Filipino supporters of domestic workers in Hong Kong fear negative effects from the final decision of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal denying residency to two longtime domestic helpers, reports ABS-CBN News. They fear that by ruling that domestic workers cannot be residents of Hong Kong the court has sent send the wrong signal that foreign domestic workers can be treated unfairly.
MANILA--The Philippines and Saudi Arabia have agreed on the final text of an accord that would improve the welfare and working conditions of Filipino domestic workers in the kingdom, reports Philstar.com. The proposed agreement aims to enhance Philippine-Saudi cooperation on the recruitment of Filipino domestic workers, and seeks to protect the rights of both the worker and the employer and regulate the contractual relations between them.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Sweden has awarded this year’s Peter Pan Prize to Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu!. by author Nanoy Rafael, illustrator Sergio Bumatay III, and published in the Swedish version by Bokförlaget Trasten, announced Adarna House. The Peter Pan prize is a prestigious international award for children's literature.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington said oil executive John Hoffman, president of Black Elk Energy oil company, has apologized for blaming Filipino workers for the explosion on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico on November 16 last year, reports GMA News. The embassy said Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. "protested and obtained an apology from Black Elk President John Hoffman for the statement the oil executive had given to media attributing the platform accident to the incompetence and lack of English language skills of Filipino offshore oil workers.”
The renewal of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) also extends protection available to immigrant victims of abusive relationships, reports GMA News. An immigrant seeking to legalize status through VAWA must establish that he or she married a U.S. citizen (“USC”) or lawful permanent resident (“LPR”) in good faith and was the victim of battery or extreme cruelty. Through VAWA, thousands of abused men and women have escaped destructive marital relationships and legalized their status.
An Egyptian man faced a court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week over allegations he raped two Filipinas at knifepoint after they had coffee at his house. The man, 29, entered a "not guilty" plea as he also belied allegations he threatened to have the two women gang-raped by his friends, reports Gulf News. The judge denied the Egyptian bail. Court records showed the Egyptian met one of the two victims, 27, over a social media network and invited her out for coffee. The woman brought her 25-year-old friend with her. However, after having coffee at his house, the Egyptian allegedly raped the two of them at knifepoint. It was only when he went to the washroom that the women ran away.
A $1.3-million settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit brought by a group of 77 Filipino temporary workers against the company that owns Denny’s restaurants in British Columbia, reports Canada.com. Under the terms of the settlement with Northland Properties Corp., workers will be reimbursed for loss of hours, overtime and airfare. Some workers who were forced to pay employment agencies an average of $6,000 for their jobs will be eligible for compensation. Denny’s will pay the legal fees of the workers and the cost of administering the settlement. The lawsuit was triggered when in 2010, Alfredo Sales, a Filipino working for Denny's filed a complaint against his employer for failing to pay his airfare and overtime work. Sales was fired for “performance issues” seven days after his complaint.
Not every Filipino who leaves the country is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) estimates that, as of 2011, 10.44 million Philippine-born Filipinos are residing or working overseas, reports Inquirer.net. But the aggregate from data of the CFO, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), show permanent immigrants exceed, by a small but significant margin, OFWs. In 2011, permanent immigrants numbering 4.86 million accounted for 47 percent of Filipinos abroad. Temporary migrants, including OFWs, numbered 4.51 million or 43 percent. The stock estimate placed irregular migrants at 1.07 million or 10 percent.
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