For Pinoys across the world, Christmas always connects with home

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Filipinos of all stripes around the world, even those in the most unlikely overseas destinations, are not about to let pass what is obviously the happiest Christian season without stamping their unmistakeably Pinoy imprint on it.

If they can’t visit home, if they can’t send back gift packages, and apart from calling home by phone or the Internet, the next best way to connect with home is to line up typically-Pinoy Christmas celebrations—often as early as the start of December.

In the United States, with one of biggest contingents of Filipino immigrants and transient residents, Christmas Philippine-style is almost a full transplant from the native land.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, for example, started the nine-day novena mass with the traditional Simbang Gabi (Dawn Mass) and Parade of Parols (Lanterns) at the our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles.

The Filipino-American community in San Francisco meanwhile held for the eighth time its Annual San Francisco Lantern Festival at the Yerba Buena Lane on December 11, with participating contingents carrying their own lanterns.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. meanwhile opened the Christmas season by decking its newly inaugurated Consular Office with Philippine-themed decorations, notably the parols made by children.

The Embassy likewise organized the Paskong Pinoy 2010 at the Catholic University of America, which drew some 400 guests and featured performances from Filipino-American artists.

Traditional Philippine lanterns have likewise been at the center of holiday celebrations, with over a hundred parols lit up at the Philippine Embassy grounds in Bangkok. The lanterns came all the way from the province of Pampanga, which has become popular nationwide for its decorative lanterns.

Other Filipino communities overseas likewise are holding their usual Christmas parties, as an opportunity for Filipino migrant workers to get together, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

In Brunei Darussalam, the Philippine Embassy and the Filipino community there held their Annual “Pasko ng Pinoy", with comedienne Giselle Sanchez as their guest.

More than 300 Filipinos and their foreign guests also gathered at the Philippine Embassy grounds in Abuja, Nigeria for a Thanksgiving mass and a Christmas party.

Filipino parishioners of the Our Lady of Assumption Church in Toronto also organized a Christmas Party for Migrant Workers, which featured free Filipino food, games and prizes.

Similar gathering were likewise spearheaded by the Philippine Embassies in Vientiane (Laos) and Pakistan for overseas Filipinos based there.

In Vietnam, meanwhile, Filipinos on the evening of Christmas Eve and the morning after would troop to nearby churches such as the St. Joseph's Cathedral on Nha Tho Street in Hanoi and the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral on Duong Nguyen Du street for the traditional mass, narrates GMANews.TV contributor Eileen Paat.

Paat says a big number of Filipinos attend the 9:30 a.m. mass on Sundays, which is the only English-language mass for the day.

But Christmas is basically quiet in Vietnam, according to Paat, with Filipinos gathering a week or two before Christmas day just before they go for a holiday vacation in the Philippines.—Jerrie M. Abella with Eileen Paat/JV, GMANews.TV

Seven OFWs, child, infant spend Xmas in Saudi jail

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At least seven overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and two children spent Christmas in jail in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a militant migrant group said Sunday.

Migrante-KSA secretary-general Mike Garlan said the OFWs were arrested for lack of proper documents.

“We were alerted by a concerned OFW who said there were seven undocumented OFWs who were apprehended by the Mutawa [religious] police and Jawazat [passport office agents] in Naseem area, Riyadh early morning of Dec. 25," Garlan said in an article on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site Sunday.

Four of them were women, two of which have children — a one-year-old and a three-month, according to the Migrante official.

The report did not name the OFWs.

The Filipinos who escaped from abusive employers have expired iqama or work permit, Garlan said.

His group has reported the case to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and requested for immediate assistance. — VS, GMANews.TV

OFWs muling pinaalalahanan na igalang ang batas sa KSA

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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Sa pagkalat ng electronic mails sa Pinoy communities sa bansang ito na nagbibigay babala tungkol sa ilegal na mga gawain, muling nanawagan ang mga opisyal ng Pilipinas sa mga overseas Filipino worker (OFW) na sundin ang batas at kultura sa KSA.

Kabilang sa nakasaad sa kumakalat na email ay tungkol sa umano’y pagkakahuli kamakailan sa 23 bakla na naaktuhang naka-make-up at kumikilos na parang babae.

Nakasaad din sa email ang babala laban sa pagsasama-sama ng mga babae at lalaki sa isang lugar na hindi naman mag-asawa o magkamag-anak. Tanging magkapamilya lamang ang pinapayagan ng awtoridad sa KSA na magsama sa ibang bahay.

Ayon pa sa babala, nagpakalat ang awtoridad ng mga ahenteng iba ang nasyunalidad upang isumbong ang mga dayuhan sa kanilang bansa na sangkot sa bawal na relasyon at maging ang mga gumagamit o sangkot sa pagkakalat ng ilegal na droga.

Bagamat hindi pa nakukumpirma ng konsulado ang tungkol sa kumakalat na email, pinayuhan ni Philippine Consul General Ezzedin Tago ang mga Pilipino doon na mas makabubuting umiwas sa mga ilegal na gawain upang hindi mapahamak.

Binigyan-diin ng opisyal na dapat isipin ng mga OFW na wala na sila sa Pilipinas kung saan mas malaya ang makipagrelasyon at maituturing mas maluwag ang batas.

Idinagdag ni Tago na dapat alalahanin ng mga Pinoy na nasa Saudi na may parusang kapalit kapag napatunayang sangkot sila gawaing “immoral” na magiging dahilan para mauwiin sila Pilipinas matapos makulong at posibleng malatigo.

“Concerned kami sa mga naririnig naming report tungkol sa dumaraming pag-aresto dahil may mga involve yung usual na inuman o party, party. We just want you all to be safe to enjoy yung pag-stay niyo sa Saudi Arabia para matulungan niyo ang mga pamilya niyo,” ayon sa opisyal.

Ganoon din ang naging pahayag ng Philippine Vice Consul Roussel Reyes na umaasang hindi totoo ang kumakalat na balita kaugnay sa panibagong kaso ng pagdakip sa mga Pinoy.

Sinabi nito na magsasagawa sila ng beripikasyon tungkol sa ulat kasabay din ng paalala niya sa mga Pilipino sa KSA na huwag gumawa ng mga bagay na hindi naaayon sa batas ng bansang kinalalagyan nila.

“Iba pa rin yung nagtatrabaho tayo nang maayos para sa ating mga mahal sa buhay na nasa Pilipinas. Kaya irespeto po natin ang kanilang batas, kultura at alituntunin,” pahayag ni Reyes.

Kinondena naman ni Ernie Apollo, isang OFW, ang mga kababayan na gumagawa ng labag sa batas ng KSA na nagiging dahilan para madamay umano ang mga Pinoy na maayos na nagtatrabaho doon.

“Iwasan na ang ganong klaseng problema para hindi naman nadadamay ang mga lehitimong mag-asawa sa ganoong pangyayari. Kasi ang pagkakamali ng isa, lahat ay hagip na naman pati ang legal na Filipino couples,” aniya.

Samantala, may ilan ding nakakakita ng magandang resulta sa paghihigpit ng awtoridad sa KSA lalo na ang mga Pinoy na natutukso at pumapasok sa bawal na relasyon.

Ayon kay Emma Avelino, tubong Mandaluyong, at anim na taon nang nagtatrabaho sa Saudi, magandang balita ito lalo na sa mga naiwang asawa sa Pilipinas dahil hindi na makakapagloko ang mga asawang nasa abroad.

Nanawagan din ang pinuno ng Order of the Knights of Rizal (OKOR) Riyadh Chapter na si Ronnie Ulip, na ayusin ng mga OFW ang kanilang buhay sa KSA at labanan ang matinding kalungkutan na malayo sa pamilya.

“Marami pong mga OFW ang napapahamak dahil sa kagagawan ng iba nating mga pasaway na kababayan.

Kaya iwasan po natin gumawa ng mgabagay na pagsisisihan natin sa huli,” payo ni Ulip

– Ronaldo Concha, GMANews.TV

OFW remittances to PH is ‘4th largest in the world’

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By Michelle Remo

MANILA, Philippines— The Philippines remained one of the world's biggest recipients of remittances in 2010 and is seen to witness a further surge in money from Filipino migrant workers in the next two years, according to the latest "Migration and Remittances Factbook" by the World Bank.

Based on the country rankings shown in the report, remittances to the Philippines were the fourth-biggest worldwide.

Remittances to the Philippines are estimated to reach $21.3 billion for the entire 2010, registering a 23-percent growth from the $17.3 billion recorded last year.

Official and latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that in January to August, remittances reached $12.2 billion. The World Bank estimates, however, that some $9.1 billion more remittances were sent and will be sent to the Philippines from September to December this year.

The estimated remittances to the Philippines follow the estimates for India ($55 billion), China ($51 billion), and Mexico ($22.6 billion), which were the Top 3 biggest recipients of remittances.

Landing on the fifth place, behind the Philippines, is France, remittances to which are estimated to reach $15.9 billion.

Total remittances to all developing countries are estimated to reach $325 billion this year, up by 6 percent from last year's $307 billion and rebounding from the contraction registered in 2009 as a result of the global crisis.

Remittances to the Philippines significantly help boost growth of the domestic economy, as these largely fuel household consumption. Estimates by the World Bank said remittances to the country were equivalent to about 12 percent of its gross domestic product.

Economic managers admitted that remittances largely helped the country escape recession last year, when the latest global turmoil was said to have peaked. The Philippines grew by 1.1 percent last year, performing better than most industrialized countries, which contracted.

Remittances continued to grow this year due to higher demand for Filipino workers in more countries and in more sectors.

"The diversified destination of Filipino migrants contributed to steady growth in 2010 despite the crisis," the World Bank said.

The developmental institution has projected that remittances to the Philippines would grow further next year, consistent with the likely rise in overall remittances to developing countries.

According to World Bank, remittances to developing countries may surge further by 6.2 percent in 2011 and by 8.1 percent in 2012.

However, the bank pointed out risks to the projection, including the still high unemployment rate in the United States and some other countries that accounted for the biggest migrant workers. Should their employment situation worsen, remittances to developing countries might be adversely affected, the bank said.

Note: 
Reposted from Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 17:50:00 11/09/2010
Filed Under: Remittances, government, International (Foreign)Trade, Good news, Economic Indicators, Economy and Business and Finance

OFW advance PAG-IBIG payment suspended by Binay

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Overseas Filipino Workers burden to pay the compulsory of the mandatory six-month advance contribution to PAG-IBIG Fund is currently suspended as ordered by Vice President Jejomar on Thursday. As remembered the issuance of POEA Memorandum Circular No. 06, Series of 2010 last July 7, mandated all out-bound OFWs a six months advance Pag-IBIG membership contributions. However, the migrants’ rights group considered the memorandum as additional burden that is unfair and unreasonable upon deployment for membership to the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) or Pag-IBIG Fund.

Under POEA Memorandum Circular No. 06, which took effect on August 1, out-bound OFWs are mandated a fee of P600 as six months advance Pag-IBIG contributions. The fee also serves as a requirement for the issuance of an Overseas Employment Certificate that all land-based and sea-based OFWs must have to leave the country. The said certificate will not be issued upon failure to comply of this requirement.
Binay, as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), chairs the Board of Trustees of PAG-IBIG Fund, said that he has already ordered Pag-IBIG and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to review the basis for compelling OFWs to pay their contribution in advance.

“What is important is that government should assist our OFWs and should not be seen as further imposing burdens on them,” Binay said.

On Thursday, Binay directed the Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to suspend the implementation of the order requiring OFWs to advance their contribution to the housing fund before they can leave the country.

“Aside from reviewing the legal basis for the order, the concerned government agencies should hold more consultations with the affected sectors. There should be transparency in the process,” Binay stated.
“There are benefits to be derived from PAG-IBIG membership and this should be explained fully to our OFWs,” he added.

As head of PAG-IBIG’s Board of Trustees, Binay assured the OFWs that the matter will be given priority by his office. He also said the government will continue providing assistance to the OFWs instead of being a burden to them.

Concerned migrant workers groups, among them Migrante and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, as well as associations of labor exporters, have questioned the directive.

Meanwhile, Migrante welcomed Binay’s move and reiterated their position that membership to the housing fund must not be compulsory but only optional.

“We urge VP Binay and PAG-IBIG to invite us for a dialog and consultation so that they could hear direct from the OFWs and their families our strong opposition against making it compulsory,” John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante Middle East Chapter said.

Reposted from filipinolifeabroad.com (August 16, 2010)