DFA, VP Noli reiterate deployment ban to Afghanistan, Iraq
Manila (23 July) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Vice President and presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW)s Noli De Castro are urging again Filipinos who wish to work abroad to avoid countries with work deployment ban, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
This, after 10 Filipinos were among the 16 who died in a helicopter crash in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
In a radio interview, VP De Castro called on the Filipino people saying, “sana sa mga nakikinig na naghahanap ng ikabubuhay sa ibang bansa, huwag niyong patulan ang Afghanistan.”
He explained that the main reason why the DFA is implementing the deployment ban is to keep OFWs from harm’s way. “Kapit sa patalim pero manganganib naman ang inyong buhay.”
De castro explained that Filipinos are forced to work in Afghanistan because of huge compensation offer. “Malaki kasi ang alok, gaya nitong isa – $1,300 ang suweldo bilang karpentero. Marami talaga ang trabaho doon kasi may ginagawang dalawang base military.”
The Vice President assured the public that assistance is being extended to the 10 OFWs who got involved in the helicopter accident earlier. “Tulungan natin itong mga biktima – legal o illegal man ang kanilang dokumento – kasi mga Filipino din ang mga ito. Hahabulin din natin ang kanilang mga employers para maibigay ang kanilang mga benepisyo.”
VP Noli also revealed that OWWA is also looking at possible benefits which can be extended to the victims. (PIA)
photo credit: Kakashi_Sensei [Carlo]
SONA to Focus on PGMA Accomplishments
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in a press brie
fing yesterday that President Arroyo will dwell on how her administrati
on has given “too much attention to the overall welfare of the Filipinos.”
He explained that President Arroyo will try to highlight the accomplishments of the major projects she initiated since 2001.
Ermita cited the BEAT THE ODDS program of the government which the Chief Executive will most likely tackle on Monday’s SONA.
BEAT THE ODDS is an acronym for the government’s priority project which stands for: Balance budget, Education for all, Automated elections, Transportation and digital infrastructure, Terminate hostilities with the MILF and NPA, Heal the wounds of EDSA’s I, II and III, Electricity and water for all, Opportunities for livelihood and ten million jobs, Decongestion of Metro Manila, and Develop Subic and Clark.
President Arroyo, Ermita added, may also report the developments on the Super Region concept, the development in Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon and the other parts of the country.
Ermita reiterated that this is President Arroyo’s last SONA and she wants to inform the Filipino people on the accomplishments of her administration and the status of the projects and programs that she initiated for the welfare of the citizens. (PIA)
photo credit: World Economic Forum
OAV registration for 2010 elections breaches record for 2007, says DFA
Still, both totals fared much lower than the 361,457 registered in the two-month registration period for the 2004 presidential elections, records show. The August 1 to September 30, 2003 OAV registration was the first since the law on overseas absentee voting and the law on dual citizenship were passed by Congress.
The second OAV registration was for a one-year period from October 31, 2005 to October 31, 2006, yet the total was the lowest of the three periods.
For that first-time ever registration, foreign posts were on their toes as they have to respond to both face-to-face and online queries by first-time prospective absentee voters and master the mechanics of registering Filipinos abroad. Both registrars and registrants were experiencing overseas registration and actual voting for the first time.
The current seven-month registration period, from February 1 to August 31, shows that the consulate-general in Hong Kong, reaping 14,259, leads some 90 foreign diplomatic posts in attracting registrants. The HK performance accounts for the overall regional lead of the Asia-Pacific, or for a regional total of 39,239.
With only five weeks to go before the August 31 deadline, the OAVS hopes that registration reaches at least 200,000.
DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, OAVS chair, earlier said that he has factored the Filipino habit of scrambling over a project at the 11th hour.
Also, various foreign posts have multiplied their campaign for mobile registration, operating out of public places and centers in the Middle East, Europe, Hong Kong and the U.S. to attract Filipinos to register – and eventually vote in May 2010.
Padalhin said there is nothing unusual about the fluctuation in numbers as many OAV registrants are transient overseas workers. The point is that they have a chance to register and exercise their right of suffrage even when abroad, he added.
Next to Hong Kong, with a large Filipino community of at least 180,000, the top 10 registrars are: Los Angeles, 8,114; Dubai, 7,907; Singapore, 6,300; London, 4,662; Riyadh, 4,570; Toronto, 4,202; New York, 4,085; Tokyo, 3,363, and Washington, 3,214.
The U.S., where many Filipinos are dual citizens, leads among countries where registration is in the top five. The rest are China (15,288), United Arab Emirates (10,555), Saudi Arabia (8,413) and Singapore (6,300).
But DFA noted that there were also enlistment in the newly-opened diplomatic posts of Barcelona (Spain, 1,559), Oslo (Norway, 938), Macau (SAR China, 465), Damascus (Syria, 277), Frankfurt (Germany, 44), and Chongqing (China, 43). (PIA)
