OFWs urge gov't to investigate passport fee overprice

 Migrante International today called on the Aquino administration to investigate the overpricing of e-passport applications in light of allegations that the contract entered into by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), headed by Secretary Alberto Romulo, for the procurement of the new e-passport is illegal and tainted with corruption.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and applicants have been complaining of the rise in the cost of passport fees following the issuance of the new e-passports by the DFA to comply with international standards.

The new e-passport now costs P950 to P1,200 from P550 to P750 in the Philippines, while e-passport costs have risen in Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, in the Middle East and some parts of Europe to as much as thrice as the previous rates, and approximately $6 (USD) more than the fee prescribed for e-passports in the Philippines.

“Wala na bang katapusan ang pangongotong ng gobiyerno mula sa OFWs?” declared Gina Esguerra, Secretary general of Migrante International. “President Aquino must prioritize this issue as this not only involves OFWs but all other Filipinos applying for a passport.”

Esguerra also questioned the e-passport fee increase, saying that the DFA contract with Oberthure, the French company which won the bidding for the procurement of e-passports, is marred with irregularities and grossly overpriced.

In an investigative report by the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines, it was found out  that the cost of procurement of laminates used for the e-passport is overpriced by P50 per laminate or at least P120 million per year if the DFA releases three million e-passports annually.

The contract still has pending corruption cases at the Office of the Ombudsman and Supreme Court. The P857 million e-passport deal has also been the subject of congressional inquiries and investigations since 2007.

 “DFA Sec. Romulo has yet to answer all allegations hurled against him with regard to this issue. The DFA should stop imposing e-passport fee hikes until this issue is resolved. There should be no reason for an increase if the e-passport contract is truly overpriced. Instead of passing on the burden to our OFWs, corrupt officials involved in the illegal and overpriced deal should be held accountable,” said Esguerra.

 She added that the e-passport contract follows the same pattern and course as high-profile corruption cases such as the NBN-ZTE deal and the Cyber-Education project under the Arroyo administration.

 She said that Migrante International is mulling the filing of administrative and criminal charges against Romulo and other officials involved in the overpriced e-passport deal.

 On the first State of the nation Address of  President Aquino on July 26,  Migrante International will be raising its protest against the e-passport fee hike, among many other concerns, in an internationally coordinated action with its chapters abroad.

 

 

 

Migrante to Noy: Heed wangwang of OFWs in distress

 

Migrante International today called on Pres. Noynoy Aquino to urgently heed the wangwang (distress calls) of overseas Filipino workers in death row, seeking immediate repatriation and overstaying in jails abroad.

 

In a press conference, Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson, presented cases of OFWs "that cannot afford to wait for Pres. Aquino's 100 days to finish."

 

"Kung galit si Pres. Aquino sa mga wangwang, ibahin niya itong wangwang na distress call ng ating mga OFW. Kumbaga, tulad ito ng wangwang ng ambulansya na kailangan ng agarang lunas at kung hindi'y maaaring ikamatay ng ating mga kababayan ," Martinez said.

 

Martinez said that according to data gathered by their Migrants Assistance Committee, there are currently 101 cases of OFWs in death row, of which  66 are from China and 26 from the Middle East; while 226 are stranded and languishing in Filipino shelters in the Middle East, Somalia and Taiwan.

 

He also urged Aquino to immediately address the sending back home of the remains of six OFWs majority from the Middle East Region.

 

There are also hundreds of OFWs, he added, who are presently overstaying their sentences in jails abroad.

"They are enduring the most deplorable and cruel of conditions and are lacking much-needed legal and financial support from the DFA,  Philippine embassies and consulates.”

Martinez accompanied to the press conference relatives of Joselito Zapanta, Nerissa Neri and Sergio Garcia who tearfully appealed to Aquino to provide aid and assistance to their loved ones.

 

Zapanta was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia last April. He accidentally killed his abusive employer in self-defense. He already appealed his case before the designated deadline last May 1 but his relatives say that the DFA has neglected to them update since.

 

Neri was drugged and raped by a Bangladeshi national in Saud Arabia in August 2009. Her employer sent her to jail "for having an illicit affair" upon discovering that she was pregnant. No thanks to the government, Neri will soon be released because her rapist was caught. However, she will still receive 50 lashes, according to Muslim law. Priority must be given for her immediate repatriation.

 

Garcia is a cargo salesman in Jeddah who has served his one year jail sentence but is yet to be released. His family has also not yet received word from the DFA.

 

" We expect Aquino to make public his plans and course of action on these cases as soon as possible," Martinez said.

 

He urged the president to seriously review and consider Migrante's "10-point migrant challenge" which presents viable solutions to address the protection, welfare and defense of OFWs, including the immediate release of the yearly P1 million Legal Assistance and P1 million Repatriation Fund for migrant workers and OFWs in distress.

PASAR Row Ends

 

NCMB reported today the settlement of the labor dispute at Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation (PASAR).

 

PASAR owns and operates the only copper smelter and refinery in the Philippines. It is located in LIDE, Isabel, Leyte.

 

Union and management representatives of the company earlier sought the assistance of National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) after plant-level negotiations for the last two years of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) resulted in a deadlock.

 

Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque assumed jurisdiction over the dispute on June 16, 2010 after the parties remained firm in their respective positions despite conciliation efforts to find a mutually beneficial solution to the impasse.

 

Notwithstanding the assumption order, the parties continued their negotiations that resulted in a compromise agreement signed at the plant on June 23, 2010. 

 

They formalized their compromise agreement through a joint manifestation which they submitted during the preliminary hearing on June 25, 2010. The agreement thus, rendered moot and academic the order issued by the Secretary.

 

The agreement benefits some 708 workers with an estimated P65M in CBA package spread over two years, from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2012.

 

NCMB also reported the successful resolution of the disputes involving Hi-Eisai Pharmaceutical Corporation, Inc.  and Cathay Pacific Steel Corporation, both in NCR.

 

The dispute at Hi-Eisai Pharmaceutical Company involved Federation of Free Workers (FFW) Hi-Eisai Pharmaceutical Workers Chapter, which filed a notice of strike against the company on June 3, 2010, alleging deadlock in bargaining negotiations, particularly on salary increase, signing bonus, mid-year bonus, car plan, and additional dependent (HMO).

 

The company also filed a notice of lockout against the union on the same day, raising the issues of wages, mid-year bonus and signing bonus.

 

On June 22, 2010, the parties signed a compromise agreement.

 

The agreement includes provisions for P1,200 per month additional basic pay to each covered employee, merit reward based on performance of P800 per month, one-time financial assistance of P1,000 for each covered employee, funeral benefits, rice subsidy of P1,000 per quarter for each covered employee, signing bonus of P5,000 for each employee, medicine allowance, dental benefits and prescription glasses.

 

Total CBA package amounted to P6,384,320 benefiting 71 workers.

  

The labor dispute at Cathay Pacific Steel Corporation was likewise settled through conciliation on June 9, 2010.

 

The union, Samahan ng Manggagawa ng Capasco – Taguig (SAMACAT), accepted management’s offer of P2.7M as separation pay for 20 union members.

 

The cases involving the aforementioned companies are just three of the 135 strike notices docketed by NCMB since January, which declined 4 percent from the 140 new cases received during the same period in 2009.

 

NCMB also reported a declining trend in preventive mediation cases. Only 190 cases have been filed since January, 25 percent lower than those filed during the same period in 2009.

 

Workers involved in both types of cases, however, recorded significant increases from 2009 figures. Workers in strike notices increased by 11 percent, while those covered by PM cases increased by 8 percent.

 

Cumulative monetary benefits facilitated from conciliation-mediation cases have reached P363.8M benefiting 4,554 workers as of June 29, 2010.

 

Of this amount, P352.5M represents CBA packages benefiting some 3,906 workers. Some 648 workers also received P11.3M in separation pay and other compensation.

 

Meanwhile, worker complaints processed through the Single Entry Approach (SENA) has reached 452 as of June 29, 2010. These cases involve 1,096 workers.

 

The resolution of SENA cases paid 419 workers with P7.3M in compensation.

 

DOLE inks pact with Iran for Filipino seafarers' recognition, employment

 

 

 

 

 

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque has signed a bilateral agreement with Iran that provides for the Iranian recognition of the Filipino seafarers’ certificates of competencies, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said.

 

Roque  as chair of the Maritime Training Council (MTC) signed the Memorandum of Agreement  with  Deputy Managing Director for Maritime Affairs Saeed Izadian of the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization in Manila recently following the conclusion of the five-day 2010 Diplomatic Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping  (STCW), as amended, and its associated STCW Code for Seafarers held in the country last week.

 

Roque expressed his appreciation of the Iranian government for its willingness to enter into an agreement with the Philippines as this expands the international recognition of the Filipino seafarers’ certificate of competencies pursuant to Regulation 1/10 of the STCW Convention.

 

He said such recognition is essential to the continued employment of Filipino seafarers in the international maritime industry, adding that the MOA with Iran is the 45^th bilateral agreement that the country has so far entered into to ensure the international recognition of the Filipino seafarers’ certificates.

 

The DOLE has actively negotiated for bilateral agreements on the recognition of Filipino seafarers’ certificates in accordance with the STCW convention.  It has previously facilitated bilateral agreements with 44 countries, namely, Egypt, St. Kitts & Nevis, Portugal, Qatar, South Africa, Eritrea, Republic of Korea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Switzerland, Poland, Ukraine, Belgium, Mongolia, Georgia, Ireland, Commonwealth of Dominica, Hellenic Republic, Kuwait, Cambodia, Indonesia, Panama, Malaysia, Luxemburg, Australia, Belize, Liberia, Italy, Barbados, Sweden, Isle of Man, Malta, Antigua and Barbuda, Norway, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Cyprus, Bahamas, Singapore, Brunei, Denmark, Netherlands, and Japan.

 

“These agreements demonstrate the confidence of the international maritime industry in the maritime education, training, assessment, and certification system of the Philippines,” Roque said.

 

He assured the international maritime industry that even as he is leaving his post as Labor and Employment Secretary, the DOLE will continuously work with other stakeholders in the Philippine government and the private sector to ensure the country’s continuous compliance to the STCW Convention and to maintain the globally known competence and skills of the Filipino seafarers.

 

The DOLE through the MTC, intensely pursues efforts aimed at ensuring the country’s observance of the STCW Convention, as amended.  Under the supervision of DOLE, the MTC ensures that the evaluation of the quality standards of government instrumentalities involved in the seamen certification system, training courses and programs, and examination and assessment including the qualification of instructors and assessors are conducted in accordance with the Convention. 

 

With the MTC’s painstaking efforts, the Philippines has sustained its compliance with the STCW Convention and subsequently the country’s inclusion in the International Maritime Organization’s White List since 2000.  This ensures the recognition of the international maritime industry to the certificates of competencies issued by the Philippine government to its seafarers, which is essential in the latter’s continued employment in international shipping. 

 

 

__._,_.___

Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic

Messages in this topic (1)

Recent Activity:

Visit Your Group

MARKETPLACE

Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.

---

Get great advice about dogs and cats. Visit the Dog & Cat Answers Center.

---

Get real-time World Cup coverage on the Yahoo! Toolbar. Download now to win a signed team jersey!

Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use

.

__,_._,___

New ILO Manila Director backs job creation, decent andproductive work in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - The new Director of the Country Office of the
International Labour Organization (ILO) in Manila says he supports the
Philippine government in its goal to promote decent and productive work.

*With the economic crisis we have seen the largest increase in unemployment
since the Great Depression,* said Mr Lawrence Jeffrey Johnson, the new
Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines. *The impact of the
economic crisis on vulnerable employment and labour productivity means the
number of workers living with their families in poverty is likely to have
increased. We see workers living on the margin and at risk of falling
further
into poverty. As the economy recovers we need to look at employment policies
and
strategies to help create both decent and productive employment*

Mr Johnson spoke after witnessing the inauguration of President Benigno
Simeon
Aquino III. In his inaugural speech President Aquino said he will revive
the
emergency employment programme to provide jobs for local communities and
help in
the development of the economy. Referring to Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFWs),
the President highlighted the goal of creating jobs at home so that there
will
be no need to look for employment abroad. President Aquino ordered relevant
agencies to be even more responsive to the needs and welfare of OFWs.

President Aquino also cited the need to strengthen efforts to fund quality
education, including vocational education for those who cannot find decent
work.
The President said he will implement stable economic policies, level the
playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance
to
business.

Speaking after the ceremony Mr Johnson added that it was also important for
the
Philippines to find ways to increase productivity. *We believe that
productivity and employment growth are the cornerstones of the fight against
poverty,* he said. *A highly trained and educated labour force combined with
easy access to capital and technology can lead to a significant increase in
productivity and help boost the country*s economy. Dialogue with employers*
and workers* organizations is also crucial.*

Mr Johnson officially took over as the new Director of the ILO Country
Office
for the Philippines on July 1st following the retirement of Ms Linda Wirth.
Mr
Johnson joined the ILO in 1997. Before coming to Manila he served as Chief
of
the ILO Employment Trends Team, which produces major ILO reports including
the
annual Global Employment Trends and Key Indicators of the Labour Market. Mr
Johnson also served as technical expert on the United Nations Inter-agency
Expert Group for the Millennium Development Goals, and has longstanding
experience as a consultant and expert working in Africa, Central America,
Caribbean, East Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, Middle East as well as in
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

Mr Johnson is an expert on labour market indicators, trends and evaluation,
employment and labour market policy and information, wages and earnings, and
hours of work. Prior to joining the ILO, he spent more than ten years as a
Labour Market Economist with the United States Department of Labor in
Washington.

Journalistic prize awarded to Nina Corpuz for her article on the rise of human trafficking in the Ph

NOTE:  The attached winning article of Nina Corpuz is being offered to
recognized media for use free of charge.  Further information and details of the
next Turin course are available on request.

Filipino domestic workers between justice and survival, the article that won
the 2010 Media for Labour Rights Prize

MANILA - Kasambahay means *part of the household* in Filipino and this is
how domestic workers are called. They have poor rights both in their home
country and abroad and many fall victim to various kinds of abuses from their
employers and the agencies that illegally recruit them. Nina Corpuz investigated
about the conditions of domestic workers, the phenomenon of human trafficking in
the Philippines and the measures taken by the government to prevent it.

In the last year there has been a 20% increase in the incidence of persons
trafficked in the country for domestic work. The ILO Committee of Experts made a
direct request to the government to provide information on the application of
the law against this particular form of forced labour. Unfortunately,
anti-trafficking cases are often dismissed after victims decide to settle,
because they are offered money or they have to go back to work abroad. *It*s
really sad but it*s a matter of economic necessity, between justice and
survival, they choose survival* comments a Filipino State Prosecutor.
The ongoing Campaign on Decent Work for Domestic Helpers is now lobbying for
the adoption of the Batas Kasambahay bill in the Philippines, aiming at
uplifting and giving decency to labour standards of those workers. The ILO
considers domestic work to be among the most precarious of occupations and the
present job crisis is likely to aggravate those vulnerabilities. An item on
decent work for domestic workers has been discussed at the 2010 session of the
International Labour Conference with a view to the setting of labour standards.

Nina Corpuz, the author of the article *Filipino Domestic Workers: between
justice and survival*, won the 2010 edition of the journalistic prize for the
best story on labour rights, awarded by the International Training Centre of the
ILO (ITC-ILO), the training arm of the ILO.

The article was selected among stories written by professional journalists who
attended the training courses on *Communicating Labour Rights*, yearly
organized by the ITC-ILO. The courses introduce journalists and media
professionals from all over the world, to international labour standards, with
the aim of raising public awareness of their relevance to local labour and
social issues. The award ceremony was held in Turin, Italy, on Monday 21st June
2010 at the ITC-ILO.

The author

Nina Corpuz is a broadcast journalist for the Philippine's biggest TV
network, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

She has been a reporter for 9 years, covering labour, education, health and
politics. She also anchors a television news program entitled *Balitang
Europe* (News from Europe), which tackles the concerns of overseas Filipino
workers in Europe. Nina also hosts a public service radio program and  she is a
contributor for ABS-CBN*s news website.

OFWs Join Independence Day Protests

 

2 out of 10 deployed by Arroyo are domestic workers

Arroyo pushed jobless Pinoys to be slave workers

of the world - Migrante

 

As the Arroyo administration "splurges" on a P10 million parade for the country's Independence Day celebrations, OFWs and their families join protests to belie the outgoing president's claim of achievements in addressing poverty and joblessness.

 

Migrante International, the largest alliance of OFW groups, link-up with other peoples organizations in a counter-parade of modest floats depicting the misdeeds and failures of the Arroyo regime. Meanwhile its chapters abroad held assemblies and other activities to expose the worsened situation of Filipino migrant workers and challenged the Aquino government to scrap the labor export policy. 

 

"Once again Arroyo will cite the OFWs as one of her crowning achievements. She will boast of curbing unemployment by referring to the millions of Filipino workers deployed all over the world during her term. This has been her clever lie. But the truth is, it is precisely because of her failure to solve the economic crises why millions of Filipinos opt to work abroad and endure family separation," said Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante.

 

According to Migrante, citing from data gathered from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Arroyo administration processed 9.2 million OFW deployments from 2001 to 2009. Seven million were deployed as land-based workers, 40% which or 2.8 million were new hires. These figures do not include undocumented workers which the group estimates as 1,000 leaving everyday. 

 

"Closer scrutiny of the deployments will reveal that what Arroyo essentially does is pushing jobless Pinoys to become cheap and docile slave workers abroad which can be highly abused and exploited by foreign employers. To concretize, in her reign, 2 out of 10 OFWs are deployed as domestic helpers. Half of which going to the Middle-East where there is high incidence of OFW maltreatment," Martinez explained.

 

Based on POEA data, 515,417 OFW new hires from 2001-2008 worked as Household Service Workers, 331, 058 Entertainers and 183,159 Nurses and Caregivers.

 

According to Martinez, the new hires were largely deployed to Middle-East countries where OFW wage rates are very low. Domestic Helpers and Caregivers in the Middle-East, which accounts for 50%, receive $200-300/month which is just about the same amount of the minimum wage in Metro Manila. Nurses in Saudi Arabia, which is 60%, on the other hand receive $400-500/month which is just equal to the daily cost of living in the Philippines.

 

"Given this situation, we must celebrate independence day by reliving and continuing the fight for freedom of our forefathers. The Filipino people must unite in making Arroyo pay for her crimes and challenge the Aquino government to solve the basic problems of landlessness and joblessness. We must unwaveringly pursue the struggle for national democracy," Martinez ended. ###

Migrants challenge Noynoy to fire and prosecute officials colluding with trafficking syndicates

 

 

After the much-publicized release of the US State Department's report on human trafficking, the largest OFW group Migrante International challenged president-elect Noynoy Aquino to immediately fire and prosecute RP officials colluding with human trafficking syndicates. The group likewise urged Noynoy to make the DOJ Task Force on Trafficking in Persons to also be accountable for the worsening problem of human trafficking in the Philippines.

 

"Human trafficking is a serious crime against humanity. Noynoy must act with force against those involved in this offense, especially those inside the government. They must be fired and prosecuted immediately. Hindi na kailangan pang mag-imbestiga para lamang matukoy kung sino-sino ang mga yan. It's an open secret. People inside the government very well know who among them benefits from this heinous crime," challenged Garry Martinez, Chairperson of Migrante.

 

Martinez said that they have a watchlist of officials involved in human trafficking based on OFW complaints that they received for the past few years. Migrante refused to reveal the list as they are still gathering sufficient data for their plan to file formal cases at the Office of the Ombudsman. "But if Noynoy is willing to work with us, we can sit down with him, reveal our watchlist and create plan how to make these officials pay for their crime."

 

Migrante also criticized the reaction of the DOJ Task Force on Trafficking on the US report. The group said that the government body should also be held accountable for the spread of human trafficking. Severino Gana Jr., chairman of the task force, admitted their faults but just ended at requesting more funds for them to execute their duties.

 

"Gana's attitude clearly tells of the lack of political will of government agencies to curb or eradicate human trafficking. They are actually guilty of delaying justice and also guilty of protecting the perpetrators. In effect they are giving them more opportunities to exploit more Filipinos," said Martinez.

 

Martinez continued by disagreeing with Gana's request of more funds. "While funds are really needed to operate, the appeal is highly questionable since they were unsuccessful in performing their assignment. They must explain their failures first before additional funds are granted"

 

"Apart from making officials pay for their offenses, Noynoy should also pay attention to addressing the root of the trafficking problem which is joblessness and poverty in the country. Getting rid of corrupt officials is just a tactical solution, building an economy free from domination of foreign and local big business is the answer to our long-standing woes," ended Martinez. ###

 

Erring Welfare Officer advises Pinay to jump from building, OFWs to press charges in OWWA

 

 

Newly repatriated women OFWs trooped back to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to file formal charges against a RP Welfare Officer in Saudi who advised their colleague to jump from the 3^rd floor of their accommodation to get away from her abusive employer.

The OFWs, who were formerly caregivers of Annasban Company, joined their colleague Merlinda Aquino who just arrived back a few days ago, in filing formal charges against Welfare Officer Nestor Burayag for grave misconduct and neglect of duties.

 "Tinawagan ko si Mr. Burayag para magpasaklolo dahil hindi ko na matagalan ang pang-aabuso ng employer ko sa akin. Pero sinabihan niya lang ako na tumalon mula sa 3^rd floor n gaming building para daw may dahilan para matulungan niya ako," said Aquino. Merlinda decided not to follow the advice because it may cost her life.

Aquino lamented that she was being continuously physically abused by her site manager since January. Her mobile phone and ATM were also confiscated. She reported the offenses to the company management but no action was taken. She was hoping to be rescued upon informing RP officials of her plight, particularly Burayag, but all they did was encourage her "to commit suicide" by jumping from the building.

Aquino originally planned to join the work-stoppage as she was also a victim of the company's gross contract violations. Her wages were also cut and made to work for long hours without pay. But because of fear and hopelessness due to the "government's inaction" she decided to keep a distance.

Earlier this month, the OFWs have already called on OWWA officials to recall Burayag for neglecting his duty to secure with the Annasban management exit visas for their release and forcing them to pay a huge amount for repatriation. Until now no action has been done by Administrator Carmelita Dimzon. Burayag remains in his post while more than 30 women workers are still locked in the company's barracks.  

"Burayag's attitude reflects the Arroyo administration's general mis-conduct toward OFWs. They really do not pay attention to the well-being of our kababayans. In truth many of them connive with foreign employers such as Annasban in subjecting Filipino workers in dire conditions. Kalakal ang turing sa OFWs, hindi tao. Habol lang nila ang kita na makukuha mula sa pagsasamantala sa aming lakas-paggawa," said Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.

Migrante challenged the new regime under President-elect Noynoy Aquino to probe and sack erring officials and reorient OWWA to be a genuine service institution. The group also urged Noynoy to scrap the OWWA Omnibus Policies, an "anti-migrant" policy unilaterally imposed by the Arroyo administration. ###   

--
http://migrantecampaign.ning.com
http://migranteinternational.org
#10 Banuyo St.Brgy.Amihan, Project 3, Quezon City
Telefax: 9114910

Greenresearch World Environment Day 2010 Greetings

Greenresearch                                An Environmental Research Group     June 5, 2010     Dear partners in our green movement,     Greetings on World Environment Day!                   It is our joy to share with you that we have renamed our interdisciplinary research team from Alternative Research for Empowerment (ALTEResearch) to Greenresearch Environmental Research Group (Greenresearch ERG).  Greenresearch's  new  office address is  located at the    3rd Floor,   311  Katipunan Avenue , Loyola Heights , 1100 Quezon City (same building as Sweet Inspirations). Our present contact numbers are as follows: fax number  433 2120;  landline number 369 8141;  and  mobile 0919 7510070.                   Our new organizational name, Greenresearch symbolizes, our decision as an development  "think tank,"  to prioritize sociological research,  legal and policy analyses on the Philippine environment.  As an intellectual resource pool, Greenresearch offers a rich interdisciplinary blend of social scientists, social development professionals, academicians, lawyers, environmental activists, and artists.  As  an Environmental Research  Group, Greenresearch remains strongly committed to the development  of creative, reflexive, action-oriented, and process-oriented knowledge products through the use of interdisciplinary perspectives and participatory approaches.                   As Greenresearch, we  will continue its engagements/affiliations with the following environmental movement and networks/coalitions:   ·             GREEN CONVERGENCE for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy (Green Convergence), ·             Save Sierra Madre Network (SSMN), ·             Network Opposed to GMOs (No2GMO Coalition), ·             CSO Working Group on Climate Change and Development, and ·             Magkaisa Junk JPEPA Coalition (MJJC).                                   As our country moves into a significant historical and political transition, we look forward to  more strategic and meaningful  engagements within our Green Convergence movement and its different environmental coalitions in ensuring our Green Agenda. We continue to hope and pray for a genuine participatory environmental governance of the incoming administration of President Elect Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III.  Kindly also consider signing the attached collective letter addressed  to President Noynoy Aquino  about our strong objection to the re-appointment of the incumbent DENR Sec. Horacio Ramos.    Nagtaya na kami para sa kalikasan. Nasimulan na rin namin ang  paglalakbay patungo sa pagbabago kasabay ng ating hinirang na People's President Noynoy.   Patuloy rin ang aming panalangin, pag-asa at pagpupunyagi para  mas maging buhay at mas matatag ang ating kilusang pangkalikasan.  Ituloy ang Laban!     In solidarity,     Patria Gwen M.L. Borcena, M.A. President

RP Labor Diplomacy: Keeping jobs the diplomatic way

 

 

Mang Pido has been a tuna fisherman in General Santos City, the Tuna Capital of the Philippines and the world's leading source of "sashimi."  In February of this year, Mang Pido along with 500 tuna fishermen and their families thought they had to look elsewhere for jobs and livelihood opportunities, because of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) banning tuna fishing.

 

Mang Pido, is only one of the millions of Filipinos whose jobs and livelihoods are affected by occurrences in international trade agreements and conventions.  These days one need not migrate to another country in order to be affected in the intricacies or changes in international trade. 

 

As globalization pushes people and trade closer to each other, international and local markets have become more and more interlinked, prompting the need for stronger and deeper diplomatic ties that go beyond the rules of protocol.  Diplomatic ties, that nonetheless responds to the needs of migration but are likewise concerned and in the loop of inter-linking interests of trade that have heavy implications to labor and employment. 

 

"We envision a labor diplomacy program that is focused on advancing the labor and employment interests of the Philippines in its international affairs and would serve as an overarching framework for a people-centered management of Philippine international affairs," said Cynthia R. Cruz, Executive Director of the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), research arm and think tank of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Speaking at the Working World Trialogues (WWT) on Labor Diplomacy held  at the Microsoft Headquarters in Makati from May 13-14,2010 Director Cruz presented her paper on a RP Labor Diplomacy Program.

 

During the WWT the Institute generated ideas and insights from concerned stakeholders on the development and crafting of a labor diplomacy agenda of the Philippines towards protecting millions of OFWs around the globe. The two-day public forum, was also the first online gathering of government, civil society leaders and Filipino labor attaches, welfare officers and diplomatic representatives around the world.

 

"Labor diplomacy largely means international affairs or foreign policy that promotes the labor and employment goals of the country," Cruz stressed. "With the constant increase in the number of Filipino migrant workers each year we need to pay closer attention on the Philippines' migrant worker issues in its bilateral, regional and multilateral relations throughout the world. Protection of their rights and welfare has become an explicit state policy," stressed Cruz.

 

Labor attaches participated in the discussions of the Trialogues through video conferencing facilities of Microsoft Philippines.  The first day featured presentations on general diplomacy concerns and migration issues by experts from the diplomatic corps.  The second day highlighted diverse experiences and cases of officials from various government agencies on their diplomatic engagements and undertakings.

 

 

 

 

"Through labor diplomacy, we can advocate for support to the country's labor and employment-related goals in international forums. Likewise, we can provide information on economic, social and political issues in the host countries, as well as labor market information, from which basis for policy-making and program development can be drawn," said Cruz.

 

 

Beyond Migration Borders

 

Labor diplomacy plays an important role both in the protection of Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but also in providing information on global markets that have a ripple effect on the local economy. Insights and analyses on the economic impacts of cooperation agreements and other international trade treaties are crucial in addressing concerns in the global community that have serious effects in business and employment.

 

The Institute for Labor Studies is the Department's forerunner in pushing for a RP Labor Diplomacy agenda. In addition to its research mandate, the Institute for Labor Studies is actively involved in secretariat work on negotiations for international agreements, specifically Mode 4, on the movement of natural persons. It was out of this work, that the concept of a labor diplomacy agenda was born.

 

The WWT is a public forum organized by the ILS. A Trialogue is designed especially for issues on labor and employment that involve multiple stakeholders that need fast-tracked solutions. It is where emerging and urgent labor and employment issues and solutions are discussed among stakeholders and experts.

Macau prioritizes hiring of locals; OFWs warned

 

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) warned Filipino workers from going to Macau to look for employment with only tourist visas as the Macau government has passed a law that prioritizes the hiring of local workers over foreign workers.

 

Citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Macau, Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said it is no longer easy for foreign workers to come and find employment in Macau, unlike in the past when they could apply and easily fill vacancies as walk-in applicants in this part of China.

 

Roque said Filipino workers should be wary against unscrupulous individuals or agencies who may entice or bring them to Macau as tourists with promises of stumbling upon jobs in this Chinese territory as they may instead find themselves in dire straits in view of the new Macau restrictions against foreign workers.

 

He said the workers should always verify first with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the legality of jobs in Macau that may be offered them.  In 2009, POEA deployed 6,729 OFWs to Macau, most of whom were employed in the tourism sector.

 

The Macau government passed the Law for the Employment of Non-residential Workers, also known as the Law on Imported Labor, to safeguard the employment of local workers and restrict the hiring of migrant workers in Macau.  The new law took effect on April 26, 2010.

 

The POLO – Macau report said the draft administrative regulations complementing the new law have already been submitted to the Macau government's Executive Council .

 

In view of the new law, the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) presented 10 demands to the Macau Department of Transportation and Public Works to protect local workers and prevent the illegal employment of foreign workers.  The union asked the Macau government to, among others, prevent the hiring of foreign workers in occupations such as drivers and floor supervisors in casinos, and in the industrial and construction sectors as well.

 

Meanwhile, the POLO-Macau has consulted the Macau Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL) for the conduct of a symposium aimed at orienting the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Macau on the new Law on Imported Labor.  

 

Macau, a former Portuguese colony, is one of the two special administrative regions in China.  The other one is Hong Kong.  Macau's economy is based largely on tourism, gaming, and hospitality industry which contributes more than 50% of its GDP.  Other chief economic activities in this administrative region are export-geared textile and garment manufacturing, banking and other financial services.

 

 

Film Screening of Mabuhay with Aloha

FHL to show film on Filipinos in Hawaii The Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL), in cooperation with EMME Inc., a Hawaii-based production company, will show Mabuhay with Aloha: The Hawaii-Filipino Experience, a documentary on the 100-year history of Filipinos in Hawaii. The film screening, which will be held on June 4, 2 p.m., at the FHL Reading Room, is open to the public. Produced by Emme Tomimbang, an award-winning television personality in Hawaii, Mabuhay with Aloha: The Hawaii-Filipino Experience is a 90-minute documentary featuring never-before- seen archival photographs and over 50 interviews, recounting the struggle, perseverance, and eventual success of Filipinos in Hawaii. "Mabuhay with Aloha is dedicated to the sakada, Hawaii's Filipino plantation workers, one of whom was my father," said Tomimbang, who traces her roots to Siquijor. "I am excited to bring the documentary to the Philippines…. It gives me great honor to bridge ties between Hawaii and Philippines."  In 1906, the first wave of "overseas Filipino workers" to arrive in Hawaii was composed of sugarcane field workers called sakada. A hundred years later, as many as 275,000 residents in Hawaii are of Filipino ancestry-approximat ely 23 percent of the state's population. Commissioned by the Hawaii Filipino Centennial Commission, Mabuhay with Aloha was written and co-produced by Pepi Nieva, a Hawaii resident who was born and raised in Manila. The documentary had its Philippine premiere in November last year at the University of San Carlos in Cebu. A special commemorative edition of Mabuhay with Aloha: The Hawaii-Filipino Experience is also available in a two-disc DVD package, which includes additional features, behind-the-scenes footage, and a bonus cut of the Honolulu television special, Emme's Mabuhay Moments. The Filipinas Heritage Library is located near the intersection of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue, Makati City. Only a limited number of seats are available. To reserve your seats, contact fhl_inquiry@ ayalafoundation. org <mailto:fhl_inquiry@ ayalafoundation. org>, or 632 892 1801. For more information, visit www.filipinaslibrar y.org.ph <http://www.filipina slibrary. org.ph> or www.emmeinc. com <http://www.emmeinc. com/>.

__._,_.___