ATM Skimming is a modus operandi where criminals use an “ATM skimmer” - a malicious device attached to an ATM - to steal your money. When you use a compromised ATM machine, the skimmer will copy the information in your card's magnetic strip. A hidden camera or a fake keypad will then capture your PIN as you enter it.
If you use ATMs often, then you should be aware of these high tech method criminals use to steal your money easily. It’s used to be easy to spot ATM skimmers. But with improving technology, including 3D printing, skimming devices are getting harder to detect. The best you can do is to protect your PIN so ATM skimmers won’t be able to capture it.
If you use ATMs often, then you should be aware of these high tech method criminals use to steal your money easily. It’s used to be easy to spot ATM skimmers. But with improving technology, including 3D printing, skimming devices are getting harder to detect. The best you can do is to protect your PIN so ATM skimmers won’t be able to capture it.
How ATM Skimmers Work
An ATM skimmer has two components. The first is a small device that’s generally inserted over the ATM card slot. When you insert your ATM card, the device creates a copy of the data on the magnetic strip of your card. The card passes through the device and enters the machine, so everything will appear to be functioning normally –but your card data has just been copied.
The second part of the device is a small camera. A pinhole camera is placed at the top of the ATM’s screen, just above the number pad, or to the side of the pad. The camera is facing the keypad and it captures you entering your PIN.
The ATM appears to be functioning normally, but the attackers just copied your card’s magnetic strip and your PIN.
The attackers can use this data to clone your ATM card and use it in ATM machines, entering your PIN and withdrawing money from your bank accounts.
ATM skimmers are becoming more and more sophisticated. Instead of a device fitted over a card slot, a skimmer may be a small, unnoticeable device inserted into the card slot itself.An ATM skimmer has two components. The first is a small device that’s generally inserted over the ATM card slot. When you insert your ATM card, the device creates a copy of the data on the magnetic strip of your card. The card passes through the device and enters the machine, so everything will appear to be functioning normally –but your card data has just been copied.
The second part of the device is a small camera. A pinhole camera is placed at the top of the ATM’s screen, just above the number pad, or to the side of the pad. The camera is facing the keypad and it captures you entering your PIN.
The ATM appears to be functioning normally, but the attackers just copied your card’s magnetic strip and your PIN.
The attackers can use this data to clone your ATM card and use it in ATM machines, entering your PIN and withdrawing money from your bank accounts.
Instead of a camera pointed at the keypad, the attackers may be using an overlay — a fake keyboard fitted over the real keypad. When you press a button on the fake keypad, it logs the button you pressed and presses the real button underneath. These are harder to detect. Unlike a camera, they’re also guaranteed to capture your PIN.
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A compromised ATM Machine found in BPI Bank, Philippines. |
ATM skimmers generally store the data they capture on the device itself. The criminals have to come back and retrieve the skimmer to get the data it’s captured. However, more ATM skimmers are now transmitting this data over wireless devices like Bluetooth or even cellular data connections.
How to Spot ATM Skimmers
Basic Security Precautions
here’s what you should always do to protect yourself when using any ATM machine:
Check around the ATM Machine, if there are any devices like modems or routers hidden beside or behind the machine.
- Take a quick look at the ATM machine. Does anything look a bit out-of-place? Perhaps the bottom panel is a different color or looks new compared to the rest of the machine because it’s a fake piece of plastic placed over the real bottom panel and the keypad. Perhaps there’s an odd-looking object that contains a camera. Are there visible traces of glue, tape or other sticking materials around edges?
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A compromised ATM Machine with a card skimmer and a concealed mobile phone overhead as a camera. |
- Jiggle the Card Reader: If the card reader moves around when you try to jiggle it with your hand, something probably isn’t right. A real card reader should be attached to the ATM so well that it won’t move around — a skimmer overlaid over the card reader may move around.
- Examine the Keypad: Does the keypad look a bit too thick, or different from how it usually looks if you’ve used the machine before? Does it look too clean or too new compared to the machine itself? Normal wear and tear usually makes the keypad dirty and the numbers faded out. A good looking and spotless keypad may be an overlay over the real keypad.
Basic Security Precautions
here’s what you should always do to protect yourself when using any ATM machine:
- Avoid using machines in places that are dark, rural, and with very few to no people around.
- ATMs within the bank premises are generally more safe than those found elsewhere, but this is not always the case. ATMs in malls are also usually safe, unless the location is in a corridor far from view of the people.
- If you can, check and compare the ATM you are using with the one beside it, to see any difference. If you find some unusual differences, be safe and find another machine.
- Shield Your PIN With Your Hand, bag or wallet. Learn how to enter the PIN without looking at the pad. This might not protect you against the most sophisticated skimmers that use keypad overlays, but you’re much more likely to run into an ATM skimmer that uses a camera — they’re much cheaper to purchase. This is the easiest tip you can use to protect yourself.
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Covering the keypad by your hand is the simplest but most effective way of protecting your ATM information and your money. |
- Monitor Your Bank Account Transactions: You should regularly check your bank accounts and credit card accounts online. Check for suspicious transactions and notify your bank as quickly as possible. You want to catch these problems as soon as possible — don’t wait until your bank mails you a printed statement a month after money has been withdrawn from your account by a criminal.
- If your bank has it, subscribe to SMS notifications, whereby you will receive a text message each time a withdrawal or deposit is made on your account.
- If you suspect that an ATM machine is compromised, report it to the bank or nearest police station.
Skimming usually happens around salary and bonus dates, holidays, and days when people usually spend money (school enrollment, bills payment). ATMs in remote areas or areas with very few people are often chosen by criminals to install their skimming devices. ATMs in tourist spots are also more common since people using ATMs here are not locals.
Now that you have an idea about skimming, test yourself with these images. Which of these are compromised and which ones are real and safe to use?
Scroll down to get the correct answers.
source: howtogeek
The Philippines' Golden Age of Infrastructure
![The Duterte Administration has finally launched the Philippines' Golden Age of Infrastructure! During the #Dutertenomics Forum last April 18, 2017, the President Duterte's economic team unveiled the administration's economic program. The forum showed the administration’s development plans and the ambitious infrastructure program that will be rolled out in the next six years – anchored on the president’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda that seeks to speed up inclusive growth and transform the economy into one that is also pro-poor. 4th on the President's agenda is the acceleration of Infrastructure spending. President Duterte clearly wants things done – but he also wants everything to be transparent, untainted by suspicions of graft and corruption. The newly launched website www.build.gov.ph is a transparency tool that people can access to check the status of these mega-projects. The economic blueprint – with its massive and very ambitious $160-billion infrastructure plan over the next six years – looks very promising. In the plan, there are 64 big-ticket infrastructure projects in the works. Here are 15 projects that can jump-start the Philippines into a world-class economy: 1. BGC to Ortigas Road Link Project Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge involves the construction of a 4-lane bridge across Pasig River and a 4-lane viaduct structure traversing Lawton Avenue onwards the entrance of Bonifacio Global City and the ramp before Kalayaan Avenue in the City of Makati. The total length of the projects is 961.427 m. 2. UP-Miriam-Ateneo Viaduct The UP-Miriam-Ateneo viaduct aims to reduce the travel time at Katipunan and CP Garcia. 3. Iloilo-Guimaras-Negros-Cebu Link Bridge When completed, you can find it easier to travel to Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros and Cebu via a bus or car. 4. Davao City bypass construction project Travel to Digos, Davao del Sur through Panabo, Davao del Norte will only be only 45 minutes instead of the usual 2 hours. 5. NLEX-SLEX Connector Road The project involves the construction and operation and maintenance of a 8 km. 4-lane elevated expressway over the Philippine National Railway (PNR) right of way. It starts from C3 Road in Caloocan through Manila crossing Espana towards PUP, Sta. Mesa connecting Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 (MMSS3). Once completed, the NLEX-SLEX Connector road is expected to decongest traffic in Metro Manila by providing an alternative to C-5 Road, EDSA, and other major thoroughfares, and cut the travel time between NLEX and SLEX to 15-20 minutes which today takes more than an hour. 6. Manila-Clark railway Guaranteed ONE HOUR from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport 7. Metro Manila Bus rapid Train system The Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - Line 1 Project spans 12.3 kilometers from Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) to Manila City Hall via Elliptical Road, Quezon Avenue, and Espana Boulevard. It is expected to serve 291,500 passengers daily in its first year of operations. The EDSA BRT Line 2 is a proposal to establish and implement a 48.6-kilometer high-quality bus-based mass transportation system and a corresponding pedestrian and bicycle greenway network. The system consists of four corridors; namely, a main corridor along EDSA, and spur corridors along Ayala Ave. to World Trade Center, Ortigas to Bonifacio Global City, and NAIA terminals. 8. Mindanao Railway A 105 kilometer segment of the larger 830 kilometer Mindanao Railway network. The Mindanao Railway will connect major cities, seaports, economic zones, allowing for faster transportation of passengers and freight. The Tagum-Davao-Digos segment alone is expected to serve over 100,000 passengers daily in its opening year. 9. Regional Airport Development This list includes Bacolod Airport, Davao Airport, Iloilo Airport, Laguindingan Airport, Bohol Airport, and Puerto Princesa Airport. The project involves construction of new airports in Bohol and Palawan, and the expansion, development and upgrade of the other airports mentioned. 10. RORO Ports Development Also called Central Spine RORO Alignment Project (CSR), the project aims tp align road and sea linkages through the Roll-on Roll-off system from Batangas Port, Batangas City to Cagayan de Oro. These include RORO ports in Manila, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Naga, Aklan, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Bohol, Zamboanga. 11. Clark International Airport , New Terminal Building With a proposed capacity of 8 million passengers, the new terminal is expected to decongest Manila-based terminals and encourage Filipinos to use the airport as a viable alternative to the NAIA. 12. Clark Green City Envisioned to be the country’s first smart, disaster-resilient and green metropolis, the Clark Green City is a 9,450-hectare master planned property within the Clark Special Economic Zone. At full development, Clark Green City will have some 1.12 million residents, 800,000 workers and contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy. 13. BGC to NAIA Bus Rapid Transit System One can arrive at the NAIA airport within 15 minutes from Fort Bonifacio. No traffic and no delay. 14. Subic Clark Cargo Railway Project A connection from the Subic port and the Clark airport to reduce the number of cargo and delivery trucks traversing Metro Manila, and in effect, reducing cost of goods. 15. Mega Manila Subway Phase 1 from Quezon city to Taguig A 25-kilometer underground mass transportation system connecting major business districts and government centers. It is expected to serve around 370,000 passengers per day in its opening year alone. The feasibility study is being conducted with the help of a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In his 10-point Socioeconomic Agenda, President Rodrigo Duterte envisioned the reduction of poverty from 21.6% in 2015 to 13%-15% by 2022. The acceleration of infrastructure and the development of industries will yield robust growth across the archipelago, create jobs and uplift the lives of Filipinos. Infrastructure is among the top priorities of this Administration with public spending on infrastructure projects targeted to reach 8-9 trillion pesos from 2017-2022.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_LBvCHJFzyDIOUWFAxhdz98x3Atu4mZVea7V5LRR5v_m109a7mZxxZMzn0G7IOBLoEylM7k_h4GZyU5ETz5yWFR8pz2_R2-xeq8HegUFbzcfc4UYNUxVEPIbJyKV1amyuSrt/s640/Golden+Age.png)
Job Hunting in The Philippines Gets Even Tougher; List Of Job Fair Venues This Coming Labor Day
![Lack of job opportunities and low wages are some of the reasons why there are Overseas Filipino Workers. The government fails to generate jobs for thousands of graduates which numbers increase every year. Unemployment rates are rising and finding a job becomes tougher and tougher. Philjobnet, the official job portal of the government has around 8,000 available jobs but the applicants are about double. For a Filipino to have a job, it will take several months of trying until they can finally get hired. People from the provinces go to Manila for job hunting hoping that they can get lucky enough to be hired. In looking for a job, you need to spend a lot of time and money. Timing is also important. You need to grab the available opportunity at the right time or it will take another month of waiting. Philjobnet has more than 8,000 jobs available and it changes in real time. Job vacancies that are available at this moment for you may be gone in a few minutes so you need to grab it by the neck and do not let it escape. There are around 19,000 people waiting for a job and if you got it in there first then you have better chances. In finding a job, procrastinating will bring you nowhere. The competition is stiff and like the popular saying "strike the iron while it's hot", you need to do it NOW and waiting is not an option. The unemployment rate in the Philippines as of January is 6.6 percent according to the Labor Force Survey and there is 16.3 percent who are underemployed or those who are not earning according to their skills and specialization. In finding a job nowadays, if you really need a job, you should not consider proximity or salary. What is important is to gain skills and experience that will make your market value higher. DOLE will have a Job fair this coming May 1 with available 200,000 job vacancies from over 800 employers. Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique Rubia Tutay said around 200,000 jobs will be available in their Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) fairs in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry. Here are the venue of the fairs in different regions: Metro Manila Quezon City Hall Fisher Mall, Quezon City Ayala Mall, Muntinlupa City Basketball court behind Parañaque City Hall Vista Mall, Taguig City Robinsons Mall, Las Piñas City Valenzuela Astrodome, Valenzuela City Bonifacio Monument, Manila City Malabon City Hall Pasay City Hall Cordillera Administrative Region Baguio Convention Center Ilocos Region Robinsons, Ilocos Norte Robinsons, Lingayen, Pangasinan Cagayan Valley Region Ilagan, Isabela Mall of the Valley, Tuguegarao Central Luzon Region SM City Baliuag, Bulacan Provincial Old Capitol Freedom Park, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija SM City Clark, Pampanga SM City Downtown and SM City Pampanga, City of San Fernando, Pampanga Metro Town Mall, Sto Cristo, Tarlac City, Tarlac People’s Park, Iba, Zambales Southern Tagalog (Calabarzon) Pacific Mall, Lucena City Centro Mall, Cabuyao Cultural Center, Sta Cruz, Laguna The District Mall, Imus, Cavite Southwestern Tagalog (Mimaropa) Roxas, Mindoro Oriental Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Bicol Region Pacific Mall, Legaspi City Western Visayas Atria, Mandurriao, Iloilo City Central Visayas Abellana National Sports Complex, Cebu City Cebu Capitol, Cebu City SM City Cebu, Cebu City Eastern Visayas Leyte Academic Center, Candahug, Palo, Leyte Ormoc City Hall Zamboanga Peninsula Western Mindanao State University, Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City Northern Mindanao Cagayan de Oro City Ozamis City Iligan City Malaybalay City Davao Region Gaisano Mall of Davao, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City SOCCSKSARGEN KCC Mall Convention Center, General Santos City CARAGA Robinsons Place, Butuan City Negros Island Region SM City, Bacolod Reclamation Area, Bacolod City Negros Oriental Convention Center, Dumaguete City There will also be a job fair in Vista Mall, Balanga City, Bataan, on May 5. Those living in NHA resettlements in Pandi, Bulacan, may also participate in a special job fair organized from May 9 to 11. Job seekers are reminded to bring application requirements such as their resumé or curriculum vitae, 2x2 ID pictures, certificates of employment from former employers, diploma, transcript of records, and a certified true copy of birth certificate. Source: GMA, DOLE RECOMMENDED: The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has announced that it is going to give an on-site assessment to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are bound for the Middle East. Secretary Guiling "Gene" Mamondiong, TESDA Director-General said that the Onsite Assessment Program (OAP) aims to find out if the OFWs possess the competencies required in a preferred work. Mamondiong disclosed that a delegation from TESDA will go to the Middle East to conduct the onsite assessment in coordination with the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO). The TESDA onsite assessment is scheduled at Comsofil in Riyadh; POLO, Dubai; ICSA, Kuwait City and Total Care International in Jeddah. OFWs who are interested in the onsite assessment may visit the POLO in the scheduled areas. Jeddah and Dubai have already submitted a list of assessment candidates, Mamondiong said. Workers may take the assessment in the following qualifications: Riyadh: Technical Drafting NC II; Visual Graphics Design NC II and Computer Systems Servicing NC II for Dubai: Technical Drafting NC II, Visual Graphics Design NC III, Massage Therapy NC II and Caregiving NC II. Kuwait: Technical Drafting NC II Visual Graphics Design NC III Computer Systems Servicing NC II. Jeddah: Massage Therapy NC II Caregiving NC II. The TESDA onsite assessment is scheduled at Comsofil in Riyadh; POLO, Dubai; ICSA, Kuwait City and Total Care International in Jeddah. Poor PGH Patients to Benefit From P100Million Funds From President Rodrigo Duterte Known to be a President with a soft spot for the poor and those who are in the lace of society, President Rodrigo Duterte has once again proved it when he allocated P100 million to fund the hospitalization of the poor patients at the state-owned Philippine General Hospital (PGH). The President turned over the check to PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi during a meeting in Malacañang on March 7, 2017. In a statement released by Radio Television Network Malacañang, it says that the said fund will be allocated for the underprivileged patients who cannot afford medical procedures and treatments. The President has shown his soft spot for the poor after giving P2 billion from PAGCOR, to the Department of Health to be used for the free medical assistance to the public. Present during the meeting with the President were PGH Director Gerardo Legazpi, Dr. Ireneo Quiron of the PGH Fiscal Services, Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration Rizalina Justol, and Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher ‘Bong’ Go. Recommended: The President assures that he will bring 250 stranded OFWs from Saudi Arabia with him when he returned to the Philippines after a series of visit in the Middle East. During his speech in Davao before his departure, he said that God-willing, he will bring some OFWs in death row with him when he return to the country. During his speech in front of the Filipino Community in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia, President Duterte said that he will be bringing home the first batch of 250 OFWs who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia for a very long time, and they will continue to do it. "We are arranging for the transportation of 250 OFWs who hopefully be back to the Philippines in time for the return of President Rodrigo Duterte.., " DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said. Secretary Bello also added that since the announcement of the Saudi Crown Prince Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif Al Saud about the amnesty program for expats, DOLE has already sent an augmentation team to assist the OFWs to comply with the requirements for the amnesty and a lot of them have already availed it. According to Secretary Bello, they are also working on the unpaid claims of the OFWs and they are only validating it in order to establish their claims. If they are all been verified, OWWA will be paying their money claims in advance. President Duterte will also be visiting Bahrain and Qatar after his visit to Saudi Arabia and is expected to be back in the Philippines on April 17. Recommended: "They've been given the clearance. I will fly them home. When I return, I'll be bringing some of them home, " he said during a pre-departure press briefing in Davao City. Reports saying that the Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia have been acting slow with regards to helping stranded and runaway OFWs are not entirely correct according to Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas. He also said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the philippine Consulate in Jeddah are both providing the OFWs all the help they need which includes repatriation as well. 700 OFWs have been in jails in Saudi Arabia for various charges because there are no assistance coming from the Embassy officials, according to the reports from various OFW advocates. The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. "I have been to many places. I have been to the Middle East. You know, the husband is working in one place, the wife in another country. The so many sad stories I hear about our women being raped, abused sexually," The President said. About Filipino domestic helpers, he said: "If you are working on a family and the employer's sibling doesn't have a helper, you will also work for them. And if in a compound,the son-in-law of the employer is also living in there, you will also work for him.So, they would finish their work on sunrise." He even refer to the OFWs being similar to the African slaves because of the situation that they have been into for the sake of their families back home. Citing instances that some of them, out of deep despair, resorted to ending their own lives. The President also said that he finds it heartbreaking to know that after all the sacrifices of the OFWs working abroad for the future of their families they would come home just to learn that their children has been into illegal drugs. "I made no bones about my hatred. I said, 'If you do drugs in my city, if you destroy our daughters and sons, I'll just have to kill you.' I repeated the same warning when i became president," he said. Critics of the so-called violent war on drugs under President Duterte's administration includes local and international human rights groups, linking the campaign on thousands of drug-related killings. Police figures show that legitimate police operations have led to over 2,600 deaths of individuals involved in drugs since the war on drugs began. However, the war on drugs has been evident that the extent of drug menace should be taken seriously. The drug personalities includes high ranking officials and they thrive in the expense of our own children,if not being into drugs, being victimized by drug related crimes. The campaign on illegal drugs has somehow made a statement among the drug pushers and addicts. If the common citizen fear walking on the streets at night worrying about the drug addicts lurking in the dark, now they can walk peacefully while the drug addicts hide in fear that the police authorities might get them. Source:GMA {INSERT ALL PARAGRAPHS HERE {EMBED 3 FB PAGES POST FROM JBSOLIS/THOUGHTSKOTO/PEBA HERE OR INSERT 3 LINKS} ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS "They've been given the clearance. I will fly them home. When I return, I'll be bringing some of them home, " he said during a pre-departure press briefing in Davao City. The President assures that he will bring 250 stranded OFWs from Saudi Arabia with him when he returned to the Philippines after a series of visit in the Middle East. During his speech in Davao before his departure, he said that God-willing, he will bring some OFWs in death row with him when he return to the country. During his speech in front of the Filipino Community in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia, President Duterte said that he will be bringing home the first batch of 250 OFWs who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia for a very long time, and they will continue to do it. "We are arranging for the transportation of 250 OFWs who hopefully be back to the Philippines in time for the return of President Rodrigo Duterte.., " DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said. Secretary Bello also added that since the announcement of the Saudi Crown Prince Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif Al Saud about the amnesty program for expats, DOLE has already sent an augmentation team to assist the OFWs to comply with the requirements for the amnesty and a lot of them have already availed it. According to Secretary Bello, they are also working on the unpaid claims of the OFWs and they are only validating it in order to establish their claims. If they are all been verified, OWWA will be paying their money claims in advance. President Duterte will also be visiting Bahrain and Qatar after his visit to Saudi Arabia and is expected to be back in the Philippines on April 17. Recommended: "They've been given the clearance. I will fly them home. When I return, I'll be bringing some of them home, " he said during a pre-departure press briefing in Davao City. Reports saying that the Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia have been acting slow with regards to helping stranded and runaway OFWs are not entirely correct according to Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas. He also said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the philippine Consulate in Jeddah are both providing the OFWs all the help they need which includes repatriation as well. 700 OFWs have been in jails in Saudi Arabia for various charges because there are no assistance coming from the Embassy officials, according to the reports from various OFW advocates. The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. "I have been to many places. I have been to the Middle East. You know, the husband is working in one place, the wife in another country. The so many sad stories I hear about our women being raped, abused sexually," The President said. About Filipino domestic helpers, he said: "If you are working on a family and the employer's sibling doesn't have a helper, you will also work for them. And if in a compound,the son-in-law of the employer is also living in there, you will also work for him.So, they would finish their work on sunrise." He even refer to the OFWs being similar to the African slaves because of the situation that they have been into for the sake of their families back home. Citing instances that some of them, out of deep despair, resorted to ending their own lives. The President also said that he finds it heartbreaking to know that after all the sacrifices of the OFWs working abroad for the future of their families they would come home just to learn that their children has been into illegal drugs. "I made no bones about my hatred. I said, 'If you do drugs in my city, if you destroy our daughters and sons, I'll just have to kill you.' I repeated the same warning when i became president," he said. Critics of the so-called violent war on drugs under President Duterte's administration includes local and international human rights groups, linking the campaign on thousands of drug-related killings. Police figures show that legitimate police operations have led to over 2,600 deaths of individuals involved in drugs since the war on drugs began. However, the war on drugs has been evident that the extent of drug menace should be taken seriously. The drug personalities includes high ranking officials and they thrive in the expense of our own children,if not being into drugs, being victimized by drug related crimes. The campaign on illegal drugs has somehow made a statement among the drug pushers and addicts. If the common citizen fear walking on the streets at night worrying about the drug addicts lurking in the dark, now they can walk peacefully while the drug addicts hide in fear that the police authorities might get them. Source:GMA {INSERT ALL PARAGRAPHS HERE {EMBED 3 FB PAGES POST FROM JBSOLIS/THOUGHTSKOTO/PEBA HERE OR INSERT 3 LINKS} ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS Reports saying that the Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia have been acting slow with regards to helping stranded and runaway OFWs are not entirely correct according to Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas. He also said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the philippine Consulate in Jeddah are both providing the OFWs all the help they need which includes repatriation as well. 700 OFWs have been in jails in Saudi Arabia for various charges because there are no assistance coming from the Embassy officials, according to the reports from various OFW advocates. The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. "I have been to many places. I have been to the Middle East. You know, the husband is working in one place, the wife in another country. The so many sad stories I hear about our women being raped, abused sexually," The President said. About Filipino domestic helpers, he said: "If you are working on a family and the employer's sibling doesn't have a helper, you will also work for them. And if in a compound,the son-in-law of the employer is also living in there, you will also work for him.So, they would finish their work on sunrise." He even refer to the OFWs being similar to the African slaves because of the situation that they have been into for the sake of their families back home. Citing instances that some of them, out of deep despair, resorted to ending their own lives. The President also said that he finds it heartbreaking to know that after all the sacrifices of the OFWs working abroad for the future of their families they would come home just to learn that their children has been into illegal drugs. "I made no bones about my hatred. I said, 'If you do drugs in my city, if you destroy our daughters and sons, I'll just have to kill you.' I repeated the same warning when i became president," he said. Critics of the so-called violent war on drugs under President Duterte's administration includes local and international human rights groups, linking the campaign on thousands of drug-related killings. Police figures show that legitimate police operations have led to over 2,600 deaths of individuals involved in drugs since the war on drugs began. However, the war on drugs has been evident that the extent of drug menace should be taken seriously. The drug personalities includes high ranking officials and they thrive in the expense of our own children,if not being into drugs, being victimized by drug related crimes. The campaign on illegal drugs has somehow made a statement among the drug pushers and addicts. If the common citizen fear walking on the streets at night worrying about the drug addicts lurking in the dark, now they can walk peacefully while the drug addicts hide in fear that the police authorities might get them. Source:GMA {INSERT ALL PARAGRAPHS HERE {EMBED 3 FB PAGES POST FROM JBSOLIS/THOUGHTSKOTO/PEBA HERE OR INSERT 3 LINKS} ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoZw5903NNALzYE78I5gvTmT_NkfJ4VpuYn8RrgOBNr97ubTE7l-wU_kr5qWkb68g27CCAwwjOUU0Xdpogm7jiLEn8BjWTCqzlE5fhpr-sjftGPEv2u6eWE2I0uxX3xZDGaaF_A/s640/00000000000000000000000000000000000.png)
OFWs In Saudi Arabia Are Now Limited To Having Only Two SIM Cards
![Saudi Arabia has imposed limits on the number of prepaid SIM cards registered for citizens and foreigners, restrictions that the regulator said aim to prevent the use of cards in carrying out militant attacks in the kingdom. This move also comes after a massive nationwide campaign of sim card verification by linking each sim card to the fingerprint of its owner. Millions of foreign residents, including the hundreds of thousands of OFWs, are now limited to two prepaid SIM cards across all operators. The limit applies to both voice (call) and data (internet) lines in a country where a majority of expats rely on data SIMs for Internet. Saudis are restricted to a more generous amount of 10 prepaid SIM cards. Expats who have more than two sim cards which are already verified, will not be affected and will be allowed to keep their existing sim cards. They will not however be able to buy and register a new sim card in their name, until the authorities lift the limits. “This is considered a temporary procedure to correct and remedy the large number of illegal SIM cards in the market,” the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications regulator, said in a statement. "Illegal SIM cards have been used to carry out terrorist operations and other acts harmful to national security." they further said. The move is likely to hit telecom firms which are already going through a tough time. Shares in Mobily and Zain have went down. The kingdom's largets network, Saudi Telecom Company slashed a portion of its profits. The move will also likely raise the ire of consumers since it is the latest in a string of decisions in which consumers have been forced to wait in long lines just to verify their information and submit their fingerprint. A few months back, mobile service providers have also scaled-back their unlimited internet plans, thereby raising internet costs to consumers. This happened even as increasing number of data-sim users are complaining of slow internet speeds due to network congestion.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWm3yYoYo1Ha_0HhqgrrrzOZdiWMxU2slboF-42mrMpfNw8kk5sHXYvz80xmK2EF_ycL5Z-9JAwR6LV9Kd5dYHq_aPNCqBhXKREJTmaQ6RtnMaOU7pdp0pSK8V5ckFfR6AEzGk/s640/sim.png)
![The Duterte Administration has finally launched the Philippines' Golden Age of Infrastructure! During the #Dutertenomics Forum last April 18, 2017, the President Duterte's economic team unveiled the administration's economic program. The forum showed the administration’s development plans and the ambitious infrastructure program that will be rolled out in the next six years – anchored on the president’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda that seeks to speed up inclusive growth and transform the economy into one that is also pro-poor. 4th on the President's agenda is the acceleration of Infrastructure spending. President Duterte clearly wants things done – but he also wants everything to be transparent, untainted by suspicions of graft and corruption. The newly launched website www.build.gov.ph is a transparency tool that people can access to check the status of these mega-projects. The economic blueprint – with its massive and very ambitious $160-billion infrastructure plan over the next six years – looks very promising. In the plan, there are 64 big-ticket infrastructure projects in the works. Here are 15 projects that can jump-start the Philippines into a world-class economy: 1. BGC to Ortigas Road Link Project Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge involves the construction of a 4-lane bridge across Pasig River and a 4-lane viaduct structure traversing Lawton Avenue onwards the entrance of Bonifacio Global City and the ramp before Kalayaan Avenue in the City of Makati. The total length of the projects is 961.427 m. 2. UP-Miriam-Ateneo Viaduct The UP-Miriam-Ateneo viaduct aims to reduce the travel time at Katipunan and CP Garcia. 3. Iloilo-Guimaras-Negros-Cebu Link Bridge When completed, you can find it easier to travel to Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros and Cebu via a bus or car. 4. Davao City bypass construction project Travel to Digos, Davao del Sur through Panabo, Davao del Norte will only be only 45 minutes instead of the usual 2 hours. 5. NLEX-SLEX Connector Road The project involves the construction and operation and maintenance of a 8 km. 4-lane elevated expressway over the Philippine National Railway (PNR) right of way. It starts from C3 Road in Caloocan through Manila crossing Espana towards PUP, Sta. Mesa connecting Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 (MMSS3). Once completed, the NLEX-SLEX Connector road is expected to decongest traffic in Metro Manila by providing an alternative to C-5 Road, EDSA, and other major thoroughfares, and cut the travel time between NLEX and SLEX to 15-20 minutes which today takes more than an hour. 6. Manila-Clark railway Guaranteed ONE HOUR from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport 7. Metro Manila Bus rapid Train system The Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - Line 1 Project spans 12.3 kilometers from Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) to Manila City Hall via Elliptical Road, Quezon Avenue, and Espana Boulevard. It is expected to serve 291,500 passengers daily in its first year of operations. The EDSA BRT Line 2 is a proposal to establish and implement a 48.6-kilometer high-quality bus-based mass transportation system and a corresponding pedestrian and bicycle greenway network. The system consists of four corridors; namely, a main corridor along EDSA, and spur corridors along Ayala Ave. to World Trade Center, Ortigas to Bonifacio Global City, and NAIA terminals. 8. Mindanao Railway A 105 kilometer segment of the larger 830 kilometer Mindanao Railway network. The Mindanao Railway will connect major cities, seaports, economic zones, allowing for faster transportation of passengers and freight. The Tagum-Davao-Digos segment alone is expected to serve over 100,000 passengers daily in its opening year. 9. Regional Airport Development This list includes Bacolod Airport, Davao Airport, Iloilo Airport, Laguindingan Airport, Bohol Airport, and Puerto Princesa Airport. The project involves construction of new airports in Bohol and Palawan, and the expansion, development and upgrade of the other airports mentioned. 10. RORO Ports Development Also called Central Spine RORO Alignment Project (CSR), the project aims tp align road and sea linkages through the Roll-on Roll-off system from Batangas Port, Batangas City to Cagayan de Oro. These include RORO ports in Manila, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Naga, Aklan, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Bohol, Zamboanga. 11. Clark International Airport , New Terminal Building With a proposed capacity of 8 million passengers, the new terminal is expected to decongest Manila-based terminals and encourage Filipinos to use the airport as a viable alternative to the NAIA. 12. Clark Green City Envisioned to be the country’s first smart, disaster-resilient and green metropolis, the Clark Green City is a 9,450-hectare master planned property within the Clark Special Economic Zone. At full development, Clark Green City will have some 1.12 million residents, 800,000 workers and contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy. 13. BGC to NAIA Bus Rapid Transit System One can arrive at the NAIA airport within 15 minutes from Fort Bonifacio. No traffic and no delay. 14. Subic Clark Cargo Railway Project A connection from the Subic port and the Clark airport to reduce the number of cargo and delivery trucks traversing Metro Manila, and in effect, reducing cost of goods. 15. Mega Manila Subway Phase 1 from Quezon city to Taguig A 25-kilometer underground mass transportation system connecting major business districts and government centers. It is expected to serve around 370,000 passengers per day in its opening year alone. The feasibility study is being conducted with the help of a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In his 10-point Socioeconomic Agenda, President Rodrigo Duterte envisioned the reduction of poverty from 21.6% in 2015 to 13%-15% by 2022. The acceleration of infrastructure and the development of industries will yield robust growth across the archipelago, create jobs and uplift the lives of Filipinos. Infrastructure is among the top priorities of this Administration with public spending on infrastructure projects targeted to reach 8-9 trillion pesos from 2017-2022.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_LBvCHJFzyDIOUWFAxhdz98x3Atu4mZVea7V5LRR5v_m109a7mZxxZMzn0G7IOBLoEylM7k_h4GZyU5ETz5yWFR8pz2_R2-xeq8HegUFbzcfc4UYNUxVEPIbJyKV1amyuSrt/s640/Golden+Age.png)
Job Hunting in The Philippines Gets Even Tougher; List Of Job Fair Venues This Coming Labor Day
![Lack of job opportunities and low wages are some of the reasons why there are Overseas Filipino Workers. The government fails to generate jobs for thousands of graduates which numbers increase every year. Unemployment rates are rising and finding a job becomes tougher and tougher. Philjobnet, the official job portal of the government has around 8,000 available jobs but the applicants are about double. For a Filipino to have a job, it will take several months of trying until they can finally get hired. People from the provinces go to Manila for job hunting hoping that they can get lucky enough to be hired. In looking for a job, you need to spend a lot of time and money. Timing is also important. You need to grab the available opportunity at the right time or it will take another month of waiting. Philjobnet has more than 8,000 jobs available and it changes in real time. Job vacancies that are available at this moment for you may be gone in a few minutes so you need to grab it by the neck and do not let it escape. There are around 19,000 people waiting for a job and if you got it in there first then you have better chances. In finding a job, procrastinating will bring you nowhere. The competition is stiff and like the popular saying "strike the iron while it's hot", you need to do it NOW and waiting is not an option. The unemployment rate in the Philippines as of January is 6.6 percent according to the Labor Force Survey and there is 16.3 percent who are underemployed or those who are not earning according to their skills and specialization. In finding a job nowadays, if you really need a job, you should not consider proximity or salary. What is important is to gain skills and experience that will make your market value higher. DOLE will have a Job fair this coming May 1 with available 200,000 job vacancies from over 800 employers. Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique Rubia Tutay said around 200,000 jobs will be available in their Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) fairs in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry. Here are the venue of the fairs in different regions: Metro Manila Quezon City Hall Fisher Mall, Quezon City Ayala Mall, Muntinlupa City Basketball court behind Parañaque City Hall Vista Mall, Taguig City Robinsons Mall, Las Piñas City Valenzuela Astrodome, Valenzuela City Bonifacio Monument, Manila City Malabon City Hall Pasay City Hall Cordillera Administrative Region Baguio Convention Center Ilocos Region Robinsons, Ilocos Norte Robinsons, Lingayen, Pangasinan Cagayan Valley Region Ilagan, Isabela Mall of the Valley, Tuguegarao Central Luzon Region SM City Baliuag, Bulacan Provincial Old Capitol Freedom Park, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija SM City Clark, Pampanga SM City Downtown and SM City Pampanga, City of San Fernando, Pampanga Metro Town Mall, Sto Cristo, Tarlac City, Tarlac People’s Park, Iba, Zambales Southern Tagalog (Calabarzon) Pacific Mall, Lucena City Centro Mall, Cabuyao Cultural Center, Sta Cruz, Laguna The District Mall, Imus, Cavite Southwestern Tagalog (Mimaropa) Roxas, Mindoro Oriental Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Bicol Region Pacific Mall, Legaspi City Western Visayas Atria, Mandurriao, Iloilo City Central Visayas Abellana National Sports Complex, Cebu City Cebu Capitol, Cebu City SM City Cebu, Cebu City Eastern Visayas Leyte Academic Center, Candahug, Palo, Leyte Ormoc City Hall Zamboanga Peninsula Western Mindanao State University, Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City Northern Mindanao Cagayan de Oro City Ozamis City Iligan City Malaybalay City Davao Region Gaisano Mall of Davao, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City SOCCSKSARGEN KCC Mall Convention Center, General Santos City CARAGA Robinsons Place, Butuan City Negros Island Region SM City, Bacolod Reclamation Area, Bacolod City Negros Oriental Convention Center, Dumaguete City There will also be a job fair in Vista Mall, Balanga City, Bataan, on May 5. Those living in NHA resettlements in Pandi, Bulacan, may also participate in a special job fair organized from May 9 to 11. Job seekers are reminded to bring application requirements such as their resumé or curriculum vitae, 2x2 ID pictures, certificates of employment from former employers, diploma, transcript of records, and a certified true copy of birth certificate. Source: GMA, DOLE RECOMMENDED: The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has announced that it is going to give an on-site assessment to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are bound for the Middle East. Secretary Guiling "Gene" Mamondiong, TESDA Director-General said that the Onsite Assessment Program (OAP) aims to find out if the OFWs possess the competencies required in a preferred work. Mamondiong disclosed that a delegation from TESDA will go to the Middle East to conduct the onsite assessment in coordination with the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO). The TESDA onsite assessment is scheduled at Comsofil in Riyadh; POLO, Dubai; ICSA, Kuwait City and Total Care International in Jeddah. OFWs who are interested in the onsite assessment may visit the POLO in the scheduled areas. Jeddah and Dubai have already submitted a list of assessment candidates, Mamondiong said. Workers may take the assessment in the following qualifications: Riyadh: Technical Drafting NC II; Visual Graphics Design NC II and Computer Systems Servicing NC II for Dubai: Technical Drafting NC II, Visual Graphics Design NC III, Massage Therapy NC II and Caregiving NC II. Kuwait: Technical Drafting NC II Visual Graphics Design NC III Computer Systems Servicing NC II. Jeddah: Massage Therapy NC II Caregiving NC II. The TESDA onsite assessment is scheduled at Comsofil in Riyadh; POLO, Dubai; ICSA, Kuwait City and Total Care International in Jeddah. Poor PGH Patients to Benefit From P100Million Funds From President Rodrigo Duterte Known to be a President with a soft spot for the poor and those who are in the lace of society, President Rodrigo Duterte has once again proved it when he allocated P100 million to fund the hospitalization of the poor patients at the state-owned Philippine General Hospital (PGH). The President turned over the check to PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi during a meeting in Malacañang on March 7, 2017. In a statement released by Radio Television Network Malacañang, it says that the said fund will be allocated for the underprivileged patients who cannot afford medical procedures and treatments. The President has shown his soft spot for the poor after giving P2 billion from PAGCOR, to the Department of Health to be used for the free medical assistance to the public. Present during the meeting with the President were PGH Director Gerardo Legazpi, Dr. Ireneo Quiron of the PGH Fiscal Services, Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration Rizalina Justol, and Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher ‘Bong’ Go. Recommended: The President assures that he will bring 250 stranded OFWs from Saudi Arabia with him when he returned to the Philippines after a series of visit in the Middle East. During his speech in Davao before his departure, he said that God-willing, he will bring some OFWs in death row with him when he return to the country. During his speech in front of the Filipino Community in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia, President Duterte said that he will be bringing home the first batch of 250 OFWs who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia for a very long time, and they will continue to do it. "We are arranging for the transportation of 250 OFWs who hopefully be back to the Philippines in time for the return of President Rodrigo Duterte.., " DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said. Secretary Bello also added that since the announcement of the Saudi Crown Prince Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif Al Saud about the amnesty program for expats, DOLE has already sent an augmentation team to assist the OFWs to comply with the requirements for the amnesty and a lot of them have already availed it. According to Secretary Bello, they are also working on the unpaid claims of the OFWs and they are only validating it in order to establish their claims. If they are all been verified, OWWA will be paying their money claims in advance. President Duterte will also be visiting Bahrain and Qatar after his visit to Saudi Arabia and is expected to be back in the Philippines on April 17. Recommended: "They've been given the clearance. I will fly them home. When I return, I'll be bringing some of them home, " he said during a pre-departure press briefing in Davao City. Reports saying that the Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia have been acting slow with regards to helping stranded and runaway OFWs are not entirely correct according to Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas. He also said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the philippine Consulate in Jeddah are both providing the OFWs all the help they need which includes repatriation as well. 700 OFWs have been in jails in Saudi Arabia for various charges because there are no assistance coming from the Embassy officials, according to the reports from various OFW advocates. The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. "I have been to many places. I have been to the Middle East. You know, the husband is working in one place, the wife in another country. The so many sad stories I hear about our women being raped, abused sexually," The President said. About Filipino domestic helpers, he said: "If you are working on a family and the employer's sibling doesn't have a helper, you will also work for them. And if in a compound,the son-in-law of the employer is also living in there, you will also work for him.So, they would finish their work on sunrise." He even refer to the OFWs being similar to the African slaves because of the situation that they have been into for the sake of their families back home. Citing instances that some of them, out of deep despair, resorted to ending their own lives. The President also said that he finds it heartbreaking to know that after all the sacrifices of the OFWs working abroad for the future of their families they would come home just to learn that their children has been into illegal drugs. "I made no bones about my hatred. I said, 'If you do drugs in my city, if you destroy our daughters and sons, I'll just have to kill you.' I repeated the same warning when i became president," he said. Critics of the so-called violent war on drugs under President Duterte's administration includes local and international human rights groups, linking the campaign on thousands of drug-related killings. Police figures show that legitimate police operations have led to over 2,600 deaths of individuals involved in drugs since the war on drugs began. However, the war on drugs has been evident that the extent of drug menace should be taken seriously. The drug personalities includes high ranking officials and they thrive in the expense of our own children,if not being into drugs, being victimized by drug related crimes. The campaign on illegal drugs has somehow made a statement among the drug pushers and addicts. If the common citizen fear walking on the streets at night worrying about the drug addicts lurking in the dark, now they can walk peacefully while the drug addicts hide in fear that the police authorities might get them. Source:GMA {INSERT ALL PARAGRAPHS HERE {EMBED 3 FB PAGES POST FROM JBSOLIS/THOUGHTSKOTO/PEBA HERE OR INSERT 3 LINKS} ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS "They've been given the clearance. I will fly them home. When I return, I'll be bringing some of them home, " he said during a pre-departure press briefing in Davao City. The President assures that he will bring 250 stranded OFWs from Saudi Arabia with him when he returned to the Philippines after a series of visit in the Middle East. During his speech in Davao before his departure, he said that God-willing, he will bring some OFWs in death row with him when he return to the country. During his speech in front of the Filipino Community in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia, President Duterte said that he will be bringing home the first batch of 250 OFWs who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia for a very long time, and they will continue to do it. "We are arranging for the transportation of 250 OFWs who hopefully be back to the Philippines in time for the return of President Rodrigo Duterte.., " DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said. Secretary Bello also added that since the announcement of the Saudi Crown Prince Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif Al Saud about the amnesty program for expats, DOLE has already sent an augmentation team to assist the OFWs to comply with the requirements for the amnesty and a lot of them have already availed it. According to Secretary Bello, they are also working on the unpaid claims of the OFWs and they are only validating it in order to establish their claims. If they are all been verified, OWWA will be paying their money claims in advance. President Duterte will also be visiting Bahrain and Qatar after his visit to Saudi Arabia and is expected to be back in the Philippines on April 17. Recommended: "They've been given the clearance. I will fly them home. When I return, I'll be bringing some of them home, " he said during a pre-departure press briefing in Davao City. Reports saying that the Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia have been acting slow with regards to helping stranded and runaway OFWs are not entirely correct according to Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas. He also said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the philippine Consulate in Jeddah are both providing the OFWs all the help they need which includes repatriation as well. 700 OFWs have been in jails in Saudi Arabia for various charges because there are no assistance coming from the Embassy officials, according to the reports from various OFW advocates. The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. "I have been to many places. I have been to the Middle East. You know, the husband is working in one place, the wife in another country. The so many sad stories I hear about our women being raped, abused sexually," The President said. About Filipino domestic helpers, he said: "If you are working on a family and the employer's sibling doesn't have a helper, you will also work for them. And if in a compound,the son-in-law of the employer is also living in there, you will also work for him.So, they would finish their work on sunrise." He even refer to the OFWs being similar to the African slaves because of the situation that they have been into for the sake of their families back home. Citing instances that some of them, out of deep despair, resorted to ending their own lives. The President also said that he finds it heartbreaking to know that after all the sacrifices of the OFWs working abroad for the future of their families they would come home just to learn that their children has been into illegal drugs. "I made no bones about my hatred. I said, 'If you do drugs in my city, if you destroy our daughters and sons, I'll just have to kill you.' I repeated the same warning when i became president," he said. Critics of the so-called violent war on drugs under President Duterte's administration includes local and international human rights groups, linking the campaign on thousands of drug-related killings. Police figures show that legitimate police operations have led to over 2,600 deaths of individuals involved in drugs since the war on drugs began. However, the war on drugs has been evident that the extent of drug menace should be taken seriously. The drug personalities includes high ranking officials and they thrive in the expense of our own children,if not being into drugs, being victimized by drug related crimes. The campaign on illegal drugs has somehow made a statement among the drug pushers and addicts. If the common citizen fear walking on the streets at night worrying about the drug addicts lurking in the dark, now they can walk peacefully while the drug addicts hide in fear that the police authorities might get them. Source:GMA {INSERT ALL PARAGRAPHS HERE {EMBED 3 FB PAGES POST FROM JBSOLIS/THOUGHTSKOTO/PEBA HERE OR INSERT 3 LINKS} ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS Reports saying that the Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia have been acting slow with regards to helping stranded and runaway OFWs are not entirely correct according to Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas. He also said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the philippine Consulate in Jeddah are both providing the OFWs all the help they need which includes repatriation as well. 700 OFWs have been in jails in Saudi Arabia for various charges because there are no assistance coming from the Embassy officials, according to the reports from various OFW advocates. The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers. "I have been to many places. I have been to the Middle East. You know, the husband is working in one place, the wife in another country. The so many sad stories I hear about our women being raped, abused sexually," The President said. About Filipino domestic helpers, he said: "If you are working on a family and the employer's sibling doesn't have a helper, you will also work for them. And if in a compound,the son-in-law of the employer is also living in there, you will also work for him.So, they would finish their work on sunrise." He even refer to the OFWs being similar to the African slaves because of the situation that they have been into for the sake of their families back home. Citing instances that some of them, out of deep despair, resorted to ending their own lives. The President also said that he finds it heartbreaking to know that after all the sacrifices of the OFWs working abroad for the future of their families they would come home just to learn that their children has been into illegal drugs. "I made no bones about my hatred. I said, 'If you do drugs in my city, if you destroy our daughters and sons, I'll just have to kill you.' I repeated the same warning when i became president," he said. Critics of the so-called violent war on drugs under President Duterte's administration includes local and international human rights groups, linking the campaign on thousands of drug-related killings. Police figures show that legitimate police operations have led to over 2,600 deaths of individuals involved in drugs since the war on drugs began. However, the war on drugs has been evident that the extent of drug menace should be taken seriously. The drug personalities includes high ranking officials and they thrive in the expense of our own children,if not being into drugs, being victimized by drug related crimes. The campaign on illegal drugs has somehow made a statement among the drug pushers and addicts. If the common citizen fear walking on the streets at night worrying about the drug addicts lurking in the dark, now they can walk peacefully while the drug addicts hide in fear that the police authorities might get them. Source:GMA {INSERT ALL PARAGRAPHS HERE {EMBED 3 FB PAGES POST FROM JBSOLIS/THOUGHTSKOTO/PEBA HERE OR INSERT 3 LINKS} ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS The OFWs are the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing through with the campaign on illegal drugs, acknowledging their hardships and sacrifices. He said that as he visit the countries where there are OFWs, he has heard sad stories about them: sexually abused Filipinas,domestic helpers being forced to work on a number of employers ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS ©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO www.jbsolis.com SEARCH JBSOLIS](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoZw5903NNALzYE78I5gvTmT_NkfJ4VpuYn8RrgOBNr97ubTE7l-wU_kr5qWkb68g27CCAwwjOUU0Xdpogm7jiLEn8BjWTCqzlE5fhpr-sjftGPEv2u6eWE2I0uxX3xZDGaaF_A/s640/00000000000000000000000000000000000.png)
OFWs In Saudi Arabia Are Now Limited To Having Only Two SIM Cards
![Saudi Arabia has imposed limits on the number of prepaid SIM cards registered for citizens and foreigners, restrictions that the regulator said aim to prevent the use of cards in carrying out militant attacks in the kingdom. This move also comes after a massive nationwide campaign of sim card verification by linking each sim card to the fingerprint of its owner. Millions of foreign residents, including the hundreds of thousands of OFWs, are now limited to two prepaid SIM cards across all operators. The limit applies to both voice (call) and data (internet) lines in a country where a majority of expats rely on data SIMs for Internet. Saudis are restricted to a more generous amount of 10 prepaid SIM cards. Expats who have more than two sim cards which are already verified, will not be affected and will be allowed to keep their existing sim cards. They will not however be able to buy and register a new sim card in their name, until the authorities lift the limits. “This is considered a temporary procedure to correct and remedy the large number of illegal SIM cards in the market,” the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications regulator, said in a statement. "Illegal SIM cards have been used to carry out terrorist operations and other acts harmful to national security." they further said. The move is likely to hit telecom firms which are already going through a tough time. Shares in Mobily and Zain have went down. The kingdom's largets network, Saudi Telecom Company slashed a portion of its profits. The move will also likely raise the ire of consumers since it is the latest in a string of decisions in which consumers have been forced to wait in long lines just to verify their information and submit their fingerprint. A few months back, mobile service providers have also scaled-back their unlimited internet plans, thereby raising internet costs to consumers. This happened even as increasing number of data-sim users are complaining of slow internet speeds due to network congestion.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWm3yYoYo1Ha_0HhqgrrrzOZdiWMxU2slboF-42mrMpfNw8kk5sHXYvz80xmK2EF_ycL5Z-9JAwR6LV9Kd5dYHq_aPNCqBhXKREJTmaQ6RtnMaOU7pdp0pSK8V5ckFfR6AEzGk/s640/sim.png)
The real ATM Machines above are options A, B, B and A.
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