POEA: Recruiters Lament OFW Hiring Trend

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Found an article reference for OFWs. Hope you find nuggets of info in this one.


A CONSULTANT for the local recruitment industry was dismayed over the prevailing trend of growing number of rehires being deployed compared to the decreasing number of new hires over the past three years.

In a statement, recruitment veteran Emmanuel Geslani said there is a contrasting trend between new hires and rehires as shown in the records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).


“The data significantly shows that most of the deployment of POEA depends on the large number of rehires returning to their job sites instead of an increase of new hires, meaning that fewer Filipinos are qualified to work abroad,” said Geslani.

Based on the POEA data, the new hires are 376,973 in 2008; 349,715 in 2009; and 341,966 in 2010.
On the other hand, records also reveal that rehires are 597,426 in 2008; 742,447 in 2009; 781,710 in 2010.
Geslani said the “trend” simply shows that there are less qualified Filipinos to meet the job orders being sent to the POEA.

“They remain vacant since most of the positions are difficult to fill up or, simply, the country does not have the competent and qualified manpower to replace our aging OFWs,” he said.

The industry leader called on the government to enhance more on the training efforts it has been conducting, especially those concerning highly-skilled occupations.

“The government should intensify training of manpower and apprenticeship for construction workers and other skills to replace the aging manpower for the continuation of the labor exports,” said Geslani.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/07/17/recruiters-lament-ofw-hiring-trend-167368

POEA: Saudization Will Not Be Implemented On 'Full Scale'

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

POEA news on the saudization issue:



A Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) official on Wednesday said the “Saudization" policy has no impact yet on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

At a press conference, POEA administrator Carlos Cao said “Saudization" — a nationalization-related labor policy that directs companies to prioritize Saudi nationals in employment — will not be implemented “drastically" and “on a full scale."

“If they move on a full-scale implementation, how can they send home the big number of migrant workers there?" Cao said, adding that the Saudization policy is “a complex and complicated policy," which will be implemented in a “gradual and calibrated" manner.

Saudi Arabia is currently home to more than 8 million expatriates, with Filipinos comprising of about 1.2 million expatriates.

Check status of companies

Still, Filipino Migrant Workers Group chairman Francisco Aguilar Jr. advised OFWs in Saudi Arabia to “check the status of their company" and prepare for return to the Philippines.

“We advise them to determine if their company is in the yellow and red categories. If so, they can scout for other companies, which are in the green and platinum [blue] categories," Aguilar, a former contract worker in Saudi, explained.

“It will bring no harm to them for it is clear in the Nitaqat system that those in the green and blue [categories] can get workers from the yellow and red category, even without the [no objection certificate]," he added.

Alternatives

Should OFWs from Saudi Arabia be displaced, Department of Labor and Employment communications director Nicon Fameronag said government will provide reintegration assistance to returning OFWs.

Cao, for his part, said OFWs from Saudi Arabia may go to other possible market destinations such as Guam, Australia, and Canada.

A recent report quoted Philippine Ambassador to Doha Cresente Relacion as saying that those to be affected by Saudization might go to Qatar.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/226166/pinoyabroad/poea-saudization-will-not-be-implemented-drastically 

Recruitment of Filipino workers to Saudi declined -- POEA

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

News bit from Zamboanga:


Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has revealed that the local recruitment agencies here have lied low on recruiting Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia as it is prioritizing its own people through the Saudization program.

The Saudization program, refers to the national policy of Saudi Arabia to encourage employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector and reduce unemployment.

POEA Regional Director Renegold Macarulay said that the recruitment agencies have lied low and that they are still awaiting signal from the Foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia.

At least 14 recruitment agencies are operating in Zamboanga City, it was learned from Macarulay.

Macarulay said that as of this time his office did not yet receive any advisory regarding the Saudization program.

He, however, said there are still some 5,000 to 7,000 job vacancies in the Middle East countries.

The POEA official revealed that in the region from January to June 2011 the office was able to assist 7,171 OFW's to work in other countries while last year during the same period they assisted only 5,750.

According to Macarulay, Saudi Arabia and Middle East countries are the top employer and destination of the OFW's in this Region.

Other destination includes South East Asian Countries like Hong Kong and Singapore.

Most of the workers who are working in the Middle East works as household service, nurse, and medical staff.

http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/news/13-top-stories/5294--recruitment-of-filipino-workers-to-saudi-declined-poea-.html 

POEA: Gov't Should Not Burden OFWs – VP Binay

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

VP Binay reacted to the OFW news showing the harrowing experience of getting an OEC at the POEA. Hopefully change would be on the horizon with this development. Read the news bit:

Vice-president Jejomar Binay on Thursday asked the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and other government agencies to simplify the processing of documents for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
 
"Government should not be a burden to our OFWs," Binay said in a statement. "We should exert all effort to assist them and make their interaction with the government offices simple, convenient and pleasant."

Binay is reacting to a newspaper report relating the experience of an OFW who had trouble applying for an exit clearance at the POEA.

Binay said that he hopes POEA Administrator Carlos Cao would investigate and resolve the matter as soon as possible.

"I trust that Administrator Cao shares my sentiments that the government should work for the welfare of all OFWs, and this entails facilitating their papers speedily and without hassles," Binay added.

Binay is the Presidential Adviser on OFW concerns. 

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/07/07/11/govt-should-not-burden-ofws-%E2%80%93-binay

DFA Consular Affairs Office Advisory for Passport Appointment June 20, 2011

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Newsbits on passport appointments:
========================


The Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) wishes to inform the public that all applicants scheduled for a passport appointment on June 20 (Monday) will be accommodated from June 13 to 17 (Monday to Friday).
 

This is  in compliance with Proclamation No. 154 declaring June 20 as a special non-working holiday, in view of the 150^th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

For more information, please contact (632) 556-0000, (632) 737-1000 or e-mail epassport@dfa.gov.ph or passport.oca@yahoo.com

MORE NEWS: 

DFA Passport Delays :(

 

POEA Sees Rebound In OFW Hiring

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Planning to go abroad as an OFW? Here's some good news.
=========================================



THE country would soon be able to recover from the 3.79 percent drop in the deployment of overseas Filipino workers, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said yesterday.

POEA administrator Carlos Cao said his optimism is based on some 675,146 job orders from at least 129 countries that they are currently holding.

"Add this figure to the 380,188 that we have already deployed during the first quarter of 2011 and we could breach the one million mark," Cao said.

He said the figure does not include the projected employment opportunities to be offered in Saudi Arabia, Guam, South Korea and Australia, among others.

Earlier this month, POEA admitted the drop in the first quarter OFW deployment from 395,189 workers in 2010 to 380,188 this year.

Cao blamed the drop largely on the political crises in the Middle East and North Africa, and the selective ban on OFW deployment put in place by the Philippine government itself. - http://www.malaya.com.ph/may31/news8.html


OTHER NEWS:

DFA: Foreign Affairs Exec Apologizes For Delayed Passport Releases

POEA: 10 Pinoy Teachers Win Case Vs. Recruiters

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Justice still prevails...

==============================


THE Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) recently ruled in favor of ten Filipino teachers working in Louisiana in a case against a Manila-based recruitment agency, PARS International Placement Agency, and its partner agency, California-based Universal Placement International (UPI). POEA Administrator Carlos S. Cao Jr. canceled the licenses of these agencies after they were found guilty of overcharging of fees.


According to the allegations, PARS and UPI set up illegal contracts and charged exorbitant fees for teachers to come to the US on H-1B visas. The teachers were forced to pay $16,000 up front as placement fees and were promised $40,000 salaries. They were required to sign over 10% of their monthly salary for two years and to pay for housing provided by UPI. Teachers unable to pay the fees up front were directed to loan companies by UPI, which charged exorbitant interest rates. The migrant teachers were also threatened with deportation if they complained.

The owners of PARS and UPI, Emilio V. Villarba and Lourdes Navarro, were put in POEA’s list of people with derogatory records. UPI was prohibited from participating in the overseas placement programs of the government. Refunds amounting from $4,583.33 to $7,169.33 were awarded to the 10 complainants.

Other legal suits in America have been filed against Universal Placement International which include a case filed by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT). Allegations involve multiple violations of state and federal laws and were brought forward by LFT. In August 2010, UPI faced a class action lawsuit filed in federal court by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the labor union American Federation of Teachers for defrauding and illegally trafficking 350 teachers from the Philippines to teach in Louisiana public schools since 2007.

Attorneys for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) say the union is asking that the teachers’ contracts with the California-based recruiter be voided, and that the recruiter be criminally prosecuted under state law.

Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, a Filipino and president of the recruiting company, is already a convicted felon. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Navarro was convicted of ripping off the Medi-Cal program in California to the tune of $1 million. She served a year in jail in Southern California, but turned up in New Jersey in 2003, where she pleaded guilty to money laundering.

“We welcome the victory of the brave Filipino migrant teachers of Louisiana.

This comes in the wake of earlier awards by the Louisiana Work Commission (LWC) to the teachers for violation of labor laws in the US by their US-based recruiter. Hopefully illegal recruiters will learn a lesson from the courageous fight put up by the teachers,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, secretary-general of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), which is assisting the Filipino migrant teachers.

“We encourage other teachers who have been similarly victimized by PARS and UPI, or other illegal recruiters to come out and fight for your rights. We will support you and through perseverance, you will surely win as the precedent of the Louisiana teachers have shown,” Miranda added.

(www.asianjournal.com)


OTHER NEWS:

Vacationing OFWs Must Remember To Get Overseas Employment Certificate

MMDA: Smoking Ban in Metro Manila Public Places Begins May 30, 2011

 

Passport Fixers Nabbed In DFA Sting Operation

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Just a friendly reminder: Never deal with fixers.......
It is easy to accomplish whatever you need to do if you put your mind into it and don't become dependent on the easy way in and out.

Know how to avoid Fixers

Here's some news you need to read:

Two passport fixers were arrested after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) conducted a sting operation in southern Metro Manila last week.

The DFA said Tuesday its Office of Intelligence and Security Services (OISS) caught the two near the DFA Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) along Macapagal Avenue in Parañaque.

The DFA did not name the arrested fixers but said the operation stemmed from a request for assistance by a female passport applicant in the consular office at 5:00 p.m. on May 18.

Entrapment operation

In a news release posted on its website, the DFA said the applicant told DFA security officers that she was afraid to leave the premises because the two passport fixers she dealt with before were waiting for her outside the building for an additional payment of P5,000.

An entrapment operation was immediately conducted, where the applicant met with the fixers at a nearby convenience store.

The police arrested the suspects after they received the marked money that the applicant handed over to them.

The two suspects were turned over to the Parañaque City Police Station.

Modus operandi

The investigation revealed that the passport applicant was introduced to one of the fixers on May 4.

The fixer promised to take care of her passport processing in exchange for P6,500. On the same day, the applicant gave her passport to the fixer and paid P5,000.

However, two days later, the fixer told the applicant the DFA did not approve her application.

When she demanded the return of her money, the fixer told her that her passport is still inside the DFA and it would be difficult to retrieve it immediately.

"The fixer tried to convince again the applicant to pay P15,000 for quick processing of her passport. The applicant bargained and agreed to pay P10,000 with the condition that she will only give the money right after her passport would be processed," the DFA said.

On May 18, they met again at a restaurant across the DFA-OCA building.

Through a legitimate individual appointment she made online, the applicant managed to successfully file for the renewal of her passport.

However, she was afraid to go near the DFA-OCA because the passport fixers were waiting for her, and then decided to seek the help of the DFA authorities.

Warning against fixers

"The public is strongly advised against seeking the help of fixers," the DFA said.

The DFA-OCA, the DFA-OISS, and local police authorities, are exerting efforts to apprehend fixers.

The DFA urged the public to report any activities related to passport fixing to the DFA-OCA and the DFA-OISS. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/221453/nation/two-passport-fixers-fall-in-dfa-sting-operation


 Other NEWS:

DFA Puts Up Online Passport Tracking System

POEA: Suspension Of Recruitment Agency Sought

Bonjour. Mabuhay.


News update on illegal recruiters:
======================

MANILA, Philippines - A migrant workers' rights group has called on the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to suspend an agency in Manila for alleged illegal recruitment.

In a letter to POEA chief Carlos Cao, Migrante-Middle East claimed that Al-Ahram International Group Services Inc in Ermita, Manila has engaged in illegal recruitment of some 52 Filipino housekeepers in a hospital.

The housekeepers have already stopped working at the hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia because their employer, Al-Zahran company, allegedly is underpaying them, Migrante said.

"Upon further investigation, it revealed that the OFWs were asked to sign a blank contract. As they are about to depart, the OFWs claimed that they were forced to sign it without knowing that this will be used against them as their supposed $300 salary was not followed and other terms and conditions as stated on the original contract approved by the POEA,” the group told Cao.

The group also called on the Philippine government to address the illegal activities of erring and unscrupulous recruitment agencies victimizing OFWs.

Other NEWS:

DFA Puts Up Online Passport Tracking System

DFA Consular Office Adds 500 New Appointment Slots to Respond to Consular Needs

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

DFA increases its appointment capacity. Read the news bit below:

======================

06 May 2011 - To respond to the recent unprecedented increase in passport applications, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) has added 500 new appointment slots to the regular 4,500 appointments available each working day for passport applications. 

Similarly, the DFA-OCA also allotted 1,500 appointment slots on Saturdays. The passport office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

This measure adds 18,000 new appointment slots per month, which brings the total appointment slots to 106,000 per month.

The DFA advises the public to file their passport applications at least 12 weeks before their intended date of travel.

The DFA is exerting all efforts and is committed to respond to the consular needs of all Filipinos, especially of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).  END

 http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/consular-advisories/2979-dfa-consular-office-adds-500-new-appointment-slots-to-respond-to-consular-needs

Other News:

DFA To Accommodate June 20 Passport Appointments Earlier

GSIS & NSO Signs MOA

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

News tidbit for GSIS pensioners:
=======================

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the National Statistics Office (NSO) with regard the establishment of a pensioner database.

As per the MOA, the GSIS will provide the NSO with an initial list of all its old-age and survivorship pensioners, as well as a monthly report.

The NSO will then match the data with its own records and submit to the pension fund a report on who are already deceased or who have re-married in the case of survivorship pensioners.

"This will then be the basis of the GSIS in labeling or tagging the status of pensioner in its database," GSIS president and general manager Robert Vergara was quoted as saying.

The initiative, he added, is part of the continuing efforts to provide more responsive service to GSIS members and pensioners. “We don't want to impose unnecessary hardship on our more than 300,000 old-age and survivorship pensioners."

The GSIS revoked the requirement for pensioners to renew their active status during their birth month effective last May 1.

But pensioners whose Annual Renewal of Active Status (Aras) were suspended as of April 30, and those whose monthly pension are about to be suspended due to their failure to renew their Aras during their birth months of February, March or April, need to still activate their status or their pension will be discontinued.

Pensioners living abroad are also required to renew their active status via video call or through the use of Skype, a web-based software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet free of charge. (CGC) - http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2011/05/22/2-agencies-sign-agreement-pensioners-benefit-156847

It is important to indicate the DATE and PLACE of the MARRIAGE of the PARENTS in the child’s BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Ready to become a parent?

You should also be ready to properly document the certificate of live birth of your child.

Pertaining to the child’s legitimacy, note the following facts below:

===============================================

- It is extremely important that this item (Item 18) is not left blank, otherwise, the legitimacy of the child will be questioned.

- If the parents have forgotten the exact date of their marriage, enter the approximate year. If they cannot approximate the year, enter “forgotten”.

- Enter “Not Applicable” if the child has unknown father or mother.

- Enter “Unknown”, “Don’t Know” or “D.K.” if the informant could not supply the information.

- Enter “Not Married” if the parents of the child are not legally married on or before the birth of the child and their names appeared in Item 6 and Item 13.

===================================================================

You can have your NSO certificates delivered door to door by calling the NSO Helpline (02) 7371111 or chatting here.

POEA Sees Continuing Decline In OFW Hiring

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

News updates for those planning OFW work:
======================
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported yesterday that hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is expected to decline in the coming months due to recent developments in various host countries.

Based on its overseas employment projections for 2011 to 2016, the POEA said the number of Filipinos leaving the country to work abroad is expected to drop by at least three percent this year.

Among the primary reasons is the prevailing political tension in Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon and Bahrain.

The POEA said the suspension in verification of employment contracts for household service workers could also lead to a sharp decline in the deployment of OFWs this year.

Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that deployment of household workers in Saudi Arabia has already suffered an 80 percent decline because of the suspension in verification of employment contracts.

The POEA said the Saudi government has intensified the hiring of locals and has sanctioned employers who are not complying with the program.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz’s policy direction to strictly implement the household worker reform package, as well as the implementation of the amended Migrant Workers Act are also expected to adversely affect employment of OFWs in the coming months.

The twin disasters that struck Japan last March could also affect employment prospects of Filipinos, the POEA said.- http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=686498&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Other News: DFA To Accommodate June 20 Passport Appointments Earlier

DFA Adds Personnel For Passport Processing

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

News regarding DFA passport processing:
======================
MANILA, Philippines—To cope with the unprecedented increase in the number of people applying for passport applications, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) has added 500 new appointment slots to the usual 4,500 appointments available each working day for passport applicants.

The DFA-OCA has also allotted 1,500 appointment slots on Saturdays. The passport office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

The measure adds 18,000 new appointment slots per month, which brings the total appointment slots to 106,000 per month.

The DFA advises the public to file their passport applications at least 12 weeks before their intended date of travel.

Earlier, the DFA also announced that it had extended the validity of current expiring passports of applicants who have urgent travel needs.

The agency explained the move was prompted by the “unprecedented increase in applications and other technical concerns” that caused delay in the processing and releasing of passports. - http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20110507-335100/DFA-adds-personnel-for-passport-processing


Passport Appointment

DFA Urged By Travel & Recruitment Agencies To Go After Erring Employees

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

News bits for your reference.

========================

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) must go after its employees who are reportedly conniving with passport fixers that charge exorbitant fees to facilitate the early appointment and release of travel documents, travel and recruitment agencies urged on Monday.

Travel agencies have bearing the brunt for some time now of the passport syndicates operating at the DFA Consular Affairs Office at Aseana building in Parañaque City, said Maria Paz Alberto, board member of both the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and the Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT)

Alberto hailed last week’s apprehension of two DFA employees — reportedly caught conniving with a fixer on the early release of passports of the family of a Hong Kong-bound couple.

That was “… a step in the right direction," she said, noting that the problem may by addressed with this development.

“Hopefully… we will now be able to speed up the process of providing our clients [with] their passport needs," said Paz in a statement issued Monday.

The Hong Kong-bound couple — interviewed by the DFA consular Office — supposedly got their passports earlier than the day these were supposed to be released.

Bernielin Samson, according to PILMAT and the PTAA, admitted having paid a fixer P15,000 to have the five passports of her family released by the DFA Consular Affairs Office.

Proliferation of fixers

PILMAT has been asking the DFA Consular Office to address the proliferation of passport fixers at Aseana building, recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani said in a separate statement.

“The recent apprehension of two senior employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs — after they were caught red-handed dealing with passport fixers — confirms what the recruitment industry has been reporting [in] the past year that there was [a] passport syndicate operating at the DFA Consular Affairs Office in cahoots with DFA personnel," Geslani said.

According to the recruitment consultant, PILMAT in May 2010 raised the problem with the DFA after it has come to the association’s attention that fixers at the Consular Affairs Office in Aseana were charging applicants P5,000 to P10,000.

The DFA last year denied such activities were happening at the consular Affairs Office.

However, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Jet Ledda confirmed last year that fixers were able to block the schedule of appointments for passport applicants — a situation that could only have been done in connivance with DFA employees who have access to the schedule.

The backlog in the DFA’s online appointments had reached three months, prompting many applicants to turn to passport fixers to have their travel documents released as early as possible, Geslani said.

The Consular Affairs Office processes 8,000 to 10,000 passport applications a day on top of the 3,000 to 5,000 passports travel agencies bring to the DFA for processing. — VS, GMA News

OTHER NEWS: Vacationing OFWs Must Remember To Get Overseas Employment Certificate

Deployment Deal Between PH, Saudi Pushed

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

More news update:


A GROUP of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Sunday pushed for the establishment of a government-to-government deployment arrangement to fully address the labor row between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

In a statement, the Migrante-Middle East (MME) said it would be best to simply establish a government-to-government deal so that all concerns of both parties would be completely addressed.

“It is time for the Aquino government to seriously find ways to solve, if not diminish, incidents of abuses and rampant labor malpractices involving OFW by inking a government-to-government deployment arrangement of domestic workers in view of providing them real protection,” said MME coordinator John Leonard Monterona.

Monterona said it would be a better arrangement for the OFWs especially since it involves the arguably number one foreign employer of Filipinos.

“For instance, the repatriation of thousands of stranded and distress OFWs in Saudi and other mid-east countries could be dealt best by both -- the sending and receiving-host governments -- stranded OFWs’ repatriation can’t be relied on erring and negligent recruitment agencies,” he said.

Records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) show that there are more than a million OFWs working in the KSA most of which are employed as engineers, nurses or hospital workers, accountants, office workers, construction workers, restaurant workers, and maids.

Last March, the Saudi government stopped processing the hiring of OFW household service workers as Saudi employers protested the requirements imposed by the Philippine government such as the minimum wage and worker protection.

The contested requirements were imposed back in 2006 when current Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz was still the POEA chief. (AMN/Sunnex)

Asean Seeks To Strengthen Antipiracy Drive

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

News update on antipiracy:


MANILA, Philippines - Foreign ministers of Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) member-states will seek to strengthen further the regional and global campaign to combat piracy and violations of intellectual property through the development of multilateral and bilateral arrangements, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday.

The DFA reported that the proposal to further enhance Asean's antipiracy drive aims to facilitate the apprehension, investigation, prosecution, and extradition, exchange of witness, sharing of evidence, inquiry, seizure and forfeiture of proceeds of piracy, mutual legal and administrative assistance among Asean member-states, which is in accordance with the Asean Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario have pushed forward Philippine priorities in achieving the Asean community building goals in 2015 during the Fifth Meeting of the Political-Security Community (APSC), the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Eight Meeting of the Asean Coordinating Council in preparation for the 18th Asean Summit in Jakarta.

According to the DFA, these priorities also include the “full and effective implementation of the Asean Work Plan on Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use for 2009 to 2015 to achieve a Drug-Free Asean by 2015.”

Del Rosario highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to promote and protect human rights in Asean through the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and the implementation of the Asean Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

He cited the completion of the Guidelines on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea this year to commemorate 20 years of Asean-China strategic partnership.

During the preparatory meetings, del Rosario also asserted Asean Member States’ need for closer coordination to promote and protect the welfare of its nationals caught in crisis situations given the peace and security situation in the Middle East and Africa.

Moreover, the list included enhancing disaster-management cooperation in the Asean Regional Forum by improving coordination mechanisms and capacity building such as the Disaster Relief Exercise held in Manado, Indonesia, from March 14 to 19.

Del Rosario likewise pushed for the full implementation of APSC Communication Plan which, he said, was adopted in 2010 to enhance awareness among the peoples in Asean of how APSC benefits the region to contribute to the promotion of peace and security in the region.

The DFA Secretary said also in the priority is the preparation of an Asean Convention on Trafficking in Persons as soon as possible as a mechanism to enhance Asean’s efforts in combating trafficking in persons.

 In this regard, he said, the Philippines, as the lead shepherd on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), will host the “Experts’ Meeting to Study the Feasibility on Developing an Asean Convention on Trafficking in Persons” in June, and the Fifth Senior Officials’ Meeting on Transnational Crime Working Group Meeting on TIP and the 20th Meeting of the Heads of Specialist Antitrafficking Units in July this year.

As agreed in the preparatory meetings, the Asean Ministers also committed to ensure “tangible progress” on the implementation of the priority projects and key actions of the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity which include the feasibility studies on (1) the Asean roll-on/roll-off and Short Sea shipping; and (2) the extension of the Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline in BIMP-Eaga;

Del Rosario said the conferees also agreed on the inclusion of political and security issues in the agenda of the East Asia Summit (EAS) by “creating an environment conducive to discussion of such issues.”

By doing this, he said, Asean raises the strategic value of the EAS as a leader’s forum with the inclusion of the United States and the Russian Federation as new members.

Del Rosario explained that since Asean is only four years away from its target date of building its community by 2015, he stressed during the meetings the need for Asean to step up and expedite its work to realize an Asean Community that is peaceful, stable, economically competitive and people-oriented. By Butch Fernandez, Business Mirror

DFA Senior Employees Caught Dealing With Fixers

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Information found on the electronic highway:

================================

TWO senior employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are facing administrative charges and possible dismissal after they were allegedly caught red-handed dealing with passport fixers and facilitating early release of passports on Tuesday.

The DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs handles an average of 8,000 to 10,000 individual passport applications, on top of those being handled by travel agencies that usually reach 3,000 to 5,000 daily.

The DFA Office of Legal Affairs said administrative charges have been filed against the head secretary of DFA Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Jet Ledda and an officer assigned in the office of Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. The two are senior staff members who have served the department for almost 10 years.

The two DFA employees were allegedly caught conniving with a passport fixer whose services were engaged by a Hong Kong-bound couple identified as Vann Matthew and Bernielin Samson. The couple, along with their child and in-laws, were scheduled to leave on May 4 but their passports were supposed to be released at a latter date.

On Tuesday the couple sought the assistance of a fixer operating outside the DFA Office of Consular Affairs located in Aseana building in Parañaque City. The couple paid P15,000 for the early release of the five passports.

A BusinessMirror source, known to the passport applicants, forwarded the text message of Samson to her husband before she went to the DFA consular affairs office on Tuesday to get in touch with the insider contact of the passport fixer. The text message to her friend said:

“Andito po ako sa DFA old building, ’yung pupuntahan ko sa DFA MOA na contact ni sweetie [referring to her husband Matthew] dito eh ’yung [referring to head secretary of Ledda]. ’Yung kilala ni sweetie dito ang nagpabilis ng printing ng passport. Sa QC BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] pala piniprint ang passport.”

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya confirmed the filing of administrative charges against the two erring employees, saying the department is ready to institute reforms to protect passport applicants from being victimized by the fixers.

A senior diplomat, meanwhile, said the DFA has conducted an immediate investigation into the involvement of passport fixing of the two senior staff members.

“We were able to trace the culprits and referred the cases to the office of Secretary del Rosario. They are now facing administrative charges and will be suspended while we conduct further hearings,” said the senior diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I believe justice has been done, and their suspension will cripple the passport-fixer syndicates who continue to victimize our poor applicants,” said the senior diplomat.

He added that officers conniving with passport fixers have been happening for many years, but there were no formal complaints lodged by the victims.

He said the department has recently dismissed a casual employee assigned at the consular affairs office for conniving with passport fixers.

“This incident appears to be the first time that senior officers have been involved in passport fixing. It’s very sad and disappointing for us in the diplomatic service to find out that our colleagues are involved in illegal activities,” said the senior DFA official.

The increasing number of passport applicants, up to 12,000 daily, at the consular affairs office is causing the backlog in the release and facilitation of the travel documents, consequently prompting applicants to engage the services of the passport fixers lurking around the DFA consular office.

In an earlier BusinessMirror report, Ledda confirmed the operation of online passport fixers who block en masse passport application schedules and sell them to passport applicants who need to rush the release of their travel documents.

The online passport fixers charge exorbitant fees for blocked schedules, ranging from P1,500 to P15,000, depending on the dates of application.

The DFA has embarked on a P3-billion electronic and machine-readable passport project with French Belgian firm Oberthur to upgrade the country’s travel document. The DFA, in partnership with the BSP, started the issuance of the e-passport in August 2009. – Estrella Torres / Reporter http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/nation/10732-2-dfa-senior-employees-caught-dealing-with-fixers

NSO – Adoption Procedures

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

For those who want to change the surname of their children to a new one, adoption may be the option for you. read below:

What is adoption?

Adoption may be considered a process “to take into one’s family through legal means and raise as one own’s child”. (the Groiler International Dictionary, Vol. 1, 1981: Houghton Mifflin Company)

Adoption is also defined as “a judicial act which creats between two persons a relationship similar to that which result from legitimate paternity and filiation”. (A Valverde 473, quoted in Prasnick vs. Rep. of the Phil. 665)(Civil Law Reviewer by Desiderio P. Jurado, 1882 Twelfth Edition with Supplement published by National Book Store, Inc.)

Rule 1 OCRG Circular No. 90-2 dated March 28, 1990 likewise define Adoption as a legal process pursuant to P. D. No. 603, as amended by Executive order No. 209 (Family Code of the Philipines) in which a child’s legal right and duties toward his ntural parents are terminated and similar rights and duties toward his adoptive parents are substituted.

Adoption is always a juridical act (Lazati v. Campos, 92 SCRA 250) and it cannot be granted administratively. And because there can be no valid adoption without a court decree granting the same, a mere agreement of adoption between the adopters and the parents of the child is not a valid adoption (Ynigo v. Republic, 95 Phil. 244), nor the mere fact that the child has lived with the alleged adopter who had treated him like his own child sufficient t establish a valid adoption beteen the alleged adopter and the child (Lazatin v. Campos, 92 SCRA 250).

What are the requirements for registration of adoption?

The following documents shall be submitted to the local civil registrar for entry in the Register of Court Decrees:

1. Four (4) copies of judicial decree of adoption to be distributed as follows: first copy to the registrant, second copy for the local civil registrar making the entry, third copy to the local civil registrar of the place where the birth of the child was originally registered and the fourth copy to the Office of the Civil Registrar-General.
2. Four (4) copies of the birth certificate of the adopted to be distributed in accordance with the immediately preceding paragraph. (OCRG Circular No. 90-2 dated March 28 1990

What are the requirements that shall be complied with by concerned parties in the preparation and issuance of the Amended Certificate of Live Birth of the adopted child?

The following requirements shall be complied with by the concerned parties:

1. Certification of registration of the adoption decree to be issued by the civil registrar of the city or municipality where the adoption decree was recorded;
2. Authenticated copy of the adoption decree bearing registry number and date of registration;
3. Copy of the registered Certificate of Live Birth of the adopted child. If the birth of the adopted child was not previously registered in the civil registrar with the child’s natural parents under the rules governing delayed registration of birth;
4. If the adopted child was a foundling, the document to be amended in his Certificate of Live Birth based on the available information which may be obtained from the adopting parents, or from reliable and competent sources;
5. The amended Certificate of Live Birth shall be attached to the original Certificate of Live Birth of the child which is filed at the Office of the Civil Registrar; and
6. When the interested party requests a copy of the amended Certificate of Live Birth, the copy to be issued shall not bear the annotation or any remark that will disclose the facts of the adoption. (Rule 55 A. O. No. 1, S. 1993)


Sources:
http://mastercitizen.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/nso-adoption-procedures/
http://nso.citizenservices.com.ph/faqs-answer-page#What-is-adoption

NSO Fixers Nabbed

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Beware of Fixers. Be wise and smart.

News on the grapevine:
Published : Thursday, April 14, 2011 00:00
Written by : Melnie Ragasa-Jimena (http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/metro/3145-4-nso-fixers-nabbed)

Four alleged fixers at the National Statistics Office were arrested in an entrapment operation in Quezon City Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Insp. Roderick Medrano, chief of the General Assignments Section of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), identified those arrested as Connie Manalo, 56, Dina Balaoro, 42, Socorro Sibal, 37, and Christine Penaonas, 42, all of Manila.

Medrano said his men seized from the suspects the P1,000 marked money used in the entrapment, a brown envelope containing birth certificates, several stamps and birth certificate application forms.

He said the suspects admitted that they have been hanging around the NSO on East Avenue offering to fix documents for a fee.

PO2 Arman Labrador, who acted as a customer, appeared at the NSO and was approached by the suspects who offered to help him secure police clearance and other NSO documents. The suspects charged him P1,000 for their services.

After an agreement was reached, Labrador handed P1,000 to Manalo, then gave a hand signal to other police operatives who swooped down on the suspects.

Medrano said the entrapment was made following a request for assistance from Acting Assistant Ombudsman Joselito Fangon to round up fixers at the NSO.

DSWD 4Ps Program: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Find out about DSWD's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

- a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14.

Targeting System

The poorest households in the municipalities are selected through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) implemented by the DSWD using the Proxy Means Test. This test determines the socio-economic category of the families by looking at certain proxy variables such as ownership of assets, type of housing, education of the household head, livelihood of the family and access to water and sanitation facilities.

Eligible Households
1. Residents of the poorest municipalities based on 2003 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of NSCB;
2. Households whose economic condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty threshold.
3. Households that have children 0-14 years old and/or have a pregnant woman at the time of assessment;
4. Households that agree to meet conditions specified in the program.


Set of Co-Responsibilities
To avail of the cash grants beneficiaries should comply with the following conditions:

1. Pregnant women must avail pre- and post-natal care and be attended during childbirth by a trained health professional;
2. Parents must attend Family Development Sessions (FDS);
3. 0-5 year old children must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines;
4. 3-5 year old children must attend day care or pre-school classes at least 85% of the time.
5. 6-14 year old children must enroll in elementary or high school and must attend at least 85% of the time.
6. 6-14 years old children must receive deworming pills twice a year.

Program Coverage

Pantawid Pamilya operates in 80 provinces covering 734 municipalities and 62 key cities. The Pantawid Pamilya targets to cover 1 million households by end of 2010.

Linked from earlier blog.

PCSO Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP)

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

If you know someone who is in need of medical assistance, here’s a PCSO service that you can refer to: the IMAP.

Under this program, medical assistance is given to individual patients through the issuance of guarantee letters to hospitals where the patients are confined. A guarantee letter is a certification issued to hospitals for a particular charity patient under the PCSO medical assistance program where the agency assumes the obligation of settling the cost of hospitalization, including the medicines, medical, surgical or blood supplies, and diagnostic procedures.

OBJECTIVES
General : Restoration of social functioning (Physical recovery) through medical assistance
Specific : Provide assistance for hospitalization expenses, laboratory procedures and purchase of medicines, chemo drugs, dialysis solutions, antibiotics, implants, devices and other medical needs.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
• Letter Request to Chairman/General Manager
• Medical Abstract
• Bill/Quotation/Costing from Hospital Pharmacy/Supplies
• Laboratory Request/Medicine Prescription
• Endorsement/Acceptance letter from Hospital Social Services/Credit Collection Office

What are the Requirements for Medical Assistance?
Request for Medicines
• Letter of request addressed to the Hon. Chairman and/or General Manager
• Original/or certified true photocopy of medical abstract duly signed by the attending physician. (Note: Include physician’s license number)
• Prescription duly signed by the attending physician with costing from the hospital pharmacy included:
In cases wherein medicines are unavailable from the Hospital Pharmacy, a Certification on unavailability of medicines from the Hospital Pharmacy must be submitted to PCSO.
• Photocopy of identification card with latest picture of the requesting person with his/her signature indicated at the back.

Request for Laboratory/Diagnostic Procedures
• Letter of request addressed to the Hon. Chairman and/or General Manager
• Original/or certified true photocopy of medical abstract duly signed by the attending physician. (Note: Include physician’s license number)
• Request from the attending physician duly signed (Note: Include physician’s license number)
• Official Price Quotation from the Laboratory Section/Department of the Hospital
In cases wherein Laboratory/Diagnostic Procedure is unavailable from the hospital, a Certification on unavailability of the procedure from the hospital must be submitted to PCSO.
• Photocopy of identification card with latest picture of the requesting person with his/her signature indicated at the back.

Request for Payment Hospitalization
• Letter of request addressed to the Hon. Chairman and/or General Manager
• Original/or certified true photocopy of medical abstract duly signed by the attending physician. (Note: Include physician’s license number)
• Statement of Account/Hospital Bill certified by the billing Officer/Credit Supervisor.
• Endorsement letter from the hospital’s Social Service if there is any, or from the Credit and Collection Officer for Pay patients.

Request for Hearing Aid
• Letter of request addressed to the Hon. Chairman and/or General Manager
• Original copy of Audiological Evaluation Report duly signed by Audiometrist
• One or two price quotations from any hearing aid centers
• Photocopy of identification card with latest picture of the requesting person with his/her signature

Request for Implants/Prosthetic Devices/Wheelchair
• Letter of request addressed to the Hon. Chairman and/or General Manager
a. implant/phosthesis request
- Original or certified true photocopy of medical abstract duly signed by the attending physician. (Note: Include physician’s license number)
b. wheelchair request
- Original or certified true photocopy of medical abstract or medical certificate with wheelchair specification signed by the attending physician. (Note: Include physician’s license number)
• Two (2) official price quotations from two (2) different companies
• One (1) whole body picture of requesting patient for request for wheelchair and prosthetic devices.

Request for Dialysis
• Letter of request addressed to the Hon. Chairman and/or General Manager
• Original/or certified true photocopy of medical abstract duly signed by the attending physician. (Note: Include physician’s license number)
• Endorsement letter from a Dialysis Center or Hospital where PCSO allots an Endowment Fund
• Official Price Quotation from the Dialysis Center/Hospital
• Certification of Acceptance from Dialysis Center/Hospital
• In cases wherein dialysis solution and/or post-operative medicines is unavailable from the hospital, a Certification on unavailability of the dialysis solution and/or post-operative medicines from the hospital must be submitted to the PCSO.
• Photocopy of identification card with latest picture of the requesting person with his/her signature indicated at the back.

Source: http://www.pcso.gov.ph/imap.html

Facebook Page: Pinoy Beneficio

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Found this FB page that offers the following info:

Pinoy Beneficio aims to help our fellow Pinoys in finding the answers to their questions regarding GSIS/SSS, Philhealth and other benefits.

Could be a useful page that you can visit to get updated information regarding the mentioned government services.

Will keep a close watch for you as well. Name’s a good clincher :)

Follow this link for a quick view: http://www.facebook.com/pinoy.beneficio

Have a good day.

Emergency Numbers - Philippines

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

In the event of a major calamity or any emergency situation, it pays to know the general emergency numbers. Keep it handy, copy it and place in inside your wallets.

Hindi pa tayo katulad ng USA na may 911. Isang number lang ang dali pa maaalala :).

Here are the general emergency hotline numbers:

Philippine National Police (PNP) - 117

Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) - 143

Bureau of Fire Protection (NCR) - 729-5166 - 410-6254 - 431-8859

National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) - 0917-7334256- 912-5296- 912-5668

Philippine Coast Guard - 527-3877

MERALCO - 0917-5592824- 631-1111

MWSS - 888-8244

DSWD - 852-8081- 951-7119

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) - 136

DTI (Price Monitoring) - 751-3330

Department of Education (DEPED) - 638-4108

North Luzon Expressway - 580-8911

South Luzon Expressway - 824-1924

Know the local Hospitals and their contact numbers in your area.
Will try to get more numbers for you guys.
For earthquake safety tips, click here.

DFA ePassport Now Available Through DFA Passport Appointment System

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

For those who don't know it yet.


In a move to constantly upgrade its efficient service to the public for passport application and passport renewal, the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has relocated to a state-of-the-art building located at the corner of Bradco Ave. and Macapagal Blvd. in Aseana Business Park, Paranaque City, just a few minutes away from the Mall of Asia. Equipped with fiber-optic lines, CCTV cameras and other high-tech communications infrastructure, the new OCA-DFA building is poised to set the new standard in government offices, providing the public with fast, efficient, and comfortable service.

In the new location all applications for ePassports (electronic passports) will only be accepted and processed via the DFA appointment system. Applicants may set a passport appointment by going online through its dedicated website www.passport.com.ph or by calling the DFA Appointment Hotline 737-1000. The new system aims to bring the passport application for passport renewal and new passport processing service at par with world class consular services. The service also comes with an option for passport delivery. The new appointment system is available for free. The system is designed to help eliminate long queues formed with the old walk-in system, as the applicants would be pre-processed using information given via the hotline or online.

Get your appointment schedule now. Click here.

DFA Passport Delivery Courier Follow Up Phone Numbers

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

In case you wanna know. Here are the follow up numbers per courier present at the DFA in ASEANA that provides passport delivery services:

2GO 854-0854 or 62

LBC 480-8440/846-5889 OR 567-3319 or 25 (There are two service providers present)

AIR21 855-8448

DHL 879-8888

Calling theses numbers, they should be able to advise you on the status of your passport. Hope this helps.

A Guide To Getting A DFA Passport Appointment Online

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Getting a passport appointment via web? Here's a step by step guide I found (in Filipino):

1. Mag-log-on sa www.passport.com.ph

2. Sa kaliwang bahagi ng page, i-click ang "Set an Appointment" button. Dadalhin ka nito sa Set an Appointment page.

3. Sagutin ang reCaptcha para makapagpatuloy.

4. Sagutan ang Online Application Form at i-click ang "Submit" button.

5. Basahin ang mga Important Reminders at tandaan ang mga Requirements.

6. Pumili ng petsa at oras ng appointment na iyong gusto.

7. Kung nais na magpalit ng petsa o oras ng appointment, i-click lamang ang "back" button sa inyong browser at pumili ng bagong petsa o oras. (Tandaan na ang unang napiling petsa at oras ay mapapalitan ng bagong pinili.)

8. I-confirm ang appointment sa pamamagitan ng pag-click sa link na matatagpuan sa e-mail na ipapadala sa inyo ng DFA Passport Appointment System. Ipapakita sa inyo nito ang inyong Digital Application Form.

9. I-print ang inyong Digital Application Form sa Long Size (8.5in x 13in) na bond paper. (Huwag munang pipirmahan)

10. Dalhin ang Printed Application Form sa DFA Aseana sa petsa at oras na napili.

Kung sakaling nais ninyong magpalipat ng appointment matapos ng ma-print ang application form, maari itong gawin sa pamamagitan ng pag-ulit ng steps mula sa step 1. Tandaan lamang na maka-kansela ang unang napiling petsa at oras ng bagong mapipili kahit na hindi ito i-confirm sa e-mail.

You can find the full graphic detail here.

Beware of fixers.

DFA Passport Delivery

Mabuhay. Bonjour.

Been in the DFA lately to get a new or renew an old passport?
I bet you saw the lines not only in the application area but also in the claiming area where passports are going to be released.

As news of the six-month gestation period where the DFA will keep unclaimed passport circulates, it is now a wise move to claim it or otherwise lose it and all the effort and money you put into getting one.

If you are not sure if you can claim your passport, then I advise that you have it delivered. There is a delivery option counter present at the second floor of the DFA where you can choose which courier company can deliver your passport. The companies that can deliver your passport are:

1. 2GO
2. LBC
3. AIR21
4. DHL

You can choose which one you are comfortable with, all fo rthe same price of P120. Save time and effort, and most specially, save the embarrassment of having your passport expire on their stay on the safekeeping period the DFA has allotted.

Know more about other delivery services here.

Fare Hike...is it Fair?

Bonjour. Mabuhay.


Now that news abound about major price hikes on every fares, the time to save money has never been more imminent. Dapat mas wise ka na ngayon, every peso counts. Soon every centavo will count na rin, baka mag comeback na si Lapu-Lapu in his one-centavo glory :).

On the news section regarding MRT/LRT fare hike, where we foresee that the poor may pay more, was the question really a question to begin with? The Filipino people always pay more in these days than in the old days. Now i understand when older people recollect about the "good ole days". Indeed, minsan, it is good in the old days.

To quote: ..."The recently approved increase for Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) fares, which average about 56%, is a good example of this truism.

How much commuters will actually pay depends not just on where they are and where they want to go but on the type of ticket they can afford to buy. There are two choices -- single-journey, which is good for a one-way trip, or stored-value, which can be used several times until the pre-loaded value is used up.

Let’s say you’re a daily wage laborer taking the Light Rail Transit (LRT ) Line 1 train from Baclaran to Tayuman in Manila using a single-journey ticket, perhaps because the P100 stored-value card is beyond your budget. If the government’s proposed fare increase for the 3 urban rail systems pushes through in March, you will end up paying twice for your one-way ticket.

From P15 today, it will cost P30 a few months from now. That’s an increase of P15 or 100%."




Be smart. Research the time and money saving options available to you. If you don't need to travel, then don't. Make things come to you instead.

Check out this blog on and NSO certificate delivery saving option that might be useful.

til next time.