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Showing posts with label expat workers. Show all posts

Friday, May 28, 2021

Pilipinas, nagpatupad ng temporary deployment ban sa Saudi Arabia

MANILA, Philippines — BAD news sa mga Filipino na papuntang Saudi Arabia, epektibo agad ang pansamantalang deployment ban sa mga overseas Filipino Workers o OFWs papunta sa nabanggit na bansa.

Sa memorandum na inilabas ng Philippine Overseas Employment Administration o POEA, sinabi ni Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III na "effective immediately" ang nasabing suspensiyon.

BASAHIN: Panibagong 3 Sektor sa Saudi Arabia, Hindi na kukuha ng Pinoy Workers!

Dahil dito, 282 na mga OFWs na sasakay sana ng Philippine Airlines o PAL flight PR5654 papuntang Riyadh ang hindi na pinasakay ng Bureau of Immigration.

Ayon kay Bello sa memorandum nitong may petsang Mayo 27, nakatanggap ng report ang Department of Labor and Employment o DOLE na nire-required na ng kanilang mga employers o foreign recruitment agencies ang mga pa-alis na OFWs na bayaran ang kanilang health and safety protocols para sa Covid-19 at insurance coverage premium ng mga ito sa kanilang pagdating sa Saudi Arabia.

BASAHIN: Manggagawang nagka-Covid-19, may matatanggap na allowance mula sa Employee's Compensation Commission

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Maliban pa ito sa pahayag ng Department of Foreign Affairs na sasailalim sa swab test at seven-day quarantine sa kanilang pagdating sa Saudi ang mga OFWs na hindi nabakunahan ng Covid-19 vaccines na aprobado ng Saudi Arabia.

Napag-alaman na apat na bakuna pa lamang laban sa Covid-19 ang aprobado ng Saudi Arabian government na kinabibilangan ng Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, at Johnson & Johnson.

BASAHIN: Filipino Caregivers sa Canada, Maaari Nang Mag-apply ng Permanent Residency

Una nang inihayag ni Bello na maaring pumasok sa Saudi Arabia ang mga OFWs na nabakunahan ng Covid-19 vaccines na mula sa China, ngunit kinakailangan lamang ng mga ito na sumailalim sa quarantine.

Ito ang paglilinaw ni Bello matapos ang social media post na hindi tatanggapin sa Riyadh ang mga travelers na nabakuhanan ng mga bakunang gawa sa China kagaya ng Sinopharm at Sinovac.

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Dahil sa hindi inaasahang pangyayari, maraming OFWs papuntang Saudi ang na-stranded sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport o NAIA.

Pinasiguro naman ng labor department na maglalabas ang mga ito ng official statement ukol sa pagbabalik ng deployment sa Saudi Arabia sakaling malinaw na ang lahat na mga isyu.

Pinasiguro naman ng opisyal mula sa Philippine Overseas Employment Administration o POEA na nakikipag-ugnayan na sila sa OWWA upang matulungan ang mga na-stranded na OFWs na karamihan hindi taga-Manila at walang sapat na pera.

BASAHIN: Bagong Labor Reform Initiative ng Saudi Arabia, Epektibo na!

www.jbsolis.com, www.jbsolis.net, www.bahayofw.com

Sunday, July 08, 2018

UPDATE: Two Filipino Women Kidnapped in Iraq have been Rescued

UPDATE:The two Filipino women abducted in Iraq last Friday have been rescued and some of their captors were arrested.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Allan Peter Cayetano expressed gratitude to authorities in Iraq for the swift and successful rescue of the two Filipinos who were reportedly seized by armed men.

The two are under police custody after they were rescued in Diyala Province, north of the capital, on Saturday.

For decades, Iraq has been a dangerous place. This was why the Philippine government used to ban Filipinos from travelling to the country since 2004. It is believed that 10,000 Filipinos work in Iraq illegally. The ban was upgraded to partial ban in 2013, with some precautionary measures. This does not mean that the country is now safe for Filipino workers. In fact, recent news coming from the country's security forces say that two Filipino Women have been kidnapped. Details of the kidnapping below. The two Filipino women were kidnapped on Saturday in Iraq on a road connecting Baghdad to Kirkuk, security and local officials informed Reuters news agency. Kirkuk is part of the "no-go" areas still considered too dangerous for foreign workers. The others are the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh and Salahuddin. The women were traveling with three other Filipinos on their way to Irbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, when their car broke down. The two women exited the car after it broke down. Unknown men drove by in a yellow car and grabbed them, a military source said. The identities, affiliation, and motivation of the kidnappers were not immediately clear. There has been an uptick in attacks and kidnappings by Daesh militants over the past few weeks near the area the women were taken from. At least eight members of the security forces were kidnapped and later killed by the ultra-hardline militants on that same highway last month.

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Earlier reports indicate that the four Filipinos came from Irbil in the northern Kurdistan region and were on their way to Baghdad when their vehicle broke down along the highway in Uzem District between Kirkuk and Diyala where they encountered armed men in a yellow car.

The women were then forcibly taken by the armed men after their driver abandoned their vehicle when it broke down. However, two of the four women were reportedly able to escape.

the Embassy would request custody of the four women as soon as the police investigation is concluded so that they can immediately be repatriated.

The Embassy estimated that there are 4,000 Filipinos working in Iraq, with around 3,000 based in the Kurdistan region.

Original Article:

For decades, Iraq has been a dangerous place. This was why the Philippine government used to ban Filipinos from travelling to the country since 2004. It is believed that up to 10,000 Filipinos work in Iraq illegally. The ban was upgraded to partial ban in 2013, with some precautionary measures. This does not mean that the country is now safe for Filipino workers. In fact, recent news coming from the country's security forces say that two Filipino Women have been kidnapped.

The two Filipino women were kidnapped on Saturday in Iraq on a road connecting Baghdad to Kirkuk, security and local officials informed Reuters news agency. Kirkuk is part of the "no-go" areas still considered too dangerous for foreign workers. The others are the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh and Salahuddin.

The women were traveling with three other Filipinos on their way to Irbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, when their car broke down. The two women exited the car after it broke down. Unknown men drove by in a yellow car and grabbed them, a military source said.

The route as seen on a navigation map. The women were kidnapped on the highway between Baghdad and Kirkuk, on the way to Erbil.

The identities, affiliation, and motivation of the kidnappers were not immediately clear.
There has been an uptick in attacks and kidnappings by Daesh militants over the past few weeks near the area the women were taken from.
At least eight members of the security forces were kidnapped and later killed by the ultra-hardline militants on that same highway last month.

The security forces were believed to be victims of ISIS.

Complete List of 66 Countries Where Philippine Passport Holder Can Travel Visa-Free this 2018

Are you a Philippine passport holder? Is yes, you can now visit 66 international destinations this year visa-free! With this, the Philippine passport is now the seventh strongest in Southeast Asia. This was after three more countries and territories gave the Philippines visa-free access raising the number of countries that offer visa-free access to the Philippines to 66. This includes China, Taiwan, and South Korea. China offered visa-free travel to Hainan to 59 countries, including the Philippines, in April, while visa-free access to Taiwan was offered beginning November 2017. South Korea temporarily opened its borders for visa-free travel to the Philippines until April 2018 due to the 2018 Winter Olympics. This is based on 2018 Henley Passport Index that looked into the travel freedom of countries based on an authoritative database of travel information. The following are the complete list of 66 other countries and territories that offer visa free-access to the country. Asia Brunei Cambodia Hong Kong Indonesia Kyrgyzstan* Laos Macao Malaysia Maldives* Mongolia Myanmar Nepal* Singapore Sri Lanka** Thailand Timor-Leste* Vietnam China South Korea Taiwan Africa Cape Verde* Comores Island* Cote d'Ivoire Djibouti* Gambia Guinea-Bissau* Kenya* Madagascar* Malawi* Mauritania* Mauritius* Morocco Mozambique* Rwanda Seychelles* Somalia* St Helena* Tanzania* Togo* Uganda* Oceania The Cook Islands* Fiji The Marshall Islands* Micronesia Niue Palau Islands* Papua New Guinea* Samoa* Tuvalu* Vanuatu Carribean Dominica Haiti St Lucia* St Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago* Americas Bolivia Brazil Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador Nicaragua* Peru Suriname Middle East Armenia* Iran* Israel *visa on arrival Meanwhile, Japan unseated Singapore on the top ranking in the passport index. Japan gain visa-free access to 189 countries while Singapore â€” 188. Third on the rank are South Korea, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden with visa-free access to 187 countries; Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States followed in fourth place at 186 countries. The lowest ranked passport globally are Afghanistan and Iraq with 30 countries.

OFW Survival Stories

It is not only a few times we hear and read about overseas Filipino workers (OFW) being maltreated and abused by their employers, some of them even return home mentally disoriented and some even did not make it home alive. Importers trade commodities and products but in the Philippines, we export skilled and household workers alike. The latter has a significant number deployed all over the globe with over two million domestic helpers work in the Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, where cases of abuse are registered. Advertisement Sponsored Links The story of Joanna Demafelis, a household worker who was found inside a freezer in her former employer's abandoned residence in Kuwait, made a significant way to address the rampant issue of HSWs abuse and maltreatment. To avoid further similar incidents, President Rodrigo Duterte through Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered immediate deployment ban of all OFWs bound to Kuwait. Should his demands to the government of Kuwait for better living condition and protection of the OFWs be met, the ban may be finally lifted. Hundreds of maltreatment happened in several parts of the gulf. It could be referred to as modern-day slavery. Most household workers are not even allowed to take at least a day off in a week. Some of them are also receiving delayed salaries, some none at all. They are treated as commodities instead being a human. Some of them are even sold to other employers. There have been varying degrees of abuses perpetrated on domestic helpers, but these abuses have largely been tied to the Kafala system, a visa-sponsorship system implemented by Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, where workers are essentially beholden to the demands of their employers. The employer or the sponsor is required to â€œassume full economic and legal responsibilityâ€ and has complete control over when the worker can leave and where the worker goes. It includes keeping the employee's passport, a usual practice in the Gulf countries. they do it to prevent the holder to escape from their custody. While the Kafala system also applies to other migrant workers such as those working in construction, in hospitals, or in engineering, Dr. Jean Franco, an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines whose research focuses on the politics of gender and labor-out migration, says that the abuses carried by the Kafala are gravely felt by domestic helpers because they are not within the public sphere. With the deployment ban in Kuwait, the Philippine government has somehow given the chance to show that it can do measures to alleviate and stop the maltreatment and the abuses to the HSWs and it could possibly be extended to other parts of the Middle East where many cases of abuse are happening. Just recently, President Duterte has announced that the Kuwait government has already agreed to his terms favoring the OFWs working in their country. Filipino resilience is always evident in every OFW. They can endure everything just for the sake of giving their beloved family the best future possible. They give a lot to the government by keeping the economy kicking by their remittances. In return, the government should always assure their welfare and safety. READ MORE: Recruiters With Delisted, Banned, Suspended, Revoked And Cancelled POEA Licenses 2018 List of Philippine Embassies And Consulates Around The World Classic Room Mates You Probably Living With Do Not Be Fooled By Your Recruitment Agencies, Know Your Correct Fees Remittance Fees To Be Imposed On Kuwait Expats Expected To Bring $230 Million Income TESDA Provides Training For Returning OFWs Cash Aid To Be Given To Displaced OFWs From Kuwaitâ€”OWWA Former OFW In Dubai Now Earning P25K A Week From Her Business Top Search Engines In The Philippines For Finding Jobs Abroad 5 Signs A Person Is Going To Be Poor And 5 Signs You Are Going To Be Rich

24 Countries Around the World that are Off-Limits to OFWs this 2018

The new year is here and many of us are pursuing the dream to work abroad or to become Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). If you are looking for jobs abroad, you should be wary of applying in this following countries where deployment ban is still in effect due to unstable security and economic conditions for OFWs.

www.jbsolis.com

Thursday, January 04, 2018

Saving Tips for OFWs in Saudi Arabia to Counter Effect of VAT

The imposition of 5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) in almost all goods and services in Saudi Arabia affects all people living in the country, even Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and other expat workers in the Kingdom.

With the imposition of the VAT, the electric bill is said to increase threefolds, along with vegetable and fruit products prices that will hike up to 40 percent, dairy products, and petroleum products are also rising that resulted to fare hike in public transport.

These things are affecting thousands of OFWs working in the Gulf Region.

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We cannot change the fact that VAT-free living in Saudi Arabia is gone. But as an OFW we can always do something to limit our consumption and expenses to lessen the effect of VAT in our way of living and eventually to save.

To save money on your electric bills, switch off or unplug any chargers or appliances you do not need. It is because even if appliances are in standby mode, still they are using energy just by being plugged in.

The following are some "Koryente Tipid Tips" to consider to reduced your electricity bill

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Another factor that has a big impact on OFWs in Saudi Arabia is prices of food products. So here are some saving tips when buying or doing groceries;

1. Always go with a list. Before going to the grocery store, prepare a list of everything you need. You may get it from your weekly menu. Check what is lacking in your kitchen or refrigerator and make sure you are not forgetting anything. When doing a grocery, stick to that list!

2. Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to make sure you or your family have something to eat. With this, an OFW may buy groceries once every two weeks.

3. Do not when you are hungry. Sound common tip but this is true. When we are hungry we want to buy all food we see. We end up spending a lot more. But when you eat a good meal first, you will be more likely to stick to your list.

4. Have a Budget. Know exactly how much you need to spend and stick to that limit. If you do not know how much you can spend, you will spend too much without knowing it.

5. Pack your Lunch or Snacks. Canteen food or snacks is convenient but a big waste of money. Practice buying food and make your own lunch and snack to save!

6. Do not waste leftovers. Wasting food is wasting money. Cook what is enough for you or for your family. If leftover cant be avoided, serve it for the next meal.

7. Stock-up when there is a sale. Sale items can be a great deal. If it’s an item you normally use, buy a bunch of them. Just make sure you can consume it before the expiration date

8. Don’t buy junk food. Or buy as little as possible. Junk foods give you a zero nutrition. Choose fruits and veggies instead of healthy living abroad.

9. Drink Water. Sweetened beverages are taxable in Saudi Arabia so choose water, it is much better for you and much cheaper compared to iced tea, sodas and other types of soft drinks.

10. Cut back on your restaurant eating. Yes, it is expensive and eating at home is more nutritious than eating outside.

Aside from electricity and food consumption, OFWs in Saudi Arabia may feel the pain of 100 percent increase on dependent's fee from SR100 to SR200 starting July 1, 2018, and would reach SR300 by July 1, 2019. There is also the possibility that dependent's fee will hit SR400 in 2020.

As an OFW in Saudi Arabia, you may consider sending home your dependent family living with you in the Kingdom to avoid this fees and have extra savings for the future. Although it is hard to be separated from your family, this is a decision you have to be made sooner or later.

OFWs in Saudi Arabia will also feel the pain of more than 100% increase in fuel prices. Due to this, fare hikes in taxis and other public transportation is also increasing. OFWs can avoid this by limiting their "gala" or outdoor activities that require riding on public transport.

SEE MORE:

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Monday, November 20, 2017

330,000+ Expat in Saudi, Still Working Beyond 60 Years Old!

They said a worker should retire at the age of 60 or maybe 65 and live the rest of his life living a good life and taking good care of his grandchildren.

But this is not always the happening especially for Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs. Initially, if an OFW works abroad, everyone has a plan on how long he would work in other countries to provide the needs of the family.

No OFWs wants to work abroad for the rest of their lives living away from their family.

Read: Iqama Number, No Longer Needed in Reloading Your Sim Card in Saudi Arabia.

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But the sad part, many does. Let's see for example in Saudi Arabia, as number one top destination of OFWs.

In Arab News report, it stated that more than 330,000 expatriate workers including Filipinos are working in the Kingdom are over the age of 60-years old.

The data is based on the statistics of workers in the first half of 2017.

Read: Saudi Warns Consumer Against Drinking Rokan and Al-Dar Bottled Water!

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Accordingly, it is published by "Mal" magazine and quoted by "Okaz" newspaper.

Because of this news, many Saudi Twitter users are demanding an age limit for foreigners in their country while other said, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries must put a limit on the residency of foreigners to three periods of six years, and upon reaching it, the residence permit will not be renewed.

With this, it is very important for an OFW and his family to stick whatever goals they have and return home early as possible.

We all know that working abroad is not easy especially if you are not acquainted with homesickness.

SEE MORE:

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Friday, November 17, 2017

Iqama Number, No Longer Needed in Reloading Your Sim Card in Saudi Arabia

Iqama is one of the most important things for an expatriate worker in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In almost all transactions, an Expat worker needs her or his Iqama number, be it on government or private transaction like banking or even loading your mobile phones.

But regulation that requires Iqama number in recharging Sim Cards in Saudi Arabia is now abolished after it is first implemented, five years ago.

Read: Some Women in Saudi Arabia Are Now Learning To Drive

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Today, expat workers in Saudi can recharge their prepaid sim card without entering identification card numbers.

This good news is according to Saudi Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) as reported by Arab News.

It was announced last November 15 and effective immediately.

Read: Salary? Things You Need to Know If You're Working in Saudi Arabia

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The goal in amending the rules is to curb or stop the spread of unidentified calling cards.

If remembered the CITC made it mandatory for prepaid SIM users to enter their Iqama numbers everytime they recharge on July 31, 2012.

Read: Saudi Arabia to Open Red Sea Luxury Resort Where Women Can Wear Bikinis?

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Tuesday, September 26, 2017

4 Expats, Imprisoned, to be Deported for Selling Fake Goods in Saudi

So for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipinos currently working or staying in Saudi Arabia, it is important that we know the rules and obey to spare ourselves from the fate of this four foreign workers, recently given prison terms and deportation for selling fake detergents to hospitals. Ministry of Commerce and Investment confirmed the news saying the four expatriate claimed that detergents were genuine products. The Ministry of Commerce and Investment and the Ministry of Health received a tip and conducted a raid in Sulay district in eastern Riyadh.

It is known that Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that implement heavy punishment to those who violate their law.

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So for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipinos currently working or staying in Saudi Arabia, it is important that we know the rules and obey to spare ourselves from the fate of this four foreign workers, recently given prison terms and deportation for selling fake detergents to hospitals.

Ministry of Commerce and Investment confirmed the news saying the four expatriate claimed that detergents were genuine products.

The Ministry of Commerce and Investment and the Ministry of Health received a tip and conducted a raid in Sulay district in eastern Riyadh.

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The expats are caught in the act by the joint team pouring various chemical products into new containers and then adding the labels of popular detergent brands.

These detergents were analyzed and determined to be fake as they had no effect in killing bacteria, which could cause the spread of disease in hospitals.

The suspect is facing a six months imprisonment and they will be deported afterward. Aside from this, the four are also banned in re-entering the Kingdom.

SEE MORE:

www.jbsolis.com

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Thursday, July 27, 2017

Jobs in Retail Sector Including in Baqalas in Saudi Arabia will be off-limits to OFWs

After telecom, health, tourism and automobile sector, Saudi Arabia is announcing to impose Saudization policy on its retail sector that includes grocery stores, baqalas or small grocery shops, confectionery shops and those selling supply and consumer goods.

It means Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and hundreds or even millions of expat workers are no longer allowed to work in the above-mentioned establishments.

A few months ago, the Kingdom announced that jobs in Saudi malls will be off-limits to expatriate workers.

According to local daily Al-Madina, 100% of these shops will employ Saudis only base on a draft decision by Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD)

This will give more than 20,000 jobs for Saudis.

Consideration to limit work in food and soft drinks mobile vans to Saudis is also taking place for another 6,000 jobs for their citizens.

In telephone sector at is Saudidized earlier, it is reported that 8,000 jobs are given to Saudi men and women.

In car rental services, 5,000 jobs for Saudis are expected once Saudization is 100% implemented.

In the health sector, 7,500 Saudi doctors, nurses, and technicians are already working in government hospitals and health centers. At the end of 2020, more than 93,000 Saudis are expected to be employed in the health sector. The Saudisation in the health sector has now reached 50%.

In the tourism sector, 33,000 Saudis will be employed by the end of 2018. Currently, 60% of the labor force already belong to Saudis.

In retail services, in malls alone, Saudis will have 6,000 jobs for grabs while retail services are expected to provide 20,000 jobs.

SEE MORE:

This Saudi Model Who Was Arrested for Wearing A Miniskirt in Saudi Arabia Has Been Released