FILSTARS.NET » OFW Corner

Australia may lay off foreign migrant workers including OFWs

filstars — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:02:07 +0000

Australian firms may lay off foreign migrant workers including Filipinos, according to Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith.

As the global financial crisis continues, foreign workers are usually the first to let go.

An estimated 200,000 Filipinos are now living in Australia excluding Filipino contract workers, according to Philippine government estimates. These contract workers are mostly employed in mining, construction, engineering, health and information techonology.

Inaccurate reporting or wishful thinking

filstars — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:51:08 +0000

The passing of Former President Cory Aquino made headlines in television and newspapers.

Here’s one report that had some Filipinos wished for.

“When Mrs. Arroyo’s passing was announced at dawn on Saturday, the whole world paused. Condolences to the family of Mrs. Aquino poured from all over the world–both through official statements sent through embassies, made on TV, or posted online. A staggering number of people have been paying their tributes to Mrs. Aquino online, inundating social networking and blog sites. For a good number of those posting online, it is their first time to witness the passing of a president”.

And here’s another one made WITH UTMOST CARE:

33 Filipinos among those recently hijacked in Somalia

filstars — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:07:07 +0000

The hijacking of international ships navigating off the coast of Somalia still continues despite joint efforts by the international community to eradicate the problem. Just recently another hijacking occurred involving two chemical tankers. Among the hostages were 33 Filipinos as confirmed in a statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The hijacked vessels were all chemical tankers. A Greek-owned MT Nipaiya where 18 Filipinos were on board and taken over by pirates on March 25 and MT Bow Asir taken over by pirates on March 26 and where 15 crews were believed to be Filipinos.

Coordinated efforts between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Department of Foreign Affairs are already under way to find out the identities of these Filipino crew members as well as to notify their families.

Welfare Insurance Program for Migrants

filstars — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:07:54 +0000

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who represents the 2nd District of Cagayan de Oro, has filed a bill in Congress. The bill seeks a compulsory welfare insurance program for all overseas Filipino workers to protect and ensure their well-being amid numerous reports of maltreatment and exploitation.

House Bill 5621 proposes that all OFWs should be covered by a welfare insurance program in addition to the regular benefits that they will be getting from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

If enacted into law, more than 1 million overseas Filipino workers would stand to benefit from this program, according to an article published by the House of Representatives.

The following are the proposed welfare insurance benefits:

*Accidental Death Benefit of up to US$15,000;
* Survivor’s Benefit in case of natural death, of up to US10,000;
* Permanent Total Disablement of up to US$7,500;
* Repatriation of Bodily Remains, including burial, of up to US$15,000;
* Repatriation due to Emergency Evacuation and legitimate causes of up to US$1,000;
* Subsistence Allowance of US$100 per month for six months totaling US$600; and
* Legitimate Monetary Claims for Unpaid/Rightful and Just Wages of up to US$4,500.

One of the provisions of the bill, however, requires recruitment agencies to pay a premium of $3 per month to OWWA. Failure to pay the required premium on time makes the recruitment agency liable to pay an interest rate of 12% per year. In addition, refusal to pay the required premium for at least three consecutive months will put the agency under suspension or its license may be revoked.