Page 10 - Hello Philippines January 2016 'B' issue

10 www.hello-philippines.com IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS January 2016 / Fortnightly – No. 2 • UK & Europe Edition

PDArILoY B-OOMBFINGWS UP FgROrMo1u5 TpO 8s0 call for deployment
ban in areas near Saudi-Yemen border
PRO-OFW groups on Friday called Susan Ople, head of the Blas Ople area to verify the concerns of Filipinos Philippine Consulate General to Filipino community leaders in
for a temporary deployment ban to Policy Center and Training Institute, there. deploy a contingency team there that Najran also asked the government to
areas near the Saudi Arabia-Yemen a group that assists distressed OFWs, will help assess the needs of Filipinos stop deploying Filipino workers there,
border due to constant bombings in the urged the Department of Foreign She said based on information and prepare them in case the situation noting that some domestic helpers
region. Affairs (DFA) to deploy a team in the from some 5,000 Filipino workers in worsens. sent there were unaware of the tense
Najran, a city in southwestern Saudi security situation in the area.
Arabia near the border of Yemen, daily “The Philippine Consulate General,
bombings there have increased from through Vice Consul Alexander Jun Aguilar of the Filipino Migrant’s
15 to 80 and now occur at night. Estomo, has been visiting Najran. Group said while war is unlikely to
But in and out lang sila... Because develop in the area, household service
“Yung mga bomba daw, dati, of the rising tensions, and the workers are especially vulnerable in
tuwing araw lang. Ngayon, kahit escalating exchange of artillery, ‘yung hostile situations.
gabi. Hindi nila alam kung saan Filipinos there would prefer to have a
nagmumula. Nararamdaman na lang permanent contingent or team looking “Kapag may problema, may gulo,
nila kasi nayayanig na lang kung saan out for them,” Ople said. nagi-evacuate pati ‘yung mga amo,
sila natutulog,” Ople said at a press doon sila kailangan. That’s the time they
briefing. OFWs also requested the are really needed. Talagang ilalaban ng
government to identify a safe zone employer ‘yan na hindi pawalan basta-
While most preferred to stay and to create a bomb shelter where basta kahit na ang ating embahada ay
in the region, four Filipinos have they could take refuge in during nandidyan na at kinukuha ‘yung mga
already asked to be repatriated. Their emergencies. household workers,” he said.
employers agreed to let them return
home on the condition that their “Kung sobrang peligroso na, they As of 2013, there are 1,550,572
employment costs were paid for. can just go. Yung panawagan nila, Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, based on
kung saan sila pwedeng mag-evacuate,” government data. n Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA
Meanwhile, OFWs who wished Ople said.
to remain in Najran have asked the News / Published / January 8, 2016 / 1:27 pm

Remittances unlikely to be affected by Saudi-Iran rift, but OFWs advised to save
REMITTANCES from Filipino patuloy pa rin pong magkakaroon ng especially in Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi Arabia (PRAASA), still advised

workers in Saudi Arabia and Iran will remittances,” Calderon said. prized commodity forms the backbone families of OFWs to cut down on

be unaffected by the growing tensions He added that the Bangko Sentral ng of the economic giant’s massive spending.

between the two countries, a pro- Pilipinas weathered similar conditions subsidies. “Ang pinaka-importante sa ngayon

migrant advocate said Friday. before and only observed a small dent Lito Soriano, president of LBS siguro at this time is maghigpit ng

Kabalikat ng Migranteng Pilipino in the remittances sent by OFWs. Recruitment Solutions, said based on sinturon, medyo bawas ang gastos kasi

(KAMPI) president Luther Calderon “Based din po siya sa datos ng a CNN report, gasoline prices rose 50 hindi natin alam kung anong pwedeng

said economists have predicted a central bank, based on experience nung percent, an increase to 24 cents per mangyari in the future at nang sa

downturn of only two to three months nagkaroon ng mass repatriation dito sa liter from 16 cents, after cutting off ganon, makauwi man ang ating OFWs...

at most as Saudi Arabia and Iran ‘tin, bumababa lang talaga ng dalawa diplomatic ties with Iran. Though remittances will be at least meron silang madudukot for

adjust to the economic repercussions o tatlong buwan ang remittances pero Experts said that the oil-reliant unaffected by tensions between the the next six months just in case na

of their rift. nagre-recover din,” Calderon said. country must increase oil prices above $50 two Gulf countries and rising oil prices, mawalan sila ng trabaho,” Bertiz said.

“Magkakaroon lang po siguro ng He said what worries OFWs in the per barrel and may even start collecting John Bertiz, president of the Philippine n Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / Published /

blip for two or three months, but Gulf countries is the rising price of oil, taxes to sustain its cash reserve. Recruitment Agencies Accredited to January 8, 2016 / 9:43 pm

STATUS QUO MAINTAINED
Mary Jane Veloso’s lawyer in PHL sees no imminent execution
THE Filipino lawyer of Mary Jane
OFWs blast long lines at NAIA for terminal fee refund Veloso, the Filipina on death row in
OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) their P550 refund. Indonesia for drug smuggling, does
in the country for a vacation have Some skipped the line entirely due not see her being executed soon even minute appeal to counterpart Jokowi “The multiple cases against Mary
complained about the long lines at the after Indonesia handed down death Widodo to turn her into a witness Jane’s illegal recruiters are proceeding
Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the cumbersome process, the report sentences to 55 convicts, 14 of whom in the illegal recruitment case of her not swiftly as we wish, but they are
(NAIA) to get their terminal fee refunds, a added. now awaiting execution. recruiters in the Philippines. moving despite a cornucopia of dilatory
report on “Balita Pilipinas” said Tuesday. legal acrobatics by said recruiters
The Manila International Airport “As far as we know, it is still status Olalia said he believes Indonesia’s through their lawyers,” he said.
OFWs are encouraged to avail of Authority (MIAA), which ordered the quo,” lawyer Edre Olalia said in a pronouncement last year that
their terminal fee refunds as they are integration of the terminal fee in airline statement Wednesday. “Indonesian executions are not among its current “But we should continue to be on
exempted by law from paying such fee, ticket prices, has yet to respond to the news refers to a general policy priorities still holds. guard so Mary Jane can already come
which has been integrated in airline OFWs complaints, the report said. announcement about new executions home sooner than later,” Olalia added.
ticket prices. in general, without naming who are He also said a Nueva Ecija court’s
The integration of terminal fee in included and who are not.” junking of an appeal by Veloso’s alleged Veloso was nabbed in April 2010 at
According to the report, the OFWs, airline ticket prices, or the International recruiters to temporarily stop the the Yogyakarta airport for possessing
especially those who have to go to their Passenger Service Charge (IPSC), is Indonesia spared Veloso from illegal recruitment case filed against 2.6 kilograms of heroin. n Rie Takumi / KBK,
provinces, complained about the time mandated under MIAA Memorandum execution last year after President them was a step forward for his client.
they have to spend in the long lines and Circular No. 8, which is being opposed by Benigno Aquino III pleaded for her life. GMA News / Published / January 6, 2016 / 7:54 pm
the extensive requirements needed to get OFW groups. n Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News /
Veloso, a mother of two, was among
Published / January 12, 2016 / 8:04 pm the nine foreign and local death row
prisoners, including Australians,
scheduled for execution by firing squad
on April 29, 2015 for drug-related
charges.

All eight were put to death,
except Veloso, when the Indonesian
government ordered a stay in her
execution following Aquino’s last