Page 16 - Hello Philippines February 2016 'B' issue

16 www.hello-philippines.com IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS February 2016 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Indie film on OFWs shines
in Asian filmfest in France
A Filipino independent film about fighting, striving, struggling everyday ones in the Philippines. Fajardo and screenwriter John Bedia “Imbisibol,” co-produced by
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to provide for their families, to “The life of a migrant worker is during the screening, which managed
was among the nine films vying for survive deportation, to thrive to fill Vesoul Majestic Theater’s largest critically-acclaimed Philippine
recognition in the 22nd International against discrimination,” said director not simply a life full of heroic deeds; screening room of almost 400 seats.
Festival of Asian Films in Vesoul, Lawrence Fajardo. it is a battle for survival,” Fajardo director Brillante Mendoza, had won
France. said during the film’s screening at Fajardo said “Imbisibol” “wants
The film presents the struggles of the Vesoul Majestic Theater. “It is a to humanize the migrant workers, to Best Film and six other awards during
A film that narrates the lives the OFWs as they toil in various jobs, battle not for existence, but for non- present the personal portraits of the
of OFWs in Japan in the 1990s, most of which are menial – some even existence.” invisible not as superheroes, but as the Sinag Maynila Independent Film
“Imbisibol” “aims to present the dangerous – as illegal immigrants to real people with real struggles, with
characters as normal people – provide for their families and loved Fajardo was accompanied by his real personal dilemmas.” Awards Ceremony in March 2015 in
wife and producer Krisma Maclang
Manila. It has also been screened in

Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Toronto Film

Festivals in 2015. n KBK, GMA News /

Published / February 10, 2016 / 5:29 pm

Lawyer hopes acquittal of Indonesian client in PHL will help Veloso case
AN Indonesian woman charged for Ridhwan’s acquittal may have on Veloso’s and illegal drug possession under other countries are committed to
drug trafficking in the Philippines has case. sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165. assist our OFWs who have legal needs
been acquitted, and her lawyer is hoping The charges against her sisters, however, in their respective countries of work,”
it will help the case of Mary Jane Veloso, “It is too soon to say if Mery’s were dropped. Alcudia added.
a Filipino sentenced to death in Indonesia acquittal by a Philippine court will have
for the same offense. a favorable effect on Mary Jane Veloso’s Alcudia said he and colleague Veloso’s execution for carrying
case or will influence the stand of the Purificacion Bartolome-Bernabe took on heroin in the Yogyakarta Airport
“Our first pro-bono client was Indonesian government,” he told GMA the case after it was handled by a private in 2010 was put on hold in April last
acquitted today. She is Indonesian. We News Online. lawyer and the Public Attorney’s Office as year to allow her to testify against her
hope this helps the case of Veloso,” said part of their membership with the IPBA. alleged recruiters in the Philippines.
lawyer Paul Alcudia of the International Ridwhan was arrested in a drug-
Pro Bono Alliance (IPBA), who buy bust operation in Makati on the “The IPBA helps out, on a pro bono The Nueva Ecija court is currently
represented Mery Ridhwan. day of her arrival in the Philippines on basis, nationals from other countries hearing illegal recruitment, qualified
December 19, 2009. who are charged and on trial in the trafficking and estafa cases against her
However, Alcudia admitted that is Philippines,” he said. alleged recruiters. n Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA
still premature to presume any effects She and her sisters Magdalena and
Sesilia were accused of drug trafficking “In turn, our member-lawyers in News / Published / February 12, 2016 / 8:16 pm

Pinoy hurt as violence continues 2 Pinoys among 5 seafarers held hostage in Nigeria–report
in Saudi - Yemen border FIVE crew members of an oil the Russian chief engineer and world’s largest providers of shipping
A Filipino worker was hurt after said she has already sent a team to
tanker — two of them Filipinos — are electrician, and a fitter from Georgia. manpower in the world.

he was hit by a stray debris believed extend assistance to Lolong. believed to be being held hostage by The Philippine Department of A bulk of Filipino seamen or

to have come from a bomb in the Missile strikes in the border have separatist rebels off Nigerian waters, Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is still more than 20 percent of the world’s

troubled Saudi Arabia-Yemen border. become so commonplace that some according to a US News report over “awaiting official confirmation” from 1.2 million sailors are manning oil

Ramil Deluna Lolong, who works as Filipino workers there have grown the weekend. the Philippine Embassy in Abuja tankers, luxury liners, and passenger

a fabricator welder for a construction accustomed to it. The report, citing the Associated regarding the report. vessels worldwide, exposing them to

company, suffered a broken bone on The Department of Foreign Affairs Press, said the rebels hijacked first the The rebels were reportedly piracy attacks.

his right arm due to the incident and is (DFA) had earlier said it is monitoring Greek-owned MT Leon Dias then took espousing an independent state of Piracy and ransom kidnappings

currently confined in a hospital. the situation of OFWs who work with them the crew members — the Biafra in southeast Nigeria. of Filipino sailors have long been

He said he was about to take a and live near the border in light of the Filipino captain and third engineer, The Philippines is one of the a problem for the Philippine

bath on Tuesday morning when he constant bombings there. government as it lacks the capacity

felt something hit his arm. Upon An estimated 5,000 OFWs are to monitor their movements when at

checking, he noticed that his arm was said to be at risk due to the continued sea.

visibly misshapen. fighting between Saudi troops and As a policy, the Philippine

Lolong said as first aid, he tied rebels in Najran City. government does not negotiate

his arm and asked his housemates The Saudi-led coalition is backing nor pay ransom to kidnappers, but

to bring him to a hospital. At the Yemen’s government in its war against gives ship owners the free hand in

hospital, doctors put brace on his arm Iranian-backed rebels who overran negotiating for the release of abducted

to fix the broken bone. the capital Sanaa in September 2014. Filipino sailors. n KBK, GMA News / Published /

Lolong said he wants to return to More than 6,100 people have February 8, 2016 / 2:09 pm

the Philippines when discharged, as been killed in the conflict since DOLE assures assistance to kin of 13 Pinoys killed in Iraq fire

he thinks it’s no longer safe to be near March last year, about half of them

the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border. civilians, according to United Nations THE families of the 13 Filipinos killed avail of entrepreneurial developmental 14 Filipino fatalities, but corrected it after

“[Sana] gumaling na ‘ko dito nang estimates. in a hotel fire in the Kurdistan region in training,” she added. the regional government of Kurdistan

makauwi na sa Pilipinas,” he told GMA The UN is pushing for a ceasefire Iraq are set to receive benefits from the Baldoz said the financial assistance will said it mistakenly identified one of the

News. “’Di na safe ang kalagayan ng and political talks in Yemen. n Ronaldo government, Labor Secretary Rosalinda be sourced from the integrated livelihood fatalities as a Filipina.

mga OFWs dito.” Concha / KBK, GMA News / Published February 12, Baldoz said Monday. program of the Department of Labor and The Philippine government has

Consul General Imelda Panolong 2016 / 2:50 pm The benefits, given to families of Employment. placed most of Iraq under Alert Level 4,

OFWs who are members of the Overseas “We’ll make sure employers will give which calls for mandatory repatriation.

Workers Welfare Administration families of OFWs who perished will be able Kurdistan, however, remains only under

(OWWA), are in the forms of death to collect the benefits that are due them, Alert Level 1 due to a more “stable

insurance, entrepreneurial skills life insurance, unpaid wages et al.,” she security situation.”

training and educational assistance for said. The repatriation of the victims, which

the victims’ children. The 13 were among the 17 people killed will be shouldered by the employers, is

“If the OFW is an OWWA member, in a fire that struck Capitol Hotel in Erbil, being coordinated with the Department

they will be entitled to death insurance, capital of the Kurdistan autonomous of Foreign Affairs.

if their children wish to avail of region, on Friday evening. They were all “The repatriation will be shouldered

educational assistance, they can be employed in the hotel. by employers. If employer fails, OWWA

provided by applying,” Baldoz said. Investigators said the victims all died will shoulder the repatriation. Both,

“If immediate the family member because of suffocation. member or not,” Baldoz said. n KBK, GMA

plans to engage in business, they can ThePhilippineembassyinitiallyreported News / Published / February 8, 2016 / 5:37 pm