch a “salary protection” program to encourage foreign
workers to keep the bulk of their wages within the Kingdom.
Ople said the Philippines will be affected by loss of jobs and
reduced incomes arising from Saudi Arabia’s NITAQAT policy and a
forthcoming plan to limit the outflow of foreign remittances. The OFW
advocate noted that other Gulf states are also keenly observing the
effects of Saudi Arabia's nationalization policy.
“We need to expand our bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia to include
trade and tourism agreements. This would strengthen our diplomatic hand
and reinforce our competitive advantage over other labor-sending
countries,” Ople said.
The former labor undersecretary also called on the Philippine
Embassy in Saudi Arabia, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Department of Labor and Employment, to step up its information
campaign about NITAQAT (“Ranges”), the Ministry of Labor’s implementing
program under its Saudization policy.
Ople noted that the Saudization program is now in full swing with its third phase to be implemented on November 26.
“In phase 3 of NITAQAT, employees of companies in noncompliant or
those in the so-called 'red' category would have to transfer to ‘green’
or compliant companies by November 26 which is but a few weeks from
now,” she said.
The Blas F. Ople Center urged workers in Saudi Arabia who are
affected by the Saudization policy to immediately get in touch with the
Philippine Embassy or to write to the Ople Center via blasoplecenter@hotmail.com. Families of affected workers can also contact the Ople Center via its hotline: 8335337.
OAV registration starts November 2
Posted at 11/02/2011 11:31 AM | Updated as of 11/02/2011 11:31 AM
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) originally scheduled the
registration period on October 31, but it was declared as a special
non-working holiday to give the public more time to visit their departed
loved ones.
COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez earlier said applications for
registration shall be filed before authorized COMELEC representatives at
embassies and consulates that have jurisdiction over the places where
they temporarily reside in.
“Applicants need only present their valid Philippine passports or
seaman’s book for seafarers when they register,” Jimenez earlier said in
a press statement.
List of 'OFW-friendly' countries bared
Posted at 11/02/2011 7:19 AM | Updated as of 11/02/2011 11:01 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) issued the list of 125 countries where Filipino
workers can be deployed and 41 countries where sending of workers will
have to be reconsidered owing to their failure to adopt domestic laws
that protect migrant workers.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the POEA governing board issued two more resolutions on deployment of OFWs to compliant, noncompliant countries based on the requirements of Republic Act (RA) 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
The decision of the POEA will take effect in 15 days from the date of publication in major newspapers.
She said as of May this year, the POEA, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, listed a total of 125 countries where overseas Filipino workers can be continuously deployed.
“On the other hand, the third resolution, GB Resolution 7, specifies a list of 41 countries where OFWs cannot be deployed for noncompliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022,” said Baldoz in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The passage of RA 10022 requires Philippine diplomatic posts to review all host countries whether they have existing laws that protect migrant workers, a move to prevent the rampant sexual and physical abuses being committed against Filipino migrant workers.
She said a host country will be certified as compliant to the law if its government has any of the following requirements that protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers.
(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers, including migrant workers;
(b) It is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers, including migrant workers; and
(c) It has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers;
Secretary Baldoz said the government can reconsider the assessment to “compliant” category if the receiving country is taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers based on the provisions of RA 10022.
The labor chief said the new law shall be strictly enforced and the state “shall allow the deployment of overseas workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.”
However, she said countries assessed as noncompliant can initiate negotiation and push for bilateral agreements with the Philippines to address the noncompliances.
She also assured that companies and contractors with international operations in non-compliant countries can still deploy Filipino workers “unless there is an existing ban to that country.”
The Philippines has existing deployment ban to conflict-affected countries like Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and partial ban to Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://bit.ly/vUxH1m
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the POEA governing board issued two more resolutions on deployment of OFWs to compliant, noncompliant countries based on the requirements of Republic Act (RA) 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
The decision of the POEA will take effect in 15 days from the date of publication in major newspapers.
She said as of May this year, the POEA, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, listed a total of 125 countries where overseas Filipino workers can be continuously deployed.
“On the other hand, the third resolution, GB Resolution 7, specifies a list of 41 countries where OFWs cannot be deployed for noncompliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022,” said Baldoz in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The passage of RA 10022 requires Philippine diplomatic posts to review all host countries whether they have existing laws that protect migrant workers, a move to prevent the rampant sexual and physical abuses being committed against Filipino migrant workers.
She said a host country will be certified as compliant to the law if its government has any of the following requirements that protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers.
(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers, including migrant workers;
(b) It is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers, including migrant workers; and
(c) It has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers;
Secretary Baldoz said the government can reconsider the assessment to “compliant” category if the receiving country is taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers based on the provisions of RA 10022.
The labor chief said the new law shall be strictly enforced and the state “shall allow the deployment of overseas workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.”
However, she said countries assessed as noncompliant can initiate negotiation and push for bilateral agreements with the Philippines to address the noncompliances.
She also assured that companies and contractors with international operations in non-compliant countries can still deploy Filipino workers “unless there is an existing ban to that country.”
The Philippines has existing deployment ban to conflict-affected countries like Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and partial ban to Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://bit.ly/vUxH1m
EDITORIAL - Protecting OFWs
(The Philippine Star) Updated November 02, 2011 12:00 AM
The government is correct in its efforts to stop
human trafficking and the use of Filipinos as drug couriers.
But the efforts must be fine-tuned to protect legitimate overseas Filipino workers from harassment. Recruiters are complaining that employers overseas, annoyed by the inability of OFWs to report for work on the date agreed upon, have started turning to other countries for workers.
The recruiters said many of the prospective OFWs were offloaded from their flights on suspicion that they might be victims of human trafficking. Other OFWs were victims of extortion by immigration agents, the recruiters claimed, with amounts demanded allegedly ranging from P30,000 to P50,000. The amounts were highest for prospective workers believed headed for countries where the Philippines had banned OFW deployment, such as Afghanistan. Even with the ban partly lifted, recruiters said the extortion continues. Workers bound for the Middle East are favorite targets, even if they have valid Overseas Employment Certificates.
Philippine authorities tightened requirements for departing OFWs following numerous cases of Filipinos with irregular working papers who were abused by their employers. Teenagers who were given spurious working papers were among the most vulnerable to abuse.
Preventing human trafficking must be given priority, but authorities must also help those who have found legitimate employment overseas, and protect them from harassment prior to their departure. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reopened this year the Labor and Assistance Center to validate all travel documents of OFWs who have already completed processing by the POEA. If a worker has gone through this validation process, there must be a simple system of verification at the airport that will prevent immigration authorities from harassing or extorting money from the OFW.
The campaign against human trafficking should not open workers to harassment and extortion. Hardships drive Filipinos to leave their own country for better opportunities overseas. Their sendoff must not add to those hardships.
http://bit.ly/uYFicR
But the efforts must be fine-tuned to protect legitimate overseas Filipino workers from harassment. Recruiters are complaining that employers overseas, annoyed by the inability of OFWs to report for work on the date agreed upon, have started turning to other countries for workers.
The recruiters said many of the prospective OFWs were offloaded from their flights on suspicion that they might be victims of human trafficking. Other OFWs were victims of extortion by immigration agents, the recruiters claimed, with amounts demanded allegedly ranging from P30,000 to P50,000. The amounts were highest for prospective workers believed headed for countries where the Philippines had banned OFW deployment, such as Afghanistan. Even with the ban partly lifted, recruiters said the extortion continues. Workers bound for the Middle East are favorite targets, even if they have valid Overseas Employment Certificates.
Philippine authorities tightened requirements for departing OFWs following numerous cases of Filipinos with irregular working papers who were abused by their employers. Teenagers who were given spurious working papers were among the most vulnerable to abuse.
Preventing human trafficking must be given priority, but authorities must also help those who have found legitimate employment overseas, and protect them from harassment prior to their departure. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reopened this year the Labor and Assistance Center to validate all travel documents of OFWs who have already completed processing by the POEA. If a worker has gone through this validation process, there must be a simple system of verification at the airport that will prevent immigration authorities from harassing or extorting money from the OFW.
The campaign against human trafficking should not open workers to harassment and extortion. Hardships drive Filipinos to leave their own country for better opportunities overseas. Their sendoff must not add to those hardships.
http://bit.ly/uYFicR
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