KAKKAMPI OFW News and Other Useful Info

OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition Issue 001

2012-01-14T10:16:00.001+08:00

OFW Ako Magazine - OnLINE Edition - 001

OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition Issue 001
January 2012

INSIDE:

OFWs bringing Christmas cheers for Lumad kids by Emmanuel C. Roldan p2-p5

Health Corner: Eating Fruits p6-p7

General Guidelines for a Filipino Forum in your Area by S. Z.Respicio, Jr. & PA Escalante p8-p9

The Filipino Forum: the FILAM Experience by S. Z.Respicio, Jr. p10-p13

Mga Bagong Bayani – “Nagsusumikap para sa sariling pamilya at upang makatulon g sa kapwa.” by Marjorie C. Palma p14-p17

The Event that Shook the Nation by Mark Shera C. Cruz p18-p19

Hay …. Buhay Abroad Talaga p20-p22

Ang Huling Pasko ng magkakaibigan by Melody Casem p23

Makata si Juan at si Maria by Rein Eviota p24-p25

Proud owners of OFW ako T-shirts p26

Community Announcements p27

LINKS:

@ Scribd.com --- http://www.scribd.com/doc/77086363/OFW-Ako-Magazine-OnLINE-Edition-001

@ Wordpress.com --- http://ofwakomagazine.wordpress.com/

@ Blogger.com --- http://ofwakomagazine.blogspot.com/
@ Twitter.com --- http://twitter.com/ofwakomagazine/

OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition is published by

OFW ako

61 Kamagong Road, Pilar Village, Las Pinas City

+63 949 776 9282 * ofwako.magazine@gmail.com

Editor-in-Chief: Dennis de Guzman

Contributors:

Kuwait: Marjorie C. Palma, Melody Casem

USA: Mark Shera C. Cruz,

UAE: Rein Eviota

Philippines: Emmanuel C. Roldan

Layout & Design: Dennis de Guzman

Articles, opinions, letters to the editor should be sent to ofwako.magazine@gmail.com

About the AUTHORS

Marjorie C. Palma is an OFW based in Kuwait. She hailed from the province of Bohol and was born on February 5, 1976. She studied Bachelor in Political Science International Relations Major. She is now currently working as a Receptionist at the DAR AL SHIFA HOSPITAL. She is also a member of the OFW ako Community of Distributors (COD) in Kuwait.

S. Z.Respicio, Jr. is a Consulting Engineer of Mines, who moonlit as a Small Business Consultant while peddling used and new luxury cars, and join the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego County. He created the TOBY Awards of FACC, The Outstanding Business of the Year of FACC-SDC recognizing leaders in the Filipino American business, whether members to non-members of FACC-SDC.

Mark Shera C. Cruz is a native of Montalban, Rizal where he also served as a public school teacher until he left for USA in 2008, to join the Filipinos working overseas. Currently, he is a physics instructor at Garden City Sesnior High School, Kansas, USA and has been working for the district for three years. (e-mail: mark_admu@yahoo.com)

Rein Eviota is a graduate of Bachelor of Science & Industrial Technology major in Mechanical Technology at (SSCT) Surigao State College of Technology. He is currently an OFW working in UAE as a Procurement Officer.

Emmanuel Roldan is a Filipino, development worker, human rights defender, researcher and journalist. He worked with various non-government organizations helping the poor, deprived and oppressed Filipinos in the homeland in the field of organizational development, projects management, advocacy and communications. He is a columnist of two daily newspapers in Mindanao and vice president of Pangdaigdigang Alyansa ng Pilipino, Inc. (PAPI)-an affiliate of the Worldwide Filipino Alliance (WFA).

SUMMARIES

OFWs bringing Christmas cheers for Lumad kids
by Emmanuel C. Roldan (Philippines)

DAVAO City—Christmas is gift-giving. As children, we are taught in our basic catechesis that Christmas is the birthday of the Lord Jesus who was sent by the Father to redeem the world. He is the biggest gift God has given to the world as beautifully written in the Holy Book, “He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. As God was the first giver of gift we are told to respond in our little ways.

HEALTH Corner: Eating Fruits

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It’s not so easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!
FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

General Guidelines for a Filipino Forum in your Area
by Saturnino Z. Respicio, Jr. & P.A. Escalante

The Filipino Forum (FilForum) is not a formal organization or association. It is designed to allow participants from diverse backgrounds to meet with other Filipinos, other nationalities and friends, eat a Filipino style breakfast and to discuss issues that concern the Filipino community in a certain area or to touch on topics that are important to the Philippines.

How The Filipino Forum came about: the FILAM Experience
by Saturnino Z. Respicio, Jr.

December 1985 – the Filipino-American Community in San Diego County, California was under siege from bad publicity in the American mainstream press, due to some financial hocus focus by a certain individual(s) of a then Executive Director of the Council of Pilipino-American Organizations of San Diego County; a group of four mulled over how to overcome the situation.

The four: Cecilio Remotigue of Cebu, Oscar Benoya of Cavite, Pat Ambrosio of Sampaloc, Manila, and “Sam” Respicio of Singalong, Manila and Baguio City.

Mga Bagong Bayani – “Nagsusumikap para sa sariling pamilya at upang makatulon g sa kapwa.”
by Marjorie C. Palma

Pangunahin sa ating mga layunin kaya nag-aabroad ay upang matustusan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga sariling pamilya na naiwan sa Pilipinas. Ang ilan ay nagsisimula sa mababang sahod at mahirap na trabaho. Pinipilit malampasan ang anumang unos para lamang maisalba ang naghihirap na pamilya. Nagtatrabaho ng higit pa sa 8 oras, ang ilan naman ay nagpa-part time pa kahit pa ito ay ipinagbabawal ng batas sa ilang lugar, katulad na lang dito sa Kuwait. May mga nakausap akong guro at accountant na naging “kasambahay” o “kadama”. Marami nang naisulat tungkol dito. Lahat ay may kanya-kanyang istorya. Nakakalungkot pero kung mapapansin ay puno ng pag-asa.

The Event that Shook the Nation
by Mark Shera Cruz, USA

Ten days after the great flood that claimed the lives of almost a-thousand residents of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City many are still searching for their relatives and loved ones having high hopes to be reunited with them. The moment I saw the pictures on the internet I felt I was stabbed on my heart and broke out into tears as if I lost my loved ones too. A death caused by an illness or a terminal disease might be easier to accept, but a death which could have been prevented is more painful and hard to accept. Seeing your loved ones being washed away by the turbulent flood is a morbid situation.

Hay .... Buhay Abroad Talaga
An OFW going by the name “Maeng Ni” expressed his views about life of an OFW abroad.
Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa DUBAI ka akala nila madami ka ng pera ng langis. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card Kasi naubus na ang cash pinadala sa pinas, kase pag hindi ka nagpadala, iisipin nila nakalimutan mo na sila. Akala nila mayaman ka at marami kang pera kasi buwan-buwan libolibo padala mo walang palya at kapag pumalya iisipin nila baka nagbisyo ka na o may sinusustentuhang iba. Hindi nila alam food allowance na lang ang natitira sayo at pag kinulang pa umuutang pa at lista muna sa malapit na bakala.

Ang Huling Pasko ng Magkakaibigan ‘08
by Melody Casem

‘07. july ng dumating ako ng kuwait. 1st time ako @ sobrang homesick dahil malayo sa pamilya. mahirap ang trabaho @ mababa ang sahod. dahil me day off ako me mga nakikilala akong mga kaibigan, mga kapwa ko dh na katulong ng kapatid ng amo ko. sa dios, anak, pamilya @ kaibigan ako kumukuha ng lakas sa araw araw. masaya akong nakakatulong @ ganun din sila sa akin. marami akong naging kaibigan iba’t ibang lahi.

Announcement: OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition Volume 01 Issue 01

2012-01-04T15:00:00.001+08:00

The First Issue of OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition has been released for ONLINE distribution today, January 04, 2012. The magazine is in PDF format and hosted at Scribd.com.

LINK: http://www.scribd.com/doc/77086363/OFW-Ako-Magazine-OnLINE-Edition-001#source:facebook

OFW ako Magazine ONLINE EditionVolume 01 Issue 01
January 2012

INSIDE:

OFWs bringing Christmas cheers for Lumad kids       page 2-5
Health Corner: Eating Fruits          page 6-7
General Guidelines for a Filipino Forum in your Area      page 8-9
The Filipino Forum: the FILAM Experience      page 10-13
Mga Bagong Bayani – Nagsusumikap      page 14-17
The Event that Shook the Nation      page 18-19
Hay .... Buhay Abroad Talaga      page 20-22
Ang Huling Pasko ng magkakaibigan      page 23
Makata si Juan at si Maria      page 24-25
Proud owners of OFW ako T-shirts      page 26
Community Announcements      page 27

---

Some useful health tips

2010-11-02T13:47:00.000+08:00

A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty (Heart Specialist,One of the best & most renowned Heart surgeons we have in India today), Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees.

The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.

Q: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
A:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar

Q: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?
A: No

Q: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
A: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Q: Are heart diseases hereditary?
A: Yes

Q: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
A: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Q: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
A: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints

Q: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
A: Mother Theresa , who was my patient

Q: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
A: Extremely rare

Q: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
A: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Q: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?
A: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Q: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
A: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Q: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?
A: Yoga helps.

Q: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
A: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.

Q: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?
A: All oils are bad .

Q: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
A: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Q: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
A: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Q: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
A: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Q: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
A: Increased awareness has increased incidents.. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Q: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
A: Yes.

Q: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
A: Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Q: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart? What precautions would you recommend?
A: When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Q: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?
A: Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti- hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Q: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
A: No.

Q: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
A: No.

Q: How would you define junk food?
A: Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas..

Q: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
A: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Q: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
A: No.

Q: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?
A: Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Q: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
A: No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Q: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
A: Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Q: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
A: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Q: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?
A: Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.

Q: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
A: No.

Q: What are the modern anti- hypertensive drugs?
A: There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Q: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
A: No.

Q: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
A: Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Q: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
A: Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 (once in six months recommended)

...
end.

'Probe rape incidents in Saudi'

2010-10-10T14:43:00.001+08:00

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 10/06/2010 12:46 PM |
Updated as of 10/06/2010 12:46 PM

Original Story: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/10/06/10/probe-rape-incidents-saudi

SAUDI Arabia – An advocate of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Wednesday urged the Philippine post to probe the 2 alleged incidents of rape and abduction involving Filipina nurses in Saudi Arabia.

According to Eric Jocson, chairperson of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS), the first incident happened to a Filipino nurse working at the Riyadh Kharj Hospital.

Joscon said the nurse took a cab after her company service bus left without her. He said unidentified men stopped the taxi that was taking her to her accommodation.

The following day, the Filipino nurse was found in the desert and in serious condition. There was an indication that she was raped and heavily beaten. She was immediately brought to RKH hospital.

However, 2 weeks later, the Pinay nurse died while confined at the hospital.

The second incident, Jocson said, involved 3 Pinay nurses working at the National Guard Hospital also in Riyadh.

Witnesses saw the nurses walking from their accommodation to a department store to buy something. A car stopped behind them and the 3 were forced inside the car.

They were found days later in a secluded area in Riyadh. They were also gang raped.

Jocson believes that Philippine embassy in Riyadh is already informed about the incidents. He hopes that the Philippine post is now conducting its investigation to give justice to the victims.

For his part, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona criticized the RP post for not issuing a safety advisory to the Filipino community.

“It is a routine for the RP officials in Riyadh to issue the necessary advisory to caution or warn its nationals and remind them to take extra care,” Monterona added.

Original Story: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/10/06/10/probe-rape-incidents-saudi

Switzerland starts hiring Pinay nannies

2010-09-24T06:00:00.001+08:00

By Danny Buenafe, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau chief
Posted at 09/23/2010 2:56 PM | Updated as of 09/24/2010 1:56 AM

Original Story: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/23/10/switzerland-starts-hiring-pinay-nannies

ZURICH, Switzerland – The close coordination between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Swiss authorities proved fruitful as there is now a gradual phase-in of new recruits for Filipino au pairs or nannies in Switzerland.

Ambassador Teresa Lazaro relayed the good news adding that almost 50 newly hired nannies have started working with their respective Swiss employers.

“There's actually a demand for our Filipina au pairs. We seemed to be very good with languages and very good in taking care of the young children,” said Lazaro.

Under the agreement, there is no placement fee for the applicants, and the average take home pay is almost 1,000 Swiss Francs or almost P43,000 every month.

According to Lazaro, the applicant must meet certain qualifications. Her age should be 18 to 25 years old. She must also be single, and should learn the German language which will be paid up by her employer.

The work contract, as stipulated in the law, will only be for 18 months or one-year-and-a-half and with no renewal.

For those interested, Lazaro said they need to coordinate with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

“There are certain offices, agencies, here that are specializing on Filipino au pairs,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lazaro is also pushing for the training agreement with Swiss government to allow the recruitment of Filipino nurses to Switzerland.

"Switzerland is already in need of health workers," Lazaro said.

It is possible, she said, that the recruitment of Filipina nurses would start next year as there is now a big demand in various university hospitals in Switzerland.

Original Story: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/23/10/switzerland-starts-hiring-pinay-nannies

PRAYER FOR MIGRANTS

2010-09-08T07:58:00.000+08:00

Original Story: http://www.filipinosworld.net/2010/03/prayer-for-migrants.html

Almighty and merciful God,
whose Son became a refugee
and had no place to call his own;

look with mercy on those who today
are fleeing from danger,
homeless and hungry.

Bless those who work to bring them relief;
inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
and guide the nations of the world towards that day
when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Original Story: http://www.filipinosworld.net/2010/03/prayer-for-migrants.html

7 Spending Tips From Frugal Billionaires

2010-09-08T06:14:00.001+08:00

by Jean Folger
Sunday, September 5, 2010

Original Story: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110550/tips-from-frugal-billionaires?mod=bb-budgeting

Carlos Slim Helu (Carlos Slim), a telecom tycoon and billionaire with well-known frugal tendencies, has a net worth of $60.6 billion, according to Forbes. Assuming no changes in his net worth, he could spend $1,150 a minute for the next 100 years before he ran out of money. To put this in perspective, he could spend in 13 minutes what a minimum-wage earner brings home after an entire year of the daily grind.

Granted, the world's billionaires (all 1,011 of them) are in the debatably enviable position of having, quite literally, more money than they can possibly spend, yet some are still living well below their means, and save money in surprising places. Even non-billionaires (currently 6,864,605,142 of us) can partake in these seven spending tips from frugal billionaires:

1. Keep Your Home Simple

Billionaires can afford to live in the most exclusive mansions imaginable -- and many do, including Bill Gates' sprawling 66,000 square foot, $147.5 million dollar mansion in Medina, Wash. -- yet frugal billionaires like Warren Buffett choose to keep it simple. Buffett still lives in the five-bedroom house in Omaha that he purchased in 1957 for $31,500. Likewise, Carlos Slim has lived in the same house for more than 40 years.

2. Use Self-Powered or Public Transportation

Thrifty billionaires including John Caudwell, David Cheriton and Chuck Feeney prefer to walk, bike or use public transportation when getting around town. Certainly these wealthy individuals could afford to take a helicopter to their lunch meetings, or ride in chauffeur-driven Bentleys, but they choose to get a little exercise and take advantage of public transportation instead. Good for the bank account and great for the environment.

3. Buy Your Clothes off the Rack

While some people, regardless of their net value, place a huge emphasis on wearing designer clothes and shoes, some frugal billionaires decide it's simply not worth the effort, or expense. You can find David Cheriton, the Stanford professor who matched Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to the venture capitalists at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers (resulting in a large reward of Google stock), wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the furniture company Ikea, avoids wearing suits, and John Caudwell, mobile phone mogul, buys his clothes off the rack instead of spending his wealth on designer clothes.

4. Keep your Scissors Sharp

The average haircut costs about $45, but people can and do spend up to $800 per cut and style. Multiply that by 8.6 (to account for a cut every six weeks) and it adds up to $7,200 per year, not including tips. These billionaires can certainly afford the most stylish haircuts, buy many cannot be bothered by the time it takes or the high price tag for the posh salons. Billionaires like John Caudwell and David Cheriton opt for cutting their own hair at home.

5. Drive a Regular Car

While billionaires like Larry Ellison (co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation) enjoy spending millions on cars, boats and planes, others remain low key with their vehicles of choice. Jim Walton (of the Wal-Mart clan) drives a 15-year-old pickup truck. Azim Premji, an Indian business tycoon, reportedly drives a Toyota Corolla. And Ingvar Kamprad of Ikea drives a 10-year-old Volvo. The idea is to buy a dependable car, and drive it into the ground. No need for a different car each day of the week for these frugal billionaires.

6. Skip Luxury Items

It may surprise some of us, but the world's wealthiest person, Carlos Slim (the one who could spend more than a thousand dollars a minute and not run out of money for one hundred years) does not own a yacht or a plane. (Reducing the amount you spend is the easiest way to make your money grow.)

Many other billionaires have chosen to skip these luxury items. Warren Buffett also avoids these lavish material items, stating, "Most toys are just a pain in the neck."

What We Can Learn

Some of the world's billionaires have frugal tendencies. Perhaps this thrifty nature even helped them make some of their money. Regardless, they have chosen to avoid some unnecessary spending (at least on their scale) and the 6,864,605,142 non-billionaires out there can follow suit, eliminating excessive, keep-up-with-the-Jones style spending. No matter what a person's income bracket is, most can usually find a way to cut back on frivolous spending, just like a few frugal billionaires.

Original Story: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110550/tips-from-frugal-billionaires?mod=bb-budgeting

Black Rice: Your New Source For Antioxidants

2010-09-03T18:08:00.002+08:00

240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
August 30, 2010

White rice is delicious, brown rice is nutritious, so where does that leave black rice? According to a new study, it's better for you than a bowl of berries.

"Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants," Zhimin Xu, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was quoted as saying.

"If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran? Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health promoting antioxidants."

Much like blueberries and blackberries alike, "black rice" is rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, substances that show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer and myriad other diseases. Numerous studies showed that these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). Xu suggests that food manufacturers could use black rice bran to boost the health value of breakfast cereals, beverages, cakes, cookies, and other foods.

***

New scholarship open to OFW dependents

2010-09-01T21:51:00.000+08:00

Original Story: http://www.thenewstoday.info/2010/08/31/new.scholarship.open.to.ofw.dependents.html

A new scholarship program is now open for dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose monthly income is not more than US$ 400, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 6 said.

OWWA Director for Western Visayas Samuel Madrid announced that they are now getting in touch with principals of various schools in the region to determine possible recipients of the OFW-Dependent Scholarship Program.

The program kicked off this year with Western Visayas given 72 slots or 12 slots for every province, he added.

Madrid said that the only requirement is for applicants to pass the entrance examination of the state college or universities where they intend to enroll.

Also their parents have to be OWWA members but the monthly income must not exceed US $ 400.

The scholarship has no maintaining grade although it is encouraged that recipients will pursue courses where the demand is high like science and technology courses.

Those who can qualify for the scholarship is entitled to a P10,000 assistance per semester or P20,000 annually. *PNA

Original Story: http://www.thenewstoday.info/2010/08/31/new.scholarship.open.to.ofw.dependents.html

Simple ways to save P20,000 or more by Christmas

2010-09-01T08:32:00.001+08:00

It’s already the start of the “ber” months, which means Christmas season na sa Pinas. Many Pinoys see the holidays not just a time for merriment, but also a time for increased spending. Ngayon pa lang pinaplano na ng iba kung paano gagastusin ang 13th month pay at Christmas bonus. And for those with no bonuses forthcoming, they’re probably already worrying where to find money to spend for the holidays.

You can still have lots of money for Christmas even without any bonus and with your present salary. Starting today, make a conscious effort to reduce your expenses, so you can save more. If you can cut down your spending by P3,000 to P5,000 a month, you’ll be able to save P12,000 to P20,000 by December. That should be enough to cover most of your holiday expenses. If not, then cut down your spending some more.

Here are nine ways you can reduce expenses and save a big bunch for Christmas.

1. If you smoke, now would be a good time to quit. Smoking one pack a day sets you back by P900 to P1,200 monthly and damages your lungs and of those around you.

2. Limit your night outs to once a month, or better yet don’t go out, until after the holidays. You can easily spend a thousand or more on night outs.

3. Take public transport more often, especially if you live far from your workplace. If I drive my car from Dasmarinas, Cavite to Manila and back, I’ll spend about P500 for gasoline, toll fees and parking (and utterly exhausted by the heavy traffic). If I take the bus, I just spend P150 to P200 (and get plenty of rest while enjoying the sights during the trip). That’s more than P300 savings just for one day. If I do this at least twice a week, I’ll have more than P2,000 extra money in my pocket at the end of the month.

4. Take lunch to work. You’ll save more than 50% on food cost. If it’s impractical, look for cheaper food. Take your breakfast and dinner at home so you’ll save even more.

5. Reduce your drinking. Instead of daily or weekly, drink only once a month or suspend it until December. But don’t drink too much in December to make up for missed drinking sessions.

6. Reduce movie dates to once a month or every two months. Watch movies where it’s cheaper. Or have movie marathon at home on weekends.

7. Cut back on the expensive coffee and soft drinks. If you can’t last a day without drinking coffee, find cheaper alternatives. Go for the expensive cup once or twice a week. Resist the urge to eat every meal with a bottle or can of soft drinks and you can easily save more than a thousand in a month.

8. Observe a ceasefire on buying new clothes, shoes, bags and accessories ‘till Christmas.

9. Stay at home more often, especially on weekends. The more you go out, the more likely you’ll spend.

The holiday season is not really a reason to go overboard in your spending. But if you really have to spend more, then start controlling your expenses now, so that you’ll have enough money by December. By saving early for your holiday expenses, you can keep your bonuses intact and you won’t have to resort to borrowing. Memories of Christmas won’t be so merry when you’re left with a gaping hole in your pocket after the holidays. So, be money smart this Christmas season!

----------------------------------------
ALVIN T. TABAÑAG, RFP
Founder and Chief-Trainer
PINOY SMART SAVERS LEARNING CENTER
(International Best Provider of Employee Financial Education)
"Helping ordinary Filipinos achieve financial freedom!"
http://www.pinoysmartsavers.com
http://www.facebook.com/alvin.tabanag
Tel.No.: +63 46 416-1385, +63 917 502-3149

OFW deployment to HK continues—recruiters

2010-08-30T21:45:00.000+08:00

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:36:00 08/30/2010

Filed Under: Overseas Employment, hostage taking, Grandstand Hostage

Original Story: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100830-289568/OFW-deployment-to-HK-continuesrecruiters

MANILA, Philippines—In what could be a bright spot in the bleak scenario created by the hostage-taking incident in Quirino Grandstand, recruitment agencies on Monday assured that deployment of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong will continue.

Filipino workers are among the most efficient and are adept in speaking English, making them the first choice by Hong Kong employers, according to Alfredo Palmiery, president of the Society of Hong Kong Accredited recruiters of the Philippines (SHARP).

Marching on Sunday, some 80,000 Hong Kong residents, including legislators, denounced the Philippines government for botching the rescue operation, resulting in the death of eight people, mostly Hong Kong tourists.

Despite this, there has been no cancellation of job orders for Filipino domestic helpers for the former British colony, Palmiery said.

He added that there has been no move to revoke employment contracts as well based on the reports of their counterpart organizations which specializes in hiring domestic helpers, the Hong Kong Federation of Accredited Agencies Ltd. and the General Chamber of Manpower Agencies Ltd.

Palmiery also said he is communicating with his counterpart in Hong Kong for assistance to workers who may be displaced due to the hostage-taking incident.

“Hong Kong employers have proven for decades that Filipino domestic helpers are reliable, honest and are very proficient in the English. This is why employers would not easily let go of workers, they need them,” Palmiery said in a phone interview.

Hong Kong residents depend heavily on the services of Filipino domestic helpers because their presence in the household allows both husband and wife to work to meet the region’s high standard of living.

“It is the Filipino domestic helpers who take care of their children and their homes while they are at work,” Palmiery added.

Filipina domestic helpers, who number about 150,000 in Hong Kong, comprise one-third of domestic helpers in that city and outnumber from other countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam.

Hong Kong was the top destination for household service workers in 2009 with 25,000 new hires, according to statistics from the Philippine Employment Overseas Administration.

The only time deployment to Hong Kong decreased was during the 2007 worldwide financial crisis when many expatriates had to leave Hong Kong because of the shutting down or downsizing of financial institutions, but Filipina maids continue to flock to the region.

Original Story: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100830-289568/OFW-deployment-to-HK-continuesrecruiters

DOLE: Embassy centers to offer 'care and services' for OFWs

2010-08-15T22:04:00.000+08:00

08/14/2010 | 12:52 AM

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/198523/dole-embassy-centers-to-offer-care-and-services-for-ofws

Resource centers of Philippine embassies will be "transformed" to offer a wider range of "care and services" for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) instead of simply being sites for skills enhancement.

This was announced by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday, citing President Benigno Aquino III’s agenda to further strengthen OFWs.

Under the agenda, Filipino Workers Resource Centers (FWRCs) — subsumed under the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) of embassies — will offer expanded onsite services for Filipinos working abroad.

As a result, "full psychosocial assistance will be provided by the POLO and its network of reputable social workers and faith-based non-government organizations," a statement issued by the DOLE said, quoting Labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

The FWRCs’ new role will complement the “wholistic approach" in providing welfare and protection as well as “reintegration assistance" to OFWs, the statement said.

Economic and reintegration assistance will include placement services, skills retraining, assessment and certification, and livelihood education assistance for dependents.

Skills training and upgrading will be offered to OFWs as soon as they arrive at their overseas destination to prepare them for their reintegration upon returning to the country, the statement said.

Reintegration planning will now be part of the Pre-Departure Orientation Services (PDOS) and Post Arrival Orientation Seminars (PAOS), which OFWs routinely undergo before they go abroad and after they arrive back.

“The FWRCs as onsite centers for expanded protection will play an important part in the reintegration process," Baldoz said.

The DOLE secretary cited the FWRC in Malaysia, which has been offering various skills training programs for OFWs.

For instance, it offers courses such as arts and crafts, Bahasa language, basic accounting, arnis, cosmetology, hair culture, nursing home care, business management, computer courses, culinary arts, dressmaking, English, financial management, reflexology, tailoring, voice lesson, and orientation on Philippine and Malasyian laws.

These courses, Baldoz said, will equip OFWs with appropriate skills that would enable them to find better jobs or embark on livelihood projects that will help them sustain their overseas earnings and improve their economic chances upon their return to the country.

She said the conduct of various skills training will be replicated in other FWRCs in other parts of the world where there is a high concentration of OFWs.

Baldoz said these initiatives are in line with RA 10022, the law which amends RA 8042, or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995.

“We are now full blast in redesigning our onsite protection and reintegration programs in accordance with the provisions of R.A. 10022 and its implementing rules and regulations," Baldoz said in the same statement.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, International Labor Affairs Bureau, Philippine Overseas Labor Offices, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority are the DOLE agencies tasked by Baldoz to implement this agenda in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs.—Robert JA Basilio/JV, GMANews.TV

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/198523/dole-embassy-centers-to-offer-care-and-services-for-ofws

Expanded OFW protection law to take effect August

2010-07-30T23:09:00.000+08:00

07/30/2010 | 10:42 AM

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/197367/expanded-ofw-protection-law-to-take-effect-august

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said some eight million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stand to benefit when the expanded OFW protection law takes effect in August.

“With the publication of the implementing rules and regulations, I now direct the family of agencies under the DOLE that have OFW-related mandates to craft their own internal rules and regulations for the smooth operationalization and implementation of the provisions of the law," Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in an article posted Thursday on the DOLE website.

The other agencies also working on the rules are the Department of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies with OFW-related mandates.

DOLE said the implementing rules and regulations, published in newspapers Wednesday, will take effect after 15 days or on August 13.

Baldoz said the implementation of Republic Act 10022, the expanded OFW protection law, "is a challenge that puts the DOLE at an even bigger forefront of OFW social protection."

She emphasized 11 of the 22 items in the agenda are for the protection of OFWs and for enhancing their competitiveness.

Some of the highlights of the new law are the:

# Stronger bilateral and multilateral relations with the receiving countries for OFW protection;

# Provision of free skills training and livelihood programs for OFWs;

# “Positive and concrete measures" of host countries to protect the rights of migrant workers;

# Prohibition of acts that may constitute illegal recruitment by both licensed and unlicensed agencies;

# Implementation of anti-illegal recruitment programs;

# Placement of the responsibility for OFW repatriation upon the principal or employer and licensed recruitment agency;

# Establishment of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs;

# Protection from abusive medical clinics;

# Legal assistance fund for filing of cases against erring or abusive employers; and

# Compulsory provision of insurance to cover agency-hired workers for accidental death, natural death, permanent total disablement, repatriation costs, subsistence allowance benefit, money claims, compassionate visit, medical evaluation, and medical repatriation. — VVP/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/197367/expanded-ofw-protection-law-to-take-effect-august

Entrepreneur helps fellow OFWs invest their earnings

2010-07-28T16:14:00.001+08:00

By Emman Cena
Inquirer
First Posted 12:06:00 08/08/2007

Filed Under: Investments, Migration

Original Story: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/ofwspotlight/ofwspotlight/view/20070808-81308/Entrepreneur_helps_fellow_OFWs_invest_their_earnings

JUN AGUILAR MAY NOT BE CALLED a “successful OFW entrepreneur” by society’s standards. He doesn’t enjoy a lavish lifestyle or own a multitude of cars and extensive real estate properties.

But he could give some charities a run for their money.

For almost 12 years now, Aguilar has been touching and changing the lives of Filipino overseas workers and would-be workers alike.

At 47, the former technical analyst in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is actively running businesses in the country along with other Filipino expatriates who belong to the Filipino Migrant Workers Group or the FMW Group.

Since its inception in 1996, the FMW Group has been helping lots of overseas workers channel their earnings to worthy investment projects and business ventures in the country.

He is the chair and president of the FMW Group Holdings Inc., a business entity with four operating subsidiaries: FMW Lending Corporation, FMW Marketing Corporation, FMW Human Resources International, and Patriarca and Associates consulting firm.

Humble beginnings

Aguilar recalls the humble beginnings of the organization as one of its pioneers. The group started in the International Philippine School in Riyadh in 1996, he said, where fellow Filipino working professionals meet once in a while when picking up their children from school.

“It was then when we realized we had ample resources and talent to come up with something for the reintegration of fellow overseas expatriates,” he says.

In 1998, he went back to the Philippines to fulfill what the group had envisioned and promised to do.

“When I came home, I saw the sad reality of OFWs who failed to invest their earnings in the country while some were in dire need to go abroad to augment their income. I thought the group could really help them out,” he adds.

Coming home

Aside from the task delegated to him as one of the officers of the FMW Group, coming home was a pact never written but a promise to himself.

True enough, the vow was made true when he came home after 13 years of toiling in the desert. “It was a promise I held on to for years,” Aguilar says. “I said I would never retire abroad. Successful or not, I will head home before I get to age 40.

“To me it’s a benchmark. It’s a time and age when I could assess what I have achieved. I’d go home no matter what, I swore,” he adds.

And true enough, belonging to the FMW group enabled him to help and give a chance to his fellow expatriates and people dying to go abroad.

“I never dreamt of earning millions,” he says. “I just need a modest living wherein I could send my kids to school, get a house, save up for the future and hopefully help out the needy.”

As one of the high-ranking officers of the group, Aguilar says he’s not charging the fees to applicants seeking their help. Through their recruitment arm, the FMW Human Resources Int’l., they have managed to deploy Filipino workers all over the world but mainly the Middle East.

“As long as I am sitting on this chair, I wouldn’t want the applicants to shell out even a cent. I know how it is to be dirt poor whose only hope is to get a better life abroad,” says the mechanical engineering graduate of Technological Institute of the Philippines.

It was in the same university where he taught before going abroad in 1985.

How Jun grew up

Aguilar says he had his share of life’s difficulties while growing up as the youngest of six children to a carpenter and a puto vendor in Bulacan.

“I didn’t actually want to work there, I know how it feels to be away from your family – more so, I was a newlywed then,” he says. “But the promise of a better life was enticing, so I went.”

At 25 in 1985, already a father to his first son, he was sent to Saudi to work at the King Abdulaziz Military Academy as technical analyst.

He later moved to the National Industrialization Company where he held various positions in the auditing, marketing, project management and procurement departments.

The FMW group has been very consistent, intact from day one till now. “We haven’t got any problems at all,” he says.

“Businesswise, our financial statement will prove that somehow we have earned out of the effort. The balance sheet is healthy. We do business, yes, but without compromising the welfare of the Filipino people.”

Life in Quezon City

He’s happily living in their Quezon City home with wife Jasmin and children, all of whom are in school.

Besides his position in the FMW Group, Aguilar is also president and CEO of the Overseas Filipinos Communications Solutions Inc. and managing director of Great Maritime Shipmanagement Inc.

In 2004, Aguilar joined in putting up Rockfinder Inc., a small-scale mining company in which he serves as first vice president. He’s also the managing partner of The Aquazone Company engaged in water purification and distribution.

His wife tends to their water-refilling station in Quezon City.

And how does this busy guy spend his private time? He says he just stays home doing the household chores if not out with his family. “I developed this hobby of fixing all the appliances and whatnot. In fact, I brought home all my carpentry and electrical tools from Saudi.”

Asked about his future plans, Aguilar says he’s planning to finish his remaining MBA units at the De La Salle University Graduate School of Business. He would also want to go back to teaching, one of his passions.

(Jun Aguilar holds office at Suites 304-305 Parc House II Condominium, 21 Edsa, Gudalupe, Makati; tel. no. 881-7886; fax no. 882-1333/ 881-0643. E-mail him at fmwhri@yahoo.com.)

Original Story: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/ofwspotlight/ofwspotlight/view/20070808-81308/Entrepreneur_helps_fellow_OFWs_invest_their_earnings

Eating fish weekly may lower risk of age-related eye disease

2010-07-27T10:58:00.000+08:00

Living

Original Story: http://www.malaya.com.ph/07272010/liv1.html

NEW YORK — Older adults who eat fatty fish at least once a week may have a lower risk of serious vision loss from age-related macular degeneration, according to a US study.

The study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore does not prove that eating fish cuts the risk of developing the advanced stages of age-related macular degeneration, or AMD.

But researcher Bonnielin K. Swenor said the findings add to evidence from previous studies showing that fish eaters tend to have lower rates of AMD than people who infrequently eat fish. They study, reported in the journal Ophthalmology (link.reuters. com/xut38m), also supports the theory that omega-3 fatty acids -- found most abundantly in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and albacore tuna -- may affect the development or progression of AMD.

"While the current research indicates that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of late AMD in some patients, more research is still necessary," Swenor told Reuters Health.

For the study, Swenor and her colleagues analyzed data from 2,520 adults aged 65 to 84 who underwent eye exams and completed detailed dietary questionnaires.

Fifteen percent were found to have early-or intermediate-stage AMD while just under 3 percent were in the advanced stage of the disease. Study participants who ate one or more servings of such fish each week were 60 percent less likely to have advanced AMD than those who averaged less than a serving per week.

Overall the researchers found there was no clear relationship between participants’ reported fish intake and the risk of AMD but there was a connection between higher intake of omega-3-rich fish and the odds of advanced AMD.

AMD is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina or breakdown of light-sensitive cells within the retina itself -- both of which can cause serious vision impairment. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older adults.

There is no cure for AMD, but certain treatments may prevent or delay serious vision loss. A US government clinical trial found that a specific high-dose mix of antioxidants – vitamins C and E, beta- carotene and zinc – can slow the progression of AMD that is in the intermediate stages, and doctors now commonly prescribe it for such patients.

Whether fish or omega-3 supplements can stall AMD progression is not yet clear but a follow-up to the US antioxidant trial is now looking at whether adding fish oil and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin to the original supplement regimen brings additional benefits.

Original Story: http://www.malaya.com.ph/07272010/liv1.html

New measures being readied to boost protection for domestic helpers

2010-07-13T04:11:00.001+08:00

07/12/2010 | 09:00 PM

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/195885/new-measures-being-readied-to-boost-protection-for-domestic-helpers

New measures are being prepared to boost the protection of household service workers (HSWs) who are working or are about to work abroad.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz vowed to move decisively in reviewing the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s guidelines on the matter.

“There is a call for the DOLE to really make a serious effort to protect the most vulnerable of our OFWs — the household service workers — so it is high time for us to review the HSW reform package," Baldoz said during a consultative meeting with the DOLE’s labor attaches who are now in the Philippines.

Baldoz said the review is in line with President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino's 22-point labor and employment agenda, particularly on the implementation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and on addressing the social costs of migration.

The agenda calls for the DOLE to work closely with communities and families of OFWs to provide effective social welfare services, and to pursue and prosecute those engaging in illegal and predatory activities.

Such people include fixers, scammers, and especially traffickers who target women and children.

During the consultative meeting, Baldoz impressed upon the labor attaché corps the need to quickly bring home all distressed OFWs, particularly the HSWs, in all Filipino Workers Resource Centers in all labor offices worldwide.

She also reminded them to ensure they are given full and complete social and economic assistance to facilitate their re-integration into their families and home communities upon their return.

“Our marching orders are clear. We really have to act quickly and show concrete results in terms of ensuring full protection to all OFWs," Baldoz said.

Other initial measures that Baldoz discussed included:

Ensuring that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority improves the quality of its skills assessment and certification system for HSWs before they leave abroad;
Tapping qualified OFWs who have returned to the country to provide their services in pre-departure orientation seminars;
Directing the POEA to strictly enforce its ‘no reprocessing’ policy;
Directing the labor offices to implement improved accreditation of HSW employers and the blacklisting of abusive ones, as well as the preventive suspension of erring licensed recruitment agencies deploying HSWs;
Improving and fast-tracking case build-up on welfare cases;
Strict monitoring of HSW training, including the worker’s personal appearance in pre-departure orientation seminar and post-arrival orientation; and
Working closely with host governments, as well as with officials of other government agencies, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, to ensure that HSWs who leave undergo strict legal processes.

Baldoz pledged to exercise firm resolve in seeing to it that the HSW reform package that she initiated in 2006 will be revitalized as a tool not only to combat human trafficking, but also as a social protective mechanism for the most vulnerable among OFWs.

The US State Department’s 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report placed the Philippines under Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year, indicating that the country was unable to meet minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, but are making efforts to comply.

"The (Philippine) government did not show evidence of significant progress in convicting trafficking offenders, particularly those responsible for labor trafficking," the report stated. - JMA, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/195885/new-measures-being-readied-to-boost-protection-for-domestic-helpers

Say CHIZ: Tamang hinala

2010-07-12T01:09:00.001+08:00

Original Story: http://abante.com.ph/issue/july1210/public_ce.htm

Dear Senator Chiz Escudero,

Natuklasan ko po na kasal na ang lalaking aking pinakasalan. Taong 1995 po kami kinasal samantalang 1975 naman po nang ikinasal siya sa ibang babae. Matagal na po kaming hiwalay. Nais ko pong malaman kung anong dapat gawin at tamang proseso para mapawalang-bisa ang kasal namin na ang alam ko ay wala naman bisa sa kadahilanang may lehitimo siyang asawa. Nais ko na kasing magpakasal sa ka-live-in ko ngayon para maging legal na kaming mag-asawa. Magda-dalawang taon na kasi kaming nagpipisan na wala pang kasal. Nais ko rin pong malaman ang nakalagay sa karugtong na papel ng marriage contract namin na authenticated ng NSO. Stated po ito sa “oath of solemnizing officer.” Ganito po ang nakasaad sa pinirmahan ng nagkasal na mayor: “That this marriage was performed in Articulo Mortis.”

Lubos na gumagalang,
Carmi

-------------

Dear Carmi,

Tama ang iyong hinala. Kabilang ang inyong kasal sa mga void ab initio marriages dahil sa ito ay bigamous. Ang ibig sabihin nito ay walang bisa ang inyong kasal sa simula’t sapul dahil nang kayo ay ikinasal, siya ay legal na kasal na pala sa iba. Ang pagkasal muli habang ang unang kasal ay may bisa pa ay mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ng batas.

Ganoon pa man, kahit na walang bisa ang inyong kasal sa simulat’ sapul, ayon sa batas, kinakailangan pa rin itong ideklera ng hukuman na walang bisa upang ikaw ay makapagpakasal muli sa iba, sa iyong kasintahan at live-in partner. Sa madaling salita, kinakailangan mo pa ring maghain ng petition para mapasawalang bisa ang iyong kasal upang ikaw ay makapagpakasal muli ng legal.

Mangyari ay humanap ng abogado na maaaring tumulong sa iyo na gumawa ng petisyon na iyong isasampa sa hukuman upang mapawalang bisa ang iyong void ab initio na kasal.

Senator Chiz Escudero

***

Ilakip ang inyong pangalan at address sa inyong ipadadalang mga katanungan at mga suhestyon. Maaari kayong magpadala ng liham sa tanggapan ng pahayagang ito sa No. 167 Liberty Bldg., Roberto Oca St., Port Area, Manila o e-mail sa chizescudero2007@yahoo. Maaari ring magpadala ng mensahe sa pamamagitan ng text: CHIZ mensahe sa 2976.

Original Story: http://abante.com.ph/issue/july1210/public_ce.htm

DFA offers the Public 10 Practical Tips To Get A Passport

2010-07-07T21:57:00.001+08:00

Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:19
Public Information Service Unit

Original Story: http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/newsroom/dfa-releases/1539-dfa-offers-the-public-10-practical-tips-to-get-a-passport

7 July 2010 - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) offered 10 practical tips to the general public when applying for a passport. These tips are to ensure that applicants will have a fast, efficient and hassle-free application process.

First, applicants should contact the DFA for the latest passport information. They could visit the DFA website (http://www.dfa.gov.ph) or call 834-4000.

Second, they should apply for passports way ahead of their scheduled trip. Applicants should check the validity of their passports and update their documents accordingly.

A passport is valid for five years, but airlines and countries require passports with validity of six months prior to the expiry date.

Third, applicants should prepare their requirements before their appointment date. These include the completely filled-out application form, the old passport and photocopies of its pages for renewals, the National Statistics Office-certified birth certificate, and IDs and their photocopies for new applicants.

They do not need to bring ID photos, as their photographs and thumbprints will be taken on site.

Fourth, non-OFW and Metro Manila-based applicants should secure an appointment when applying for a passport. They can log on to www.passports.com.ph or call 737-1000, free of charge. Applicants are also advised to come on time for their appointments.

Fifth, those in the provinces can apply at the nearest Regional Consular Office or check if there is a scheduled Mobile Passport Service (MPS) in their areas. The DFA RCOs are located in 19 cities and municipalities around the country, and MPS are being arranged in Metro Manila and in the provinces on a weekly basis.

Sixth, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can apply at the Passport Extension Office located at the ground floor of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) in Ortigas. The facility operates on a first-come-first-served basis and is exclusive for OFWs.

Shortened passport processing and releasing time for emergency cases is also being implemented.

Seventh, the DFA advises applicants against dealing with fixers. They are also urged to report any passport fixing activities to the Passport Director's office at 836-7759.

Eight, the Philippine ePassport costs P950 for regular processing (20 working days) and P1,200 for expedited processing (10 working days).

Ninth, applicants are also encouraged to have their passports delivered. This is to avoid the hassle of coming back to the DFA. Passport delivery charges a nominal fee of P120.

Finally, the DFA urges the public to take good care of their passports. They should avoid getting it wet and torn. This is to protect the electronic chip and the other security features of the passport. END

Original Story: http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/newsroom/dfa-releases/1539-dfa-offers-the-public-10-practical-tips-to-get-a-passport

Rich Asian men prefer poor Pinays

2010-07-04T14:07:00.002+08:00

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 11:32:00 07/01/2010

Filed Under: Women, Migration, Asia Australia - North Asia, Asia Australia - East Asia, Asia Australia - South Asia

Original Story: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100701-278571/Rich-Asian-men-prefer-poor-Pinays

HONG KONG—Asian men from rich countries such as Japan and South Korea are increasingly seeking brides from poorer ones like Vietnam and the Philippines—as economically liberated local women get picky.

Marriages between Japanese men and foreign women shot up 73 percent between 1995 and 2006, to 35,993, according to the latest government survey. Most of the women were Filipinos, followed by Chinese.

“Asian brides—notably Chinese and Filipina—remain popular in the countryside, where it’s quite hard to find young women,” said Toshio Esaka, president of dating agency Royal in Osaka, western Japan.

“But nowadays, it’s getting harder even downtown as a lot of young Japanese women are economically independent and prefer to remain single,” Esaka said.

In South Korea, more than 35 percent of fishermen and farmers who married in the 12 months to May 2009 took foreign brides, mainly from China and Vietnam, government statistics show.

Both examples point to the role of cash and lifestyle in Cupid’s quiver—it is mainly the less marketable men in the richer countries who look abroad for a wife when they can’t find one at home.

The story is repeated in Singapore—Southeast Asia’s wealthiest society—Hong Kong and Taiwan, and often involves marriage brokers.

An online matchmaking site in Singapore, where lower-income men often fear rejection by better-educated local women, offers low-cost tours to Vietnam on which men can meet “medically examined and certified virgins.”

On the other side of the transaction, the women are usually so impoverished that even poorer men from rich countries offer hope of a better life.

“Due to poverty in their families and because they want to help improve the situation, Cambodian women decide to marry foreigners,” said Ya Navuth, director of a Cambodian group which fights human trafficking.

“Some women meet good spouses, but some have been cheated and sold from one ‘owner’ to another,” he said.

This sense of ownership often leads to abuse of foreign brides, rights activists say.

“Many of the cases we are dealing with involve Asian women being abused by their husbands,” says Fermi Wong, founder of Hong Kong Unison, which helps ethnic minorities in the city.

“They feel helpless because many of them do not have any relatives in Hong Kong and speak little English or Chinese.” Mainland China, Vietnam and the Philippines provide most of the foreign brides for Hong Kong men.

The potential for exploitation of helpless girls from impoverished families has led some countries—both importers and exporters of brides—to put restrictions in place: Mail-order brides from the Philippines were once a common phenomenon but tales of the women being abused by their foreign husbands abroad prompted the government to outlaw the practice.

Despite this, various “marriage broker” agencies get around the law by bringing in foreign men to select their prospective brides before flying off with them.

While it was once mainly Western men who sought Filipino brides, in recent years Japanese and South Korean men have also turned to the archipelago in search of partners.

Indonesia is considering a proposal that a $55,000 “security guarantee” should be lodged by foreign men who marry Indonesian women.

If the couple divorce, the wife will be entitled to take the money. If they stick together for at least 10 years, they can claim it as “shared property.” But couples would be able to get around the requirement by marrying abroad.
Cambodia in March suspended marriages between South Koreans and its citizens for several weeks and introduced new requirements for the process over concerns about human trafficking.
Among “importing” countries, South Korea itself launched a crackdown two years ago on matchmaking agencies which use racial stereotypes or distorted information to help Koreans find foreign brides.

Activists say that because of false advertising some women end up with spouses who have few assets or who are ill, alcoholic or of difficult character.
Taiwan also took action, banning commercial international match-making services last year after a series of high-profile criminal cases, including one in which a man was jailed for enslaving and torturing his Vietnamese wife.

More than 434,000 Taiwanese are married to foreigners, usually from China and Southeast Asia, according to the immigration bureau.

While China is mainly an exporter of brides, import demand is expected to soar because of the one-child policy which has contributed to sex-specific abortions and a shortage of girls.

Original Story: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100701-278571/Rich-Asian-men-prefer-poor-Pinays

Lim calls OFWs ‘miracle workers’

2010-07-04T10:05:00.000+08:00

By LEONARD D. POSTRADO
July 3, 2010, 5:55pm

Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/node/265027/lim-call

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has lauded the contribution of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in cushioning the impact of the global economic crisis on the country through their remittances, calling them “miracle workers.”

During the first Worldwide Conference of Overseas Filipinos for Good Governance on Thursday morning, Lim cited the contributions of OFWs in fortifying the economy especially at a time when major economies worldwide were falling into recessions.

“All of you (OFWs) have endured hardships and faced all the challenges in a foreign land and your relentless endeavors in achieving your dreams to have a better future for your family have, indeed, helped our nation as a whole. Sa pamamagitan ng inyong remittances hindi tinablan ng recession ang ating bansa. If you are called unsung heroes or bayaning buhay you should also be called miracle workers,” Lim said.

He likewise assured the OFWs during his speech that the Aquino administration will be prioritizing the strengthening and expansion of protection for the OFWs.

“Dahil lalo na kayong mga OFWs, kayo ang boss ni Pangulong Noy. Mahalaga kayo sa kanya at sa abot ng aking makakaya sisikapin kong tulungan ang bagong administrasyon sa haranging itong maproteksyunan kayo kahit saan man sulok ng mundo makarating,” Lim said.

Lim said since Aquino's platform is transformational change, there is only one thing that he could not change, “ang paghanga, paggalang, at taas-noong pagpupugay namin sa mga OFWs”, Lim said. “Kayo po ang mga bayaning tunay kaya saludo kami sa inyo at yuko ang aming mga ulo sa inyong pagmamalasakit para sa inang bayan,” he added.

Lim also took note of OFWs who returned to the country to witness the inauguration of President Aquino last Wednesday.

“You showed your gratitude to our beloved country by coming from a far away place just to attend the inaugural of our new president because all of you want to get involve to support his administration which he really needs,” he said.

“Huwag nating kalimutan ang mga pinamana sa atin ng ating mga ninuno, ang mga magagandang asal at kanais-nais na kaugalian na ipaalala sa ating mga anak, apo o mga kamag-anak na nasa labas ng bansa,” Lim said.

Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/node/265027/lim-call

Jinggoy bill guarantees more benefits for domestic helpers

2010-07-04T09:51:00.000+08:00

By MARIO B. CASAYURAN
July 3, 2010, 8:15pm

Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/articles/265052/jinggoy-bill-guarantees-more-benefits-domestic-helpers

Re-elected Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada vowed on Saturday to push through with his “Kasambahay” bill seeking to uplift the livelihood of domestic helpers by guaranteeing them decent working conditions and compensation.

Estrada refiled his Senate Bill 1662 last Thursday for the 15th Congress which opens on July 26.

The bill, Estrada said, was approved by the Senate on November 5, 2007 but its counterpart bill was not passed by the House of Representatives.

The bill, also called “Freedom Charter for the Household Workers,’’ was logged as Senate Bill No. 78 when it was refiled with the Senate Bills and Index Service.

“This time I will make sure that this sector of our labor force, often looked down on and feeling helpless, will be guaranteed decent working condition with the passage of this bill,” Estrada said.

After the government recently allowed the increase in the take home pay of workers, the amount of acceptable compensation for the domestic helpers was expected to be discussed in the committee levels of both legislative chambers.

Estrada was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development and of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment (COCLE) in the 14th Congress that ended last June 4.

Under the bill, “kasambahay” refers to “any person who renders for compensation to a homeowner or employer undertaking tasks ascribed as normal household chores within a specific household.”

The term includes maids, cooks, houseboys, family drivers, and yayas who provide daily service on a full-time, live-in or live-out basis.

The bill also prescribes a written employment contract between the employer and the “kasambahay” which shall state: period of employment, monthly compensation, annual salary increase, duties, and responsibilities, working hours and day-off schedule, and living quarters.

Employers will also be required to enrol house helpers to the Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as insurance plan holders.

Usual scenarios and grievances experienced by the kasambahay such as receiving salaries in form of promissory notes, withholding of wages, making deductions as reimbursement for loss or damage to household equipments, and being bound in continuous employment as payment for a loan will all be deemed illegal.

To prove that the applicants are physically fit for the job, the bill mandates that they would be asked to present medical certificate, barangay clearance and authenticated birth certificate as prerequisites for employment.

Estrada expressed confidence that the 15th Congress, despite the reconstitution of its members, would see the strong merits and noble intention of promoting the welfare of house helpers of the measure.

He emphasized that his colleagues in the 14th Congress have seen the merit of his bill when they joined him in having it passed.

Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/articles/265052/jinggoy-bill-guarantees-more-benefits-domestic-helpers

When an OFW dies abroad: It's costly and complicated

2010-07-03T05:54:00.001+08:00

By TIFFANY TAN
07/02/2010 | 07:08 PM

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/195074/when-an-ofw-dies-abroad-its-costly-and-complicated

BEIJING - Benjie Yango was pleased when he was hired as an English teacher in Harbin in April 2007. The job enabled him to join his wife Fely, a fellow English teacher, in the city near the Chinese-Russian border. But three years later, it is their family that seems to have been taught the biggest lesson about working abroad.

Benjie, 33, was found dead inside the couple’s apartment last May 21. Chinese police ruled it a “natural death." Fely, who had returned to Baguio last January to stay with their two boys, flew to Harbin May 28 to retrieve Benjie’s body. She brought him home June 25 after what she describes as five weeks of “torturous" waiting, and buried him early Monday afternoon in a traditional Ibaloi ceremony.

Benjie’s case underscores the complexities involved when Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) die on-site: paperwork, unfamiliar bureaucracy, repatriation cost, strange customs – all handled in a foreign language. Philippine law prescribes how repatriation should be carried out, but reality is a creature not easily tamed.

Fely, 31, believes the wait to repatriate her husband’s body could have been cut short had the Philippine Embassy in Beijing dealt with the case more efficiently.

“They should do their job of speeding up the processing of papers," she says. “They should be the ones to say, ‘You should prepare these. You should send these’ (but) I had to be the one to ask them, ‘What else do I need to submit?’" Fely laments.

“I wish they had provided me guidance like, ‘One of our employees will go there. He will help you translate.’ Because they know this is China. Communication alone is difficult," she says. “We went to the police station. I didn’t know if what (Benjie’s employer) was translating was accurate."

The words betray Fely’s feelings of helplessness, finding herself in a foreign land under such circumstances, as well as her frustration: she could not properly grieve for her husband of 11 years because practical matters had to take precedence, and she was indefinitely away from her 7- and 10-year-old sons.

Unfamiliar practices also added to her stress. When it was time to transport Benjie’s remains from Harbin to Beijing, en route to Manila, the funeral parlor personnel told Fely only family members could move him from the morgue to the van.

“There were only the three of us women, three of us Pinoys … People were staring at us," Fely says. “He weighed 70 kilos when he was alive, but he had already been frozen … My body really went stiff (from exertion), I went pale."

English teacher Benjie Yango during happier times in Harbin.

Photo courtesy of Fely Yango

Assistance from embassies

“I understand where she’s coming from," Maria Teresa Almojuela, consul general at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, told GMANews.TV in an interview last June 21. But she hastens to add that Fely’s criticisms are unwarranted, saying the Embassy exerted all effort to send Benjie’s remains home as soon as possible.

“We talk about this every day at the Embassy. We’ve done all the representations necessary with the local government, PSB (police) and MFA (Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) by letter and by note, the employer, the Foreign Experts’ Bureau to get clarification what this is all about – why doesn’t (the employer) want to fulfill her responsibilities?"

The costs and procedural work for the repatriation of a deceased OFW is a responsibility that falls on both the employer and recruitment agency, according to the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

Benjie did not go through a recruitment agency and his employer refused to pay for his repatriation bill of 80,000 yuan (P549,000), saying there was no such provision in his contract. But his boss did pay 2,165 yuan, the cost of having his body frozen for 23 days while in Harbin.

Almojuela says the main role of Philippine embassies and consulates in such cases is to assist the parties involved.

“It’s important to give allowances for the way the locals deal with these things," she says, adding that the funeral parlor in Harbin “misinformed" Fely by passing on paperwork it should have done to her and the Embassy.

“If her funeral parlor was competent, it doesn’t have to be such a big production," Almojuela says. “We pay for everything. All services, meaning, everything. If you need help, OK, we’ll give it to you, but they should already know (their responsibilities)."

The Embassy arranged for a Beijing funeral parlor to take over the work. The funeral parlor transported Benjie’s body from Harbin to the Chinese capital on June 19, a month after the corpse was discovered, and prepared it for repatriation five days later.

In response to Fely’s complaint, Almojuela says the job of translating is normally done by employers, but that the Embassy does send personnel to assist Filipinos who are in Beijing. Although Harbin is among the 16 cities, provinces and autonomous regions under the Embassy’s jurisdiction, distance is a big barrier as the city is located 1,061 kilometers northeast of the capital.

OWWA repatriation fund

According to the law, the OFW’s employer and recruitment agency can share the responsibility of repatriation – or each can be compelled to fulfill the obligation on its own, says undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs Esteban Conejos, Jr. of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Any Philippine recruitment agency that evades its responsibilities to repatriate deceased OFWs, “we can suspend that agency," says Hans Leo Cacdac, deputy administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).

If the employer and recruitment agency refuse to pay for the repatriation of a documented worker, “OWWA (Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration) will advance the money subject for (their) reimbursement," says Conejos. Those who refuse to reimburse the government may be blacklisted or face other administrative sanctions.

OWWA has a budget of P70 million for repatriation purposes, says agency administrator Carmelita Dimzon. The fund covers the shipment of remains and the evacuation of OFWs “in cases of war, epidemic, disaster or calamities," according to the Migrant Workers’ Act.

As a member of OWWA, Benjie was entitled to the repatriation fund and his family stands to collect P100,000 as death benefit.

However, OWWA approved the release of funds, worth $12,000 (P558,000) to completely cover the cost of Benjie’s repatriation only last June 22. The wait contributed to the agony of Benjie’s family, which had raised an estimated P300,000 by then upon the instructions of the Beijing Embassy – part of various options the Embassy explored to send the body home as soon as possible, says Consul General Almojuela. The amount included family loans and donations from concerned Pinoys who heard about their plight through friends’ phone calls and emails, Fely says.

In the end, Benjie’s family did not have to shell out any money for the repatriation, allowing them to reserve the donations for the funeral back home. The Beijing Embassy advanced the payment for Benjie’s repatriation while it waited for funds to be transmitted by OWWA, says Almojuela, adding that the Embassy will try to have the government’s repatriation expenses reimbursed by Benjie’s employer.

Compulsory insurance

To avoid problems similar to those encountered by Benjie’s family, the Philippine government has given the POEA the mandate to review the work contracts of OFWs that go through recruitment agencies to ensure the documents include a provision on repatriation.

Workers whose contracts do not pass the vetting process, “we would not have allowed them to leave," says the POEA’s Cacdac.

Last March 8, Philippine law mandated insurance for OFWs deployed by agencies through Republic Act 10022, an amendment to the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act. It says, “Each migrant worker deployed by a recruitment/manning agency shall be covered by a compulsory insurance policy which shall be secured at no cost to the said worker." The insurance includes repatriation in case of death.

The implementing rules are still being created, but they should be ready in “one to two months," Cacdac says.

Some migrant workers' groups, however, have opposed the compulsory insurance coverage. “They claim the provision would only benefit less than half of the deployed Filipino workers overseas since it covers only those who went through a recruitment agency," says a report published in the Manila Bulletin last March.

Benjie is among the majority of OFWs who are directly hired by individuals or companies, for whom the POEA has established a “main hiring unit" to oversee their contracts. However, Cacdac says some cases slip through them since the POEA is not part of the negotiation process between “direct hires" and their employers – unlike those who go through recruitment agencies.

Going through the POEA includes the process of signing up for OWWA membership, which provides exemption from the Philippine travel tax and other services such as the repatriation fund. Those who skip POEA can still sign up with OWWA on their own, which, fortunately for his loved ones, is what Benjie did.

One-year old repatriation case

Different countries have different requirements for repatriation, so the duration for completing the process varies from place to place. The person’s work status and the nature of his death are also major considerations. The wait can take longer if the person was working illegally and if his death was the result of a crime, various sources say.

“In the Middle East it is common for the process to take three to six months," says Conejos of the DFA’s migrant workers’ affairs. “You really have to look at each case individually."

Embassies and consulates, being familiar with the laws and practices in their host countries, can speed up the repatriation process by finding solutions to well-known bureaucratic bottlenecks, says Garry Martinez, chairperson of the OFW support group Migrante International.

“The embassy should know where the process slows down and should not allow itself to be tied down there," Martinez says, adding that foreign-service officials should know “this is where we are weak, so this is where we need to improve."

Kanlungan Centre Foundation, an NGO for migrant workers, says that based on its work with the DFA in the past 12 years, it has become apparent that the department needs to improve communication mechanisms with the deceased OFW’s employer and the relatives waiting for news in the Philippines.

“Sometimes (the DFA’s) updates take a long time to come," says Imelda Rebate, Kanlungan’s direct support development program coordinator. “It’s difficult to get in touch with them." The process only gets expedited if the relatives have direct contact with the OFW’s co-workers and friends, she says.

One of the longest-running repatriation cases on record is already more than a year old, according to data from Migrante. It involves Marilou Sables, an Iloilo native and an undocumented English teacher in Taiwan, who died of natural causes in April 2009.

The case has dragged on because the identity of the remains could not be verified and the family could not afford her repatriation bill equivalent to P145,000, says Martinez.

Unlike Benjie Yango who was registered with OWWA and who had a work visa in China, Sables did not have the proper documents to work in Taiwan. Repatriation cases such as hers are especially tricky because they are not covered by a work contract, which means nobody can be held legally responsible for sending them home when they die.

Despite risks like this, not to mention getting caught by local authorities for labor-law violations, Filipinos looking for work abroad continue to enter and stay in various countries on a tourist or business visa. Prospective OFWs in China are not required to present any insurance documents when applying for a tourist, business or work visa, which present a risk if something happens to them.

For undocumented workers, DFA pays for the cost of repatriation but Conejos adds, “Because our funds are limited, we try to find out if the families and the host government can share in the cost." This year, the Philippine Congress has allocated P150 million for the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals Fund, which includes money for the repatriation of both living and deceased OFWs, says spokesman Ed Malaya.

Sables was buried in Taiwan last March 26, but her family is still asking the Philippine government to help them bring her remains back home, says Migrante.

Lessons learned the hard way

Cremation is usually a faster – and cheaper – option, based on the observations of Barbie Ignacio, a science teacher in the southern Chinese city of Changzhou. Her 53-year-old co-teacher Danny Cape was found dead at home last October, and she called his wife with the news.

“Within two days after Ate Glessie arrived, he was cremated. Within two days, he was brought home," Ignacio says.

Cape’s employer handled the paperwork and expenses equivalent to P400,000 – even though they were not stipulated in his contract. “I don’t think we even got in touch with the Shanghai consulate anymore about the case. Everything was done so fast," Ignacio says.

“She was so lucky the school took care of everything." The wife only paid for the urn that cost around P17,000.

The experience shook Ignacio and her Pinoy co-teachers into reassessing their work contracts. “It’s not in our contract what the school will do if we die," Ignacio says. “I thought maybe we can have it revised." She and her colleagues are negotiating with their employer about adding a repatriation clause.

Fely Yango and the Beijing Embassy may not agree on the reasons Benjie’s repatriation took five weeks to complete, but they do see eye to eye on the need for OFWs to wisen up about their contracts.

“Some Filipinos, they settle for less than what’s legal, what’s necessary," says Consul General Almojuela. “We understand why they want to find jobs abroad, but sometimes you don’t know what might happen."

Fely says, “When they sign contracts, they have to be in detail, including repatriation, benefits … That’s what they should look for, that is what’s important."

There are an estimated 1.5 million Overseas Filipino Workers scattered throughout 197 countries. Some 4,000 more join their ranks every day. – YA, GMANews.TV

Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/195074/when-an-ofw-dies-abroad-its-costly-and-complicated

Filipinos pursue dreams in London

2010-06-30T07:48:00.001+08:00

By JUANITA TRINIDAD
June 29, 2010, 4:55pm

Original Story: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/264354/filipinos-pursue-dreams-london

LONDON – Tales of woe are common among Filipino migrant workers. Tales of abuse, exploitation, and maltreatment have been played up every so often, although this is probably the risk that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have to take each time they leave to look for greener pastures or look for means of income that, for them, are few and far between in their own country.

It, however, comes as a breath of fresh air to hear stories of success, happiness, and contentment in an OFW’s existence in the host country.

In this city, for instance, Filipino workers are seemingly a happy lot; they go about their daily chores with ease and a smile on their faces.

This writer had the chance to meet some of the Filipino crew members of the Norwegian Epic, a luxury liner owned by the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), that had its maiden voyage in Southampton, a port city on the outskirts of London, and which played host to Filipino and foreign journalists who covered the ship’s inaugural sail.

Of the Norwegian Epic’s 1,700 crew, 60 percent are young Filipinos, while the rest are Indonesians, Indians, and Sri Lankans. This is the reason they are found all over the luxury liner, doing various jobs as chef, hotel supervisor, bartender, waitress, junior waiter, room assistant, and other odd jobs. The Norwegian Epic, for them, is their “ship of dreams.”

Roxan Angeles has been with the NCL for nine years now, and has risen from the ranks, from dining room assistant to her present job as casino supervisor. She lamented about the loneliness of living in a foreign land, as she misses her family in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, but the friendship and company of fellow-Filipinos aboard the ship have somehow helped her cope with the travails.

Restaurant stewardess Nelfa Sy is with the NCL for over 10 years. She said she is enjoying her job as it gives her the opportunity to see the world, pointing out that the Norwegian Epic’s Filipino crew has been taken from other NCL-owned ships, stressing that they have been selected for the maiden voyage due to their skills and experience. While on dock, the crew, she said, is allowed to go out for a few hours to shop or see some places. “This way, we are able to tour and do some picture-taking.”

The same enthusiasm for work is shared by Jowell Manzano, a bar chief, who, like Roxan, also rose from the ranks in almost 20 years with the NCL. “We’ve free medical care, insurance, and our lodging in the ship is probably one of the best accommodations given to workers. Free time is spent by bonding together through music, dance, and small party aboard the ship.”

It was learned that the first three decks of the Norwegian Epic have been allotted to house its workers, each provided with his own cabin, complete with plasma TV, DVD, a small refrigerator, and facilities.

The tale of Clarinda Agno is a different one; she doesn’t work inside a ship, but in a hotel near the Heathrow International Airport. Now a British subject, Agno is staying with her husband, Froilan, and three children on a house and lot on Bath Road, near Sheraton Skyline, where she works for 23 years now.

“I came to London in 1983 and first worked at the Heathrow airport, later transferred to the hotel. I am blessed to get jobs that have been good to me and my family,” Agno relates, saying that she was able to petition her family when she opted to become a British subject.

Her husband now works at the Heathrow Terminal 5.

She, however, confides that although she doesn’t miss her family as they now stay with her, she someday wishes to retire in her own country. “The last time I went home was when my mother died in 2007. I aim for the simple life in my hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte. Someday, when we have enough money to sustain us, we’ll go back to the Philippines and retire there permanently,” stressing that “it’ll be home sweet home, indeed.”

Original Story: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/264354/filipinos-pursue-dreams-london

OFW advocate lauds Baldoz appointment as DOLE secretary

2010-06-29T22:13:00.000+08:00

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 06/29/2010 8:00 PM | Updated as of 06/29/2010 8:00 PM

Original Story: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/06/29/10/ofw-advocate-lauds-baldoz-appointment-dole-secretary

MANILA, Philippines – The appointment of a new female labor chief to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s cabinet hopes to boost the campaign against human trafficking.

“The new labor secretary is well-versed in both overseas and local employment and a fine addition to the roster of career officials tapped to serve as DoLE chiefs,” Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said in a statement.

Ople was referring to Rosalinda Baldoz whom Aquino named as secretary to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

In an interview with TV Patrol, Baldoz said the President-elect does not know her personally.

“He doesn't know me but considering that I am a career executive officer in long service he also relies on the expertise and competence that I have acquired in the job,” Baldoz said.

Baldoz is a former administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Aside from Baldoz, Aquino also named Leila De Lima and Corazon “Dinky” Soliman to the justice and social welfare departments, respectively.

Ople hopes that anti-human trafficking campaign will improve with the 3 women leading the posts.

“The new labor chief must step up the government's campaign against online recruitment scams that continues to draw in victims especially jobseekers in the provinces,” Ople said.

She added that the incoming labor secretary will have to show a firm hand against unscrupulous employers and manpower agencies that use labor contracts to exploit workers.

She also stressed the need for Congress to allocate funds so that a more credible and extensive campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking can be launched.

Original Story: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/06/29/10/ofw-advocate-lauds-baldoz-appointment-dole-secretary

Coffee: A Tasty Way to Prevent Cancer?

2010-06-29T17:00:00.002+08:00

Cancer Epidemiology
Biomarkers & Prevention
June 23, 2010

Take another sip of that cup of Joe. A new study shows coffee may protect against head and neck cancer.
Researchers found participants who drank about four or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 39-percent decreased risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancers compared to non-coffee drinkers.

"Since coffee is so widely used, and there is a relatively high incidence and low survival rate of these forms of cancers, our results have important public health implications that need to be further addressed," lead researcher Mia Hashibe, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, was quoted as saying.

Investigators said the data on decaffeinated coffee was too sparse for detailed analysis. They also did not find any association between tea intake and head and neck cancer risk.

"What makes our results so unique is that we had a very large sample size, and since we combined data across many studies, we had more statistical power to detect associations between cancer and coffee," Hashibe said.

Previous studies have shown coffee is associated with a decreased risk of advanced prostate cancer and brain tumors.