Global Filipino

Is Saudi Arabia the Last Piece Before the Dominoes Fall? Part 1 of 2

2011-03-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

The uprising fever has now spread into Saudi Arabia - the largest producer and exporter of petroleum liquids and the second largest producer of crude oil in the world behind Russia.

And if Saudi Arabia starts to shake, the earth will rattle. And I'm not talking of the earthquakes that's now rocking countries around the world.

The Middle East situation is starting to really really get serious. We all know that it all started with one man burning himself in public in Tunisia. Then we've seen and continue to see uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, and Syria.

On the surface, the uprisings in the Middle East looks like a revolt of people clamoring for democracy. Maybe it is. But the real danger is that the turmoil in the Middle East opened the doors for the extremist and radicals to try to gain control.

Look at Egypt. The exit of Mubarak did not end the Egyptian crisis, it was just a pause. The Mubarak allies are still there trying make a come back in disguise. Then we now have extremist coming in the scene. Fact is, they were just waiting for the right moment.

Then there's Libya going into civil war that sent the world price of oil soaring all across the world market.

And now, Saudi Arabia is starting to itch. And Saudi Arabia is one country that the world can't afford to see implode. No, we can't afford to see a Saudi Arabia uprising. At this point I don't see any eminent danger yet in Saudi Arabia. The protests that is already starting there should stop now.

It's all to obvious that the economic analysts in Wall Street are trying there best to downplay the whole Middle East situation. The Obama administration is playing the same tune too as the Wall Street gamers. The US administration is now on the "foreign policy" level of alert.

Oh the US administration are so careful about saying something on the economic impact of the Middle East uprisings to the already weak and troubled American economy which is being continuously dragged down by politics.

Hopefully, the Middle East crisis will wake up the American politicians and the media to put their acts together or else. America cannot afford another economic turmoil. No they can't!

And here's the big one now for America. A situation that America cannot afford to happen. A situation that can bring America down.

Here it is: If America commits a mistake on how it handles the current Middle East crises, a mistake that will cause the revolting masses in the Middle East to turn their anger against the United States, then America is in serious trouble.

And that mistake can start to happen now in Libya and, more importantly, in Saudi Arabia.

Why Did China Postpone the Execution of 3 Pinoys?

2011-02-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I raised a question, "Are the Chinese Going to Kill the Filipinos?"

At the end of the article I placed a poll with a question "Do you think China will commute the death sentence of the 3 Filipinos?" 100% of those who participated answered "NO".

Two of the convicted Filipino drug traffickers are scheduled to die by lethal injection on February 21 and the other 1 on February 22. This could be the first ever execution of a convicted Filipino drug trafficker in China.

Well, we will not find out yet because the Chinese "postponed" the scheduled execution. This happened after Philippine vice president Jejomar Binay was finally allowed to officially plea in behalf of the Philippine government by allowing the vice president to visit China.

Part of the joint statement by the Philippine "plea" delegation and the Chinese officials says,

"The two sides expressed the determination to work together and make joint efforts in further strengthening the relationship of strategic cooperation."

Wow! What a vague political statement. What are they trying to say?

"...strengthening the relationship of strategic cooperation."

My question is why did China postpone the execution of the 3 Pinoys? What did the Binay "plea" delegation promised the Chinese government in exchange for the postponement? I hope Binay did not promise the moon and stars to the Chinese.

I am hoping that a real, fair, and mutual cooperation was the deal. But can the party that is the one that pleads expect a fair exchange?

This could also be a test if Binay has the skill of a high caliber diplomat.

Maybe the deal is that the Chinese will increase it's vigilance against drug trafficking from their own end and the Philippines will do the same. This is as far as it can get.

But can the Philippines do its part? There's just so much money that can be made out of illegal drugs. It can easily corrupt anyone.

Illegal drugs is really menacing and brings unspeakable evil to a country and its people.

China suffered a lot from drug addiction that the country was once called the "nation of addicts". The culprit is a nice looking flowering plant called opium poppy or papaver somniferum.

Remember the Opium Wars in the 19th century where the Chinese lost the not one but 2 wars against Britain and was forced to sign a treaty where China was compelled to allow importation of opium into China monopolized by the British East India Company?

Remember Lim Seng, the Chinese national who was convicted of drug trafficking in the Philippines in 1972?

Capital punishment was in effect and Lim Seng was executed by firing squad and televised on national TV.

The Philippines, in fact, was the first to execute a convicted Chinese drug trafficker and not the other way around.

Maybe, just maybe, a lesson will be learned out of all of this.

OFWs are suppose to bring pride to their families and the country, not shame and disgrace.

Are the Chinese Going to Kill the Filipinos?

2011-02-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

The execution by lethal injection of the 3 Filipinos convicted of drug trafficking in China on Monday, February 21, is not about the laws in China. It's about where the Philippines is standing with its relationship with China. Period.

Why? Because if we base it on the Chinese law, it's simple - death penalty!

Yes, China said that this is an independent case. Independent from what? Oh come on please.

Independent from the disastrous, awry, bungled, messed-up, or whatever you wanna call it hostage "drama" last year that killed 8 Chinese tourists?

Independent from the ever-unresolved Spratly Island dispute?

If the Americans can't budge China in many ways than one, can the Philippines negotiate a commutation of the death penalty? And the case is drug trafficking!

The Chinese government had executed drug traffickers before from Japan, Britain, and Nigeria.

Let me ask you, do you think China will spare the 3 Pinoys from death on Monday?

Yes or no?

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T00:47:00.000-08:00

To all Filipinos around the globe,

Happy Valentine's Day!!

May the uniquely-Filipino LOVE in your hearts continue to keep you and your family together, near or far.

Cheers to the Global Filipinos.

Global Filipino Manny Pacquiao Invited to White House

2011-02-07T04:15:00.000-08:00

It brings me great pride to know that our very own Global Filipino, Manny Pacquiao, got invited by the world's most powerful man, US President Barak Obama, to visit the White House.

Absolutely exhilarating!

According to the Yahoo News, Pacman confirmed the White House invitation during the 10th birthday celebration of his son, Jemuel, at the posh Palms Country Club in Alabang, south of Manila.

I guess most of you will agree that this man really is cut out for destiny. And the invitation is another one for the record. Pacquiao is the first Filipino boxer to step foot in the White House.

Is Pacquiao being invited to the White House as a Philippine congressman or as a boxing superstar? I think I want to settle for both.

And do you know who's going to cook for Manny and Jinkee during the White House visit? Global Filipino, White House executive chef Cris Comerford. Awesome!

Mabuhay ang Global Filipino!

See Yahoo News

Is the Philippine Government Ready to Evacuate Pinoys in Egypt?

2011-01-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

Source: heraldsun.com.au

Is the Philippine government ready to evacuate Filipinos in Egypt?

I don't think so.

What I hear so far from an official statement from the Malacanang is that Filipinos are safe in Egypt. Reports also say that the Philippine embassy in Cairo is still to finalize exit routes and relocation sites.

I think the evacuation plan should have been finalized even on the 5th or 6th day of the Egyptian protest. It's now on the 8th day of very unpredictable and increasingly violent protest. Protesters are reported to have organized the "March of Millions" today, February 1, where it is expected to be the largest protest so far.

I still have to hear from the Philippine government that the evacuation plan is final and ready. The government said there are 7,000 Filipinos in Egypt. Problem is that labor advocate group Migrante-East said that there are 20,000 Filipinos in Egypt. Ano ba talaga!

However, my confidence remains high because, finally, the government is sending former Armed forces General and now Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu. Cimatu had done a commendable job in the evacuation of Filipinos during the Israel-Lebanon conflict in 2006.

To Ambassador Cimatu, I say.. you have done it before, you can do it again.

The meantime I am requesting the readers of this articles to pray for the safety of our countrymen and women in Egypt. For they, too, are Global Filipinos.

Before I end this article, I'd like you to look at the Egyptian protest photo below. What does the photo remind you of? Please type in put your answer in the comments box at the bottom of this article.

Source: community.livejournal.com

Mabuhay ang Global Filipino!

Recommended Website for OFWs, Filipino Job Seekers

2011-01-31T00:13:00.000-08:00

Are you an OFW who wants to move to a better job?

You are not an OFW but wish to get a job abroad and don't know where to start?

Do you know of anyone (a relative or a friend) who wants to become an OFW?

Or you simply want to know something about jobs abroad? What it's like to be an OFW?

If you answer yes to any of the above questions, then the website I am featuring here is for you.

I have spent countless number of days scouting for an OFW cum Filipino job seekers website that is surfer-friendly, simple, comprehensive and very informative. Now that sounds like a lot to expect from a website. And a Philippine website at that.

Guess what. I found one for you!

But first let me tell you what makes this OFW and Filipino job seekers website tick? Here what I think why:

Categorized job look-up. Jobs are categorized into specific group search like Jobs by Specialization, Jobs by Country, and Jobs with No Placement Fee and Salary Deduction.
The website has Tools section where you will find valuable information like the Salary Guide for OFWs and Check Agency Status.
Up-to-date information on host country policies and regulations for foreign workers.
Events sections highlighting up coming job fairs and livelihood seminars.

And there's a whole lot more that makes this website very comprehensive and yet easy to navigate.

As I write this blog, January 31, 2011, the website has 41,043 jobs available.

Now I will leave the rest for you to find out.

But before I give provide the link, just a couple of things that I want I ask of you.

Be the first to know every time I publish a new blog by typing in your email address in the Enter your Email Address box on the upper right side of this article then click Subscribe. Don't worry, your email address will be treated with strict confidentiality.
Let me know your feedback by typing your comments in the Comments box. I surely value your ideas and other readers will appreciate it too. And if you have an inquiry i will surely answer the soonest possible time.

So here is the link to my featured OFW, Filipino Job Seekers website.

Mabuhay ang Global Filipino!

Solita Magahum Wakefield: TOFA Awardee 2010

2011-01-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

"...visible in one's community and profession."
"...visibly active in promoting things Philippines, and in assisting the Philippines."
"...must highlight positive Filipino image."

These are among the criteria of Washington DC-based FIL-AM IMAGE Magazine's TWENTY OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS ABROAD (TOFA). FIL-AM IMAGE Magazine also runs the Pinoy Global Online News.

Kudos to Solita Magahum Wakefield for being 1 of the 20 TOFA awardees for the year 2010!

Years ago I had the opportunity, as a volunteer, to join Solita in several of her philanthropic community service missions in the Philippines and those experiences were really heartbreaking and made me realize that I am a lucky individual.

With Solita and other Feed the Hungry volunteers, we have crossed rivers and hanging bridges, got sunburned, got soaked in rain, bitten by mosquitoes, and traveled hours and hours of bad roads in cramped vehicles, tricycles, and jeepneys to reach out and help less privileged communities in the Philippines. And it was all worth it.

Solita Wakefield is one of the program chairpersons of the Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization. I tell you Feed the Hungry is one of those non-profit organizations that is quietly, I must say, doing a great effort in community service in the Philippines. I can say this because I have seen these guys in action.

I strongly urge the readers of this blog to reach out and lend a helping hand to communities in the Philippines that need help. I tell you there are a lot of these communities that do need help. You can trust me on that.

There are a lot of other non-profits that does a wonderful job of helping out the less privileged and I surely will feature them in my future blogs.

You can actually start to get involved through Feed the Hungry by becoming a volunteer or by simply donating. Go ahead and click Feed the Hungry to find out more about this admirable organization.

Here's a quick peek on the performance of Feed the Hungry - Feed the Hungry Performance Report 1993 to 2008.

Again, congratulations to Solita Wakefield for being a truly admirable Global Filipino!

Check out the following links for more on Solita Wakefield's community service activities and professional achievements:
FilipinoVillage.com
linkedin.com
manilamaildc.net
mysite.verizon.net/id15.html
thomasiantriskelion.org
cfo.gov.ph
IMF Working Paper on Corruption...
Public Spending in the 20th Century: A book by Vito Tanzi & Ludger Schuckenecht

And of course congratulations to the 19 other TOFA Awardees 2010 for being true Global Filipinos. You truly inspiring!

Are you proud to be a Filipino? Let the world know by clicking "yes" or "no" on my poll located on the upper right side of this blog.

I also encourage you to say something about your thoughts about Filipino achievers by leaving a comment at the bottom of this article.

Mabuhay ang Global Filipinos!

Not One But Two Pinoys Gets United Nations Award

2011-01-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Global Filipinos Edwin Cuenco and Edith Marie Garingalao for being among the winners of the 2010 United Nations Online Volunteering Awards!

Cuenco was cited for his free graphic design services to various NGOs. In particular, Cuenco, a graphics design teacher in Arkansas Tech University, made promotional graphic design services for the Nigerian-based Association Against Women Export (AAWE) which greatly helped the organizations's advocacy against human trafficking and fund raising objectives. Click here to find out more what Edwin Cuenco did for the United Nations.

More achievements of Edwin Cuenco.

Garingalao (hmmm.. Ilonggo-sounding last name) was part of the online volunteer team that put together a breakthrough health care program for the rural village of Kitega in Uganda, Africa. Find out more on this page.

Do you want to be a UN online volunteer? Click this United Nations Online Volunteer.

Mabuhay ang Global Filipino!

Pinoy Makes it to the Top in the U.S.

2011-01-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

Did you know that another Filipino made it to the top in the United States?

Gabriel Esteban

Gabriel Esteban,a Filipino immigrant, was appointed as the 20th president of Seton University, New Jersey, which is one of the top universities in the US.

And here's the clincher. Esteban is the first non-priest to become the school's president. It is a rule of Seton University that school should be headed by a priest. The board of regents had asked the board of trustees to make an exception to the rule and appointed Esteban as president.

And here's another one - Gabriel Esteban is only 49 years old.

Mr. Esteban is a product of the University of the Philippines. Click here to take a look at Mr. Esteban's sterling curriculum vitae.

Congratulations Mr. Gabriel Esteban! You are an inspiration and you make us truly proud Filipinos.

You are an amazing Global Filipino!!!

Click on the links below for more on Mr. Gabriel Esteban:

South Orange Patch news

Yahoo News

How to Earn Dollars Without Leaving Your Home, Series Post No. 2

2011-01-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

In my first post on How to Earn Dollars Without Leaving Your Home , I featured the top five hundred online outsourcing website - oDesk.

Now I will introduce you to another top five hundred website called eLance.

eLance works pretty much like oDesk in many ways except that, and this is big time for me, the former charges a one-time registration fee for employers and more fees for "connects".

But surely there must be something about eLance that keeps it on number 383 on Alexa's rating. oDesk is number 313.

And by the way, I'd you to take a look at Alexa. This is one fantastic website-rating company that calls itself a "Website Information Company". And rightly so. So if you want to research the stats websites, check out Alexa.

Now going back to my feature site, eLance, I like you to be the judge. Click here to go to the eLance website.

Happy job hunting.

LIVE-IN CAREGIVERS IN CANADA GETS BIG BOOST

2011-01-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Ontario, Canada has one of the best protection laws for live-in caregivers?

Enacted into law by the provincial legislation of Ontario, Canada in December of 2009 and took effect in March 2010, the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act (EPFNA) of 2009, specifically protects foreign national live-in caregivers in Ontario greater protection against recruiters' fees.

According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), the following are the highlights of the EPFNA:

Ban on fees charged to live-in caregivers by recruiters, either directly or indirectly, or by anyone on behalf of a recruiter;
Preventing employers from recovering, directly or through a third party, recruitment or placement costs from live-in caregivers;
Imposing fines of up to 50,000 Canadian Dollars and a year in jail if anyone charges a placement or recruitment fee;
Prohibiting the practice of taking a caregiver’s personal documents such as passport or work permit;
Prohibiting reprisals against caregivers for exercising their rights under the legislation; and,
Allowing live-in caregivers up to 3 ½ years to make a complaint.

The EPFNA will certainly make life for foreign live-in caregivers in Ontario, Canada a lot lot more rewarding. I hope other countries will follow suit.

To see more of the POEA's page click on this link EPFNA of 2009.

For more resources on the EPFNA of Ontrario, Canada, click on the following links.
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/is_fn_epfn.php
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/other/filipino/is_fn_epfn.pdf

Nurses and Caregivers for Japan

2011-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

The POEA has recently announced that Japan is now open for application for the 3rd batch of nurses and caregivers.

According to the POEA, the deadline for submission of documents is already on January 6, 2011. That's barely 2 days from this blog posting.

So I will not add anymore to this post. If you're a nurse or a caregiver or know someone who is, you will be doing them a big favor by letting them know.

Go ahead and click on this link now to find out more. Nurses and Caregivers for Japan.

Happy job hunting.

HOW TO EARN DOLLARS WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR HOME, Series Post No. 1

2011-01-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

I would like to start the New Year of 2011 by sharing with you great ways of making money without leaving your home.

But before I start I'd like to clarify a couple of things:

I am doing this post, and all succeeding posts, on this subject matter under my Global Filipino blog because i believe that one does not have to be working or residing outside of the Philippines to be a Global Filipino;
To those Filipinos who are already working outside of the country as OFWs, this could be a way of earning more (dollars);
I am assuming that people do not have a lot of time reading and absorbing tons of information they encounter in the worldwide web. And for that reason, I will do this as a series of posts (take note of the "Series Post No. 1" in the title of this post); and

My real intention really is to help or, more appropriately, "encourage" people to maximize their time and turn those "idle" moments into real money making activities.

So let's get on with it!

Today, I'm going to show you how to make money online that requires no direct expense. All it takes is your time and, yes, the desire to earn. I said "no direct expense" because obviously it will cost you something to access the internet. Right?

Are you an 8 to 5 worker who need an extra source of income? Or are you someone who plan to retire and is looking for something worthwhile to do after retirement? Are you a housewife who wants to make money at the luxury of being in your house? If so, then this is for you.

In this post, I'm going to feature oDesk - a website where freelancers get to meet people or companies who need services such such as data entry, research, computer programming, marketing strategists, and even virtual assistant, etc. You name it, it's all there.

I find this website user-friendly with some cool features such as:

Email notification of the available type of jobs that you opted to follow. For instance, if you chose to be notified of all available data entry jobs, oDesk automatically sends you the latest available data entry jobs right into your email;
A Skills Test that will help you boost your qualification. I suggest you take as many skills test as you can. The good thing is, if you are not satisfied with the result of a skills test, you can choose not to show it and you can schedule a retake. And the cool thing is- it's free. Other similar websites charges you a fee for taking skills test. A turn off actually.

In short, what you do is register in oDesk and carefully study it's features and what it can do. Take time to set up your oDesk profile which include setting up your resume, take skills test, etc.

When you're ready, search for jobs being posted, review them if it suits your preference, then bid for the job.

You will find out everything you need to know once you get to the oDesk website.

I wish you all the best!! And watch out for my next post.

Make that move now and click on the link to find out more about this post's feature - oDesk.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-12-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

To all Filipino Overseas Workers,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

May the year 2011 bring more breakthroughs and success to the Global Filipino.

The 2009 Top Ten Job Destinations for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

2010-12-30T01:08:00.000-08:00

The Philippines did an amazing performance in the overseas jobs market deploying 1,092,162 land-based overseas Filipino workers, 117,763 more than the previous year or a growth rate of 12.1%.

If you're considering to work outside of the Philippines, the table below may help you decide what country to set your eyes on.

But why are Filipinos remain the top choice of international employers?

What are the factors why, despite slow downs in the world economic activities that resulted to massive lay-offs, the Philippines continue to excel in the world job market?

Filipinos are multi-talented and multi-skilled.

Perhaps it's the innate willingness of the Filipinos to do just about anything for the family that makes them, as a result, multi-skilled and multi-talented. It's their ability to shift from one type of work to the other without hesitation that makes Filipinos popular and in demand among international employers.

Just look at the Filipino doctors who shifted careers to become nurses just to work abroad, the nurses who work as care givers, and the thousands of teachers who became domestic helpers.

These are truly amazing traits of the Filipino overseas workers.

Filipinos adapt to other cultures pretty quickly.

Filipinos have a natural tendency to be liked by others specially by foreign nationals. They exhibit these by learning the culture and language of their host country very quickly. And as a result, the cultural and communication barrier, the major cause of work place disruption, diminishes.

Filipinos are proactive.

Why are the re-hire rates of Filipinos among the highest in the world?

Foreign employers would give a Filipino specific job responsibilities. The Filipino will finish the job way ahead of time and will ask for more.

As a training consultant, i once had the opportunity to visit what they call "the barracks" where a mix foreign workers work and reside. I immediately noticed that Filipinos there are the busiest group.

No wonder Filipinos are those that are managers, supervisors, and holds the majority of the skilled positions.

Filipinos are very tough workers.

Filipinos can endure long hours of grueling work in almost any type of work environment. They are always on the look out for over time work. They always volunteer for weekend work.

The list of the traits and characteristics of Filipino Overseas Workers that make them standout above the rest can be very long.

As the saying goes, "Filipinos are the first to be hired, and the last to be fired."

Source of data: http://www.poea.gov.ph/

OVERSEAS FILIPINOS: CALABARZON HAS THE MOST NUMBER OF OFWs

2010-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Did you know that in 2009 the most number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) comes from the Calabarzon area?

Calabarzon, one of the 17 geopolitical regions of the Philippines, is composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.

With the total number OFWs in 2009 estimated at 1,912,000, 16.4% or 313,568 comes from Calabarzon. This represents 2.6% of Calabarzon's estimated population of 11,653,000.

Central Luzon comes in second with 14.7% or 281,064 OFWs.

For OFW stats of the other regions in the Philippines just follow this link http://www.census.gov.ph/data/sectordata/2009/sof0901.htm.

Region 7 Tops Philippine Jobs Generation

2010-12-21T04:26:00.000-08:00

Region 7 of the Philippines posted the highest increase in employment among the rest of the regions for the period between July 2009 and July 2010.

According to the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment or DOLE, Region 7 which is composed of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, posted an increase of 6.2 percent or 168,000 more people employed for the 12-month period.

The region's employment rate increase is 4% above the national figure of 2.2%.

Region 7's robust employment rate is basically fueled by thriving service and manufacturing sector in Cebu and the rising tourism industry in Bohol.

This is certainly good news for the job seekers in Region 7 and as well as to those who wish to move in the region.

Congratulations to the people of Region 7!

Happy job hunting.