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

Bonjour. Mabuhay.

Newsbits on passport appointments:
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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.
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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...

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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:
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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:

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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:
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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:

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- 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.

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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:
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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