Philippines (see also Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Dip in deployment of OFWs

Dip in deployment of OFWs

According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, 640,808 Filipinos found jobs abroad in the first seven months of this year, 3.7 percent less than a year ago. Nonetheless, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion earlier mentioned the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the new hire category increased in several destinations including Canada, Italy, Cyprus, New Zealand and New Caledonia due to the demand for skilled Filipino workers in these countries. In the first half of this year, high-end skills accounted for more than two-thirds (73 percent) of the total new hires. Brion expected the total deployment figures to reach one million this year. Total OFWs deployed in 2005 and 2006 numbered 988,615 and 1,083,568, respectively.

In related news, Brion said the country's position as the No.1 source of maritime manpower in the world could be maintained through consistent adherence to the International Maritime Organization's Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping. A total of 279,922 seafarers were deployed from January to August this year, or 15.9 percent higher than the 241,522 deployed in the same period in 2006.

Deployment of nurses and caregivers under JPEPA derailed

Senator Loren Legarda questioned the merits of the highly restrictive quota-based deployment of Filipino nurses and caregivers to Japan under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on economic affairs, said that the market-driven deployment of Filipino nurses and caregivers, instead of a prohibitive quota system, is preferable. Philippine Nurses Association Inc. (PNA) president Dr. Leah Samaco-Paquiz said other Asian countries were able to get better terms for their nurses and other professionals under similar agreements with Japan. Under the JPEPA, only 400 Filipino nurses and 600 caregivers would be allowed into Japan in the first two years. Filipino nurses and caregivers would also have to undergo a six-month language training.

Senator seeks pact with Australia to protect OFWs

Senator Jose Estrada urged the Philippine government to forge an agreement with Australia to protect OFWs in Australia. Estrada, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and concurrent chair of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment, recently met with Australian Ambassador Tony Hely to inquire about the problems of OFWs in Australia. The senator set the meeting to assess labor relations between the two countries amid reports that Australian employers had breached the work visas of two Filipinos who recently died in Australia. Estrada called on the POEA to sign an agreement with Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship to stop recruitment agencies from collecting exorbitant placement fees from Australia-bound OFWs. He also called for the abolition of sponsorship which could expose OFWs to abuses.

TESDA to computerize the assessment, certification process

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director General for Field Operation Rogelio Peyuan announced the computerization of skills assessment and certification to allow online verification of documents and establish a reliable database. The e-TESDA portal would ensure transparency and accountability in the country's maritime training systems, data and information, Peyuan added. Moreover, TESDA Director General Augusto Syjuco noted that computerization will prevent tampering of official documents and reduce the proliferation of fake certificates.

Local company short of skilled welders

Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Cebu, Inc. (THICI) is losing its welders as demands for high-skilled welders in Australia keeps increasing, said company spokesman Steve Paradies. THICI and sister company FB Marine Aboitiz are having difficulties keeping workers, particularly welders. The company is trying to improve the salaries and benefits of workers, but many still opted to go abroad. He said THICI is working closely with TESDA to provide technical courses for would-be workers in a bid to address the lack of skilled personnel.

New rules on direct hiring

The POEA announced new rules on the direct hiring of Filipino workers on 7 September. Under the new rules, all individuals and companies should obtain a permit from the DOLE before taking recruits. Labor attachι Alejandro Santos in Bahrain said that their contracts and track records will be scrutinized. Santos said the POEA is yet to issue the implementing guidelines to enforce the new rules. Under the existing rules, foreign employers recruiting Filipinos should use the services of accredited recruitment agents apart from a few exemptions.

Student Work Placement Scheme introduced in UK

The Anglia Ruskin University in the UK is now offering the Student Work Placement Scheme (SWOPS) that would allow nursing undergraduates to work in England. Under the SWOPS, nurses can acquire a degree in Heath and Social Care or a combined NVQ/First Line Management qualification. While studying for their two-year course in health and social care, the students will be required to work as carers. Their pay as carers will cover the costs of both living expenses in the UK and the full cost of the study. After the two-year period, Filipino nurses will be allowed to work for a year in the UK as a senior carer or nurse. They can eventually avail of permanent residency in the UK. The first batch of Filipino nursing graduates who availed of the scheme will leave in August.

Rescued Filipino seafarers, OFW deaths, missing OFWs

The nine Filipino seafarers rescued off Port Alfred, South Africa arrived in Manila on 3 September. Their ship MV Douala Tide, sailing from Dubai, UAE to Douala, Cameroon, capsized and sank on 23 August because of huge wages and strong winds. The remains of the lone Filipino fatality in the accident, Benedicto Agtarat, were sent to his family on 1 September.

The body of Demetrio Gabayeron, 56, who died of lung cancer in Saudi Arabia, has arrived in his home in Bacolod City. He succumbed to acute lung cancer on 16 July after confinement at the King Faadh General Hospital in Jeddah for almost two months. He had been working in Jeddah for seven years as a maintenance crew of fishing boats.

The relatives of 15 men recruited as seafarers in Japan have sought the help of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administrations (OWWA) in Central Luzon.  There has been no word from the men since they left the country on 27 July. Judith, wife of missing Charlie Rivera, said she last talked with her husband a week after the group left on 27 July. Rivera informed her that they were in Taiwan and were on their way to Hokkaido, Japan. Judith said her husband, like the others in the group, paid P80,000 to recruiter Rudolfo Patio as placement fee. Toribio Robles Jr., OWWA regional director, said the 15 men might be forced to work as fishermen. Patio was earlier arrested and detained at the Pampanga provincial jail.     

OFW arrives home penniless

An undocumented Filipino worker, 21, arrived home penniless after almost three years of suffering in Syria and Turkey, said Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim Guinomla. The victim sought the embassy's help after she was abandoned by her boyfriend who got her pregnant. She was recruited in November 2004 to work Lebanon, but she was sent to Damascus, Syria instead. She was arrested upon arrival for possessing a fake visa. A Syrian got her out of jail and she was endorsed to a recruitment agency in Aleppo. She was abused and raped by the owner of the agency and she was later transferred to a woman, identified as Hamod, who promised to pay her after her two-year contract expires. She fled Syria in August 2006 and went to Turkey by paying human smugglers.

Filipino couple deported from UK

Dennis and Nanette Gonzalez were deported from the UK on 2 September. Dennis had worked as a chef at a restaurant until his work visa expired. The couple's forced departure is related to the UK's new policy that discourages the employment of workers from non-EU countries. Hundreds of other Filipino workers in the UK, mostly experienced caregivers, are facing deportation following the expiration of their work visas.

POEA dismisses illegal recruitment case filed vs. Sentosa

The POEA dismissed the illegal recruitment case filed by 26 Filipino migrant nurses against the Sentosa Recruitment Agency in the Philippines and Sentosa Care LLC New York. POEA administrator Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz declared they found no merit in the complainants' charge of recruitment law violations against Sentosa. Migrante International condemned the POEA's decision. Migrante chair Connie Bragas-Regalado said Sentosa is obviously guilty of misrepresentation, contract substitution and contract violations. Migrante pledged to continue fighting for the complainants. Gabriela party-list Representative Luz Ilagan filed a resolution demanding a congressional inquiry on the case.

Meanwhile,   the case filed by the nurses against Sentosa Recruitment Agency in April 2006 was transferred from the US Department of Justice to the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, according to their lawyer Felix Vinluan. The nurses and Vinluan filed discrimination charges against Sentosa for allegedly failing to fulfill its promises of providing jobs for the nurses.

Bogus teaching jobs in Thailand

Filipinos aspiring to teach in Thailand are warned against unscrupulous recruiters. A certain Winston Pedro Bayron has been accused of illegally recruiting teachers from the island of Bohol in Central Visayas. Some of the victims alleged that Bayron recruited Filipinos with any college background to teach in Thailand, promising immediate employment and high salaries. The victims took a training seminar which costs P3,500 since Bayron promised they could get hired immediately with 30,000 baht (P43,800) monthly salary. They had to pay an additional P45,000 as recruitment fee, which is supposed to cover transportation to Bangkok and board and lodging for one month. They had to borrow money from moneylenders in the Philippines for their placement fees. They claimed they were forced to stay in a small apartment and fed one or two meals a day. Bayron told them they were "illegal" aliens and would be arrested and deported if they complained.

Bogus hospital offering jobs in UAE

Filipino health professionals planning to work in the UAE are warned about a non-existent hospital offering jobs. Byan Brecio, an OFW in Dubai, said that the non-existent General Dubai Hospital (GDH) is offering jobs through its website. A daily newspaper in Dubai, XPRESS, reported that people behind the fraud have put up a website (www.generalhospitaldubai.org) duplicating the homepage of the genuine Oasis Hospital, except the contact numbers and the names of officers.

Canada applicants advised to verify contract

Filipinos currently working in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel and planning to work as caregivers in Canada are advised to have their employment contract verified at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at the Philippines embassies in their respective work sites. The POEA said in its advisory that the POLO in Canada reported that two Filipina caregivers from Dubai and Hong Kong arrived in Canada without genuine employers. One was facing deportation, whereas the other was abused by her employer, but could not formerly file a complaint because the present employer was different from the one specified in her work permit.

Incentive program for victims and witnesses of illegal recruitment

The DOLE recently launched an incentive program for those who actively cooperate in the prosecution of erring recruiters. The program will provide assistance to victims and witnesses of illegal recruitment by shouldering docket fee and other court or legal fees. According to a resolution approved by the POEA Governing Board, victims and witnesses who testify against illegal recruiters shall be given priority for overseas employment. Many illegal recruitment cases are often dismissed because complaints are unable to pay the required docket fees in court. In some cases, victims cease to participate in proceedings even after filing their cases, instead accepting meager sum of settlement money.

Senate urged to probe mail-order brides

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. urged the Senate to investigate reports of Filipino women leaving the country yearly as mail-order brides. Villar has filed Senate Resolution 101 seeking an inquiry by the Senate committee on youth, women and family relations to look into the plight of Filipino mail-order brides. Republic Act 6955 of 1990 declares illegal the practice of matching Filipino women for marriage to foreign nationals on a mail-order basis and other similar practices, including the advertisement, publication, printing or distribution of brochures, fliers and other propaganda materials.

BI vows to curb human trafficking

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan pledged to fight human trafficking and crack down on the escort racket at the airport. As part of anti-trafficking efforts, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred the departure of Filipinos with questionable travel documents. Libanan noted that many Filipinos leave as tourists but with intentions to work abroad.

In related news, the BI's anti-human trafficking desk stopped nine women from boarding a Singapore-bound flight on 10 September after they failed to substantiate the reasons for their departure. They all had the same reasons – meeting their boyfriends – but failed to give their supposed address in Singapore. The women were suspected of being recruited by a sex ring; they were turned over to the airport's labor assistance center.

Remittances to exceed US$14 B in 2007

According to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, OFW remittances are expected to exceed US$14 billion this year. Remittances coursed through banks reached US$7 billion in the first half of 2007, 18.1 percent higher than the level recorded in the same period in 2006. The US, Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong remain as the major source countries of remittances. Labor officials anticipate growth in dollar remittance this year despite the drop in the number of Filipino workers deployed because OFWs tend to send more dollars to cover the amount lost due to dollar depreciation. Others counter that the growth is expected to slow down due to the decline in the deployment of workers abroad.

Proposal seeking special OFW forex rate

Vice President Noli de Castro agreed to endorse a petition by OFWs to President Arroyo that seeks to establish a preferential foreign exchange rate for legitimate OFWs. De Castro met on 7 September with officials of the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) Chairman Dante Ang, executives from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and representatives of the OFW groups to discuss options in mitigating the impact of the peso-dollar appreciation on OFWs' remittances. A Jeddah-based organization of OFWs, V-Team, is calling for government intervention in the foreign exchange rate for remittances by adopting a fixed rate of P50:US$1 or by putting up a stabilization fund to cover the gap between the market rate and the special rate for OFWs. President Arroyo's economic and finance officials opposed the proposal. Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the proposal was "costly and impossible to implement." Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the administration was studying the proposal to have a fixed exchange rate for OFWs.

Survey uncovers uses of remittances

The Consumer Expectations Survey of the BSP showed that 94.1 percent of the 5,093 households polled spent the money received from abroad primarily on food and other household needs in the third quarter of this year, compared to 91.8 percent of the previous quarter. Meanwhile, a growing number of households set aside part of remittances for savings, from 7.2 in the first quarter to 15.7 percent and 19.8 percent in second and third quarters, respectively. Some 53.9 percent of households spent their remittances on education, about one in every three spent the money to pay debts and one in every four spent on medical expenses.

$1-charge per $200 remittance

OFWs can now send dollars to their families at a much lower fee of US$1 for every US$200 transaction through the National Cash Card program (N-Cash) of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO). The transaction can be sent via text message. N-Cash is a cash card issued by NATCCO and can be used not only for card-to-card remittance from overseas but also for pre-paid cellular phone loading and bills payment for locals. The maximum amount that can be remitted through N-Cash is US$2,000. NATCCO's N-Cash program is undertaken in coordination with the DBP and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. The current cost of dollar remittances is US$27 per US$200 transaction.   

Money transfer service via cell phones

Smart Communications Inc. has partnered with UAE telecom operator Etisalat to launch an international money transfer service through mobile phones. Mobile phone users will be able to remit to their beneficiaries via a few clicks on their handsets and track transactions until the money reaches the designated recipients. The service will later be expanded to other Etisalat service areas, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to its West African subsidiaries under the Atlantique Group.

OFW mandatory membership to SSS proposed

In a speech marking the 50^th anniversary of the Social Security System (SSS) on 3 September, President Arroyo instructed the agency to expand its membership base by enforcing mandatory contribution for all OFWs. OFW membership to SSS is currently on a voluntary basis. Bobby Roldan, top representative of the SSS office in Hong Kong, however said that mandatory coverage could be done only after the country's legislators amend the agency's charter, which would take some time. Representative Vincent Crisologo has reportedly begun drawing up the bill. In 2006, the United Filipinos in HK (Unifil-Migrante) submitted to the Philippine Consulate a petition opposing the move, claiming that it would result in additional financial burden to OFWs. An informal survey conducted by the SSS reportedly showed that 60 percent of OFWs are against the proposal.

Improved health insurance for OFWs

Recruitment agencies sending Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia have urged the Department of Health to extend the scope and coverage of health insurance. The Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI) lamented the insurance as limited in time, funding and coverage. PhilHealth denies service to dependents within the first three months of their departure from the Philippines. In addition, POLOs no longer collect premium payments under the OWWA's Medicare program and thus the PhilHealth memberships of many OFWs are not renewed until they return home. PASEI president Victor Fernandez Jr. also said PhilHealth has to be more cautious to prevent false claims. Under the current arrangement, vacating OFWs and their dependents would get improved medical benefits under a "zero co-pay system" or free medical services with accredited hospitals until December.

Livelihood program for OFW families

The OWWA is conducting livelihood activities for spouses of OFWs in Region 11. Ron Lionel Bartolome, OWWA 11 regional director, said the agency trains groups of spouses of OFWs in selling various local food products such as fish balls and dillies. He said the OWWA 11 has assigned trainers to different provinces in the region to help partner agencies organize families of OFWs for the livelihood program. He added that they encourage OFWs to save money while abroad and not to send all their money to their families.

Counseling services for seafarers

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said UGAT Foundation, a Jesuit family-oriented group, launched the online psycho-spiritual support system "Daungan." Filipino seafarers and their families can also get counseling services through text messaging. Fr. Nilo Tanalega SJ said the counseling service is free, but standard call and text rates apply. The service offers free confidential counseling, resource articles on psycho-spiritual enrichment, opportunities for formation and active linkages to other seafarers and their families and trained counselors.

Senator bats for agreement with Japan over Japinoys

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. urged the DFA to take steps in negotiating a bilateral agreement with the Japanese government to address the plight of Filipino children abandoned by their Japanese fathers. Pimentel said that efforts should be made to find the fathers of some 200,000 abandoned 'Japinoys'. Three Japanese senators visited the Philippines to get information on the condition of the Japinoys and to explore ways to alleviate their difficulties.

OFWs are abandoning families?

The OWWA Region 7 said that families abandoned by overseas Filipino workers have become a great concern in Region 7. According to OWWA 7 records, 46 cases of abandonment have been reported this year. Some guidance counselors at University of San Jose Recoletos, Cebu City, said that OFWs who had problems with marital relations before going abroad are likely to abandon their families.

Irregular migrants pose threat to RP

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the increasing number of irregular migrants poses the biggest challenge to the country. Immigration records show that some 126,000 foreigners in the Philippines hold an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) or I-Card. In addition, authorities estimate that there are between 500,000 and 700,000 irregular migrants residing in the country. Libanan likewise noted that about 5,000 to 6,000 Koreans work as tourist guides in the Philippines without the necessary permits.

Foreigners nabbed, detained, fined, deported

Thirteen Indians were arrested during a raid on their safehouses in the towns of Tanay and Montalban and Antipolo City in Rizal on 7 September. The operation was carried out after the BI received complaints that the Indians had been preying on residents of the province by lending them money at exorbitant interest rates and forcing them to buy overpriced retail goods on installment basis. The suspects are detained at the Bicutan immigration jail in Taguig City while their status is verified. 

Two Indians, Pawan Kumar, 32, and Bhattal Singh, 22, were arrested on 11 September for obtaining resident visas by means of fraud and misrepresentation – contracting a "marriage of convenience." They may be deported back to India.

The BI arrested five Koreans illegally engaging in the retail business in Baguio City. The Koreans are detained at the Bicutan immigration jail pending deportation proceedings. In another case, restaurant manager Jang Young Ae was arrested at the Pusan Garden Restaurant in Quezon City on 7 September, for working without securing a work permit.

Four Peruvians were deported for possession of forged passports. They were nabbed by the migration compliance monitoring group of the BI at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Airport immigration authorities nabbed a Japanese businessman, Kenji Fukuda, 50, who had been ordered deported on 21 September 2006 for violating his working permit in Subic, among other charges. Despite the deportation order, he was able to enter and leave the country many times from May to August 2007. An investigation is underway to identify the persons who assisted Fukuda at the NAIA. Fukuda is the chief executive officer of Japan Medical Imaging based at the Subic Bay Freeport and also a vice president of World Bell Philippines. 

Six Taiwanese Buddhist monks were fined P10,000 each for working in the country without the missionary working visas. The monks were arrested on a raid on the Seng Guan Buddhist Temple on Narra Street, Paco, Manila. The management of the temple admitted that the Taiwanese were doing missionary work at the temple without pay and compensated by means of free board and lodging.

A Turk national, Mustafa Akcay, was deported for illegally recruiting Filipino workers for the Middle East. He will be placed on the immigration blacklist to bar him from reentering the country. He was arrested at his office at Best One International Services and Consultancy Inc. in Manila, on 8 August.

The BI blacklisted an Egyptian, Magdy Rassekh, allegedly responsible for recruiting Filipino domestic workers who suffered abuses and maltreatment by their employers in Egypt.

Machine-readable passports

The DFA announced that starting 17 September, the new machine-readable passports are available for first-time applicants. Passport applicants are required to appear in person before a consular officer at the department's offices to affix signature and thumbprints on the application form. From August the department began issuing the new e-passports to renewal applicants, senior citizens and overseas Filipino workers.

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