Rt. Gen. Ambassador Roy Cimatu in Abuja, Nigeria

The Filipino communities in Nigeria (particularly in Lagos and Abuja) waited with abated breath the arrival of the Ret. General Roy Cimatu. He has become a celebrity in the midst of OFWs. Where the very controversial ‘Travel Ban’ imposed on us, legitimate workers, is dangling on our heads like the proverbial Damocles’ sword, the arrival of the Ret. General Ambassador Roy Cimatu IS a beacon of hope.
And … our hope (hopefully) is not dashed!
His speech, actually not much of a speech but let’s just say, more on a very friendly ‘conversational tone’ was received by the Abuja community with appreciation. The community felt that his words were spoken with candor and the honesty reverberated amongst the legitimate OFWs whose fight for this scourge had been ongoing for almost two years now.











Rt. General Ambassador Roy Cimatu with Consul-General Alex V. Lamadrid

Officers handing over the petition



Cross-section of the community


Cross-section of the community



The community hanging on to every word of Amb. Cimatu


Cross-section of the community





Mr. Lito Nucum, the President of Pusong Pinoy Association reading the petition for the lifting of the Travel Ban with Amb. Cimatu intently listening

Maj. Jeruta, Thalia, a Niger-wife and Fely of the embassy


Paula Napoleon of Sigma Apts.


Nic, chef in Sheraton Hotels and Towers

Gel, Renz, John

Mr. Santos of JBN, a past president of Pusong Pinoy


Anna, Consultant of an Italian Construction Company



Mrs. Dorothy Barraquias introducing herself, eliciting laughter



Mr. Allan Minoza grew up and studied in Nigeria (Sokoto) now a Project Manager


Officers of Pusong Pinoy with Doy Abrillo, Embassy Staff, far right


Erwin of JBN, Benjie Nadado, Amb. Cimatu, and in the foreground is Mr. Sim Ronquillo


Otie with Amb. Cimatu, Ric of JBN, Lolits looking on


Ottie, Sr. Res, Vangie of Dantata & Sawoe, Sr. Mary Grace, Mercy of JBN, Maris of Irish Embassy



Sherwin Cayabyab, Rex Lautrizo, Amb. Cimatu


A visiting Sister from Cameron, Sr. Ortencia, Sr. Resurrecion, Amb. Cimatu, Sr. Mary Grace, Sr. Eflaida


Sr. Mary Grace, Neil of JBN, Amb. Cimatu, Con-Gen Lamadrid, Sr. Eflaida, Sr. Ortencia and Nonito still with plate



Our Sr. Ortencia of the Nunciature, Abuja


Chef in Disneyland Orlando Florida, Noni, son of Nonito Barraquias pictured here with Maj. Jeruta and Erwin, Pusong Pinoy official photographer

(Right) Mr. Bernabe Mercado, Mr. Sim Ronquillo and daughter Kat of JBN


(Left)Con-Gen, Maj Jeruta and Neil

Thalia, a happily-married Niger wife seen here with her family


Stan, Ric and Jay R



Rex and Janette


Renz with Amb. Cimatu

Neil Herrera of JBN



(At Dantata & Sawoe, Mr. Lito Nucum's accommodation...other pics at D & S will be posted later)




After the meeting with the community, the following day, Gen. Cimatu due to a very limited time was able to visit the Life Camps of Dantata & Sawoe and Julius Berger after which he proceeded to Lagos together with Con-Gen Alex Lamadrid and Maj. Jeruta.









Who can resist holding a warrior's spear?
A debonair warrior diplomat...




Maj. Jeruta


Cocoy



Doy




Gen. Cimatu with the Chief Security of JBN, also a military man







At JBN clinic



At JBN Clubhouse


At JBN, Janette Alican's accommodation




A token from Pusong Pinoy

Arroyo: 500,000 job openings abroad

By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:22:00 03/02/2009

Filed Under: World Financial Crisis, Employment, Overseas Employment

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced that 500,000 jobs were waiting for Filipinos overseas, as she stressed the importance of matching workers' skills to the demand abroad.
Citing a Grant Thornton business survey, Arroyo said, “Many Filipino companies will hire more people and raise pay despite the global slowdown.”
The job orders are mainly for construction workers in the Middle East although there are vacancies for “all positions,” including health workers, in Australia and Canada, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said.
"I'm very glad to hear from [labor] undersecretary [Luzviminda] Padilla that there are 500,000 jobs available abroad," Arroyo said in a speech Monday during the second jobs summit in Malacañang.
"The challenge is to match the job with the skills," she said.
Roque said the 500,000 job orders have been placed with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).
“These are already job orders for Filipinos... It’s [just] a matter of filling it up for the year,” he told reporters.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Augusto Syjuco advised Filipinos looking for jobs to train welding, roofing, carpentry, and tile laying.
A welder, Syjuco said, could earn as much as $6,000 a month while a butcher could earn as much as $1,600 a month abroad, which would be a fraction of what they would earn in the country.
Syjuco said that on Sunday, he talked with a female nurse at TESDA who was taking up welding to get a job abroad.
“Ang hinahanap ng employer ay skills, ‘di naghahanap ng diploma na nakabitin sa dingding [Employers are looking for skills, not a diploma hanging on the wall],” he said.
Syjuco refused to describe this as underemployment, when asked by reporters.
“It’s not under employment, it’s a situation where one discovers in her career that she prefers,” he said.
Syjuco said around 3,700 Filipinos have been leaving for jobs abroad everyday.
“The Filipino is the most wanted worker in the world,” he said.
During the summit, a joint communiqué was presented to Arroyo wherein stakeholders in the labor sector pledged to enhance skills training, make the hiring of Filipinos abroad easier, improve the welfare of OFWs, review employment contracts to enhance overseas working conditions, address the shortage of marine deck and engine officers, fight illegal recruitment, and improve the competitiveness of Philippine vessels.
One of the measures that will be adopted to make applying for jobs abroad easier is the setting up of webcams in DOLE regional offices so that job interviews could be done via the Internet, Roque said.
With a report from Christian Esguerra, Philippine Daily Inquirer

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. SIM RONQUILLO

The Philippine Government thinks that Nigeria is not safe and it warranted a Travel Ban. The OFWs think otherwise. After all, if parties can be held almost every week in Abuja, in Lagos and in other parts of Nigeria, our government’s perception of SAFETY is somewhat jaundiced.

March 1, 2009 Sunday, Mr. Sim Ronquillo was feted by his wife, family and friends with a birthday lunch in their residence. Purely Filipino food – kare-kare being the main attraction – sheer delight.



the gift I have for you
is a promise to be true
through all the years
I’ll never ever bring you tears…
Mr. & Mrs. Sim Ronquillo




'VACANCY! FRONT TEETH URGENTLY NEEDED, PLEASE APPLY INSIDE' Allysa



Kat and Daddy - the celebrant



we are FAMILY



Family - Ampy, Allysa, Sim, Jamie, Jay R and Kat



Julius, Sr. Res, Sim, Ampy, Mercy, Sr. Mary Grace



Julius, Sr. Res, Sim and Ampy



Ampy and Angie


Fely, Merz with Jamie, Con-Gen, Sim Ronquillo - the celebrant, Kat, Gel,Lito, Renz, Ace, Anjo, John


Nonits, Con-Gen Alex and Cocoy



Sisters' act with Con-Gen. Alex



Sr. Res, Vanz, Sr. Mary Grace, Ampy, Merz, Sr. Ortencia



Jay R!!! Again???


Sheen, Otie, John, Sr. Eflaida, Renz, Ric, Sr. Ortencia


Sheen, Anjo and Otie




Behind every delightful food is.... Chef Gladys



JT, Nonits, Maris, Kat, Julius, Ric, Efren, Boy, Nestor, Cocoy, Tikboy, Renz, Rex, Sherwin



...ay, iyan ang 'wag na 'wag maniniwala... bining bini... posing laang 'yan... dinaklot nyan ang chocolate cake!'

...grammar freaks? nagpapatunaw lang ng kinain sila.

Keep posted...more to follow...
MABUHAY!

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