World's Largest Theme Park With Over $1 Billion Value Looking For Talents

This article is filed under: OFW News

IMG World of Adventure, opens its door to actors, singers and talented performers.
It is inviting talented individuals including actors, singers and performers to audition at The Fridge, Al Serkel Avenue, Al Quoz 1 on January 5, 6 and 7.

The successful actors selected will join a cast of actors that have already been cast during auditions that were held in London and Paris in November.




To audition, actors with significant experience and ability in acting, dancing and singing are invited to email IMG Worlds of Adventure’s casting agency.

IMG World of Adventure is expected to be the largest indoor theme park and it is scheduled to open this year in Dubai.

 The park itself which  is valued over $1 billion will have four different zones each based on a theme including Cartoon Network, Marvel, Lost Valley-Dinosaur Adventure, and IMG Boulevard. The park will have live performances interactive rides and various leisure attractions including roller coasters, a 5D cinema and retail areas. 

Source
This article is filed under: OFW News

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

IT IS SAFE IN SAUDI ARABIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST FOR NOW

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

We received a lot of queries and a bit of concern from our family and friends regarding the situation and the developing row in terms of relations between Iran and Saudi and the allied countries like Bahrain, Sudan, UAE and other Gulf countries. 

Questions like:

ARE YOU GUYS OKAY THERE?

I SAW IN THE TV NEWS THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT, ARE YOU SAFE?

Tanong sa mga OFW sa Middle East: Delikado nga ba ang sitwasyon at nanganganib nga ba ang lagay ng mga OFW sa Saudi...
Posted by PEBA, Inc. on Tuesday, January 5, 2016

The video footage you are seeing above and below are from Iran or Bahrain and other countries like Iraq or Yemen, but in Saudi Arabia, right now, it is very normal.



The government says, they have enough resources and they are ready.

It is still safe in Saudi Arabia, I guess we have nothing to worry about. In case war will broke out, it will be a nightmare to all Filipinos living and working here, but we should remember, Saudi Arabia is very capable of depending itself. 
READ: HERE IS WHY SAUDI ARABIA IS THE STRONGEST MILITARY POWER IN THE GULF.

Is the Philippine government really ready? Imagine the conflict in Libya and in Syria with only a hundred of thousands of OFWs, how the government finds it difficult to evacuate stranded OFWs? In Saudi Arabia alone, we are millions! 

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

“They should focus on their work and their responsibilities and remain as the country’s best ambassadors of goodwill. Do not get involved in anything that is political in nature...They should be conscious of what is going on and keep in touch with respective Philippine embassies and consulates... [And] we need to monitor the developments aside from any possible consequences or repercussions not only on the Filipinos but also on other foreign workers," she said.

But we believe families in the Philippines should not worry too much about war and conflict between Saudi Arabia and the other countries, with Iran. It is still safe all over Saudi, except maybe for OFWs working in cities near the Yemen border where the Houti rebels are firing rockets to Najran and other Saudi cities. 

Life is so normal in Saudi Arabia, for now. Rather than worrying about tension between countries we are in, we should worry more about work when we come back home to the Philippines, or savings for the future of our families.

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

MARY JANE VELOSO WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE 2016 EXECUTION LIST IN INDONESIA?

This article is filed under: OFW News

With just minutes to spare, mother-of-two Mary Jane Veloso escaped the firing squad that executed Australia’s Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. 

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT can reveal that a Darwin barrister, Felicity Gerry played a key role in bringing about this reprieve. How was she saved - and will Mary Jane make it home to her children? Zoe Daniel reports in a video after MaryJane Veloso's reprieve above.

READ MORE HERE VIA BANDERA SOURCE HERE

This article is filed under: OFW News

ADDITIONAL READING
TO BE FREE | Lawyer: OFW in Indon death row Veloso welcomes 2016 with high hopes

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

TWO APPLICANTS FOR ABROAD WAS A VICTIM OF ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT OF THIS WOMAN

This article is filed under: OFW News

If you are applying as household service worker, such as domestic helper, family driver, family cook, etc. You don't have to pay placement fee. 

Seafarers or seaman are also exempted from paying placement fees. 

There is a list of countries that exempts workers from paying placement fees. US (H2B Visa), UK, Ireland, Norway, Netherlands, Japan, New Zealand at Canada (Manitoba, Saskachewan, Alberta and British Columbia)

RECOMMENDED READING:
OFWs: Know The Basic Fees You Should Pay For When Applying For Jobs

If you don't fall into the exempted category, your agency might collect or might not. If there is a placement fee that should be collected from you it should not exceed the 1 month equivalent of your basic salary. There are still agencies that hire OFWs for Middle East that does not require placement fee. 

READ MORE: 
HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT 

Pay only the placement fee once you have signed the contract, and ask for official receipt (OR). 

It is also very important to have the appropriate visa for the job you are applying for. Never allow the agency or foreign employer to give a visa different from the job being offered to you. There are many cases of OFWs specially in the Middle East where OFWs are promised with  jobs in hospitals, hotels, or restaurant but they ended up working as domestic worker. The visa on your passport can also serve as your protection, and it will help you enjoy the benefits of your profession. 

There are list of professions that gives you chance to bring your family with you, and your profession will be based on what is on your visa. 
This article is filed under: OFW News

READ HERE
LIST OF POEA DELISTED, SUSPENDED, AND CANCELLED LAND AND SEA-BASED RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

INDISCRIMINATE FIRING OF GUN PENALTY: 30-DAYS IMPRISONMENT or P200 FINE.

This article is filed under: Philippine Law

Under the Article 155 of the Revised Penal Code, the act of firing a gun in the air is considered a case of alarm and scandal and is only punishable by a 30-day imprisonment or a P200 fine.

Art. 155. Alarms and scandals. — The penalty of arresto menor or a fine not exceeding P200 pesos shall be imposed upon:

1. Any person who within any town or public place, shall discharge any firearm, rocket, firecracker, or other explosives calculated to cause alarm or danger.

This article is filed under: Philippine Law

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

THIS FILIPINO IS LOOKING FOR HIS SAUDI FATHER, AND HE'S ABOUT TO FIND OUT

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

We had a personal chat with the accommodating, kind and excited Mr. Elayan Allafi. ArabNews run a story of a Filipino looking for his Saudi father. 

Now, a Saudi man residing in the capital city of Riyadh has contacted the Filipino who has been searching for his father for 15 years and told him that he was ready for a DNA tests to confirm that he is indeed his son.

Elayan Allafi, married and with 2 kids did everything to find his roots, and set-up Instagram and Facebook account to trace his real father.

Allafi said: “Thanks to Allah, I am so happy the man is willing to recognize me but wants to be sure that everything goes through the legal process. He expressed his willingness to undergo DNA test.” 
According to Allafi, his mother met the Saudi man in Manila in 1983-84 through a Filipino friend who was a business partner. 
“I retained my name in my passport in the hope to see him one day, although it is something unfamiliar in the Filipino community to have such a name. However, everybody knows me there as “Arabia son”.

“I am confident about meeting my father, so that I can visit the Two Holy Mosques with my wife to perform Umrah".
“Once he recognizes me, I will perform Haj immediately,” he said.

Son and daughter of Elayan and his wife, who will soon find out who their real grandpa is.

Elayan said that his effort paid of, and he is very happy to see his father and hear his voice. He said he has peace of mind. 

He is looking forward for the DNA test anywhere, hopefully soon. It takes extra effort and sacrifices to finally find the truth. There's a saying that says, in order for you to arrive to wherever you want to go, you have to discover where you came from. Thats what exactly Elayan did, through the help of social media, and ArabNews, soon he will be able to find out his roots. His real father. 

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

Read more:

Filipino looking for his Saudi father for 15 years

Finally, Filipino gets a call from Saudi ‘dad’

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

WARNING: BE CAREFUL WITH SMALL BATTERIES, PUT THEM AWAY FROM YOUR KIDS, SWALLOWING CAN BE FATAL!

This article is filed under: Technology

A two-year-old girl from Oklahoma died a couple of days after Christmas from ingesting a battery a little larger than a medicine tablet. Brianna Florer died at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Sunday after her parents called an ambulance when she threw up blood and she turned blue. The cause of the death is believed to be a button battery she swallowed, ingested, which released toxic chemicals inside her body. Xray showed a shiny, round button was found inside her stomach. 

While batteries often will pass through the system, they can get stuck and leak an alkaline substance which can prove to be fatally poisonous.

And this is not the first time. There were so many lives of young children was affected by this poisonous batteries that we often used in remote controls, toys, thermometers, greeting cards, pen lights, key chains and watches, among others.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission offered the following tips.

Parents and caregivers are urged to keep products containing these batteries away from children. CPSC recommends the following steps to prevent unintentional battery ingestion:

- Do not allow children to play with or be in contact with coin cell batteries.

- Caution hearing aid users to keep hearing aids and batteries out of the reach of children.

- Never put batteries in your mouth for any reason because they are easily swallowed accidentally.

- Always check medications before ingesting them. Adults have swallowed button batteries mistaking them for pills or tablets.

- Keep remotes and other electronics out of your child's reach if the battery compartments do not have a screw to secure them. Use tape to help secure the battery compartment.

- If a button battery is ingested, seek medical attention immediately. The National Battery Ingestion and Poison Help Hotlines are available 24 hours a day.

- Discard button batteries carefully.

Read more: Two-year-old girl tragically dies just two days after Christmas from eating a battery

Oklahoma toddler's death puts spotlight on battery dangers

This article is filed under: Technology
©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

SAUDI ARABIA TRANSPORT MINISTRY: TAXI DRIVERS ARE OVERCHARGING YOU, CALL AND REPORT TO THIS NUMBER, 938

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

Important info to all overseas Filipinos living or working in Saudi Arabia especially those commuting through taxi:

In a report, the Ministry of Transport of Saudi Arabia issued a call to all citizens and residents to call or report to a toll-free number 938 in cases that they have complaints regarding taxis who collect overcharge or very high fares.

The Ministry spokesman, in a report via ArabNews, Hazloul bin Hussein Al-Hazhoul, 

said that "inspectors randomly checked taxi fares at various locations in the city but found nothing irregular.
An expat who takes a taxi in going to work in the capital in the morning said that the flag down is still SR5 and the tariff per kilometer is still SR2.50"

In Riyadh, flag down is still at SR5.0 but in Jeddah and we are not sure in other cities and towns ,but in Jeddah, it is atleast SR10 or SR15.

The ministry spokesman in the said report added that if ever any passengers believes that they are being overcharged by taxi drivers, they should report it immediately to the ministry by calling the numver 938. This random checking as well as in apprehension to the fears of passengers that taxis might increase the fares or the flag down of the taxis in line with the 50% gasoline increase in Saudi Arabia last week. 

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

DTI: Hoverboards May Not Be Suitable for Kids Below 14 Years Old

DTI is contemplating to put a limit on the suitability of usage for those hoverboards that are very hot selling in the market right now. According to reports, these electronic balancing scooter are exploding most commonly during charging or due to overheating while being used.  

RECOMMENDED READING:
BE CAREFUL. SOME HOVERBOARDS EXPLODING AND CAUSING FIRE?

WARNING: HOVERBOARDS, NOT ALLOWED ONBOARD OR BAGGAGE IN AIRPLANE!

Watch the TV Patrol news here

This article is filed under: scooter, exploding scooter, Philippine news, Electronic Scooter., segway,

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

JANUARY 2016: SAR87 FOR ONE WAY AIRPORT TERMINAL FEE IN SAUDI ARABIA

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

Inbound and outbound international passengers would have to pay an SR87 fee for using airport facilities starting Jan. 1, 2016, ArabNews reported. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has announced that the fees would be recovered from airlines. The airlines, presumably will add up this cost to passenger’s airline tickets.

 

Originally, KSA airports are collecting SR50 for terminal fee upon purchase of tickets.

Right now, for each ticket purchased, airline company will collect additional  SR87 for terminal fee, or SR174 for round trip ticket (arrival and departure in the Kingdom).

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca) announced that they will begin to privatize the operations of its airports in the first quarter of 2016, starting with Riyadh’s King Khaled International airport (KKIA). They are planning to privatize total of 27 airports in the Kingdom, in order to lessen the expenses and deficit due to lower oil revenues because of the low oil oil price.

Source: ArabNews 

This article is filed under: Saudi Arabia

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO