13 Filipinos in Nigeria oil theft freed

13 Filipinos in Nigeria oil theft freed
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:19:00 02/26/2009

Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Crime, Robbery and theft, Prison, Oil & Gas - Upstream activities
Most Read
MANILA, Philippines -- Less than a week after they were convicted of stealing 12,500 tons of crude oil from the Niger Delta, 13 Filipino seafarers were released Thursday afternoon, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
Citing a report from the Office of the Vice President, DFA acting spokesman Ed Malay said the 13 were released after the owner of the M/T Akuada, Corinthian City, paid the fine of $6,800 for each seaman.
Last Friday, February 20, a Nigerian court sentenced the Filipinos to five years imprisonment or the fine after they were caught on November 13, 2008 stealing or illegally transporting oil, commonly known as oil bunkering.
Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest oil producers, exporting some two million barrels of oil per day, loses an estimated 100,000 barrels of liters of crude or refined petroleum products every day to organized gangs that tap pipelines and siphon off tons of oil.
Citing various kidnapping incidents, the Philippine government has a standing work ban in Nigeria.

ANOTHER PUSONG PINOY FAMILY AFFAIR

Travel Ban or no Travel Ban, the party must go on. After all, this is the 28th birthday celebration of Sherwin Cayabyab, the youngest addition to Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company. The Pusong Pinoy family affair was held at the D & S camp where Sherwin resides. The celebration was duly attended by our Consul-General Alex V. Lamadrid. Being a genuine family affair, everybody brought something for the celebrant which were shared – something like – one for all and all for one –
Mabuhay ang Pusong Pinoy!

The celebrant, Sherwin, blowing the birthday candle
Vanz, Merz, Sherwin, Con-Gen, Sheen

Con-Gen with the celebrant and the rest of the guests
Sherwin, Con-Gen Lamadrid, Nestor
Ottie, Sherwin and Con-Gen Lamadrid
The Sisters with Alyssa and Nestor




Maris (Royal Flush?)
Sr. Ortencia,Ric and Niel
Sherwin, struggling with the bottle
Lunch time




Sheen, Lolit, Lito, Julius


Noni and Sherwin




Dottie, Fely, Ampy
The very likeable Gel, and the equally likeable 2 AM's - Allan Minoza and Allan (hotline) Manggis




Meds Pare Koy, Ric, Rex
A rare pic of the ever 'reclusive' Stan (sa Pinoy, si Islaw)



Ottie, very Oriental



Pare Koy giving tips to Sheen






Post Valentine





Efren, Allan, Islaw and Benjie




More pics will be posted.

Convicted OFWs in Nigeria given lawyer

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:01:00 02/23/2009

Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Prison, Crime and Law and Justice, Crime, Robbery and theft, Oil & Gas - Downstream activities

MANILA, Philippines -- Thirteen Filipinos convicted and sentenced for stealing crude oil in Nigeria have been given a lawyer by their employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
DFA spokesman Bayani Mangibin said the owner of the M/T Akuada had retained a lawyer to handle the defense of the seamen, who were sentenced to five years in jail or a fine of one million nair (around $6,800) for stealing 12,500 tons of crude oil from the Niger Delta.
Mangibin confirmed the seafarers’ conviction last Friday but could not say if they would appeal the decision since he has yet to receive any information from the Philippine embassy in Lagos.
Earlier, wire reports said the 13 Filipino seafarers pleaded guilty to the theft. The 13 were among 22 Filipinos arrested by a joint army-navy patrol on the Warri River on November 14, 2008.
Nigeria, one of Africa's largest oil producers, exporting some two million barrels of oil per day, loses an estimated 100,000 barrels of liters of crude or refined petroleum products every day to organized gangs that tap pipelines and siphon off tons of oil.
Citing various kidnapping incidents, the Philippine government has a standing ban on Filipinos who want to work in Nigeria.

Filipino oil bunkerers

13 Filipinos Jailed 65 Years for Oil Theft
By Joseph Ushigiale, 02.21.2009

13 Filipinos were convicted to five years in jail or given the option of a N1 million fine each yesterday after pleading guilty to handling oil products suspected to have been stolen in the Niger Delta.
The accused persons who were arrested on November 14 2008, and charged to court on December 17 2008, initially pleaded not guilty on arraignment, but later changed their plea.
The charges against them included conspiracy to commit felony; to deal in petroleum products without authorization; dealing in 12,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products, suspected to be crude oil; and bunkering in a vessel marked MT-AKUADA.
Justice Chukwura Nnamani of the Federal High Court, Benin in his judgement, sentenced the 13 accused persons to five years imprisonment, or a fine of one million naira (N1,000,000) each.
The names of the accused persons (all-male) are: Erwin Anas 47 years, Celso T. Bael 40 years, Pedro Gementiza 46 years, Reagan Colorge 24 years, Ronnie Fabricante 52 years, Sebastian G. Tedoosio 37 years, George N. Balore 50 years, Roland D. Caro 25 years, Marcelo Galola 34 years, Revel A. Dos Dosir Jnr. 24 years, Richard Peniano34 years, Arjay Alvarez 21 years and Celso V. Zapauta 47 years.
A team of naval personnel from the Forward Operation Base (FOB) had on November 14, arrested the Filipinos on board a vessel named MT-AKUADA.
The vessel was loaded with 12,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products and was already on outbound transit around Escravos Breakwater.
Once the occupants of the vessel were intercepted, they were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Port Harcourt through the Joint Task Force (Operation Restore Hope), Warri.
Barely three weeks ago, seven Ghanaians and a Nigerian, were also arrested in the Niger Delta with stolen petroleum product worth over N300 million. The eight of them are due to be arraigned at a Benin Federal High Court next Tuesday.
Some estimates say 100,000 barrels of crude are stolen from the Niger Delta each day, amounting to some five percent of the country's production and equivalent to around $4 million daily or $1.5 billion a year at current prices.
It is shipped out of Nigeria and sold on the international market. Human Rights Watch has put the amount stolen at two or three times that level.

RP bars travel to West Bank, Gaza Strip

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 02/20/2009 3:24 PM

The Philippine government on Friday advised all Filipinos against traveling to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip due to the current security situation in those areas.
A statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs said the current cease-fire declared by the Israeli government last January 17 remains fragile due to continued rocket fire and air strikes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants. The 22-day Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip left over 1,300 Palestinians dead and over 5,400 wounded.
"Filipinos who travel to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip despite this travel warning do so at their own risk. Without a Philippine Embassy or official representation inside the territory, the Philippine Government will be unable to assist its nationals inside Gaza should violence escalate," the DFA advisory said.
The government earlier assisted in the repatriation of several Filipinos living in Gaza.
as of 02/20/2009 3:24 PM

Seafarers

6 Pinoys stranded in Nigeria back in Manila Thursday
02/18/2009 | 03:40 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Noli De Castro on Wednesday said six of the nine Filipino seafarers reportedly stranded in Lagos, Nigeria, will arrive in Manila Thursday.

The announcement came after De Castro - who is also adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers - had ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the local manning agency that contracted the seamen to bring home the group immediately.

The Filipinos were part of the 18-man crew of M/T Meredith, and who were said to have escaped from an attack by armed pirates on January 21 at Bonny Terminal in Nigeria.

“The families of the seafarers informed our office that their loved ones have already been transferred from a supply boat (EVA 2) to a tugboat (Gallant) and now on their way to Lomé Port in Ghana, West Africa. They reported that 3 of them were not able to join the group that will be repatriated as they were the ones left to man M/T Meredith. We confirmed this with Seagem and with the Philippine embassy in Abuja, Nigeria," De Castro said.

He said the six who are returning home on Flight GF154 are Rogelio Andales, Raymon de Domingo, Gloriand Sales, Michael Domingo, Alfredo Ferrer and Jebb Alonte. The three who were left behind are Novelito Trapsi, Elmer Cruz and George Parreño.

Manning agency Seagem Maritime Int’l contracted the Filipino crewmen, who manned a ship reportedly owned by Corinthian Maritime SA, Golden Carrier Shipping and Maritime Management Synergy SA.

“Seagem, through Capt. Jun Tuason, explained that their agency immediately acted upon our request. The three seafarers who remained in Nigeria will be included in the next batch to be repatriated. While OWWA Chief Carmelita Dimzon said that assistance to the group will be given upon their arrival in Manila," VP De Castro said. - GMANews.TV

Pinoys Abroad

Expat: Pinoys abroad tagged 'thieves' due to corruption in RP
02/19/2009 | 11:11 AM

MANILA, Philippines- Reports of widespread corruption in the country make Filipinos overseas “look like thieves" to some people in host countries, an expatriate said in a letter to a senator.

Senator Manuel Roxas said a Canada-based Filipino, Johnny de Leon, wrote to him the disheartening letter via E-mail.

“Filipinos now living abroad are being insulted because of the brazen corruption in this government. Filipinos abroad, especially Fil-Ams, despise the dishonesty of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s allies," Roxas said in a statement.

In his letter, De Leon wrote how the Filipino community in Canada boycotted a supermarket after a Canadian store worker reportedly shouted “You all Filipinos are thieves!" to a Pinoy child picking candy at the sweets section.

"Paano nagkaroon ng ganong mentality ang dayuhang tinderang ito kung hindi niya nabasa o napanood sa TV ang mga kurakutan diyan sa atin?" De Leon wrote.

[That Canadian store worker wouldn’t have had that mentality if he didn’t see on TV, or read about corruption in the Philippines.]

De Leon continued: “Mas maganda pa noong panahon ni Marcos, kung totoo man, si Marcos lang ang nagnanakaw pero marami namang nakitang naipagawa, ngayon lahat halos ng may utang na loob [kay] Gloria na ipinuwesto niya sa gobyerno, walang takot magnakaw."

[It was better during Ferdinand Marcos’ time; even if they said he was corrupt, one could see the things he had done for the country. On the contrary, all Gloria Arroyo appointees are fearless in being corrupt.]

De Leon stressed that he is especially suspicious of the President’s husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

Senator Roxas said that Filipinos overseas are receiving bad reputation lately due to the World Bank report that blacklisted eight firms for engaging in collusive practices under the bank-financed road projects in the Philippines.

Opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson tagged the First Gentleman as one of those engaged in the corrupt practices, even as the Philippine Senate is holding hearings on the issue.

"Napakasakit isipin na ang mga kapatid ko at pamilya nila diyan na nagkukumahog sa pagta-trabaho ng marangal para lang may mailaman sa tiyan ay madadamay na mawalan ng dangal dahil lamang sa pagnanakaw ng iilang tao.

[It hurts to think that my siblings and their families who are toiling hard to earn a decent living will be stripped of their dignity because of corrupt practices of a few people.]

While Roxas said that it is not too late for the President to redeem herself, he said she needs to muster enough political will to make accountable those who have “shamed" the country.

“Our country's honor is important. As president of this country, it is her responsibility to preserve our reputation," he said.

For De Leon, the damage has already been done to Filipino migrant workers and expatriates like him who are judged unfairly because of the Philippine government’s bad reputation.

There are over eight million Filipinos overseas, data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas showed. Of this number, about four million are considered overseas Filipino workers. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

the 50th Year

The 50th Year
To reside in this Planet Earth for 50 years is an achievement. Imagine half a century basking in the glory of the Almighty is bliss.
Last Friday, February 13, Sister Resurrection celebrated her 50th birthday. Msgr. Renso presided over the celebration and many well-wishers came to celebrate with her.
Pictures speak more.
A very enjoyable evening indeed!

The Papal Nuncio addressing the celebrant and the guests

Sis Res, the celebrant

Sisters with Con-Gen, Thalia and Lolit
Family Barraquias

Jay R and Kat

Mercado Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ronquillo

The Celebrant

















Another Champ












Who can resist being Nadal?






More pictures will be posted, so keep posted.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

THE CEO of Foby Engineering Company is in urgent need of highly qualified/skilled Filipino Engineers and Accountant to fill the following posts:

Construction
Project Manager - 1 nos
Must have long experience in roads, bridges, dredging, steel
sheet piling, etc.
QA/QC and Safety knowledge

Technical Manager - 1 nos
Well-versed in the use of Surveying Equipment (land and marine)
Software literate 3D, AUDTO CAD, Surveyor Programming
Long exxperience in bidding, BOQ, Certificate/ Valuation, etc

Surveyor Field Supervisor - 1 nos
Quantity Surveyor - 1 nos
Cosntruction (Site) Engineers - 2 nos
IT Manager - 1 nos
Financial/Admin manager (Accountant) - 1 nos

STR Quota available, salary package commensurate to prevailing expat rate and/or depending to experience.

The site is at Lokoja - 204 km from Abuja

Send your latest resume to:

pusongpinoytayo@gmail.com

RP Embassy worker in Iraq killed

02/12/2009 | 08:21 PM

MANILA, Philippines — Proposals to resume deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq face yet another obstacle with the killing of a staff of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad.

Vice President Noli de Castro on Thursday identified the unfortunate worker as Vergine Elias Jamil, a caretaker of the Philippine chancery since November 1985.

Jamil and two other companions were killed by unknown assailants on the night of Feb. 5, said De Castro, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

De Castro said a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) report gave no further details on the killings. He said the result of police investigation on the case could weigh heavily on whether the government should lift the ban on deployment of Filipinos to war-ravaged Iraq.

“We are closely coordinating with our Philippine Embassy in Baghdad as to the outcome of the Iraqi police’s investigation. This incident will be considered in our deliberation on the possible lifting of the deployment ban," De Castro said.

A team led by Ambassador Roy Cimatu, head of the Middle East Preparedness Team, will be leaving for Iraq this month to study the possibility of lifting the ban. Cimatu’s team will also visit Lebanon and Nigeria—two other countries with existing OFW ban.

“Ambassador Cimatu will reassess the security risk in these countries, whether it will be safe for OFWs to be deployed in said countries," De Castro said.

Earlier, De Castro proposed a selective ban on these countries, seeking to lift travel and deployment restrictions in areas considered as centers of economic activities and where security situation have normalized.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stopped sending Filipino workers to Iraq following the kidnapping of a Filipino truck driver in 2004 and an accountant in 2005.

Before the ban, around 6,000 Filipinos are working in Iraq and confined inside US military camps due to the volatile security condition in the country.

But the figure, according to Iraq’s Embassy in Manila, has swelled to 15,000, most of them working for foreign companies in Iraq’s northern region. The workers reportedly entered Iraq either via the United Arab Emirates or Jordan. - GMANews.TV

Election Time

Undocumented OFWs can register--Comelec
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:17:00 02/12/2009

Filed Under: Overseas Employment, Elections Philippines—
Almost two weeks into the registration for overseas absentee voting, only 2,045 have enlisted in the 93 foreign posts as of February 11, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.
At the re-launch of the registration center at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special and Ocean Concerns Rafael Seguis said the turnout was still far from the one million target overseas registrants for the 2010 elections.
Elections Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said 123,220 had been de-listed from the certified list of voters of some 500,000 as of 2007 after they failed to vote in the last two polls.
He said they could enlist again during the registration period, which runs until August 31 this year.
The commissioner in charge of OAV said undocumented workers, which government estimates put at almost a million, may also register.
Seguis said he remained optimistic that with intensive information drive the one million target would be reached. He was hoping the POEA OAV registration center would enlist five to six times more than the 39,223 that it registered for 2007 polls.
Seguis, who chairs the DFA's OAV Secretariat, called on all qualified overseas Filipinos to register in the next six months and "participate in the nation's political process even if they are miles away from home."
Ferrer attributed the low turnout to the voting requirement on Filipino-Americans to return to the Philippines in three years. He said Comelec was proposing to either do away with the requirement or change it to seven years.
Asked about the problems being encountered in the overseas registration, the election official said some cameras of the data-capturing machines were breaking down.
____________________________________________________________
SHOW TIME
A clarion call to all OFWs of the Travel Banned Countries and to all our sympathizers
MAGKAISA!!!
WHO MADE US SUFFER?
WHO MADE US 'HEROES' AND THEN 'BINARIL TAYO SA LUNETA?'
Pang-munumento lang ba tayo?

A Birthday Celebration

When people gather in honor of a person truly adored, genuine emotions of happiness flow forth. When the gathering is attended by close friends – it becomes a family event.


The celebrant, Sister Eflaida with the Consul-General


Last Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 3:00 pm, the family gathered for yet another celebration – this time – the birthday of Sister Eflaida. And the event was also honoured by the attendance of the new Philippine Consul-General – Mr. Alex Lamadrid.
From left:Sister Ortencia, Sister Mary Grace, Sister Eflaida, Sister Resurrecion

Praying for God's blessings

Filipino Food, prominent is Palabok courtesy of Dorothy Baraquias

Pusong Pinoy in Action led by Nestor Dador followed by Ric Punsalan
Pusong Pinoy Kami
Annie, Vangie, Dorothy, Con-Gen, Mercy (standing)

Verification Process

De Castro: Probe fake travel papers

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:32:00 02/08/2009

Filed Under: Labor, Employment, Government, Migration
Most Read
Philippines—Vice President Noli de Castro on Saturday ordered an investigation into how the 22 offloaded Middle East-bound Filipino workers got spurious travel documents and almost succeeded in going to their respective destinations the other day.
Had it not been for the alert immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Tuesday, he said, all 22 workers who were bound for Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain could have been languishing in jails there.
“This is really alarming because while the government is hellbent on curbing illegal recruitment and saving troubled OFWs abroad, we still have a lot of our countrymen being deployed overseas the wrong way,” said De Castro, who is presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers and head of the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (TFAIR).
“There must be somebody or people responsible for the questionable documents of the offloaded workers and I intend to identify and make them answerable for what could have been a big mess for our OFWs,” he stressed.
Last week, De Castro said 21 other passengers were also offloaded from several flights for verification. At least 19 of them were found by the immigration bureau to be heading for Lebanon where the government has a standing travel ban.
“Again, I appeal to our countrymen to be mindful of the consequences of working abroad through illegal means,” he said. Cynthia D. Balana
______________________________________________________
How indeed? Need we say more about our Immigration 'due' processing? OFWs here in Nigeria can attest to its veracity!

Comments:

Feb 9 (2 days ago)
Sila lang naman ang dahilan kung bakit nagiging illegal eh. Dahil sa este-Ban, nagiging illegal.

Ang tingnan nila yong puno'd dulo kung bakit merong "spurious documents". Ang mga recruitment agencies. Hindi ang OFWs. Nabiktima na ng recruiters, bayad pa sa immigration, hindi pa pinaalis. Sobra pa sa double jeopardy ang nangyari.

Sabagay, hindi kasi kelangan ng malalim na pag-iisip kung BAN. Mas ma-trabaho to investigate and monitor recruitment agencies. Besides, may mga kapit din kasi ang mga agencies na ito kaya BAN na lang. Mas madaling gawin eh. Sulat lang nga memo, konting ingles, pirma. Presto! Yon lang.

Chona Bollos

THE TRAVEL BAN ISSUE

Gov't may lift ban on sending OFWs to Iraq, Nigeria
02/06/2009 | 07:55 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will reassess its current ban on sending workers to Iraq, Nigeria and Lebanon and may lift it in areas with lower security risks because of the global economic crisis, the vice president said Friday.

The country's economy is largely dependent on its overseas workers, with some 8.7 million out of 90 million Filipinos working abroad. The government said $14.45 billion was sent home in 2007— about 10 percent of the gross domestic product. It has projected 2008 remittances will hit $15.7 billion.

Vice President Noli de Castro, who is also the presidential adviser on migrant workers, said security has reportedly improved in the economic centers of Iraq, Nigeria and Lebanon.

He said a selective lifting of the ban is being considered "to widen our overseas employment market in the light of the global economic crisis."

A lifting of the ban is only being considered in places with high employment opportunities, and it would remain in areas still considered high-risk zones, de Castro said in a statement.

A team headed by Roy Cimatu, special envoy to the Middle East, will leave soon to reassess the security risks in the three countries, Department of Foreign Affairs officials said.

In a meeting with de Castro last month, Iraqi officials urged the Philippines to send workers to help with the reconstruction of their country, where up to 10 million new jobs are available, the statement said.

The Philippines banned its citizens from working in Iraq in July 2004 after insurgents abducted and threatened to behead Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz. He was released after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo agreed to withdraw the Philippines' small military contingent in Iraq — a decision strongly criticized by Washington and other coalition allies.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said about 10,000 Filipinos work in two US military camps in Iraq without permission from the government.

Some 3,800 Filipinos work in Nigeria's bustling oil industry. Arroyo banned additional workers from going there in 2007 after gunmen kidnapped scores of foreign workers, including dozens of Filipinos.

The Philippines also prohibited the deployment of its workers to Lebanon after war broke out in July 2006. - AP
____________________________________________________

So, the government, actually thought that ALL the OFWs here in Nigeria are working with oil companies? Inspite of what Conejos and co had verified and actually seen when he 'visited' this country? Was it a misinformation that he fed to the government? Inspite of the repeated confirmation that the kidnapped ones were seafarers?Just asking.

THE TRAVEL BAN ISSUE

ANOTHER HEART-RENDING 'MANIFESTATION' OF ARROYO'S 'LOVE AND CARE' FOR THE VERY HEROIC OFWs

Arroyo: Saudi OFWs’ jobs ‘safe’
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:49:00 02/03/2009

Filed Under: Overseas Employment, World Financial Crisis, Government, Unemployment
Most Read
Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assured Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia that their jobs are “safe” despite the world financial crisis, and that her government is prepared to assist overseas workers who may be laid off in other parts of the world.
“Dito sa Saudi ang pinakamalaking expatriate Filipino community sa buong mundo. Gusto kong tiyakin na matatg ang trabaho ninyo dito sa kabila ng pandaigdigang krisis sa ekonomiya, dahil may mga kababayang nawawalan ng trabaho sa ibat-ibang bansa. [The biggest expatriate Filipino community in the world is in Saudi. I want to assure you that your jobs are secure here, because in other parts of the world, our countrymen are losing their jobs],” Arroyo said in a speech before the Filipino community in Riyadh.
Arroyo and her party made a brief stop in Saudi Arabia from Italy, before proceeding to Bahrain for an official visit.
“Sa mga panahong ito na nanunubok sa mga expatriates, ang inyong pamahalaan ay hindi natutulog [During these trying times for our expatriates, your government is not sleeping on the job],” she said.
“For government, it is now payback time. The heroic efforts of the expatriate workers will not go unreciprocated. A program of full reciprocity shall be carried out to help those who lose their jobs,” she said.
Arroyo said the government has set up a P1-billion fund for microfinance loans for retrenched overseas Filipino workers.
The Department of Labor will also help retrenched OFWs find news jobs abroad, Arroyo said, adding that government has started a “marketing blitz” to look for more job overseas opportunities.

THE TRAVEL BAN ISSUE

Another news item that would make the OFWs from the 'Travel Ban'ned countries shout in exasperation!

Jobless told to enlist on govt website

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:22:00 01/31/2009

Filed Under: Employment, World Financial Crisis
Most Read
Other Most Read StoriesxClose thisMANILA, Philippines -- Workers here and abroad who have been laid off as a result of the global financial crisis are encouraged to sign up with the labor department’s Phil-Jobnet job search website.
Also available at the labor department’s website, the site provides “a convenient, readily available job search service” 24/7.

In a statement, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the Phil-Jobnet system currently lists more than 46,300 various jobs available.
Under the Bureau of Local Employment, the Phil-Jobnet system is complemented by the 100 user-friendly GMA (Greater Modular Access) Job Center kiosks in shopping malls and city and town halls, he said.
Roque said the strategy seeks to reinforce the department’s efforts “to preserve and sustain job opportunities amidst the global crisis in cooperation with the social partners.”

BLE director Criselda Sy said most of the workstations are available in the country’s Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) network.
“As available in the PESOs in locations where Internet is available, trained PESO personnel can assist and orient users in accessing and availing of the services of the Phil-Jobnet system in such workstations,” she said.
“But displaced workers may readily access the Phil-Jobnet using any Internet-connected computers whether at worksites, at home, or in public computer shops,” she added

At the same time, Deputy Administrator Teresita Manzala, who heads the department’s National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers (NRCO), advised displaced overseas Filipino workers to avail of the free services and pertinent programs geared at assisting them.
Manzala said that under the NRCO’s One-Stop Center, pertinent agencies have made available a package of assistance and services for the benefit of OFWs.
The NRCO chief said that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-NRCO (tel. nos. 528-0848, 526-2633, 526-2392) provides active livelihood support, counseling, and guidance to displaced OFWs.

"Take No Prisoners"

Sa maniwala kayo o sa hindi, my wife is the supreme commanding general of my kingdom which is my household and yes, she takes no prisoners! God, I miss her so much…sabi nga kasi in every great men there’s an equally great woman behind him. History will tell us a lot of these stories of love and passion like Samson & Delilah, Romeo & Juliet, Bonnie & Claude etc. although not most of them ended as we wish it should be. Another is to be a successful man, one must be able to get what he wants, buy what he wants without having any second thoughts while a successful woman is the one who was able to find and marry this man.

In this time and age, wherein almost all of our day to day activities is being influenced by the modern the world it is refreshing to go back to basics. Looking back some years ago di ko na sasabihin kung kelan yun when a mere choconut is more than enough to make a girl smile as sweet as the twenty five centavo chocolate bar. When treating her with a sugarlaced plantain and a glass of sago-gulaman is heavenly refreshing. Nakakatuwang balikan ang mga panahon na ang feeling mo ikaw na ang pinaka magandang lalaki sa buong mundo pag nakasabay mo sa jeep ang kapitbahay mong pantasya ng buong barangay kaya sa susunod pipilitin mong tipirin ang baon para ilibre mo naman sya. Ang mga sulyap na kulang na lang maghiwa-hiwalay ang parte ng katawan mo sa tuwing mahuhuli mo syang sumusulyap din sa iyo titig na para naman nyang ika tutunaw dahil para kang may x-ray vision malalantik at mapang akit anong sinabi ni superman, tony falcon o agent x44. Napakasarap din sariwain ang mga panahon na daig mo pa ang funeraria paz sa halimuyak sa tuwing dadalaw ka sa nililigawan nariyan din ang diskarte sa pakikipagdate na lahat g suot mo hiram sa tropa maipagyabang lamang na naka levis kang lonta. Minsan naman nakikipila ka sa payphone sa kanto sukdulan na itong kasinghaba ng pila sa mrt pagtyatyagaan mo itong antayin makausap lamang ang iniirog pero ngayon text lang talo-talo na wala pang hassle sa erpats ng love interest mo basta pasahan mo lang lagi ng load. Dati pag nangliligaw ka kailangan yung mga utol ng nililigawan mo friends mo, ngayon pati aso nila friends mo kalalaki kaya ng mga aso ngayon mahirap na masakmal ano mahal na din ang anti-rabbies. Dati rin pag nangliligaw, lola na yung nililigawan mo ayaw ka pa din sagutin, ngayon masagi mo lang ang siko syota mo na, at pag nagsasayaw kayo ng sweet sa tipar ng tropa isang metro layo sa isat-isa lalo na kung malalaman mong pulis ang tatay nya pero ngayon damit na lng naghihiwalay sa inyong katawan lalo pa syempre kung malaman mong pulitiko ang tatay kahit kapitan lang ng barangay pwede na.

Those were the days ika nga, were love and passion is being felt to the hilt. I will never forget the time when I saw my wife amidst a huge crowd standing, staring and waiting for me parang nahati ang dagat at itinuro ako sa kinalalagyan nya animoy magic o mercury na pinagsanib kaming dalawa sa kalagitnaan ng napakaraming tao that was the time I said to my self, this is the person I’ll grow old with. Napakasarap po talagang magmahal ng isang taong masasabi mong “sya na nga”. Having this in mind only shows that we plan ahead of us by being with somebody we really, really I mean really love to grow old with. Somebody whom you sleep with agonizing to your snoring and never complains but instead gigisingin ka at sasabihin sayo “hoy gising! Baka bangungutin ka di pa tapos yung mga babayaran natin o di pa graduate mga anak mo!” Minsan naman wala itong imik at tahimik na binalasa ang sofa, pinalitan ang kurtina at pinaliguan ang banyo nilinis ang kusina lahat yun nagawa nya habang naghihilik ka pa. Kung nuong araw ikaw ay may x-ray vision nasa kanya na ito ngayon dahil makikita nya at maamoy pag nambabae ka, malayo ka pa amoy na nya ito and yes, she really takes no prisoners! kaya kailangan magbaon ka ng pamalit at wag kalimutan suutin ang dating damit pag pauwi at higit sa lahat huwag aamin! Sya din ang tinatawag na budget minister kaya dapat may safety deposit box ka just enough for the boys ika nga. Sya din ang senate president /congress majority floor leader at justice secretary. Kung may kailangan apruban kailangan muna itong pag debatehan ng katakot-takot sa isang banda ay maganda din naman at least walang sisihan. Artistic in nature, kitang kita nya sa malayo ang frame kung tagilid o sala sa hulog ang cross stich nyang tinapos ng seven years. Magaling syang pumili ng kubyertos at sari-saring plato na ayaw naman ipagamit idedesplay hanggang mag sawa at bibili ulit ng bago. Wala din syang sinasayang na panahon na hindi napapasyalan ang bestfriend nyang si Henry Sy at pagalit kang tatanungin “nasan yung SM advantage ko?” sasagutin ko nman “abah malay ko, la ba syo?” ang tutuo nun tinago ko para di sya makapamili ng madami. Napakasinop din nya sa lahat ng bagay at wala ako maitatanong na hindi nya alam kung san nakalagay kahit sampung taon na itong nakakaraan naisip ko tuloy nag iimbentaryo sya every end of the year. Wala ding gagaling pa sa kanya sa pag bibigay ng payo daig pa si tia dely magpayo sumalangit nawa, may kasama pang sermon yun.

But over and above all these, she’s the same person whom you share you’re thoughts about life, laughs with you heartily kahit corny ang joke mo, the best among your best friends, she’s somebody that never gives up on you no matter what, like an adrenaline drug that gives you that extra push when the going gets rough ika nga and most of all she’s the only person whom you laugh and cry with especially when the bills starts coming in. Seriously, the feeling of having somebody beside you through thick and thin, stormy or fair weather, hot or cold nights, and of course the good old through the sickness and health, richer or poorer drill. Wala na siguro akong masasabi o mahihiling pa sa kanya dahil sya ang dahilan ng lahat ng aking pagsisikap she inspires me to all my endeavours she’s the light of my house and replaces it too. She’s the best unwrapped gift I ever had but most of all she’s the woman that I love and will unconditionally love for the rest of my life’s existence peksman! And for those still waiting for their own juliets, sabi nga mabuti na ang “magmahal at mabigo kaysa mabigo ng hindi nagmahal.”

To my honeyko, I’d rather eat “tuyo” with you than eat “steak” with strangers…please bear with me, I’ll see you in a while. Happy hearts day!