Filipino group fears mass retrenchment of OFWs

RIYADH: A Filipino group has warned of mass retrenchment of overseas foreign workers (OFWs) in the Middle East and urged the Philippines government to take necessary measures to help these people upon their return to the country.

The warning, by Migrante-Middle East (M-ME), the Filipino group for migrants’ support, comes on the heels of the pink slip given to around 30 OFWs by a Saudi construction firm they had recently joined.

“We have been observing the current economic scenario and a sharp drop in oil prices in Saudi Arabia, which hosts more than a million of OFWs,” M-ME regional coordinator John Monterona told Arab News. 

Monterona said the Saudi Arabian government has already undertaken economic reforms such as budget cuts and austerity measures. It has even increased the local oil prices by around 50 percent and is seriously considering imposing Value Added Tax (VAT) by the end of 2016, he said.
“Government projects, including infrastructure and the development of various economic cities, have also been affected. Some of these projects have been delayed and some have been temporarily stopped. Hence, many OFWs and expats from other countries working for private construction firms have received termination notices,” Monterona said.
According to him, at least 30 OFWs who were recently appointed by a construction firm were retrenched. “All are still under a three-month probationary period,” he said.

Monterona said: “The Philippines government should adopt short-term and long-term measures to assist the retrenched OFWs. Livelihood assistance loans and similar assistance packages must be made available to these workers, besides jobs,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Riyadh-based Filipino Expatriates Council for Justice, Peace and Order has expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia will handle pressing issues in a responsible manner. “We have full faith in the Kingdom’s peace initiatives, judicial proceedings and rulings, and protection of the country and its people,” it said.

Source - Arab News

DOH: OFW with bird flu symptoms dies

MANILA, Philippines - A 52-year-old Filipino who worked as a musician in China for six years died of “suspected” bird flu six days after returning to the Philippines on Feb. 9, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

But acting Health Secretary Janette Garin clarified that the Philippines remains free from bird flu and it “has never had a case” since the first human infections were recorded in Hong Kong in 1997.

Garin said the patient was feeling weak, so he decided to come home “to be with his family” last Feb. 9. The following day, he developed cough, fever and diarrhea so he sought consultation on Feb. 11. On Feb. 12, his condition worsened so he went to a hospital but refused confinement. He died on Feb. 14.

“Because of his symptoms and the fast progression of his condition, plus history of travel in China, coupled with history of being exposed to live poultry, the patient was considered a possible case of Avian Influenza or bird flu,” Garin told a press briefing.

The patient underwent three x-ray and biopsy examinations and initial results revealed pulmonary findings, but these were inconclusive. To accurately establish his illness, he had to be autopsied.

However, Garin said the experts from Hong Kong who guided Filipino experts in looking after the patient have recommended against an autopsy because it will put embalmers at risk.

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The Hong Kong experts also cautioned that opening the body may lead to the spread of the virus, so the body was cremated.

“If the patient really contracted bird flu, his death has ended the possibility of transmission. The case is considered closed. We have nothing to worry, but we have to remain vigilant and help spread the right information to our fellow Filipino who are working in countries reporting bird flu,” Garin explained.

Even those who had close contacts with the patient were closely monitored for one week, which ended on Feb. 21, and were given prophylaxis treatment using Tamiflu, a preventive antibiotic. They did not manifest any symptom.  – With Mayen Jaymalin


Source: Philstar

OFW remittances up by 6.2 percent

MANILA, Philippines - Remittances rose 6.2 percent last year to a new peak over 2013 levels on strong demand for Filipino workers abroad, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday.



Cash and non-cash remittances, which reached $26.924 billion at the end of 2014 from $25.351 billion in 2013, were a new record high, the central bank said.

Citing data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the BSP said 1.6 million Filipinos were deployed last year, while job orders increased by 10.7 percent to 878,609.

About 43.6 percent of these job orders were for service, production, professional, technical and related workers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Qatar, the central bank said.

Cash remittances went up 5.8 percent to $24.308 billion last year from $22.968 billion in 2013, also a new high for the annual sum. The growth rate surpassed the central bank’s 5.5-percent assumption for remittances in 2014.

The BSP said remittances from land-based workers totaled $18.7 billion, while those sent by sea-based workers amounted to $5.6 billion.

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The bulk of the funds were sent from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada.

Source:  Philstar

No need to worry, Filipino expats told

JEDDAH: Filipinos in the Kingdom need not worry too much about geopolitical tensions in the region, the Philippine consulate general in Jeddah said, because “the present situation in Saudi Arabia is stable.”

Consulate officials gave the assurance during a recent dialogue with Filipino community leaders amid fears expressed in Philippine media that the estimated 2.2 million Filipino in the Middle East may be endangered by the escalating tensions between Gulf states and Iran.

The dialogue organized in cooperation with the Kaagapay nang Bawat OFW Advocacy Group.

Vice Consul Rodney Sumague observed that while it is possible that the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Yemen may escalate, “KSA is successfully containing the Yemen conflict beyond its border.”

In a statement, the consulate advised Filipinos working near the Saudi-Yemen border “to remain vigilant, minimize unnecessary movements, and to avoid big crowds and public gatherings.”

“They are also advised to always coordinate their concerns with their employers and immediately refer issues with their employers/employment to the consulate,” it added.

As to the situation of OFWs in Najran and Jazan, Vice Consul Alex Estomo said the consulate has already been sending teams in the area to assess the situation, meet with the Filipino community to update them on our security assessments, and meet with employers and discuss their contingency plans with them.

“If the situation deteriorates, workers will be advised to formally request transfer or repatriation from their employers, while the consulate and POLO/OWWA will assist them in negotiating for the issuance of their final exit visas,” he said.

In Manila Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a nongovernment organization helping distressed OFWs, advised Filipinos to avoid participating in political activities.

“They should focus on their work and their responsibilities and remain as the country’s best ambassadors of goodwill. Do not get involved in anything that is political in nature,” Ople said. But the OFWs should also be concerned about the political situation in the country.

“They should be conscious of what is going on and keep in touch with respective Philippine embassies and consulates,” she said.

Source: ArabNews

Pinoys in Jeddah discuss preps in case Saudi-Iran rift worsens

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Leaders of Filipino communities here met with officials of the Philippine Consulate last Friday to discuss possible preparations in case tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalate.

Although the situation here remains normal except for some protest rallies in some areas, the Filipinos still saw the need to prepare for any eventuality.

Among the topics discussed were the shelter where Filipinos can run to in case of armed conflict, how to secure their end of service benefits from their employers in case they seek repatriation, who will shoulder their plane fares, and assistance that could be extended to undocumented Filipinos.
According to Vice Consul Alex Estomo, head of the Assistance to National Section, the consulate has designated four convergence points should the need for mass evacuation arises. They are Tabuk, Yanbu, Jeddah and the Khamis Mushayt area, all located in the Kingdom's western region.

The Filipinos were also told to always bring with them their passports so that availment of the exit visa will be speedy.

The consulate is ready to provide travel documents to those Filipinos who could not immediately present or produce their passports, Estomo said.

Estomo also said their contingency plan included those for jailed Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, although he noted that this will depend on the result of the coordination with Saudi authorities. 

Estomo also said they are closely monitoring the situation in areas near the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border after Filipino workers there reported an increase in bombing activities by warring groups. He said they are planning to establish a crisis management hub in the area to address the situation in Jizan, Samtah and Najran.

In case the security situation in the border worsens, the consolidation point for Filipinos in Najran will be at Abha province, Estomo said. 

Source: GMA News

Saudi-Iran row puts 2M OFWs in danger

THE ESCALATING tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the Saudi execution of a Shiite cleric is becoming a cause for concern for the 2.2 million Filipinos working in the volatile Middle East.

“The recent development in the Middle East is worrisome for our over a million OFWs (overseas Filipino workers). We have to prepare for any contingencies,” Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said in a text message.

President Aquino is set to hold a meeting today at 2 p.m. with key Cabinet and other government officials to discuss the Middle East crisis, a Palace advisory said.

The geopolitical conflict has spread, with two Sunni-led countries— Bahrain and Sudan—severing diplomatic ties with Iran.

Another ally of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, said it was “downgrading” its diplomatic relations with Iran with the recall of its ambassador from Tehran. Kuwait has also recalled its ambassador to Iran.

“Emotions on both sides are very high at this time… I prefer to keep my opinion to myself in the meantime,” Seguis said.
More than 800,000 Filipinos are working in Saudi Arabia and 4,000 in Iran, according to records of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

An estimated 2.2 million OFWs are working in the entire Middle East, according to the authorities.

Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a nongovernment organization helping distressed OFWs, advised Filipinos to avoid participating in political activities.
“They should focus on their work and their responsibilities and remain as the country’s best ambassadors of goodwill. Do not get involved in anything that is political in nature,” Ople said.

But the OFWs should also be concerned about the political situation in the country.

“They should be conscious of what is going on and keep in touch with respective Philippine embassies and consulates,” Ople said.

While the responses from Iran and Saudi Arabia are confined to the cutting of diplomatic ties, the situation remains worrisome for the Filipinos and foreign workers in the Middle East.

“We need to monitor the developments aside from any possible consequences or repercussions not only on the Filipinos but also on other foreign workers,” Ople said.
Malacañang said the Philippine government was ready to undertake necessary measures to ensure the safety of Filipinos living and working in Saudi Arabia and in Iran.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. noted that the government had emergency procedures in place, based on alert levels, which were implemented when Filipinos were repatriated from Egypt and Libya last year.

“We can assure you that we are preparing [for any eventuality] and we have enough resources to respond to any kind of emergency,” Coloma said.

Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the DFA spokesperson, said so far there was no indication of danger for Filipinos based in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

“Nevertheless, our embassies and consulates are ready to extend assistance to the OFWs and use the government resources to ensure their safety,” Jose said.

He said the government had demonstrated in recent years its capability to repatriate distressed OFWs from conflict-stricken areas in North Africa and the Middle East countries, such as Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

So far, the Philippine government has no plan to raise an alert level and impose travel and deployment bans in Saudi Arabia and Iran, Jose said.

Amid the rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the OFWs are apprehensive but vigilant, according to the migrant rights group, Migrante, in Saudi Arabia.

“Sentiments of most of the OFWs in the kingdom: apprehensive but vigilant due to the perceived volatile political rift between the Saudi government and Iran,” said John Leonard Monterona, coordinator of Migrante-Middle East.

Monterona said so far there were no huge demonstrations inside the kingdom that would undermine its internal peace and order situation.
“If there are demonstrations those were outside Saudi Arabia,” said Monterona, who is based in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Coloma assured the public that the government was also prepared to deal with any increase in crude oil prices through its renewable fuels program.

“It is our view that in the long term, we have to scale back on our dependence on imported oil and this includes an overall strategy to reduce greenhouse gas [emissions], the lessened use of fossil fuels. All these measures are taken into consideration in looking at the situation in the Middle East,” he said.

Should Filipino workers lose their jobs in the Middle East as a result of the tensions in the region, Coloma said the Aquino administration had several employment alternatives to those who might be forced to return to the Philippines.

Source:  Inquirer

Finally, Filipino gets a call from Saudi ‘dad’

RIYADH: A Saudi man residing in the capital has contacted the Filipino who has been searching for his father for 15 years and told him that he was ready for a DNA test.

An excited Elayan Kris Allafi, the 31-year-old Filipino, expressed thanks to Arab News via an online conversation for publishing his story in its Jan. 2 edition. He said the Saudi man contacted him early on Saturday morning and expressed his willingness to undergo a DNA test for final confirmation and completion of legal procedures.

“Thanks to Arab News, this is for the first time in my life I got to hear from him,” Allafi said. 
“Thank you for your help. They are now talking to each other on the phone,” Allafi’s wife told Arab News while he engaged in a phone conversation with the Saudi man calling from Riyadh. “They are now discussing how to undergo the DNA test” she said, 

Allafi provided some documents, photos and letters to Arab News, dated 1984 from Riyadh, bearing the name of the sender and his postal address. 

Allafi said: “Thanks to Allah, I am so happy the man is willing to recognize me but wants to be sure that everything goes through the legal process. He expressed his willingness to undergo DNA test.” 
The Saudi man also had a conversation with this reporter on Saturday and expressed his willingness to end the suffering of Allafi. 

According to Allafi, his mother met the Saudi man in Manila in 1983-84 through a Filipino friend who was a business partner. 

“I retained my name in my passport in the hope to see him one day, although it is something unfamiliar in the Filipino community to have such a name. However, everybody knows me there as “Arabia son”.

Allafi, who is now already married, said that when he was 17-18 years old, he had started the search for his father. He was raised in the Christian community in Isabella and has been working in in Malaysia since 2005. 

“I am confident about meeting my father, so that I can visit the Two Holy Mosques with my wife to perform Umrah” he told said from Malaysia. 

He is now pursuing Islamic studies in Malaysia to learn more about his original religion, and uses the Arabic name in his Facebook account. 

“Once he recognizes me, I will perform Haj immediately,” he said.

Source:  Arab News

Portion of P23-M blood money should go to Joselito Zapanta's family – bishop

A bishop on Monday appealed to the government to give part of the P23 million blood money raised to supposedly save overseas Filipino worker Joselito Zapanta from execution in Saudi Arabia to his family in the Philippines.

Balanga, Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos, who chairs the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines' Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant Peoples (CBCP-ECMI), made the appeal after Zapanta was beheaded in Riyadh for killing a Sudanese national in 2009.

The execution pushed through on December 29 after Zapanta's family failed to raise the P48 million blood money being asked by the victim's widow.

"Tama lamang na ipagpatuloy natin ang pagtulong sa naiwan na mahal sa buhay ni Joselito Zapanta," Santos said on Radyo Veritas, adding Zapanta, who came from a poor family in Pampanga, left behind a wife and two children, aged 13 and 11.

The P23 million raised by Zapanta's family is currently in a bank account opened by the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

"Ang pagpapasalamat natin sa kanya, sa kanyang ginawa na pagpapakasakit para mahal niya sa buhay at pati na rin sa ekonomiya na ay maipakilala/maipakita sa pamamagitan ng blood money na itulong, ipagkaloob sa pangangailangan ng dalawang anak ni Joselito," Santos said.

Santos also urged the government to extend all efforts to help some 1,000 OFWs incarcerated in other countries over various charges, including the 88 who are on death row.

"Dapat natin itong ibigay sa nangangailangan, para sa mga naiwan ni Joselito at gamitin na rin sa mga iba pang nasa piitan upang mapalaya. Tama lamang na ipagpatuloy ang pagtulong. Hindi ibig sabihin na lumisan na si Joselito, hindi na natin tutulungan," he said.

Source:  KBK, GMA News