Amid reports that many domestic workers in Hong Kong are exploited and unable to receive mandated benefits, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assured that Filipino domestic helpers in the city are getting protection.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said DOLE and other relevant agencies of the government are implementing measures to protect the welfare of Filipinos in Hong Kong and other countries. She cited the presence of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and diplomatic and consular missions overseas as instruments to provide services to overseas Filipino workers especially those working as household service workers, who are at risk to forced labor.

As a signatory to the ratified Core Conventions on Forced Labor of the International Labor Organization, Baldoz said DOLE and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration ensure that recruitment agencies and employment sectors adhere to measures that prevent forced labor.

Deployed Filipinos for jobs abroad receive post-arrival orientation sessions to enhance their rights at work place and added information.

The POEA also observes the so-called “one strike” policy where recruitment and foreign employers are immediately banned from employing OFWs after they have committed violations.

She said the Philippines and Hong Kong are set to negotiate a bilateral labor cooperation agreement to protect OFWs.

A Singaporean couple charged of starving their Filipino helper in a span of 15 months have indicated they intend to plead guilty.

Husband Lim Choon Hong, and wife Chong Sui Foon, both 47, are on trial for starving Filipina Thelma Oyasan Gawidan, 40, which resulted to a significant drop in her weight from 49kg to 29kg in almost 15 months.

The duo are facing charges for violating Employment of Foreign Manpower Act which mandates that employers are responsible for caring their foreign employees, including the provision of adequate food.

Gawidan earlier testified that she escaped after being maltreated and starved for over a year.

“Every movement I do in the house, they are following, watching me, scolding me,” she told the court in December last year, in a report by Channel News Asia.

A domestic helper agent also testified that Gawidan was not the first maid to complain of not receiving adequate food or rest under the same employer.

The couple is on a S$3,000 bail and, if convicted, could face up to 12 months in jail and fine of S$10,000.

Their case will be next heard on Wednesday.

An overseas Filipino worker based in Afghanistan has filed a complaint regarding an alleged illegal transfer of close to half a million pesos from his bank account in Cebu in 2014 that might have involved hackers.

Manuel Geslani, a renowned recruitment consultant and Samahang Pilipino sa Afghanistan (SPA) spokesman said he filed a complaint on behalf of Roberto Tabaloc before the Financial Consumer Protection Department of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

In a report by the Philippine Star, Tabaloc, who is the chairman of SPA, urged the BSP to help him recover over P480,000 plus interest from EastWest Bank.

Tabaloc had authorized Geslani to follow up the investigation with the BSP and gave all related documents regarding the illegal transfer of P428,562 from his bank account at the EastWest Bank branch in Escario, Cebu.

According to a statement prepared by Tabaloc, he instructed New Kabul Bank in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sept. 3, 2014 to transfer $9,920 or P428,562 to his peso account in EastWest Bank Cebu.

But almost two weeks later, he checked his outstanding balance and found a fund transfer of P480,000 debited from his account. He immediately phoned up Nolan Lao, the bank manager who in turn told him that he received an email from Tabaloc to transfer P480,000 to a certain person in Tanauan City, Batangas.

Tabaloc vehemently denied that he sent the email instruction because he doesn’t know the person who got the funds and there is no reason for him to send that amount to Tanauan City since he has no business there. He added that the scanned signature found in the email Lao received did not match that of his.

He also sent a letter to Customer Services of EastWest Bank on Oct. 27, 2014 to follow up his complaint and the bank officers replied that an investigation was still being conducted.

Explosions have ripped through Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital.

Get the latest updates below:

• Authorities confirm suicide attack at airport
• At least 26 people have been killed, 15 dead at Maalbeek metro: Belgian media
• Airport, public transport closed in Brussels

A survey by Manulife Investor Sentiment Index (MISI) revealed that among all Asian countries, Filipinos are among the best in terms of short-term savings and expenses tracking behaviors.

However, the Filipino people also ranked as the second most indebted in the Asian region. According to said survey, most Filipino investors are ineffective in terms of investing their money and savings for long term. Specifically, an estimated 80% of the population has high levels of personal debt.

Almost all Filipino investors surveyed (99%) track their expenses regularly and manage to save part of their income each month. This manages to show that Filipinos have key indicators of good financial discipline. The survey was designed to track investor attitudes towards financial planning across 8 markets in the region.

46% of Filipino investors start to save before age 30 and among those questioned in the survey, an overwhelming majority of investors (91%) claim they will have sufficient savings to meet their financial needs in 5 years’ time. Though this may show that Filipinos are effective savers and possesses a strong record in financial management, the survey revealed relatively high levels of personal debt.

Around 41% of Filipino investors carry debt – the second highest proportion in the region after Malaysia. While 41% of them have relatively small amounts of debt ranging from P5 000 ($106.68) to P24 999 ($533.36), around 7% of them have debts of P500 000 ($10 667.58) or more.

Daily expenses were the main factor contributing to their debt, as cited by almost a third of the group of respondents. This shows indication that the investors’ ability to save regularly may rely on the use of credit to pay for daily living expenses. Outlays for children’s education, medical expenses, and discretionary expenses were also cited and showed in the survey.

Manulife also said in its latest survey that “80% of them wish they had done better investment planning,” and a third of investors wish they had done more research on their investments, while a quarter regretted holding too much cash instead of investing. Another quarter of the respondents regretted not speaking to a financial planner, the survey read. The survey indicates that despite good financial discipline and regular savings habits, investors are failing to effectively invest their savings to generate returns.

Manulife Philippines president and CEO Ryan Charland also said in a separate statement, “While it’s positive that Filipinos demonstrate good financial discipline, effective financial management is about much more than just tracking your expenses and saving regularly. Investors also need to ensure they are managing their day-to-day spending to avoid falling into debt, and that they have clear plans to get the most out of their savings in the long run.”

This is in relation to the findings that said Filipino investors park 26% of their savings in deposits or in investments with no specific purpose.

Charland also added that, “It’s always important to listen to family when making important financial decisions, but investors should consider seeking advice from experts who will be able to advise on how best to maximize return on investment. There are a wide range of investment solutions to choose from and it’s important to find the right product to suit your needs.”

– See more at: http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/2016/03/2016-dti-accredited-balikbayan.html#sthash.rd3EFjJw.dpuf – See more at: http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/2016/03/2016-dti-accredited-balikbayan.html#sthash.rd3EFjJw.dpuf

Undocumented Filipino workers in Malaysia are being urged to take advantage of the country’s rehiring program.

“Qualified Filipino employees in Malaysia who have irregular status are highly encouraged to work with their employers to register under the Malaysian Government’s Rehiring Program from Feb. 15 to June 30,” Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya said in a statement.

The program is intended to provide undocumented foreign workers in Malaysia with valid work permits, and to fill up labor vacancies in certain sectors.

Covered in the program are:

• workers who have overstayed with visit pass temporary employment and are working with the same employer
• those who have overstayed with employment visas but with a different employer and;
• those who entered the country under social visit passes (tourist visas) and working with an employer for six months before the start of the program.

Contact:
Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur
1, Changkat Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3-2148 4233
Hours: 9–11:30AM, 1–4PM

A bill has been filed seeking the collection of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) fee of $25 or its equivalent only after every two years, citing inequity in frequency of fee collection between land-based and sea-based members.

“In order to have equality among all its members, this measure adopts a scheme whereby the frequency of the membership contribution collection be fixed for every two years, making it time-bound, instead of contract-bound,” said ANGKLA Party-list Rep. Jesulito Manalo.

Manalo pointed out that Filipino seafarers generally have shorter employment contracts. Therefore, with the frequency of membership collection made dependent on the renewal of their contract, they are left with no choice but to pay more fees than the other members of OWWA.

“Even while these contributions are shouldered by the principal or ship owner employing the Filipino seafarers, the added burdens that these recurring fees cause to them can eventually lead some of these principals and ship owners to employ other nationalities instead,” he said.

In House Bill 6405, Manalo cited the Letter of Instruction (LOI) 537, which was issued by the late President Ferdinand Marcos on May 1, 1977, as the legal basis for collection of OFW membership contribution in the amount of $25 or its equivalent on a per contract basis.

“To effect a more efficient fund management between sea-based and land-based workers contributions, the same LOI requires two separate books of account,” he said.

Under the bill, membership shall be renewed upon payment of contribution on contract renewal or issuance of new contract. In the case of voluntary membership, coverage shall be renewed upon payment of contribution, the LOI stated.

“Scrutiny of the records showing OWWA’s collection of membership contributions based on the contract they entered into will show a clear situation of inequity exists as far as the frequency of membership collection from the sea-based members is concerned,” said Manalo.

“It is observed that the OWWA, under its Omnibus policies has set the membership coverage of voluntary members to a maximum period of two years.”

Germany is reportedly looking at the Philippines as its main source to hire up to 200,000 nurses for employment.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, nurses specializing in geriatric care are given higher priority in hiring of nurses for Germany, European Union’s largest economy, over the next four years.

Baldoz made the announcement Monday in DOLE’s first media forum in 2016 in Pasay City after she was relayed the information about nursing shortage from German officials during her official trip last week that coincided with the third year implementation of the “Triple Win” agreement.

The agreement ensures that Filipino workers deployed to Germany are adequately prepared both in language and professional training free of charge before their entry into the country.

Baldoz added that the officials she met expressed preference for hiring Filipino nurses.

A Filipino-Austrian woman was killed after she was apparently hit by a blunt object on a construction site in Hong Kong early Tuesday.

According to South China Morning Post, the boyfriend, 27, was arrested on suspicion of killing Andrea Bayr, 25, using an electric drill at Hung Cheung Road building site in Tuen Mun at 2:15am. Officers responded to a call by the couple’s friend, subdued the man and arrested him at the scene of attack.

The suspect, reportedly of Pakistani origin, is a nigh-shift security guard at the site. He suffered minor leg injuries and was receiving treatment at Tuen Mun hospital at Tuesday noon. He was held for further interrogation at the hospital’s custodial ward.

Police seized small quantity of suspected crystal meth at the scene and were investigating whether the couple were under the influence of illegal narcotics when the incident took place.

“The couple had a dispute inside the guard post and their Pakistani friend tried to separate them but failed and then made a report of fighting to police,” said ssistant Tuen Mun district commander Superintendent Chan Chun-chun. Chan added that as officers arrived at the scene, the suspect was seen attacking the woman with an electric drill. Bayr suffered multiple head injuries and was unconscious when she was taken to Tuen Mun hospital. She was declared dead at 3:10am.

Confiscated at the scene were hard objects such as the electric drill and hammer to be presented as evidence.

Bayr was born in Hong Kong to an Austrian father and Filipino mother. It was reported that she was once arrested on suspicion of possession of illegal drugs in Hong Kong. According to her Facebook profile, Bayr was formerly employed as a receptionist at Tazmania Ballroom in Lan Kwai Fong and worked at Maya Bar in Wan Chai as a barmaid. She was also a model with Film Factory Hong Kong.

A Filipino woman employed as domestic helper in Kuwait has filed a complaint against her Hungarian employer after the latter reportedly engaged in sexual intercourse against her will.

According to a report by Arab Times, the Filipina was hired from a local agency by the Hungarian man to work as household service worker for his family.

However, the suspect reportedly brought her to an apartment with nobody else around and to her shock, forcibly had sex with her.

The maid claimed that she managed to escape when the suspect was fast asleep. She then filed the complaint at Salmiya Police Station and was referred to forensics for futher examination.

Construction of new hospitals in Kuwait usher the demand for more Filipino nurses to work in the country.

According to Elsa Villa, president of the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI), Kuwait labor minister and a group of private corporations in the country told them that new hospitals are expected to be constructed in the country within the next few months.

Entry level salary for hired nurses is reportedly at US$900, Villa said in a report by GMA News.

Besides demand for nurses, workers in the construction sector are also needed as job orders will be issued soon.

“This is one area in Kuwait where there will be an increase in demand of medical workers but the private sector will be able to tell the requirements, mga nurses ito,” said Villa.

A Filipino domestic helper was reportedly found dead under a bridge in a residential complex in Hong Kong.

According to Hong Kong News, the woman, 47, was found under a bridge in LOHAS Park in Hong Kong’s Tseung Kwan O district on March 18 but was only identfied on March 24th when her identification card was found. Additional information gathered revealed that the helper hails from Leyte, Philippines.

Vice Consul Fatima Guzman-Quintin of the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong said the police are still determining if the domestic worker committed suicide.

Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr., PCG-Assistance To Nationals (ATN) section officer, said the victim “fell from a height.”

Guzman-Quintin said that if the incident is ruled a suicide, the case becomes the fifth suicide case involving Filipinos in Hong Kong this year and will surpass the total number of similar cases in the entire of 2015.

Unpaid debts are said to be the leading cause of suicide among Filipinos in Hong Kong.

Photo credit: Joy / Flickr

A judge in Hong Kong has hit a Filipino helper’s torture claim after working for several years as a domestic helper in Hong Kong.

Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai of Hong Kong’s Eastern Magistrates Courts referred to the application of E. Liban who, after working as domestic helper since 2003, decided to seek asylum in 2011 on grounds of torture.

“She was working as a domestic helper but when her contract was not renewed, she filed a torture claim. If that is not abusing the system, I don’t know what is,” Chainrai said during a hearing on March 4.

According to Hong Kong News, Liban reportedly appeared before the court and pleaded guilty to charges of theft. She was caught stealing cans of coffee from a Wellcome Supermarket shop in Causeway Bay on February 25. The Filipina readily admitted to the crime when a shop staff from the shop accosted her.

In mitigation, Liban’s lawyer said she is living with her 60-year-old boyfriend whose diabetes condition has worsened, forcing him to go on leave from his work in the entertainment sector. The duo reportedly has a four-year-old son.

The defense lawyer also sought for leniency from Judge Chainrai, noting that the woman readily admitted the crime and has been remorseful. The judge later handed out a fine of HK$500 and two-month jail term suspended for 18 months.

The Hong Kong government has recently announced it is reviewing its existing process of handling asylum applications as reports of asylum seekers have been abusing the system in place.

One of the worst things that could happen in foreign land would be losing your passport, but the misfortune sparked Dave Almarinez’s entrepreneurial journey.

Almarinez was fresh from college when he started working as a financial consultant in Singapore, but even with a steady income, barely manages to save money because of monthly stipends to his family.

Almarinez lost his passport and the man who returned his lost passport opened to him the idea of direct selling. Almarinez quit his post and invested P50 000 to the beverage venture which he took back home.

Growing up to an average salary family, the former financial consultant has always labeled himself as having a risk-taking attitude, oftentimes selling peanuts, corncobs and snacks in elementary school to earn additional money.

It may sound absurd to leave or quitting a fair-paying job just to pursue a business and in a field where Almarinezz has no background or connections whatsoever.  Once back in the Philippines, no one dared to take the leap to join his direct-selling business, even his invited friends and relatives, but “In hindsight, it only drove me to do better and prove to my naysayers that I can make it,” Almarinez shares.

With this mindset and determination in mind, Almarinez found local partners and managed to grow a business named Nature’s Sunshine, which was eventually renamed Synergy, to 37 local distribution centers, even increasing the company’s profits by 300% during his last three years as its head in the country.

The 41-year-old entrepreneur found another calling in 2007, to serve the general public. In the Philippines, there is an issue of malice when they hear you’re a businessman and a public servant at the same time. However Almarinez says that it actually helps disciplines public servants to do better with their jobs because they’re more prone to issues as more eyes are watching you.

Almarinez has been serving as an elected board member of the provincial government of Laguna while simultaneously heading a new direct marketing company, Organo Gold. This Canada-based direct selling giant sells various products like coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and even personal care items, and now has presence in 44 countries.

Almarinez admits that the job is not easy considering the multiple responsibilities he has, but immediately credits the team behind him. “It’s tempting to have the superman thinking and do everything at once, but no matter how great you are, you will need help,” Almarinez shares.

The direct-selling company aims to give its distributors financial independence with its comprehensive membership plans. Anyone who signs up as a distributor may choose a starter pack which can earn them around 10 to 20% commission from every product they sell. Their commission grows once they start to invite more members in their team, becoming a smal distribution company themselves, and heading their own businesses.

“We’re not just giving opportunities, but also the proper skill set to do business. Anyone can earn more, as long as they’re willing to do their part of the job,” Almarinez says.

A Filipina who just came over to a friend’s apartment upon invitation found herself raped and robbed by an unidentified man.

According to a report by Kuwait Times, the 28-year-old Filipina left her residence in Saad Al-Abdullah and went to a Fahaheel apartment after being invited to a party by a fellow Filipina friend.

But when she arrived, she found only her friend alone in the apartment. The friend then left her and wanted to go out for some personal matters. Soon afterwards, a man she never met before entered the apartment. The stranger then raped her, stole her phone, identification cards and cash worth KWD350 before escaping.

A case has been filed and was subject for further investigation.

Two Filipinas who breached their conditions of stay in Hong Kong were sentenced to jail March 29 after they pleaded guilty to five charges of various offenses.

According to a report by The SUN, Rema B. Cacabelos was sentenced to a combined seven months in prison for drug possession and overstaying in Hong Kong. Another Filipina, Judy V. Bautista was convicted for possession of live bullet and sentenced to two months in jail. She was also given a seven-month prison term suspended for two years for overstaying.

Cacabelos pleaded guilty to charges of possessing 2.67 grams of methamphetamine and possessing equipment intended to inhale dangerous drugs as well as charge of breaching of condition of stay by two-and-a-half years.

Eastern Court magistrate Lee Siu-ho sentenced her to six months in jail for drug possession and three months for possession of equipment fit for inhaling drugs, both to run concurrently.

The two defendants were arrested in a flat in Wan Chai on November 12, 2015 during a police operation. Armed with a search warrant, officers raided the apartment and found the drugs in two plastic containers. Operatives also discovered two test tubes, two glass beakers, one of which contained 1 milligram of methamphetamine.

Upon checking of their travel documents, oficers also discovered that the two women had overstayed a 14-day extension granted by the Immigration Department after their working contracts were terminated by their employer.

When the duo were brought to the police station, a live bullet was found in Bautista’s pocket. She admitted that the bullet was given as an amulet by her mother, also a former domestic helper in Hong Kong, to ward off evil spirits.

Power supply at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 was full restored early Sunday morning after a disruption of over five hours.

“The terminal started operating on full power as of 2:00 am, Sunday, following a technical glitch with the airport’s electric source,” said the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) in a statement posted on Facebook.

Travelers were stranded as flights were delayed after power went out at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Saturday evening.

According to a report by Rappler, the blackout reportedly started at around 8:45pm quoting an airport operations staff who requested anonymity. He said the sysem went “down” at the terminal, affecting operations at the departure area.

At about 11pm, netizens who were onboard some of the posted updates that quoted pilots as saying all arrivals and departures at the airport were on hold.

In an interview on dzBB Sunday morning, Meralco said the problem appears to come from the airport’s load side.

“Maayos ang daloy ng kuryente from the Meralco side,” Jose Zaldarriaga, spokesman for Meralco told dzBB.

In the same station, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said maintenance problems could be at fault. He said the agency is looking at both the NAIA side of Meralco and they will check the maintenance operations of all other terminals as well.

The power outage is the latest of a string of inconveniences at NAIA Terminal 3. In January, part of the ceiling at the terminal collapsed, injuring a passenger. Other issues passengers complained about the terminal include malfunctioning equipment, leaks, collapsed floors, congestion, flight delays, lack of transport facilities, and rude or corrupt personnel.

The negative impression was summed up in a report that ranked Ninoy Aquino International Airport as worst airport in the world.

Photo credit: Angel Zarza / Facebook

According to Cebu Pacific, passengers of the cancelled flights may opt for full refund or travel fund, or rebook their flights within 30 days from original departure date.

Philippine Airlines, meanwhile, told passengers to expect flight delays due to intermittent power supply at NAIA-3.

Full power was restored at the at 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

April 3, 2016 (Sunday)​

​5J483/484 Manila – Bacolod – Manila

5J485/486 Manila – Bacolod – Manila

5J487/488 Manila – Bacolod – Manila

5J785/786 Manila – Butuan – Manila

5J381/382 Manila – Cagayan de Oro – Manila

5J383/384 Manila – Cagayan de Oro – Manila

5J397/398 Manila – Cagayan de Oro – Manila

5J379/380 Manila – Cagayan de Oro – Manila

5J391/392 Manila – Cagayan de Oro – Manila

5J553/580 Manila – Cebu – Manila

5J567/568 Manila – Cebu – Manila

5J551 Manila – Cebu

5J555 Manila – Cebu

5J586 Cebu – Manila

5J887/888 Manila – Cotabato – Manila

5J963/964 Manila – Davao – Manila

5J975/966 Manila – Davao – Manila

5J955 Manila – Davao

5J625/626 Manila – Dumaguete – Manila

5J989/990 Manila – General Santos – Manila

5J457/458 Manila – Iloilo – Manila

5J468 Iloilo – Manila

5J333/334 Manila – Kalibo – Manila

5J339/340 Manila – Kalibo – Manila

5J323/324 Manila – Legazpi – Manila

5J325/326 Manila – Legazpi – Manila

5J781/782 Manila – Ozamiz – Manila

5J771/772 Manila – Pagadian – Manila

5J643/644 Manila – Puerto Princesa – Manila

5J637/638 Manila – Puerto Princesa – Manila

5J373/374 Manila – Roxas – Manila

5J513/514 Manila – San Jose – Manila

5J649/650 Manila – Tacloban – Manila

5J659/660 Manila – Tacloban – Manila

5J615/616 Manila – Tagbilaran – Manila

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5J504/505 Manila – Tuguegarao – Manila

5J821/822 Manila – Virac – Manila

5J857/858 Manila – Zamboanga – Manila

April 2, 2016 (Saturday)

5J579/582 Manila – Cebu – Manila

5J467 Manila – Iloilo

PRESIDENT

• BINAY, Jejomar
• DUTERTE, Rodrigo
• POE, Grace
• ROXAS, Mar
• SANTIAGO, Miriam

VICE PRESIDENT

• CAYETANO, Alan Peter
• ESCUDERO, Francis
• HONASAN, Gregorio
• MARCOS, Ferdinand Jr
• ROBREDO, Leni
• TRILLANES, Antonio