SPOTTED | Europe Migrant Crisis: Camerawoman trips refugee in Hungary

Videos of a camerawoman tripping a refugee trying to escape police in southern Hungary are now viral online. In the videos, Petra Lazlo attempted to make the scene more dramatic by kicking the man carrying his child on the feet while running away.

Lage in #Roeszke #Hungary weiter schlimm - Polizei überfordert - Flüchtlinge durchbrechen Polizeikette - Verletzte! pic.twitter.com/GlMGqGwABb

— Stephan Richter (@RichterSteph) September 8, 2015

Video Courtesy: Twitter user Stephan Richter

Footage from her perspective was later aired on N1TV whom she works for. N1TV is an internet-based media associated to Hungary's far-right Jobbik party.

Another video shows Petra Lazlo trying to trip another running young refugee when the incident happened.

#PetraLaszlo tried to trip 2 others, another kid & a boy, was unsuccessful. @FairyTraps @andreaszik @RichterSteph pic.twitter.com/BQ8daN1QIQ

— Gustav Zollern (@Osaavaa) September 9, 2015

Video Courtesy: Twitter user Gustav Zollern

N1TV editor-in-chief Szabolcs Kisberk revealed Lazlo has been fired "with immediate effect as of today, we consider the matter closed. Thousands of migrants in ISIS- and politically-destabilized countries flee their homes to seek for asylum and refuge.

NEWS BITS | Summary of Local and International PH News (August 30 to September 5)

Here is a summary of what has happened in and out the Philippines this week (August 30 to September 5). Local and international news spotted all over news agencies (ABS-CBN, GMA News, Rappler, Interaksyon) are featured in this post, for your convenience.

What news are on the spotlight this week?

 SENATE HEARING ON BALIKBAYAN BOX CONTROVERSY (Courtesy of Inquirer.Net)

LOCAL
Balikbayan Box Issue: Customs Chief Lina apologizes to OFWs over planned Balikbayan box opening; additional charges to be imposed over shipping rate hike, revised rules announced
Corruption: New charges filed against 20 lawmakers involved in non-Napoles PDAF scam
Money Matters: Who are the country's richest women for 2015?
Entertainment: Rica Peralejo complains of hospital staff unprofessional treatment
#AlDub: Eat Bulaga flies high with Kalyeserye's AlDub
Industry: MRT-3 prototype to be assembled, tested
Society: Father kills 3 kids in Manila
Guts: Duterte forces smoking foreigner to swallow cigarette butt
Religion: INC still united

INTERNATIONAL
Military: China shows military might in WW II triumph parade
Pope and Abortion: CBCP responds, tells abortion still wrong
World Economy: China slowdown effects bigger than anticipated
European Migrant Crisis: Dead child photo reflects ongoing Euro humanitarian problems

GOOD NEWS: PH stock market, one of the best performing global markets in 2014

SIDE NOTE: Nakasakay ka na po ng eroplano 'di po ba? Na-experience mo na ba na madelay ang flight? Alam mo po bang may karapatan tayo bilang mga pasahero (ng Cebu Pacific, PAL, Air Philippines, Zest Air, at kahit na ano pa) na dapat ipaglaban? Compensation? Yes, meron din po. Read more here.

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Investors and would-be-investors in the PH stock market must be excited to hear this great news! Confidence in the vibrant PH economy has not faded, to date!

The Philippine stock market landed number 7 on the list of the best performing global markets in 2014. It had an increase of 22.01%, with benchmark year-end-performance set at December 23, 2014; this means the PH stock exchange index's performance may be higher than what was recorded by CNN on the last trading day, December 29; that's around (22.01% + 0.62%) = a whooping 22.63%!The PH stock market even outpaced that of neighboring Indonesia's (20.24%) at number 9.

Image Courtesy: CNN

For the common tao, or in layman's term (well, also as how a non-Economics student like me understands haha), this only means that more investors are interested to pour their cash into public companies because they know these companies may be regional economic giants. Not only are they interested, but they are optimistic that the promising economic success story of the Philippines will steal the international spotlight soon. However, here's a caveat, the article only mentioned 74 big markets; the others have not been included in the list (there are more than 190 nations in the world!).

Leading the list of top performing international markets are Argentina (54.51%) and economic giant China (43.32%). It may be recalled that this year's most valuable tech startup is Xiaomi, a Chinese smartphone maker which overtook Samsung in terms of sales units (in some countries that Samsun formerly dominated) for the first time in years, valued at 45 billion USD.

The worst global markets with biggest losses in 2014 include those of Greece (-26.62%) and Russia (-44.9%) which made headlines this year for annexing Ukraine's region Crimea. It's believed that Russia's on a recession today as an effect of the collapse of the oil prices worldwide (due to increased US supplies) and the economic sanctions imposed by countries against the political and military struggles ongoing at the proximity of Russia's borders.

France blacklists PH, 16 other countries for foreign aid fraud inaction

UPDATE:

An article from ABS-CBN News debunks statements from a Agence France-Presse report that declared Philippines as one of the countries in the French government's  foreign aid blacklist.

The French Foreign Minister has denied an Agence France-Presse report that said France has blacklisted the Philippines as one of the "non-cooperative states" in investigating foreign aid fraud, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said he sought clarification about the news report with the French government "and have been officially advised that this information is totally inaccurate."

To read more about this, proceed by clicking here.

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European powerhouse France has drawn up a blacklist of 17 countries which failed to act and investigate foreign aid fraud, disallowing bank use on distribution of development funds, officials said Monday.

Aides to development minister Pascal Canfin were unable to say how much French foreign aid currently transits via banks in the countries featured on the new blacklist.

The blacklist widens up from an already-established list of eight “non-cooperative states and territories”including Botswana, Brunei, Guatemala, Nauru, and the Philippines.

Added to its list are Costa Rica, Dominica, Lebanon, Liberia, Panama, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates,, and Vanuatu.

The officials said  that there was a lack of transparency in these natio further noting that often the main victims of fraud are poor and developing nations.

Alien skulls in Mexico?

Researchers have found 33 alien-like skulls in a site called El Cementerio, a thousand-year-old cemetery, in the small Mexican village of Onabas. So, are they actually aliens?

These deformed skulls' elongated appearance is believed to have been head bones of those of children who underwent a process called artificial cranial deformation (head binding), particularly done widespread on infants in Central America.

This deformation is a form of body alteration in which the skull of a human being is intentionally deformed, in this case, changing the natural growth of heads influenced by the pressure-causing binding which led to elongated, pointy heads (resembling weird alien-like head facets) and consequential death of the children.

Magnitude 6.1 quake strikes off Mindanao

6.1-magnitude quake hits off Mindanao: USGS

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATE) A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao early Saturday, US seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a depth of 38 kilometers (24 miles) and hit at 2:17 a.m. (1817 GMT Friday) some 87 kilometers east of Butuan City.

The USGS had initially reported the quake as having a magnitude of 6.4, but revised it to 6.1.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology measured the quake at 6.5 magnitude and warned that aftershocks were expected.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported, regional civil defense officer Troy Callo told AFP, adding that some local residents complained about "objects falling inside houses".

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with an average of 20 typhoons battering the archipelago every year.

It also sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire -- a belt around the Pacific Ocean dotted by active volcanoes and unstable ocean trenches.

A 7.6-magnitude quake hit the country's east coast on August 31, triggering a tsunami alert that forced more than 130,000 to flee their homes and causing a landslide that killed one person.

Article Source, Agence France-Presse (for InterAksyon)

Repost: Tagalog fastest growing language in Canada - census

MANILA - Tagalog is the fastest-growing language in Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs says, citing the Statistics Canada (StatCan), which has released the results of its 2011 "Census of Population: Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians".

More than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue.

According to StatCan "the home languages showing the strongest growth between 2006 and 2011 were primarily Asian," and the "the population that reported speaking the Philippine-based language Tagalog increased by 64%, the highest growth."

Survey results show that "nearly 279,000 people reported speaking Tagalog most often in 2011, up from 170,000 five years earlier."

Tagalog is now the fifth most common non-official language spoken in Canadian households. The top 10 immigrant languages spoken most often at home in 2011 were: Punjabi, Chinese n.o.s., Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, Arabic, Mandarin, Italian, Urdu, and German.

Vancouver has one of the largest Canadian populations of Tagalog speakers, with 47,600 reporting to Statistics Canada that it was their primary language at home in 2011. Tagalog is now the most common immigrant home language in Edmonton and the second most common in Calgary, after Punjabi.

In the DFA news release, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan explains that Filipinos who used to flock to the United States have discovered there is a greener pasture north of the US.

He further said that the word has spread around that Canada is some kind of a promised land as economic growth in Western Canada has created a wealth of new opportunities for Filipinos and that and many new immigrants are travelling to Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina for jobs.

Last summer, the Philippine embassy held trial Tagalog classes in Ottawa in response to parents’ concerns that their children will forget how to speak the Filipino language. The embassy hopes to expand the program to other cities next year

Article Source: InterAksyon

Repost: Ranks of poor workers rising in Philippines - while dwindling in China, Vietnam

MANILA - Poor workers in other Asian countries are escaping poverty with greater success than their counterparts in the Philippines, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board.

"It is really not enough that we provide jobs to Filipinos, but more importantly, these should be quality jobs to ensure that they have enough income to eventually move out of poverty. Ang hirap naman na nagtatrabaho ka na nga, tapos mahirap ka pa rin!" said Jose Ramon G. Albert, NSCB secretary general.

According to Albert, the proportion of employed Filipinos living on less than $1 per day stood at 27.2 percent in 2006, higher than the 18.7 percent in 2003. In 1991, the country's working poor comprised 37.1 percent of the population.

The Philippines has more poor workers than Vietnam, where 20.4 percent were considered in the same situation in 2006, down from 22.7 percent in 2004 and 71.5 percent in 1995. China’s working poor comprised 73.1 percent of the population in 1992, then went down to 18.3 percent in 2005. 

"In both these countries, the share of employed persons in agriculture, forestry, and hunting has been decreasing while the share of those in manufacturing has been increasing. In other words, the poor (from agriculture) managed to exit from poverty by getting better employment," Albert said, referring to the situations in Vietnam and China.

The Philippine manufacturing sector has suffered a declining share of total employment, with the services sector taking up the slack, Albert said.

Where are the Filipino working poor employed? According to Albert, poor Filipinos were still working in agriculture, forestry and hunting as of 2006 and 2009.

"Our country’s poor, largely in the agriculture sector, need to improve their incomes, perhaps by getting non-farm incomes," Albert said, adding that 59.3 percent of the working poor had finished only primary school at the most. 

"However, we would still think that they could get absorbed into manufacturing which may give them better wages, or, get engaged in trade," Albert said.

The NSCB chief said the Philippines’ unemployment rate of 7 percent in 2011 is the highest among neighboring countries: Thailand, 0.7 percent; Vietnam, 2 percent; Malaysia, 3.1 percent; China, 4.1 percent; and Indonesia, 6.6 percent.

"Further, there is a remarkable transition of employment structure among the six Asian countries above from agriculture sector to manufacturing and other sectors between 1994 and 2011," Albert said. 

He said poverty incidence in Vietnam went down to 16.9 percent in 2008 from 63.7 percent in 1993, while China's slid to 13.1 percent in 2008 from 60.2 percent in 1990.

"Specifically, the poor are concerned about looking for jobs (if they don’t have jobs) or better paying ones (if they do). They want higher income, and certainly, they look forward to lower prices of commodities to improve their living conditions. The government recognizes this, and has thus decide to focus its development thrust for 2011-2016 on inclusive growth, characterized by sustained high growth, mass employment, and poverty reduction. This includes the promotion of full employment and decent work for all," Albert said.

"However, this thrust of ‘development for all’ continues to be a big challenge. Despite socioeconomic gains and positive growth in the Philippines’ gross domestic product, the headcount poverty rate and other indicators of poverty have almost remained unchanged for almost a decade – poverty incidence among the Filipino population ranged between 24.9 to 26.5 percent during the 2006 to 2009 period," he added.

The Philippine economic growth averaged 4.7 percent since 2000. In the first half of this year, the economy grew by 6.1 percent, at the high end of the government's 5-6 percent full-year target.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Baliscan had said the "big challenge" for the Philippines is to address the quality issue because underemployment has remained “quite high.”

"The manufacturing sector really has to be revived because that's where a lot of quality employment [can be created]," he said.

Article Source: Darwin G. Amojelar, InterAksyon

OFW Advisory: List of Blacklisted Foreign Principals/Consolidators

Overseas Filipinos Workers are advised to stop doing business with the following foreign principal/cargo consolidators for reports of undelivered balikbayan boxes and other violations under PSB Administrative Order No. 6 series of 2005. 

A. Addition for the Week (October 15-19, 2012)

(None) 

B. From the Previous List 

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

1. Al Rodah Marine Cargo 

2. Cityline Cargo 

3. Dagupan Cargo Packaging Services 

4. Express Link Cargo Services 

5. Smooth Express 

United States of America (USA)

1. AAA Cargo Express Inc. 

2. ABS-CBN Star Kargo 

3. Aerosend 

4. Alas Cargo 

5. Associated Consolidations Express (ACE Cargo) 

6. FRS Philippine Freight Services, Inc. 

7. Shipping Express 

8. South Atlantic Cargo 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

1. Cargo Net Worldwide Services formerly FAL-World Express Cargo 

2. Fil Asia Cargo Forwarders Philippines 

3. Global Cargo 

4. RJM Freight Cargo Forwarders 

5. WRJ Freight Forwarders (A Division of Al-Zagel Cargo) 

6. North and South Express Cargo 

SINGAPORE

1. Hagibis Express Pte. Ltd. 

2. Maru Cargo Logistics (s) LLP 

IRELAND

1. Maharlika Enterprise Cargo Services 

2. SCRL Cargo 

List Source: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

OFW Advisory: List of Blacklisted Philippine Agents/Freight Forwarders

Overseas Filipinos Workers and their consignees in the Philippines are advised not to do business with freight forwarding companies not accredited with DTI-PSB. The following unaccredited companies were issued Formal Charges by the DTI-PSB and are subject of complaints pertaining to balikbayan boxes. 

A. Addition for the Week  (October 15-19, 2012 )

1. Vanwil Cargo Forwarder Inc. 

B17 L2, Martineville, Canaynay Ave., 

Manuyo Dos Malaya St., Evacom, 

Las Piñas City 

Case No. 2012-10-173 (Formal Charge) 

B. From the Previous List 

1. Aerosend 

Blk. 2 Unit 7, 584 Tenorio Lopez St. 

Tondo Manila 

Contact Person: Ms. Marivic Martesano, General Manager 

Case No. 2011-04-163 (Formal Charge) 

2. Alas Cargo Philipines 

29 Bayan Bayanan Ave. Concepcion I, 

Marikina City 

Contact Person: Ms. Glorina Cristina Marzo, President/General Manager 

Case No. 2012-05-57 (Formal Charge) 

3. Associated Consolidation Express (ACE) 

505 Quirino Avenue, Tambo 

Parañaque City 

Tel. No. 851-6850/854-8327 

Contact Person: Ms. Lois Gonzales, VP-Operations 

Case No. 2010-05-44 (Formal Charge) 

4. Dausan International Forwarder 

1933 A. Francisco Street, Sta. Ana Manila 

Case No. 2012-09-132 (Formal Charge) 

5. FACF Parcel Delivery 

8410 Gomburza Street, Brgy. Sto Nino 

Parañaque City 

Case No. 2012-09-142 (Formal Charge) 

List Source: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

Consular fees update for Filipinos in Spain

The Filipino community in Spain celebrated with the decision of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid to implement a 10% reduction on fees for all its consular services.

The lower consular fees took effect last October 1. The old fee for passport issuance is 60 euros; now it is lowered to 54 euros. The fee for multiple entry visa which before was 120 euros is now 81 euros.

The fees for other services such as the following were also reduced: dual citizenship, solemnization of marriage, translations and legalization of documents and report of birth.

On Passport Expiry: Advisory for Filipinos in Saudi

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reminded all Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to notify their employers about the expiry date of their passports. 

If they need to renew their passport, they need to set an appointment by visiting the website of Philippine Embassy (Riyadh).

The Philippine Embassy furthered that they will not entertain appointment requests done via text message or telephone call.

Repost: FATF gives PH 4 months to address dirty money rules

MANILA - Legislators have a 4-month window within which to strengthen the country's Anti-Money Laundering Act before the Philippines returns to an international blacklist of dirty money havens, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said.

BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said the Financial Action Task Force “strongly encourages” the Philippines to adopt more stringent standards in its anti-money laundering measures than are provided for in existing laws or risk consequences beginning February 2013.

“Through the efforts of the AMLC, the FATF was apprised about the current effort to legislate an amendment to our AMLA to bring the covered predicate crimes and reporting entities up to international standards. Recognizing such effort, the FATF has strongly encouraged us to adopt said standards before February 2013 and in the meantime has kept up in the grey list,” Tetangco said.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council is an inter-agency body tasked with implementing the AMLA.

The Paris-headquartered FATF's grey list includes 22 other countries that have “strategic deficiencies” in their laws against illegal flow of money and terrorist financing.

Blacklisting would increase the cost of remittance transfers, reducing the actual money OFW beneficiaries receive and their spending power.

Remittances account for 10 percent of gross domestic product, fueling consumer spending, which in turn comprises two-thirds of the Philippine economy. Philippine GDP grew 6.1 percent in the first half of this year, making the country one of Asia's fastest-growing economies.

Legislation meant to bolster the AMLA is pending before the Senate. Congress went on a recess starting October 17 just as the FATF held a three-day plenary session to assess the progress of the Philippines in strengthening its anti-money laundering rules.

Congress will resume its session on November 5.

Article Source: Joseph Villanueva, InterAksyon

Winners of Miss International 2012 (Results)

The coronation night of the 2012 Miss International was held in Okinawa, Japan on Sunday, October 21. The results of the Miss International 2012, listed below, include special awards, the top 15 beauties and the major awards announcing Miss International 2012.

Miss Japan Ikumi Yoshimatsu was crowned Miss International 2012 during the pageant’s coronation night.

Yoshimatsu bested other 68 lovely ladies from all over the world to get the most coveted crown in the pageant.Miss Finland Vivii Suominen was first runner-up, while Miss Sri Lanka Madush Mayadunne was second runner up. Dominican Republic’s Melody Mir Jimenez and Paraguay’s Nicole Huber were named third and fourth runners-up, respectively.

Miss Philippines Nicole Schmitz made it to the top 15 semifinalists.

SPECIAL AWARDS

• Miss Friendship: Mauritius
• Miss Performance: Russia
• Miss National Costume: Honduras
• Miss Internet: Myanmar
• Miss Photogenic: Japan
• Miss JOICP (Best Idea & Concept for Charity): Haiti

TOP 15

• Colombia
• Brazil
• Japan
• Sri Lanka
• Finland
• Namibia
• Venezuela
• United Kingdom
• USA
• Dominican Republic
• Philippines
• Paraguay
• Mexico
• India
• Haiti

MAJOR AWARDS

• 4th Runner-up: Paraguay
• 3rd Runner-up: Dominican Republic
• 2nd Runner-up: Sri Lanka
• 1st Runner-up: Finland
• Miss Universe 2012: Japan

Repost: PAL to fly non-stop to Toronto

MANILA, Philippines -- Starting November 30, 2012, Philippine Airlines flies non-stop to Toronto giving the flag carrier a direct link to Canada’s largest city and its first gateway on the vital East Coast of North America in 15 years.

PAL President Ramon Ang said the launch of the new 17-hour route, which will be served by the new Boeing 777-300ER, was timed for the peak Christmas travel season.

“We are always keen on developing new markets and Toronto, with its diverse population, booming economy and status as one of the world’s top financial centers, presents us a major opportunity to do so,” Ang said, adding it was also in response to the clamor of the large Filipino community in eastern Canada.

Toronto becomes PAL’s 27th international, and 46th overall, destination.

About 250,000 or 4.1% of greater Toronto’s 6.05 million residents are of Filipino origin, the largest concentration of Filipinos in Canada and a natural base market for PAL.

Filipino-Canadians are among the largest visitor groups to the Philippines, accounting for over 117, 400 arrivals in 2011, and are on pace to surpass that record this year. 

For the first eight months of 2012, there were 81,093 balikbayan arrivals from Canada.

The opening of the new route will see a revamp of PAL’s Canadian operations.

Beginning November 30, Manila-Vancouver flights, currently daily, will be cut to four times weekly, alternating with the thrice-weekly Manila-Toronto service.

But Vancouver-Manila flights will continue to be a daily service with the flight back from Toronto making a stopover.

The Manila-Toronto service (PR 118) will leave Manila every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3 p.m., arriving at Terminal 3 of Toronto Pearson International Airport at 5 p.m. on the same days.

The return flight (PR 119) flies out of Toronto at 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, stopping in Vancouver at 9:30 p.m. and continuing on to Manila at 11:30 p.m., where it will arrive at Terminal 2 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 5:45 a.m. two calendar days later.

The newly acquired long-range Boeing 777-300ER can accommodate 42 passengers in Mabuhay Class (business) and 328 in Fiesta Class (economy). 

Article Source: Eric B. Apolonio, InterAksyon.com

PH donates $200,000 to China

As a symbolic gesture of friendship and support, the Philippine government donated US$200,000, roughly equivalent to P8.2 million to the government of China for the victims of the recent earthquakes that hit the nation.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the ceremonial handover of the donation was held during the courtesy call of Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying on DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario last October 19.

Two major earthquakes measuring 5.6 and 5.7 magnitude and several aftershocks hit Yunnan and Guizhou provinces in southwestern China on September 7, killing 80 people and injuring 800 others.

ASEAN students sign pact to preserve cultural traditions

Two Filipino college students joined other Southeast Asian students in signing a pact to help preserve cultural traditions in an age of modernity.

The signing of the pact on October 12 was part of the annual event “Sakai-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Week.”

Those who signed the pact were De La Salle University students John Robert Villar and Audrey Rose Dusaran and eight other students from Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Villar and Dusaran, as well as the other foreign students who signed the pact are formally studying the Japanese language in their respective colleges.

Villar and Dusaran are senior and junior DLSU students respectively. Both are taking up degrees in International Studies major in Japanese.

They were accompanied to Japan by their professor, Bernadette Sarmiento Hieida, who is also the practicum coordinator for DLSU’s Japanese Studies Program.

During their two-week stay, Villar and Dusaran also made the rounds in Sakai elementary schools, sharing to Japanese students the Filipino culture and tradition.

The students’ flight to Japan was sponsored by the local government of Sakai City, which hopes to open up the city to traditions from the Asean region.

Declaration of cooperation

Villar, Dusaran and the other Southeast Asian students signed the declaration at the Osaka Prefecture University in Sakai City.

Reading out from the declaration, Villar and Dusaran said in Japanese: “In our long history, each town suffered from war or disasters. But over the difficult times we have worked together to restore and acquired this peace in our lives and in our towns.”

Dusaran explained that through the declaration, the participating students have committed to continue exchanging insights about their respective countries’ efforts to preserve their cultural traditions amid globalization.

Presentation about Manila buildings

During the event, the students were asked to make presentations in Japanese about their respective countries.

Addressing students and professors of the Osaka Prefecture University, Villar and Dusaran spoke about architectural buildings in Manila City that have either been destroyed or have been neglected by the local authorities in the past.

“Ngayon kasi, it does not come out much in the news. This issue that this architectural buildings get demolished. It does not seem to be a big deal talaga back in Manila. It’s an issue that not many people pay attention to but it happens,” Dusaran told GMA News Online after their presentation.

Villar and Dusaran cited the Manila Metropolitan Theater is an Art Deco building along Padre Burgos Avenue in Manila. This theater, opened in 1931, used to accommodate more than 1,600 theater-goers. The structure, however, was severely damaged during World War II.

They also talked about the Manila Jai Alai building, built in 1940, and widely considered as one of the finest Art Deco buildings in Asia.

In 2000, then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza ordered the building’s demolition to give way to the construction of the Manila Hall of Justice.

“May Heritage Act of 2009 tayo, pero even if it was passed, it just gets ignored. Natutuloy pa rin ang demolition ng historical buildings na puwede pa namang i-restore,” Dusaran said.

“These buildings are still part of our history and identity. So we think it’s an important issue to talk about kasi no one talks about it… We are ignoring and disrespecting the work and the efforts of those who built those buildings,” she added.

Learning from Sakai

Dusaran said she wished Filipinos can learn from cities like Sakai, which succeeded in preserving important historical sites and tradition despite embracing modernization.

She cited the ancient royal burial sites called “tumulus clusters” scattered around Sakai as well as the thriving bicycle and knife industries, for which the city is most popular.

She also cited the “Old Wooden Lighthouse,” which no longer operates but still stands undisturbed on the city’s coast line, a famous international sea port in Japan.

“If you compare Manila to Sakai, Sakai is very proud of its history,” Dusaran said of the Japanese city which prides itself as being older than the country’s capital of Tokyo.

With a population of more than 840,000, the almost 60-square-mile city in southern Osaka Prefecture – located southwest of Tokyo – has for centuries been a major driving force behind the economy and culture of the Kansai Region.

In Sakai, high-rise buildings co-exist with ancient Japanese temples, and modernity complements eco-friendly technology, the students noted. 

Article Source: Mark Meruenas,  GMA News

Filipino migrant workers in war-hit Syria return to PH

Alas! A lot of Filipinos stranded in war-torn Syria have been repatriated for protection of their lives. This is one great news that we should thank the DFA for. But credit and recognition must be duly served to the Philippine embassy staff in Syria. Just wow!

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MANILA, Philippines—More than 260 female migrant workers arrived in Manila Thursday morning after being repatriated from civil war-stricken Syria.

Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) chief Carmelita Dimzon met the 261 migrants at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The women, mostly domestic workers, had been stranded at the Philippine Embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus for months after running away from their employers.

They had been unable to leave Syria because they did not have exit permits from their employers, having entered Syria as undocumented aliens.

Last month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered the requirements and fees waived so that all migrant workers sheltered by the embassy could depart.

The Switzerland-based International Organization for Migration chartered the Jordan Aviation flight that brought the migrants back to Manila.

Among the repatriated Filipinos was 24-year-old Normina (not her real name), a native of Cotabato City, whose right arm was in a cast. She said she was injured after she jumped off the top floor of her employers’ house in Damascus to escape maltreatment.

“They easily get angry and beat me up every mistake I make, no matter how slight. I thought maybe it’s because they were stressed out by the war,” she said.

Normina said fellow Filipinos took her to a hospital, then asked the Philippine Embassy to help her.

Normina said her employers lived in a Damascus neighborhood where they could hear gunfire and explosions every night.

“During daytime everything looks peaceful and normal, but you can see that the people are worried and there are food and money shortages. At night, you can’t sleep because of the sounds of war,” she said.

Planned escape

Merci, 26, from General Santos City, said she worked for three years as a maid in the city of Hama, north of Damascus, where the fighting was intense.

She said she and other Filipino maids planned their escape sometime in March, then decided to meet up at a local hospital, from where they called the embassy for help.

“The shelling was intense, you’re always afraid because your house might be the next one to be hit and get blown up,” she said.

Article Source: Jerome Aning, Inquirer News

Repost: In Kuwait, many Filipino workers on temporary visas are maltreated, unpaid , says DOLE

Here is  another sad news about our modern day heroes. Some of our OFWs, holding temporary visas, are being maltreated in their work, and sometimes, unpaid.

This serves as a calling to all wealthy professional OFWs to return back to the Philippines and establish businesses here so that our less fortunate, abused OFWs will have a job here and never sacrifice everything for the sake of materialism gratification or primary necessity satisfaction.

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MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has warned Fillipinos against using commercial visas to be able to work in Kuwait.

DOLE has been receiving complaints that Filipino workers deployed to Kuwait on commercial visas have been encountering problems such as unpaid salaries, maltreatment or harassment, and unissued residence and work visas.

The Fillipinos complained on their work conditions in the following companies in Kuwait, according to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) based in the Arab state: 

Next Spa Salon
Al Wazzan Home Care
Al Bremi International
Basco Camp
Latino Spa
Arabtec Construction Co.
SITCO Group of Companies and
Raneem Beauty Salon

Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait David Des T. Dicang said his office had observed that in some of these companies, "suprisingly large numbers" of workers had been hired through commercial visas.

He cited the case of Raneem Beauty Salon "where 47 workers were processed on commercial visas for only one company."

Kuwaiti commercial visit visa is only for job assessment or interview, and not actual employment, according to the DOLE.

"A worker on a commercial visa is supposed to travel back to his country of origin and return to Kuwait on a work visa. But in reality, companies in Kuwait getting workers on commercial visa convert the commercial visas into work visa since this is a faster and less-cumbersome way to employ workers from the Philippines," said Dicang.

"Some Filipino workers on commercial visas are sometimes required to exit Kuwait to a third country, such as Bahrain, and return to Kuwait at the workers' expense to process their work visas," he added.

This practice has made it difficult for the POLO to address the complaints of Filipino workers deployed to Kuwait on this type of visa.

The Philippine government will be in no position to verify the terms and conditions of a Filipino's employment in Kuwait if he or she went to the Arab state on a commercial visa that was converted into a work visa.

In most cases, the worker is not provided a copy of an employment contract or does not have one, according to Dicang.

Moreover, A Filipino who has worked in Kuwait on a commercial visa will have no right to file employment-related complaints before the Arab state's Ministry of Labor or Shuon.

"As a last resort, a worker with an expired visa will have to pay hefty penalty fees or karama, or else submit to detention and subsequent deportation," said Dicang.

"The POLO cannot also compel any agency to resolve the problems of a worker in case a company/sponsor does not cooperate and does not fulfill its obligations, since a worker on a commercial visa is deployed irregularly and not through a licensed recruitment agency," he added.

Dicang cited the case of one Randy de Ocampo who had requested POLO assistance about his situation.

According to Ocampo, he had sent a copy of his passport via email to a friend in Kuwait last June 30. On July 4, he received his commercial visa by courier under the sponsorship of Al-Wazan United Company for Trading and Contracting. On July 27, De Ocampo arrived in Kuwait on a one-month commercial visa.

Dicang said De Ocampo did not report to his sponsor because he could not make up his mind to work with the company as a masseur under its branch, Philippine Spa.

"He said he realized that this was not the kind of employment he wanted for himself, he being a forestry graduate from the University of the Philippines. Soon, we received a report that De Ocampo’s visa has expired," Dicang said.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has instructed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to look into this matter in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Immigration, and other concerned government agencies.

Article Source: Interaksyon.com, The Official News Portal of TV5

Repost: 10 Saudi OFWs scavenge garbage food to 'survive'

I felt heartbroken learning that some of our modern day heroes in Saudi had to resort to visiting garbage sites just to feed themselves. Why has this happened? Read the article.

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Breakfast, lunch or dinner for this ten distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) in Saudi Arabia comes straight from the garbage.

Filipino migrants rights group based in Middle East said the OFWs-scouring-garbage incident which the group had documented on Wednesday involved 10 OFWs working for a local establishment in Al-Khobar, eastern part of Saudi Arabia, who had stopped working since July of this year over labor malpractices.

For some, this is not unusual or not new at all, added Monterona.

“The 10 OFWs went through the garbage hoping that they could look for food or something that is edible to feed their hungry stomach,” said Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona, citing report from Migrante officials in Al-Khobar.

Monterona’s group identified the 10 distressed OFWs as Bonifacio Bayubay, Perlito T. Garcia, Marlon K. Ciervo, John Ryan C. Lupega, Ronie M. Villegas, Demetrio Galia, Rodel B. Lonsame, Percival S. Bibat Jr., Wilfred C. Elbanol, and Jonathan S. Querido, all were deployed by PH-based recruitment agency YHMD International Manpower Services, which latest known address is Ground Floor, Gedisco Center, #1564 A. Mabini St., Ermita, Manila.

In a statement to Manila Channel, Monterona said the OFWs were hired as construction workers and some equipment operator/technician by Ali-Fahad Al Huraish Establishment, a contracting company, which main office is in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia.

According to Monterona, the OFWs had sought the assistance of PH labor attaché Adam Musa to file a case against their employer as they complain contract substitution, illegal salary deduction, salary downgrading, no sick leave, no medical insurance, delayed payment of salary, driving without official driver’s license, non-payment of overtime work, working more than 8-hour a day, poor accommodation, no bathroom and no drinking water.

“Labor Attache Musa, after several case dialogues, is convincing the OFWs to go back to their work and forget their complaints,” Monterona citing the OFWs during conversation with Migrante officers.

However the 10 distressed Filipino workers stood by their decision to stop working as they look forward to filing a case at Saudi labor court against their employer, which Labor attaché Musa is not acting upon, Monterona said.

“This is gross negligence on the part of Labor Attache Musa. It is his foremost duty to provide whatever assistance the distress OFWs need such as guiding them, including documentation, in filing labor case versus their employer,” Monterona adding, “Musa should render his resignation or he should be recalled by DoLE secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.”

Meanwhile another 17 OFWs working for Al-Naseeb Establishment also in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia also threatened to stage hunger strike to protest what they call ‘PH officials inaction’ and ‘no assistance’ provided to them.

The OFWs had stopped working since May 2012 over labor malpractices.

Due to increasing incident of labor cases involving OFWs in Saudi Arabia, Migrante-Middle East has called on to Pres. Benigno Aquino III to act swiftly on Filipino workers in distress abroad.

“We are calling the attention of Pres. Aquino, who seems to be very busy endorsing administration’s senatorial candidates, to instruct his labor honchos to attend on the distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia. We also call on Vice President Jojomar Binay to intervene on OFWs cases in his capacity as presidential adviser on OFWs concerns,” Monterona stressed.

“Pres. Aquino has been in office for more than 2 years and he failed to present his administration’s blue print to solve the country’s forced migration among the millions of unemployed and underemployed. Per POEA records, there are around 4,200 Filipinos per day leaving the country to work and look for jobs abroad,” Monterona stressed.

Also Monterona slammed Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, chair of the Congressional special Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (COWA), who seems too reluctant to call for an investigation on numerous cases of labor malpractices and abuses involving OFWs.

“Walden Bello should not be in Congress, in the first place. Neither he nor his Akbayan party belongs to the so called marginalized and underrepresented sectors having them opportunistically established an Aquino-Akbayan power-duo,” said Monterona.

Monterona added that surging cases of forced migration and abused Filipino workers need immediate attention.

“On the past, we have documented distressed OFWs hunting lizard in the dessert, ‘selling’ blood, and those who were forced to go through the garbage looking for something to eat, and these became a usual thing as usual of having inept embassy and labor officials when confronted would only reason out ‘that’s the prevailing system and we could not do something about it’,” an admission of their own uselessness,” the OFW leader lamented.

Article Source: Manila Channel - Philippine Standard News