Filipino teachers in China cited as outstanding foreign experts

Three Filipino English teachers were recognized as outstanding foreign experts by China's Jilin Province for contributing to the province's economic and social development.

Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, the Department of Foreign Affairs identified the three as Ma. Socorro Rodriguez, Arnel Genzola and Lileth Mesias Reyes.

"We are very proud for our Filipino awardees for their achievement. It was recognition of their talent and dedication while practicing their craft in China. More importantly, they continue to serve as ambassadors of goodwill as we continue to strengthen our people-to-people links with the Chinese people," the Philippine Embassy said in a statement posted on the DFA website.

An article on the DFA website said the three were among 59 foreign experts who received citations on September 28 in ceremonies at Jilin's capital town Changchun.

The awarding rites were part of the province's celebration of the 61st founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the DFA added.

The DFA said the three were bestowed "The Outstanding Foreign Experts Award," which the Jilin provincial government confers annually to foreign experts.

The award is meant to thank and commend these foreign experts for their outstanding achievements and dedication to China's development in various fields such as the economy, technology, education, and culture.

Rodriguez is an English teacher for college and post-graduate students at the Changchun University of Technology, where she has been teaching for the last seven years.

Reyes currently works as a Deputy President/EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher for Eastern Star Foreign Language School in Jilin Province.

Genzola also teaches English at Jilin University's Lambton College, where he has been a faculty member since August 2007.

Jilin Vice-Governor Jin Zhenji, who attended the awarding ceremonies, expressed her gratitude to the awardees for contributing to the economic and social development of Jilin for years.

He also emphasized that more foreign experts are welcome to work in Jilin Province. –VVP, GMANews.TV,  October 21, 2010

Filipina for Filipinas in Taiwan

CAVITEÑOS are known for their valor. In Taiwan, a Caviteña has done the province proud by standing up for the rights of Filipinas married to citizens of that island nation.

What’s more, Eleanor “Nene” B. Ho has made it her life’s work to help her compatriots through an organization she founded some 10 years ago, the Filipinos Married to Taiwanese Association (FMTA). She is also the publisher of The Migrants, a monthly newspaper for Filipinos in Taiwan. Among others, these have earned her recognition last year as one of the Philippines’ Banaag awardees for significant contributions to overseas Filipino communities.

While she has been an activist for the rights of overseas Filipino workers and Filipina spouses of Taiwanese, Nene has maintained a harmonious relationship with the Taiwanese in general, and most especially with her loving Taiwanese husband with whom she has a daughter.

She is a mainstay in Filipino affairs in Taiwan and is one of the most active partners of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in taking care of expat Filipinos.

All about respect

“It is all about respect,” says this former English teacher born in Cavite City in 1944. “Filipinos have to respect themselves and show that they are worthy of respect, no matter where they are.”

Nene knows this firsthand because she herself was among the first Filipinos to work in Taiwan, host to almost 90,000 Filipinos working as factory workers, domestics, construction workers and fishermen, and professionals. Many Taiwanese men have also chosen Filipinas as brides through arranged marriages. An estimated 7,000 Filipinas now live there with their Taiwanese husbands.

Nene’s own marriage to a Taiwanese 20 years her senior developed along similar lines. A Business Administration degree holder from the Philippine Women’s University, she decided to try her luck in Taiwan after working in Manila companies. Arriving on a tourist visa, Nene wangled a job at the front desk of Taipei’s then-leading hotel, the Lai Lai Sheraton.

But though she did well enough for the hotel to request her extended stay, the Sheraton already had five other foreign workers so Nene transferred to a travel agency where she wrote promotional material.

Loving a Taiwanese

“My boss found me very useful for his business, so he really tried all means to get me to stay in Taiwan. The only means he found was for me to get married to a Taiwanese, so he introduced me to his friend and we got married for that purpose— to get a better visa for me to stay in Taiwan,” she says.

But Nene’s story does not end there.

“After marriage, we dated, we became close to each other and since I found him to be a very gentle, thoughtful, loving and considerate man, I agreed to live with him. That was how he became my husband. Now we have one daughter who is studying at the university,” she says.

After marriage, Nene set about with industry, determined to make her marriage work by balancing career and family obligations.

“Though I was working then in a travel agency at daytime and teaching English at night, I managed to take care of the house, our clothing, food everyday and of course the family. I was very busy but that was all right with me. I only had to learn how to arrange and budget my time so as I could fulfill all my responsibilities to my family. After all I realize that the husband’s treatment of the wife depends on how the wife is doing,” she says.

Collective voice

Armed with her own positive experience, Nene decided to set up the FMTA to give Filipinas a collective voice and for the spouses to interact with and support each other in their new lives in a foreign land.

“I was one of the founders and became president for over five years,” she says. “The FMTA is also well recognized by the Taiwan Government and has always been invited whenever they have some activities that are meant for foreign workers, foreign spouses and their children. We have had some forums on foreign spouses and invited resource speakers to give us insights on different problems we all face. We have suggested different approaches the Taiwan government could take for our sector. We have conducted English classes for the children of our members, and have motivated our members and their children into joining regular activities like in the church.”

Hotline for abused spouses

Because many Taiwanese men have had to look to foreign brides for their spouses, the Taiwanese government has put up measures to prevent abusive marriages.

Nene knows these by heart.

“The government provides a hotline (113) that is open 24 hours (in 5 languages—English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Cambodian, Thai) to answer calls for help.

They also have a toll-free line (0800-088-885) for Foreign Spouses Protection Counseling, also for 24 hours. They are always ready to help the callers and to collect evidence to help them with their cases. They also have counseling hotlines in five languages.

Lawyers in every district around the country are available to help victims of domestic violence, to pay the medical check-up and help provide temporary shelter. If the victim is to live alone, she will be educated on how to live a new life and to find a new job for herself.”

English barrier

“The foreign wives who became victims of maltreatment are authorized to apply with the court for a restraining order. This will restrain the actions of the violent husbands and guarantee the safety of the victims. They can also apply for the custody of the children and require the husbands to return their personal documents. If there is any court case, the victims are allowed to extend their stay until the case is finished.”

The government has also published some books, magazines, and pamphlets for the foreign wives so that they would know what to do in case any sort of problem occurs. “In fact, the ministry had contacted us to publish some rules on sexual abuse and domestic violence in our newspaper. They are all in Chinese and we had to translate everything in Tagalog and English,” she says.

Services for OFWs

The language barrier is one of the most difficult hurdles for Filipinas to overcome, according to Nene, as is the need for them to be gainfully employed if their families cannot live on just one income. But by and large, she says, the FMTA members have had successful marriages because Filipinas are traditionally very caring and family-oriented, traits that Taiwanese men appreciate.

To date, with Nene as mother-hen, welfare cases involving Filipinas married to Taiwanese are at a zero-level rate, based on the assistance-to-nationals report of the Commission on Overseas Filipinos.

But marriage to foreign nationals and living abroad is not a bed of roses, Nene is quick to assert.

“That is why the FMTA is there as a support group for all of us who have made a new life in Taiwan,” she says.

Nene is also quite active in ensuring the welfare of OFWs in Taiwan to the extent that sometimes her own home is used as a half-way shelter for distressed Filipinos. She is also quite used to calls during ungodly hours from her compatriots who seek her advice and help in dealing with employers and personal problems, or to give job referrals.

She publishes and edits her monthly newspaper distributed free to Filipinos, financed by advertisements from Philippine and Taiwan firms that service the OFWs’ needs.

The Migrant provides OFWS with news from the Philippines and information on new developments and government policies that affect them. It also features advice columns and self-help articles, and snippets and photos of the goings-on in the Filipino community in Taiwan, aside from the ubiquitous Filipino showbiz chismis.

Relevant publication

“This venture is now my full-time career, and it is really no joke to have a monthly publication that is relevant and meaningful to your readers. Aside from contributions, we also do our own staff research on the Internet to get articles that would be of interest to readers. So far, circulation is growing and so is the number of our advertisers that help defray the cost of publication and printing,” she says.

Nene is preparing for the possibility of her eventual retirement with her husband to a home in Cavite. - Reuben Lim, Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 24, 2009

RP agencies warn vs dubious job offers in Italy, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago

Government agencies have issued separate warnings on the veracity of job offers and job orders in at least three countries, in what seems to be a resurgence of illegal recruitment schemes for overseas employment.

The Philippine Embassy in Venezuela, for one, recently warned Filipinos seeking jobs abroad against dubious firms offering supposed lucrative employment in nearby Trinidad and Tobago in the south Caribbean.

This came after the Embassy received reports that some Filipino applicants are being asked by companies to secure a certification applicable only to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member-countries.

Applicants are also being asked to pay a certain amount prior to the processing of their employment, the Embassy further said in a release posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

The Embassy cited the case of a Filipino fire engineer in a Saudi Arabian company, who sent an email seeking assistance on how to acquire a CARICOM skills certification for employment.

Earlier, the fire engineer received an email saying that he was accepted as Maintenance and Fire Safety Engineer in an unnamed energy firm in Trinidad and Tobago.

The job offer involved a high salary, the release noted.

However, the company advised the applicant to get a CARICOM Skills Certificate and pay US$765.00, for notary and legal service fees for his documents to be used in Trinidad and Tobago.

When contacted by the fire engineer, the Embassy thus clarified that the CARICOM Skills Certificate is meant for the free movement of citizens of CARICOM member-countries to work in other Caribbean states, and is not for Filipinos and other foreigners.

CARICOM member-countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat (UK), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Embassy also advised Filipino job seekers that the companies' profile, registration and the prospective employment contract should be examined carefully.

These documents should all be notarized and authenticated by the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy added.

Applicants should also verify the existence of the companies with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) or the Embassy further transacting with them.

On seasonal jobs in Italy

In a separate advisory, the POEA similarly warned applicants against recruitment agencies and individuals promising seasonal jobs in Italy.

POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili said in the advisory that seasonal workers are allowed only in countries with special agreements with Italy, which does not include the Philippines, and those already working legally in the European country.

The agency cited a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Rome saying that the new illegal recruitment scheme has already victimized a number of Filipino workers now stranded there because of lack of proper work documents.

The workers have paid up to P500,000 each for non-existent jobs, the report added.

Manalili said opportunities for employment as seasonal workers cover only those who are already in Italy with a valid work permit (soggiorno).

She added that Italy allows direct recruitment of foreign workers only from countries that have signed bilateral agreements providing for such labor arrangement.

The countries include Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovine, Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ukraine. The Philippines is not included.

The release also noted that foreign workers illegally staying in Italy face penalties, imprisonment or deportation.

Only 11,000 job orders in Taiwan

The POEA further clarified there are only 11, 547 remaining job orders for Taiwan, contrary to reports from private recruitment agencies that there are 30,000 jobs awaiting Filipino workers there.

In a separate release, it said more than 20,000 job orders have already been filled up for the deployment of workers, so that only over 11,000 remain based on the POEA database.

The POEA added that the government hiring scheme for Taiwan-bound factory workers, called the Special Hiring Program for Taiwan (SHPT), expired in March this year.

Negotiations for the renewal of the SHPT are still under way.

Manalili urged applicants to verify with the POEA the job orders that have been approved for host countries of Filipino labor.

Applicants may visit the POEA Web site at www.poea.gov.ph or verify through Globe SMS at POEA Txt 2917, or call POEA hotlines 722-1144 or 7221155.—JV, GMANews, May 06, 2010

Globe launches ATM card for OFW remittances

MANILA, Philippines—G-Xchange Inc. (GXI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, has launched an automated teller machine (ATM) card that makes it easier for Filipinos to receive remittances from their relatives and other loved ones abroad.

The GCASH Card, which is an ATM card linked to an electronic wallet, allows holders to withdraw remittances from the estimated 9,000 automated teller machines of Bancnet, Megalink, ExpressNet, and Encash nationwide.

"With the launch of the GCASH card, our customers are given an additional 9,000 locations to cash out their GCASH using almost any ATM in the country... Customers benefit from low-cost, secure, convenient and customer-friendly option of [receiving remittances]," GXI president Rizza Maniego-Eala said on Thursday in a press conference.

Globe subscribers may apply for GCASH card. Once a remittance is sent to them, they get a notification through their mobile phones. Then, they may encash the remittance using the GCASH card and any of the 9,000 ATMs in the country.

GXI says it has remittance-center partners in 33 countries worldwide. Overseas Filipino workers may send remittances through these remittance agents. The recipient then may withdraw the remittance immediately after the money is sent by the sender offshore.

Prior to the launch of GCASH card, GXI already has the GCASH service, which includes facilitation of remittances. In the past, however, GCASH subscribers who are recipients of remittances needed to go to Globe stores or GCASH payout outlets to get their money.

Eala said Globe already has about one million subscribers to the GCASH service, which has allowed facilitation of remittances and other commercial transactions, such as purchase of goods.

In particular, a GCASH subscriber may transfer fund, using mobile phone powered by a Globe line, to another GCASH subscriber as a way to consummate a commercial transaction.

GXI estimates that transactions using GCASH amount to about P5 billion a month. Transactions cover sending and receiving of remittances, and payments for purchases and bills.

Eala said that while a million clients have already benefitted from the GCASH, they would gain even more benefit with the latest issuance of the GCASH card. "It's now more convenient to receive remittances," Eala said.

Each transaction using the GCASH card is charged P20.

Like any other ATM cards, a GCASH subscriber may withdraw a maximum of P40,000 a day using their GCASH card.

The Philippines ranks 4th worldwide in terms of the amount of remittances received from migrant workers. Last year, remittances to the Philippines amounted to $17.3 billion, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects the figure to grow anywhere between 6 and 8 percent this year.

The huge amount of remittances being sent to the Philippines has made the remittance business attractive to many companies in the financial services sector. - Michelle Remo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 14, 2010

Kuwait, Syria Not Safe for OFWs — Migrant Group

MANILA, Philippines — Middle East countries Kuwait and Syria are not safe destinations for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly domestic helpers, a migrant workers group based in the region said.

According to Migrante-Middle East (Migrante-ME), they continuously receive numerous requests for assistance from Filipino domestic helpers as well as their families in the Philippines pleading for assistance for their abused and maltreated OFWs.

Migrante-ME gave this reaction following a statement Tuesday from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), saying that it has received “certifications” from 10 countries which will be given to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) governing board.

The countries are: Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Kuwait, Laos, Myanmar, Ireland, Saipan, Norway, Syria, and Vietnam.

The DFA was referring to the required certification issued by the concerned RP ambassador in compliance of the requirement of the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act or Republic Act (R.A) 10022.

Migrante-Middle East Regional Coordinator John Leonard Monterona said the inclusion of Kuwait and Syria in the list of safe countries for OFWs is ill-advised.

“This is misleading. How could you consider Kuwait and Syria as safe destinations for OFWs if on a daily basis we are receiving two to three average cases of OFW abuses and maltreatment?” Monterona asked.

“How would the Philippine embassy explain why there is still a huge number of distressed and runaway OFWs…seeking refuge at Filipino Workers Resource Centers and their numbers are increasing?”

Monterona expressed worry that just for the sake of issuing the certification as required by R.A.10022, the safety and protection of OFWs in countries where there are rampant cases of abuses will again be compromised.

Under the law, concerned RP diplomatic posts must issue certifications verifying that these labor-receiving countries: 1.) have existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of migrant workers; 2.) have signed or ratified multilateral conventions, declarations, or resolutions relating to the protection of migrant workers; 3.) have concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement on the protection of the rights of OFWs and 4.) are taking positive and concrete measures to implement the first three criteria. - ELLSON A. QUISMRIO, Manila Bulletin, October 9, 2010

Source URL: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/281374/kkuwait-syria-not-safe-ofws-migrant-group

Employer advises workers to take 'temporary jobs'

KUWAIT: A group of some 20 Filipino employees working with a private company in Kuwait lodged a complaint with the office of Philippine labor attach�, accusing their employer of non-payment of salaries, breach of contract and lying about legal residency in Kuwait. In a recent interview with the Kuwait Times, workers claimed that they were hired locally for an immediate placement at a well-known restaurant to open soon in Kuwait. However, according to the men, months have passed by and the restaurant has not opened. As a result, the workers have not been paid salaries for months.

We were hired in February this year. The company required us to resign from our previous jobs with a promise of immediate employment," says Melvin, a spokesman of the group. "We did resign, and left our previous work. We provided the new employer with our legal documents only to find out that all our papers were not transferred and renewed as we had been informed at first," Melvin asserted. "They lied to us claiming that our papers were already transferred and renewed. This wasn't the case; we were left believing we were transferred but in fact we were not," he claimed.

According to him, the group found out they were working illegally when they demanded that salary be paid for months of training and preparation for an expected 'big day' opening; but the it was not given. "From the time we resigned, we were promised to be paid salaries; it was a promise made to us by our employer. The regular training has been going on for over two months, and we were supposed to be paid. We were told that we would be paid regardless of whether the restaurants opens or not," Melvin said.


The workers claim they have not been paid salaries since March. When the workers demanded their salaries, the company provided only one month's salary, and promised to settle their remaining dues when restaurants begin operations, which was then tentatively set to open on May 10, 2010. For unclear reasons, the scheduled restaurant opening has been delayed, and the workers decided to turn for legal help. "May 10th arrived and there was no grand opening. This is when our suffering began. Besides, the restaurant owner refused to pay us any salary," Melvin said. He explained that the employer had advised them to find a temporary job instead. "How can we find a temporary job when we are legally employed by them," Melvin queried.

Besides the workers' documents had already expired, awaiting transfer, "We were told to pay our fines with the threat that if we cannot; they'll just turn us over to the police. We did pay fines from our pockets, but again they failed to secure our iqamas (work residency). In order to transfer the iqama, I paid KD 340 as a fine; some paid KD 76 each for their visa transfer; but visas were not transferred. Now, they are denying they received the money we gave them," Melvin claimed.

The dire situation exacerbated after the workers found out that the employer has been hiring new employees from the Philippines, "Please do not allow them to hire new Filipino workers. Let them (the employer) settle their problems first with us. We are afraid they might suffer the same fate as we did. Besides, they are not honest employers. They should pay us first before allowing them to hire new workers," the workers informed embassy officials.

The aggrieved workers want to settle their unpaid salaries as soon as possible; receive their money back and be transferred to new employers immediately. In the words of Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait Vivo Vidal, "We will try to negotiate with the company on their behalf and get the answer as soon as possible. We'll try to open the line of communications/dialogue to resolve this case swiftly.

The Philippine Labor Office also assured workers that the company cannot hire new workers from the Philippines unless they settle dispute with their workers, "No, they cannot hire new Pinoy workers unless the company settles their problems with these workers. We'll try to contact them (the company) as soon as possible and the complaining workers issues are resolved," Vidal concluded. - Ben Garcia, Staff Writer, Kuwait Times, September 20, 2010

No ban yet on Filipino housemaids in Kuwait

KUWAIT: In the aftermath of the two brutal murders of Filipinas in Kuwait last month, the Philippines Embassy assured Kuwait that no ban will be imposed on the employment of Filipino domestic helpers in the country. In an exclusive interview with the Kuwait Times yesterday, the Philippine Vice Consul Rea Oreta asserted that until now, there have been no directives [as yet] issued from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on placing a ban on Filipino domestic helpers in Kuwait. Several human rights groups and individuals have been calling for a ban of deploying domestic helpers in Kuwait. Oreta explained that a ban is not the only solution to the problem that Filipinos from several sectors have been facing in the country.

We would like to reiterate that no discussions have been held in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila on the ban," she said. In her words, a ban is not the only solution. She argued that there are other options available which the Philippine government will explore and study before imposing a ban. "I am sure that a ban will be the last option. Besides, even if the decision [to ban domestic helpers] is approved, Filipinos will still be able to enter Kuwait through other channels. So, I think the ban is not on the table right now as we believe it was not the only solution. It would probably be the last," she mentioned.

The two murder cases shocked the entire country and the Filipino community in Kuwait. In-mid July, Asria Samad Abdul, 34, [housemaid] was allegedly tortured by her employer on a daily basis before being run over several times with a car to death in Kabd. Norhaisa Nasa Andao - a 32-year-old Filipina employee at a beauty salon - was stabbed to death 31 times before her horrified colleagues at her worksite in Jabriya. The murder cases took place on the same day but at separate locations.

The suspects, in both cases, are now under police custody in Kuwait. Once the final forensic reports and medical reports are obtained, their cases will be heard in the Court of First Instance. Yesterday, Attorney Sheikha Fawzia Al-Sabah met with Oreta at the embassy in Jabriya to formally accept the DFA [approval] decision which retains her law firm as the embassy's representative to help resolve the two murder cases.

In Sheikha Al-Sabah's words, all efforts will be exerted towards resolving the two murder cases. She said, "I'll do my best to help resolve these two cases. My heart goes out to the family of the victims. I presented myself [to be their lawyer] so as to help the victims' families. I studied the cases carefully. For us, we have the due advantage of winning these cases easily," she said. Atty Al-Sabah added that she would do all she can to resolve the two cases as soon as possible.

When asked why the embassy had retained the services of Sheikha Fawzia Al-Sabah Law Firm, Oreta stressed that it was based on her tract records and the fact that Fawzia Al-Sabah herself is an advocate and the champion of human rights issues in Kuwait. "She's been representing our countrymen without ever mentioning that she was behind the victory [of their cases]. Besides, the name Sheikha Fawzia Al-Sabah is an advantage. We have high regard for her law firm. I am sure that she will deliver her promise, including the speedy trial and resolution of these two particular murder cases soon," she concluded. - By Ben Garcia, Staff Writer, Kuwait Times, August 09, 2010

Expat workers not allowed to form labor unions

KUWAIT: Citizens and expatriates are not yet allowed to form their own workers' organizations or labor unions in Kuwait. However, according to the new labor law, employers have been granted the right to organize. Kuwaiti workers are only allowed to form a syndicate organization, which is not applicable to expatriate workers. By definition, a syndicate organization is an association of people or firms authorized to undertake a duty or transaction on a specific business. Experts believe that a syndicate organization's rights are far different from the ones exercised by labor unions. A short definition of the term 'labor union' by an English dictionary states that it is an organization of workers joined to protect their common interests and improve working conditions.

Iftikar, a worker from Pakistan, said that the new law's stance is clearly pro-employers and pro-Kuwaitis, especially in terms of forming organizations or unions. "This is of course a clear violation of our rights as expatriates. As if we are not a part and will not be affected by whatever decisions are made in the company. The law is very selective; the law pertaining to labor unions discriminates expatriates against local workers," he said.

Iftikar explained that expat workers are often victims of injustice or unfair treatment at many workplaces in Kuwait. They are barred from forming an association that can help them express their own rights not only as workers but also as human beings. Chapter Five, Section One, Article 99 states: "Kuwaiti workers shall have the right to form syndicates to protect their interests, improve their financial and social conditions, and represent them in all affairs related to them.

The abovementioned paragraph, according to some law experts, appears to have been made deliberately, with foreign workers' rights overlooked with the aim of catering to Kuwaiti-only rights. Hamoud, a bedoon worker, said that he was disappointed to read the provisions stipulated in the Chapter Five, Section One of the labor law. "We need badly need unions in Kuwait to protect us. The problem here is that nobody listens to one or two complaints only. They would be alarmed if the union pushes for workers' rights.

If you are alone or maybe comprise a group of five people, I don't think, the company will bother to listen to your demands. They can easily replace you with the caliber of worker anyway. So why bother to listen to your complaints? I believe the new law is biased towards the employer and is not very beneficial to the foreign workers," he said.

The procedures that should be observed to establish the organization are as follows:

1) The employees who wish to establish a syndicate or employers who wish to establish a union shall meet in their capacity as constituent general assembly pursuant to a notice that shall be published in at least two daily newspapers at least two weeks before the date of the general assembly meeting. The announcement shall state the location, time and objectives of the meeting.

2) The general assembly shall approve of the organization's articles of association and may, in doing so be guided by the model by-law issued by a resolution of the Minister.

3) The constituent assembly shall elect the board of directors in accordance with the provisions of its articles of association. Furthermore, Article 101 demands specific objectives and goals for the organization they want to form. The organizations that will be formed as well are not allowed engage in political, religious and sectarian matters. They are also prevented from investing money in financial, real-estate speculations, or other forms of money matter talk. They should not accept gifts and donations without the approval of the Ministry as well. - Ben Garcia, Staff Writer, Kuwait Times, March 25, 2010

Filipino women tell of sex ordeal in Kuwait

JABRIYA, Kuwait—The tales of Filipino women tell of their experience in prostitution dens in this Arab emirate are harrowing.

One, a 29-year-old, said she was “used” more than 300 times during her 45-day captivity, Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya told the Inquirer. Two others similarly victimized—in their late 20s and early 30s—have become pregnant.

“Our objective is to bust this syndicate, which we believe is being masterminded by a Bangladeshi,” Endaya said, adding that the Philippine Embassy in Jabriya had raised the matter to the Kuwaiti government.

The embassy has rescued 22 Filipino women working here as domestics since it started a crackdown last October on prostitution dens run by the syndicate.

Some of those rescued are in their mid-40s; the youngest is in her late teens.

Endaya said embassy personnel initially thought the women had been infected with sexually transmitted diseases. “But the embassy had them tested at a hospital and everybody came out clean,” he said.

The women are now recovering at the half-way home run by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration beside the embassy.

But according to Endaya, one had apparently developed something similar to the Stockholm syndrome—an emotional attachment to a captor developed by a hostage, as a result of continuous stress, dependence and a need to cooperate for survival—and escaped a few days after being rescued, reportedly to be with a client.

Teenage clients

Almost every week, embassy agents assisted by Kuwaiti police conduct raids to rescue Filipino women in the prostitution dens located mainly in Kheitan.

Around 36 suspected clients of the dens, including young men aged 16 and 17, have been arrested.

The suspects are mostly Indians and Bangladeshis, and a handful of locals, who pay the syndicate two to five Kuwaiti dinars (P340 to P850) per woman, Endaya said.

He said there had been no report of Filipino men among the clients.

Five other Filipino women suspected of acting as pimps have also been arrested and are facing charges of white slavery, Endaya said. But one of them managed to catch a flight back to the Philippines.

Endaya said he was “convinced” that many more Filipino domestics were being held by the syndicate.

“I think we are just hitting the tip of the iceberg. I hope other Filipino nationals who have knowledge of this syndicate would come forward soon,” the envoy said.

Easy lure

White slavery continues to victimize many Filipino, Indonesian and Sri Lankan women in Kuwait, which is home to 65,000 Filipino domestic workers.

Endaya said that the problem was uncovered three years ago and that the syndicate was thought to have been busted until new victims began to surface this year.

It is quite easy to lure unsuspecting women into the syndicate.

Earning a measly monthly salary of US$150 or 40 KD (or an average of P7,000) as domestic workers, the women are offered an undisclosed job where they would be paid from 150 to 400 KD.

A number accept the offer without knowing the nature of the job because it presents a means of escape from abusive employers.

According to investigators, the modus operandi involves having an Indonesian woman and another Filipino woman phone a would-be victim with a job offer.

The victim is picked up by a cab, usually driven by a Bangladeshi, who takes her to the desert to be raped then sells her to a prostitution den for 200-300 KD.

How the syndicate members get hold of the women’s mobile phone numbers is still being established by the embassy.

From the authorities’ interviews with the victims, it was learned that the prostitution dens do not have clients during the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan.

Fighting back

Some Filipino women have learned to fight back, such as “Christy,” the 17-year-old who was reported early in November to have been gang-raped by a Bangladeshi driver and his friends.

Per the account of Let Fernandez, a member of the embassy staff who is assigned to her case, Christy became determined to escape when the Indonesian woman who lured her from her regular job forced her to phone other Filipino domestics with the offer of a higher paying job.

The Indonesian had earlier told Christy that her job entailed having to go out at night to meet with customers. It was at that point that the teenager realized that she had been recruited into the flesh trade.

Fernandez quoted Christy as saying that she would rather die than victimize her compatriots.

“She couldn’t accept selling her body, and those of her fellow Filipino women,” Fernandez said.

She said Christy escaped by tying together several pieces of hijab (the traditional garment of an Arab woman) and using this “rope” to climb out of the window of the room where she was being held.

But her “rope” proved short, forcing Christy to jump two floors below.

“It was like Christy decided to kill herself rather than be used,” Fernandez said.

Christy required two operations for extensive back injuries and swollen feet.

She will undergo a medico-legal examination to determine if she was indeed raped after she has fully recovered from her injuries, Fernandez said. - Nikko Dizon, Inquirer, November 25, 2006

Abuse of maids in Kuwait rising—Human Rights Watch

KUWAIT CITY—Abuse of domestic workers in Kuwait is rising, and maids in the Gulf emirate face prosecution when they try to escape, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

The New York-based rights group said migrant domestic workers have minimal protection from employers who withhold salaries, force them to work long hours with no days off, deprive them of adequate food or abuse them physically or sexually.

"The number of abuses has been rising," Priyanka Motaparthy, HRW research fellow in Middle East and North Africa, told a press conference announcing a report, which details specific cases.

"In 2009, domestic workers from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines and Ethiopia filed over 10,000 complaints of abuse with their embassies," she said.

The HRW data does not include Indian maids, who represent almost half of the 660,000 domestic workers in the oil-rich emirate. Domestic workers, almost entirely Asian, form one-third of the 1.81 million foreign employees in Kuwait.

The 97-page report, "Walls at Every Turn: Exploitation of Migrant Domestic Workers Through Kuwait's Sponsorship System," describes how workers become trapped in exploitative or abusive employment.

"Employers hold all the cards in Kuwait," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW.

The report was based on interviews of dozens of runaway maids at either their embassies or at small government-run shelter.

Domestic workers in Kuwait are not covered by any law to limit working hours or a rest day or even basic rights, the report said.

"They are forced to work for unlimited hours, 10, 12 or 18 hours with no breaks, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year," Motaparthy said.

Manik J., a Sri Lankan, said she had worked for more than 18 hours a day for 10 months, but did not receive her salary for most of the period although she worked for two families. She was at the government shelter.

Twenty-one domestic workers interviewed by HRW said they had worked 18 hours or more per day on repeated occasions. A 2004 International Labour Organization study found that maids in Kuwait worked for 101 hours weekly, HRW said.

The main abuses include physical and sexual abuse, non-payment or delay in payment of salary, long working hours, no weekly rest day and others, the report said.

HRW said it interviewed 22 maids who said their employers or agents had physically abused them, and seven spoke of sexual abuse.

An ambassador in Kuwait for a labor-exporting country told HRW that, during 2009, the embassy received 950 rape and sexual harassment claims.

Mary P., a Filipina, told HRW her employer beat and insulted her every day, using degrading language.

"Sometimes my sir would spit in my face. My employer always called me dog, donkey ... There was no day the employer didn't say these bad words ... I have accepted this because I am the breadwinner of my family," she said.

Motaparthy said that based on HRW data, "each week, at least two domestic workers fall from high places," in apparent attempts to commit suicide to escape abuse.

The report placed the blame squarely on the so-called sponsorship system, which bonds laborers to their employers and put them under their mercy. It called for the Kuwaiti government to abolish the system.

The Kuwaiti government said it plans to abolish the system in February. - Omar Hasan, Agence France-Presse/INQUIRER.NET, October 07, 2010

Kuwait switches to Friday-Saturday weekend

KUWAIT CITY--Kuwait on Sunday decided to switch its weekend to Friday-Saturday from Thursday-Friday, starting on September 1, State Minister Faisal al-Hajji told the official KUNA news agency.

Kuwait will follow the example of Gulf partners the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar which all made the same switch last year in a measure designed to bring them closer to the working week in the West.

The Kuwaiti decision, which applies to government offices, was taken during the weekly meeting of the cabinet in the oil-rich Gulf emirate on the recommendation of the Civil Service Commission.

Only oil powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Oman still apply the Thursday-Friday Muslim weekend in the six-nation alliance of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The private sector in Kuwait is not bound to follow the government, but banks and most of the oil sector already apply a Friday-Saturday weekend to be more in line with international markets, which close Saturday-Sunday. - Agence France-Presse/inquirer.net, May 27, 2007

Vital organ of dead Cebuana OFW missing

WHERE’S ’s her heart?

The National Bureau of Investigation reported that the heart of a Cebuana domestic helper, who died in Kuwait, was missing when the NBI conducted an autopsy of her body which arrived in Cebu City on Thursday.

But Dr. Rene Cam, medico-legal of the NBI in Central Visayas, ruled out foul play in the death of 27-year-old Denise Colleen Bolay-og despite the bruises and whip marks found on her legs and body.

Cam said Bolay-og , a resident of barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, died of a heart attack.

Cam said the bruises and alleged whip marks found in the woman’s body were just the effects of the dry ice packed with the cadaver to preserve it during shipment to the Philippines.

"The doctor said dry ice had to be placed to make it frozen. The ridges on her arms came from the equipment there (Kuwait) because they tried to revive her," the victim’s mother, Kristine Ebarle, said.

Also the victim’s long wound on her chin down to her stomach was caused by the autopsy in Kuwait and not by torture.

Cam confirmed that the cause of the victim's death was cardiac arrest and not because of foul play.

Cam said hospital authorities in Kuwait could have taken out the heart of Bolya-og for pathological examination.

But Ebarle said they should have not taken out Bolay-og’s heart because it is against International Law to take out any part of the body without the prior consent of the victim or relatives.

The victim’s family is asking the help of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to get the results of the examination on Bolay-og’s heart.

The family already sent a letter to Kuwait several weeks ago stating that they would like to have the results of the first autopsy made there (Kuwait) so they could compare them with the autopsy made in the Philippines.

Bolay-og’s body was cremated yesterday after the autopsy.

But Ebarle admitted that she was not contented with the results of the NBI autopsy. She said that if she had enough money she would seek a second opinion.

“I have a friend who also received a dead family member from abroad packed with dry ice. But the body did not have any marks like Denise had,” she said.

Bolay-og’s family had suspected that she was whipped to death by her employer as shown by the bruises and whip marks found on her body. They also doubted that she suffered a heart attack since the victim had no history of heart ailment.

Bolay-og left Cebu on March 20, 2008 to work as a domestic helper for a Lebanese employer in Al Hawally Salmiya, Kuwait.

She left behind her two sons and husband.

Ebarle said that after a month, her daughter complained of the abuses from her employer whom she identified as Allam Anton Marawan.

She reportedly told her mother that her employer would lock her up whenever Marawan would leave the house. Bolay-og was not also paid properly and was not fed well.

But Ebarle said Bolay-og endured all the maltreatment for the sake of her family.

After almost 10 months, Bolay-og could no longer bear the abuse. She confessed to her mother that she was molested by the brother-in-law of her employer, prompting her to run away.

Ebarle said her daughter’s employer called her up and told her about the incident. The employer wanted Ebarle to look for Bolay-og and have her returned to work. But her mother did not know the whereabouts of Bolay-og.

“He was so angry that Denise ran away. He warned that ‘I will see to it that she will not return alive to the Philippines.’ I told him that he should be the one to look for my daughter because he is in Kuwait. What can we do here?” said Ebarle.

She said her daughter’s employer continued to harass her on the phone and even boasted that he has connections at the Philippine Embassy and the Kuwait government.

After a month, Bolay-og finally contacted her mother and told her she was staying in a flat with other Filipino OFWs. She runs errands for them and they pay her for these.

Bolay-og told her mother she wanted to come home but it was difficult. She decided to wait for an amnesty and was scheduled to come home in July.

While waiting for her flight back to the Philippines, Bolay-og continued to work for her Cebuano friends in Kuwait. She would go out on her free day to buy things she could bring back to her family.

Ebarle said that in one of their video chats, her daughter even showed her the balikbayan boxes she was bringing for them.

Ebarle said that she would ask the help of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to blacklist the employer of her daughter. She said the abuse the employer did to her daughter should not be experienced to any Filipino worker. POEA was also the one who advised the family of Bolay-og to have her body autopsied. - Carine M. Asutilla, Ria Mae Y. Booc, Cebu Daily News, June 13, 2010

Filipina gang-raped by 17 men in Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY -- A runaway Philippine maid in the Gulf emirate of Kuwait was abducted and gang-raped by 17 men in desert camps, a newspaper reported Saturday, adding that 14 suspects were in custody.

Four men found the Filipina after she fled her employer's house and took her to a desert camp where they raped her, the Al-Watan daily said citing a security source.

They then offered the maid to six of their friends who raped her at a second camp before delivering her to seven others who gang-raped her at a third camp.

She was taken to hospital by Philippine consular officials, the paper said. The embassy was not immediately available for comment.

Police have detained 14 suspects so far -- 13 Kuwaitis and one Iraqi, Al-Watan said. A manhunt is continuing for three other Kuwaitis.

More than 70,000 Filipinos live and work in oil-rich Kuwait, many of them as domestic servants. - Agence France-Presse/INQUIRER.NET, December 23, 2006

OFWs in Kuwait warned against adultery

MANILA, Philippines—The Catholic Bishop of Kuwait has warned Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country to be faithful to the spouses they left behind in their homeland or risk being barred from receiving communion.

Bishop Camilo Ballin, the Apostolic Vicar Bishop of the Catholic Church in Kuwait, said he has noticed that many Filipinos tend to have another family in Kuwait even though they are still very much married to their spouses in the Philippines.

“There are cases, I just cannot say how many, when men are supposed to send money to his family back home in the Philippines but he has to keep some money for his other family in Kuwait,” he said in a report posted on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Ballin swung by Manila recently after attending the World Youth Day in Sydney last month.

The prelate, a native of Italy, said the situation has come to a point where he had to explain to some Kuwait-based Filipinos the Church’s regulations on marriage.

Ballin said those who are divorced or who have remarried without the Church annulling their previous marriage can be sanctioned.

He reminded overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait that they could be prevented from taking communion during Mass if they are unfaithful to their wives and husbands back in their homeland.

“What I try to stress is that they can enter the Church but they cannot receive Holy Communion,” the bishop said.

“I don’t want them to feel I sent them away from the Church so they are allowed to come to pray, attend Mass but cannot receive communion although they can participate in prayer meetings, social meetings especially on feasts days but definitely no communion,” he noted.

Ballin said he understands that couples and families sacrifice a lot when a spouse goes to work abroad. Having come from a poor family in Italy, Ballin said the phenomenon is not new to him.

“I understand Filipinos come to Kuwait to provide a better future for their family in the Philippines but please, if possible, for couples, don’t separate because the risk is too much and the risks include the possibility of having another family,” he added.

Catholics number around 350,000 in the Islamic state, almost half of it are Filipinos. Ballin said the Filipino community in Kuwait is active, with at least 10 Catholic lay and pastoral groups operating in his vicariate. - Kristine L. Alave, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 31, 2008

New York Times article “Toiling Far From Home for Philippine Dreams” – Compelling but Missed Its Mark

On September 18, 2010, The New York Times article recently published an article “Toiling Far From Home for Philippine Dreams” [titled Many OFW dream houses in 'Little Italy' still empty, easily becoming one of the most emailed stories that weekend. The reporter, Norimitsu Onishi writes compellingly about the dreams of overseas Filipino workers and their shortcomings as they build a better life for their families left behind.

I agree on three key points that the article mentioned. However, the article didn’t mention the growing donations and community giving that many overseas Filipino workers are conducting. I lament such gross omission that the article largely missed its mark.

Three Key Points that Were Right On the Mark:

1. Philippine government unhealthy dependence on remittances and calling overseas Filipino workers “heroes”.

It’s ridiculous that the Philippine government continues to call overseas Filipino workers “heroes”. The façade of heroism hides the ugly reality, risks and dangers that many Filipino workers face as they seek employment abroad. In the end, being called “heroes” becomes another marketing ploy to continue promoting workers to leave.

2. The Philippine government has an unhealthy dependence on remittances

Migration and promoting overseas employment is not a sustainable enterprise. In fact, 30 years of sending out workers abroad has not made the Philippines prosper much (Opiniano, Diaspora Philanthropy by Filipinos, 2005). Remittances has saved the Philippines from dire economic straits and postponed the government to carry out much-needed economic and social reforms.

3. There are no jobs in the Philippines. The Philippine National Statistics Office plays a shell game with their unemployment numbers. In July 2010, they happily reported that the unemployment rate dropped to 6.9% (Manila Bulletin). However, they also included a second group, the labor force participation rate of 64.6% which I think tells the true unemployment rate of 35.4% (Philippine National Statistics Office).

One Gross Omission of the Article – failure to mention the community donations of overseas Filipinos

The New York Times article omits the growing numbers of Filipinos overseas who help their communities beyond acquiring two-story homes, flat screen TVs and private education for their children. In fact, from 1999-2003, they contributed over $218 million to community projects beyond remittances and gifts to their immediate families (Opiniano, Diaspora Philanthropy by Filipinos, 2005).

Filipino overseas workers have funded wells, provided community scholarships and organized medical missions to their hometowns, among other endeavors. Filipinos anchor their giving to the traditional values of community or ‘bayanihan’.

Raped and beaten in Kuwait

TO THIS DAY, her Kuwaiti experience last year haunts her sleep. In fact, Maricris (not her real name) will never return to Kuwait for the rest of her life. She says her experience in the Arab country brought the biggest shock of her life.

But the fortitude Maricris exudes is awesome in that she found courage to come out and file charges against those who had wronged her.

Hers is a typical story of a young college girl from the province recruited to work as a domestic helper abroad, who unfortunately lands with an evil employer. She was allegedly maltreated and raped. To make things worse, the recruitment agency turned its back on her.

“I was near crazy. Namanhid na ang buong katawan ko. Akala ko mamamatay na ako, (My whole body went. I thought I would die),” she tells the Inquirer.

“Gusto ko lang mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga nagawa nila sa akin (I want only to seek justice for what they had done to me),” says the 24-year-old education student of Negros Occidental.

How it began

In an interview held with Maricris’ counsel,lawyer Bernardino Mortera, the Inquirer learned that administrative charges have been filed against Maiden’s Way Overseas Manpower, the agency that sent her, along with hundred others Filipinas, to the Middle East in December 2006.

The interview was arranged with the help of lawyer Roy Señeres, former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and his wife Minnie.

The Inquirer also learned that the agency was featured in a local television network’s investigative show for claims of alleged illegal recruitment last year.

Reached for comment, agency operator Mary Mae Victorina says Maricris was making up stories. “It was Maricris who breached the contract. She’s a big liar,” Victorina says, adding that Maricris wove patches of the stories perfectly so she could get away from her contract.

In that contract signed by the two parties, Maricris says the agency was to be responsible for her for the period of six months. In their agreement, she would be sent to Kuwait free of charge and the agency would be paid through salary deduction.

But the promises went pfft, Maricris says. “They were preying on women from the provinces who were near illiterate so they could take advantage of them,” she adds.

Her unfortunate tale started in September 2006 when she applied at a job fair in Bacolod as a cook, along with a couple of cousins who were hoping for a brighter life that jobs abroad could offer.

All-around nanny

“I didn’t think of the risks involved abroad. All I wanted was to help my family,” says this youngest of 14 children of a farmer and housewife from Negros.

Through the help of Maiden’s Way, Maricris was sent to Manila for two-month training and orientation. The alleged “training” was actually held at the residence of Victorina, the operator of the recruitment agency.

“Daig pa namin ang mga katulong doon. Ikinukulong kami. Bawal lumabas at pumunta man lang sa mga kamag-anak. Yun daw ang totoong training upang makapunta sa Kuwait (We were worse than servants there. We were locked in. Even going out to visit relatives was prohibited. That was the real training to get to Kuwait), “ Maricris says.

She thought her struggle would end after the “training” when in fact the misery had just started.

She was sent to Kuwait not as a cook but as an all-around domestic helper for an Arab family of nine. She was offered 200 dinar (roughly P23,000) as monthly salary.

“The first two days of treatment were okay, but days after, they started to get evil,” she recalls.

She lived with the employer’s second wife and their seven children, all boys, in a condominium in Salmiyah, Kuwait.
As an all-around nanny, she did everything—cleaning, laundry, cooking and all household chores.

Between a rock and a hard place

Her days started at 5 a.m. and ended at 3 a.m after ironing the clothes. On days when she had difficulty waking up, her employer would hit her with whatever lay at hand.

“Pinukpok nila ako minsan ng kaldero nung hindi ako makabangon dahil may sakit ako (They once hit me with a cooking pot when I couldn’t get up because I was sick,)” she says on the verge of tears.

“Lahat utos. Akala nila computer ang katawan ko. Sisigaw silang lahat. Babatukan ako, pukpok ng sandok ’pag hindi tapos ang work. (It was all orders. They thought my body was a computer. Everyone would shout. They’d hit my head, pounding a ladle when the work wasn’t finished.)”

“There were also instances when they would lock the fridge so I could not eat. For three days, I would only drink water and scour the trash bin for leftovers,” Maricris says.

“My employer would also ask me to undress in front of her seven children and instruct me to parade around the house. That’s how crazy she was,” she adds.

One of the seven children, a 26-year-old police officer, allegedly raped her twice when they were alone in the house.
“He would ask me to clean his room then he would punch and kick my legs so I wouldn’t be able to get away. He would threaten to kill me should I report to police, who are his colleagues anyway.”

Fearing that she’d get pregnant, the police officer would force her to take medicines a few weeks after the incidents.

One night in February last year, she finally escaped when the whole family was asleep. “I ran out of the house with nothing at hand. I didn’t even have money, papers, passport. All I needed was to get to the embassy and ask for help.”

It took her two hours before an Indian cab driver took her to the Philippine Embassy. At the embassy, Maricris says she tried to contact the agency to ask for help, to no success.

“They were going hands-off with my case since my employer belongs to a known powerful family in Kuwait. They didn’t even subject me to medico-legal to prove I was raped and tortured. My hands were burned.”

Through the help of the embassy, Maricris was sent home in March after two months of sanctuary.

Fighting for justice

Maricris says she’s trying to forget the misery she endured overseas, but there’s no way she’s going back abroad after the trauma she went through, she says.

“The case against the agency is ongoing. We have a good chance winning,” her lawyer says.

“I will be fighting for this case. Only justice would give me a decent sleep,” says Maricris who is now looking for a job here in the city. Learning to fight and be tough is the “one good thing I got from the experience.

“I don’t discourage people who hope to go abroad. But I could only say that the safest place is to be home.” - Emman Cena, Inquirer, July 31, 2007

Filipina’s death penalty in Kuwait upheld

MANILA, Philippines—The Kuwait Court of Appeals has upheld the death sentence of a Filipina maid who was sentenced to death for killing her employer’s 22-year-old daughter in January 2007, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo thus instructed the Philippine embassy in Kuwait to save the life of Jakatia Pawa.

He directed Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya to facilitate the filing of an appeal to the Kuwait Court of Cassation within 30 days, in consultation with her lawyers.

Pawa denied the charges against her and told the judge that one of the victim’s family members might have committed the crime.

This decision came a few weeks after the Kuwait emir pardoned May Vecina last June 1. She is expected to return to the Philippines soon.

The DFA also said that in May, the life of another overseas Filipino worker Beinvenido Espino was spared from the death penalty after the department facilitated the grant of a tanazul (letter of forgiveness) from the victim’s family.

Vice President Noli De Castro, presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers, said Pawa was meted a death sentence for the murder of the daughter of her sponsor in Kuwait with whom she worked for over five years prior to the murder.

De Castro dismissed reports that Pawa was neglected by the Philippine embassy, saying that from the start of the case, the government already provided her with legal assistance.

“Our government hired two top-caliber Kuwaiti criminal lawyers to defend her. They are attorneys Khaleel Al Qattan and Mohammed Al Saba. The government was all out in giving her legal representation so her rights will be fully protected,” De Castro said.
He said the government was looking at another option: for Pawa to seek forgiveness from the victim’s family.

He said the embassy was seeking also tanazul from the victim’s family.

“The government is really exhausting all means to save Pawa from death row and we are optimistic that are efforts will be fruitful, just like in the cases of Marilou Ranario and May Vecina whose death sentences were commuted,” the Vice President said.

Online news Kuwait Times, in a report on Tuesday, said that Endaya was disappointed and immediately held a press conference after the verdict to say that Kuwaiti lawyers exerted their efforts to help Pawa and that he personally believed that Pawa was innocent.

"The forensic evidence pointed to the innocence of Pawa. I don't know what happened, but maybe the Court of Appeals has put the burden on the Highest Court,” the report said.

According to the prosecutor, the maid killed the victim and even prepared a knife and plastic glove to prevent her fingerprints from leaving a mark. The prosecutor further argued that Pawa waited for the victim to fall asleep and stabbed her at dawn.

But Endaya, a human rights lawyer, had said the knife that was used in the murder showed none of Pawa's fingerprints and that there was no blood stain on her dress or body that could link her to the murder after the police found the maid lying outside the victim's house.

Endaya further expressed his full trust and confidence in the fairness of Kuwait's judicial system. He expressed hope that Pawa's death sentence would be reversed by the Supreme Court.

"We want to assure our people that we are ready to help Pawa. We would utilize all possible means including methods mentioned in the Sharia Law to save the life of Pawa," Endaya said.

"There is a miracle in prayers. God will not allow innocent person to be hanged," he added. - ByCynthia Balana, Philippine Daily Inquirer/INQUIRER.net, June 16, 2009

Wealthy Kuwait hit by power crisis as mercury tops 50

KUWAIT CITY—Record temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the desert state of Kuwait have placed it on the brink of a major power crisis and put the government under fire politically.

The meteorological office said it recorded 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 F) on Tuesday in the capital Kuwait City, the highest temperature under the shade in more than 30 years, according to the office's boss.

"It is the highest temperature to be recorded in more than 30 years," Khaled al-Shuaibi told AFP. "Temperature has been above normal for a few days and it stayed above 50 degrees for up to four hours daily."

Under the direct sun, temperature "could reach 70 degrees Celsius (158 F) when humidity is very low and no winds blow," which has been the case in the past few days, said Shuaibi.

In the open desert at the Kuwait-Iraq border post of Abdali, the temperature soared to 53 degrees Celsius (127.4 F) for the second straight day on Tuesday.

It is not abnormal for temperatures to hit 50 degrees in Kuwait, but the big heat wave has arrived early this year.

As a result, power consumption hit new all-time highs on each of the past three days until it almost reached the maximum production capacity, prompted by the use of air conditioning to beat the heat.

On Tuesday, consumption hit 10,921 megawatts out of a total production capacity of just 10,950 megawatts after a small generation unit broke down, ringing a strong alarm.

Opposition MPs put the blame squarely on the government, charging total mismanagement, a lack of planning and corruption.

"The whole government is incapable of facing the (power) crisis," said Islamist MP Faisal al-Muslim in a statement on Tuesday.

"It is very difficult to transform Kuwait into a regional trade and financial hub when electricity is cut from the homes of citizens," said the spokesman of the opposition Popular Action Bloc MP Mussallam al-Barrak.

Islamist MP Khaled al-Sultan said this was the result of corruption and government incompetence.

"This is what the corruption has led to in the ministry of electricity and water ... The minister should step down if he can not perform his duties," Sultan said in a statement. He threatened to grill the minister.

On Tuesday, 21 MPs in the 50-member house demanded an emergency debate on the deteriorating power situation in OPEC's fifth-largest producer. The debate will be held on Sunday.

Three MPs proposed that public sector working hours end at midday instead of 2:30 p.m. to save electricity, and the government said it will consider the proposal.

Most electricity is consumed by air conditioning units, which are normally run non-stop from March to November.

The government instructed all ministries and government offices to switch off electricity at the end of working hours. Schools were ordered to shut down early and kindergarten children were sent home.

The army resorted to its diesel-powered generators as the government appealed to the public to switch off all unnecessary appliances and air conditioning units to save power.

Several residential districts experienced power cuts for several hours during the past few days, but officials said it was because of incidents at transformers and not a programmed power cuts policy.

"It looks as if we have reached the melting point. We have decided that the family and I will only venture (out) to go to work or if necessary," Ahmad Masud, a government employee, told AFP by phone.

Minister of Electricity and Water Bader al-Azemi blamed the lack of new power plants for the crisis, saying the Gulf state has not built a new power plant since 1988.

Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmad al-Sabah said in September that Kuwait aims to double its power generation capacity to more than 20,000 megawatts over the next five years.

Kuwait, which operates a cradle-to-grave welfare policy for nationals, sells power at highly subsidized rates of 0.7 cents per kilowatt/hour to its 1.1 million citizens and 2.35 million foreign residents. - By Omar Hasan, Agence France-Presse/inquirer.net, June 17, 2010

Filipino beauticians in Kuwait seek help

MANILA, Philippines—A group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East on Sunday called on the Philippine embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Kuwait to help 50 distressed OFWs working in a beauty salon in the emirate.

In a statement, Saudi Arabia-based John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said the OFWs working as beauticians for the Ms Raneem Beauty Center had complained of poor working conditions and labor rights violations as they have no employment contracts.

The beauty center is owned and managed by Mohammed Rebhi Youshief Suleiman, a Jordanian national married to a Kuwaiti.

In an affidavit dated August 16 and addressed to labor attache Josephus Jimenez, the OFWs said they were forced to work 12 hours a day for salaries below minimum wage. They are not given overtime or holiday pay. Neither are they allowed sick leave or full day-off privileges.

Some of the female workers also said they had been physically and sexually assaulted by their employer.

Monterona said some of the OFWs were victims of illegal recruitment, entering Kuwait on a tourist visa.

He said leaders of the OFWs had sought help from Polo-Kuwait on August 21 but the government agency hesitated in accepting their complaint because the OFWs were not documented.

Monterona said Polo-Kuwait had committed an “outright disservice” when it did not assist the OFWs.

“They should have been given immediate assistance as they were victims of illegal recruitment,” he said. - Jerome Aning, Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 23, 2010

Cebuana OFW dies in Kuwait; family seeks probe of death

The family of a 27-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from Cebu who died in Kuwait under mysterious circumstances is appealing to authorities to investigate the cause of her death.

The body of Denise Colleen Bolay-og, a resident of barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City arrived in Cebu yesterday. Several bruises, stitches and ridges were found on her body.

Her family believed she was whipped to death by her employer.

Bolay-og left Cebu on March 20, 2008 to work as a domestic helper for a Lebanese employer in Al Hawally Salmiya, Kuwait.

She left behind her two sons and husband.

Her mother, Kristine Ebarle said that after a month, her daughter complained of the abuses from her employer whom she identified as Allam Anton Marawan.

She reportedly told her mother that her employer would lock her up whenever Marawan would leave the house.

Bolay-og was not also paid properly and was not fed well.

But Ebarle said Bolay-og endured all the maltreatment for the sake of her family.

After almost 10 months, Bolay-og could no longer bear the abuse.

She confessed to her mother that she was molested by the brother-in-law of her employer, prompting her to run away.

Ebarle said her daughter’s employer called her up and told her about the incident. The employer wanted Ebarle to look for Bolay-og and have her returned to work. But her mother did not know the whereabouts of Bolay-og.

“He was so angry that Denise ran away. He warned that ‘I will see to it that she will not return alive to the Philippines.’ I told him that he should be the one to look for my daughter because he is in Kuwait. What can we do here?” said Ebarle.

She said her daughter’s employer continued to harass her on the phone and even boasted that he has connections at the Philippine Embassy and the Kuwait government.

After a month, Bolay-og finally contacted her mother and told her she was staying in a flat with other Filipino OFWs. She runs errands for them and they pay her for these.

Bolay-og told her mother she wanted to come home but it was difficult. She decided to wait for an amnesty and was scheduled to come home in July.

While waiting for her flight back to the Philippines, Bolay-og continued to work for her Cebuano friends in Kuwait. She would go out on her free day to buy things she could bring back to her family.

Ebarle said that in one of their video chats, her daughter even showed her the balikbayan boxes she was bringing for them.

But on May 14, one of Bolay-og’s friends called Ebarle and informed her of her daughter’s death. She was told that Bolay-og suffered a heart attack and was declared dead on arrival in a hospital in Kuwait. Ebarle was confused because her daugher had no heart ailment.

But she said her friends could not say what really happened and advised us to wait for her body to arrive.

She said her daughter’s Filipino friends were barred from telling the truth and had to remain silent, otherwise, Bolay-og’s body will not be brought home.

When her body was finally brought to Cebu, her family found that it bore several bruises and whip marks especially on her back and legs.

The belongings, which her OFW friends had sent with her body, still had price tags on it.

Ebarle said she believed that her daughter was still shopping and was probably abducted by her former employer.

“Mao gyuy akong hunahuna kay nibahad baya gyud ang employer nga naay mahitabo ra gyud sa akong anak (That was my suspicion because he had threatened that something would happen to my daughter),” she said.

Ebarle said that a few days before the incident, her daughter had told her that if something bad happens to her, she already knew the culprit.

Bolay-og’s husband, Sherwin said the last time they communicated, his wife had him promised to take good care of their sons and raise them well.

Sherwin did not recall his wife having health problems. He wants an autopsy on his wife’s body to find out if there was foul play involved.

Ebarle said she wanted the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct another autopsy on her daughter’s body to determine the real cause of her death.

“If proven that there was foul play, I want that Lebanese to be blacklisted by the government. I just don't want this to happen to other Filipinas and I want them to be aware also," Ebarle said.

Her body was sent late to the Philippines because the Kuwait government conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of the death. But the victim’s mother sent a waiver through an e-mail to the authories that whatever the result of the autopsy, she won't file any complaint. - Carine M. Asutilla, Ria Mae Y. Booc, Cebu Daily News, June 12, 2010

Philippines maps disaster hotspots

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines, battered by at least 20 typhoons a year and deadly landslides, has drawn up a map of its disaster zones, the country's environment minister said Wednesday.

The online geo-hazard map covers more than 1,600 municipalities nationwide, and will allow individuals, local governments and developers to check whether their properties are in danger zones, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said.

"Everyone can just go to the website and check the hazards pertaining to their locality," Paje told reporters.

"It says there (in the map), what is the permanent danger zone, what is hazardous and what are the low-lying areas."

The online map has been in the works since about 2006 but the urgency of the task was made clear only after tropical storm “Ondoy” (international name; Ketsana) struck the Philippine capital a year ago, bringing massive flooding and landslides.

About 80 percent of the capital was underwater as Ketsana dumped the heaviest rains in 40 years, triggering a humanitarian crisis that affected up to 10 million people, aid agencies said.

A second typhoon struck the country a week after Ondoy, and the storms left over 1,000 dead between them.

Paje noted that despite previous government warnings to leave areas considered dangerous, several communities in mountainous regions were buried by landslides triggered by Ondoy.

However Paje said the national government was not going to forcibly move people from dangerous places, stressing that it was up to the local governments to take what measures they think are necessary.

Tropical storms, floods, landslides, and maritime disasters killed nearly 2,000 people across the Philippines in 2009, the government said.

The archipelago in both the region's typhoon belt and on the Pacific "ring of fire" which brings frequent storms and quakes. Poor infrastructure and numerous unsafe sea vessels also result in frequent tragedies. - Agence France-Presse/inquirer.net, September 29, 2010

Expats On Govt Contracts Free To Transfer After 3 Yrs

Decision Expected Soon

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 30: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is expected to issue a decision in the next few days to allow expatriates under government contracts to transfer to another sponsor after spending three consecutive years with the current sponsor, instead of five years, only if the contract expires, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily quoting sources.

Sources clarified this is one of several decisions the ministry is currently preparing for the full implementation of the new labor law in the private sector.

Sources said the ministry will also issue a directive to organize the transfer of residence permits for expatriate workers in the private sector. Sources explained the new law allows foreign workers, who entered the country after the issuance of the new decision, to transfer to another sponsor after spending one year with the current sponsor. Sources added those who entered the country prior to the issuance of the decision can transfer to another sponsor anytime with the approval of the current sponsor. - http://www.arabtimesonline.com

Professionals First In Kafeel Switch

Rights Group Welcomes Kuwait Plan

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 28: The proposed Public Authority for Expatriates will not be responsible for all the foreign workers in the country, a ministerial source told the Arab Times.

The Authority will only be responsible for certain classes of expatriates, expected to be around 30 percent of the country’s foreign population, in the initial stages of the proposed plan to set up a separate authority for expatriates.

This came after Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi announced earlier this week that Kuwait would end the current sponsorship (kafeel) system in the country on Feb 26, 2011, as “a Liberation Day gift to expatriates.”

Clarifying another point, the source said while the Authority would be the one responsible for sponsoring the residence of the expatriates it would not act like a ‘sponsor’ and that a certain group of expatriates would be similar to a ‘self-sponsorship’ in which an expatriate would have greater freedom to ‘move around’. All the transactions would have to be completed by the expatriate himself after his residence had been approved.

The source, however, clarified that the rules to be enforced by the Authority had not been finalized adding that the government will set a number of conditions and will identify groups, who will come under this scheme, to allow them to ‘sponsor’ themselves and process their transactions without a local sponsor.
The source added that Arab expatriates, who spent 20 years or more in Kuwait without being involved in any criminal case will be given priority, as well as expatriates with high academic and technical qualifications. “Employees in teaching, commercial, technical, engineering and petroleum sectors will be under this scheme and be able to ‘sponsor’ themselves as they hold stable jobs and not likely to change jobs very often,” the source noted.

The ministries of Interior, Social Affairs and Labor are said to be coordinating with each other to frame the bylaws and regulations to allow expatriates to ‘sponsor’ themselves, as well as their children. The source indicated that the ministries will consider the qualifications, designation and social position of some nationalities.

The government, which has been severely criticized by human rights organizations, will also approve a special law for domestic workers in order to protect their rights. The source disclosed the parliamentary Human Rights Committee is urging the government to expedite the process and issue the law at the earliest. The source added these recommendations will be forwarded to the National Assembly for approval.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti plan to abolish its employer sponsor system is a significant step to address a major source of labour abuse, but it must also cover domestic workers, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

“This announcement is an important declaration that the Kuwaiti government is taking seriously the need to protect migrant workers,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director of the New York-based rights group said in an emailed statement.

“But the government needs to say publicly what it plans to do and it needs to include domestic workers in its plans,” Whitson said.

Some 2.35 million foreigners live in Kuwait, about 1.7 million of whom are workers, including 650,000 domestic workers who are not covered by Kuwaiti labour law. Native Kuwaitis number just 1.1 million.
The minister said the system will be abolished once a public authority for the recruitment of foreign workers is established in February.

Kuwait’s current sponsorship system ties a migrant worker’s immigration status to an individual employer, or sponsor, without whose consent the worker cannot transfer employment.

“Absconding from the workplace is a criminal offence, even if a worker has left because of abuse,” HRW said.

This system gives employers unchecked leverage and control over workers, who remain completely dependent upon the sponsoring employer for their livelihood, it added.

Employees can suffer physical and sexual abuse, and employers often withhold salaries, require long working hours with no time off, refuse to allow a worker to go home after an employment contract expires, and block avenues to redress grievances, it added.

“Any new system should allow workers to change or terminate employment at will, and should decriminalise ‘absconding,’ or leaving employment without an employer’s permission,” Whitson said. - By: Ben Arfaj Al-Mutairi, http://www.arabtimesonline.com

BDO, Wells Fargo sign deal on remittance transfers

MANILA, Philippines -- Local banking giant Banco de Oro Unibank seeks to further grow its lucrative overseas Filipino remittance business via a new partnership with American financial giant Wells Fargo & Co.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, for its part, has effectively tripled its remittance pay-out locations in the Philippines – the fourth largest country in the globe in terms of inbound remittance – by hooking up not just with the country's largest bank but with the leading non-bank domestic remittance retailer M.Lhuillier Financial Services Inc.

"We understand how important remittances are to the Philippines," said Daniel Ayala, executive vice president and head of Wells Fargo's global remittance services, during Thursday's signing ceremonies on this partnership.

"By helping out Filipino customers reach more locations throughout the country, we hope we can stimulate the economy of their homeland by supporting their family and friends."

BDO has 650 branches and 1,333 automated teller machines and was cited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as the largest remittance channel in the country in 2009 based on volumes. In addition to its vast retail network, BDO has existing tie-ups with rural banks as well as the shopping mall and retailing units of its sister companies under tycoon Henry Sy's SM group.

With this new tie-up, overseas Filipinos who are Wells Fargo customers can send up to $3,000 a day to their beneficiary through BDO or up to $1,000 a day to their beneficiary at M.Lhuiller for $5 from an eligible Wells Fargo account or for $7 if originated from cash.

Customers may also qualify for a discounted fee based on their account relationship with Wells Fargo. Remittances to the Philippines are denominated in Philippine pesos.

The tie-up is seen allowing BDO, already accounting for a hefty 30 percent of the inward remittance business, to further grow its market share.

M. Lhuillier vice president Michael Lhuillier, for his part, said his firm's working relationship would help millions of Filipinos living and working in the US better facilitate their money transfers to local beneficiaries. M. Lhuillier has 1,300 locations across the country including remote areas such as Batanes, Tawi-tawi, Surigao and Siargao.

"Together we are offering a service that will provide a secure, convenient and competitively priced remittance services," Lhuillier said. - Doris Dumlao, Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 01, 2010