Overseas Voting in Saudi Delayed Again

The overseas absentee voting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, did not push through for a second time due to the delay in the arrival of ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia, reports ABS-CBN News.

Sending Female OFWs to S. Korea Stopped for Now

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has ordered a temporary stop to the deployment of female Filipino workers to South Korea because of the apparent low demand for them there, reports GMA News. While it takes only months for the POEA to find work for Filipino men in South Korea,  it takes the agency up to three years to do the same for female workers.

Filipinos in Boston Marathon All Safe After Blasts

Ten Filipino Americans who ran the Boston are all accounted for, professional triathlete and running coach Arland Macasieb told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview shortly after two bombs exploded near the finish line at the 117th Annual Boston Marathon, one of the city’s most celebrated sporting events. Macasieb, 37, said the bombs exploded about ten minutes after fellow Fil-Am runner Rolan Ocampo reached the finish line. Another runner, Susan Marie Sobrepeña, said she was close to the finish line when she heard the two blasts and was stopped by police from moving forward. The blasts killed three people and injured 138 as of press time. An 8-year-old child was one of the two who perished. There were also six volunteer nurses from the New England Chapter of the Philippine Nurses Association who were stationed near the area during the incident, and all are safe.

150,000 OFWs at Risk with New Singapore Policy

Close to 150,000 overseas Filipino workers in Singapore are in danger of losing their jobs after the Singaporean government decided to strictly implement a policy in July that will limit the number of foreign workers in that country, reports GMA News.. The Singaporean Ministry of Man Power (MoM) will be limiting the number of foreign workers because of complaints from the locals, who claim that foreign workers are becoming competition when it comes to job hunting, education, housing, and social services.

6,000 Filipinos in Saudi Want to Go Home

Over 6,000 undocumented Filipinos, including children, in Saudi Arabia are seeking immediate repatriation, reports ABS-CBN News. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said the report came from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh. “As of April 7, there are 6,277 individuals composed of 5,712 irregular workers and 565 minors who indicated their desire to go home,” she said. Baldoz said a majority or 3,850 of those seeking repatriation are female workers.

U.S. Solons Push for Full Rights for Filipino WWII Vets

U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation that aims to provide with "full benefits" Filipino World War II veterans who fought for the US during the Second World War, reports GMA News. US Senator Brian Schatz (Democratic Party-Hawaii) on Tuesday, the proposed legislation called "The Filipino Veterans Fairness Act" (S. 690) was done "to right an unjust wrong in (the US') past." Schatz co-introduced the legislation with Congresswoman Jackie Speier (Democratic Party-San Francisco/San Mateo). Senator Mazie Hirono, also from Hawaii, is an original co-sponsor of the bill.

One in 10 Pinoys Mulls Leaving Catholic Church

Social Weather Stations' February survey has found that 9.2 percent, or nearly one out of every 10 Catholics who are registered voters, "sometimes think of leaving the Church," reports GMA News. Though SWS has no past data, which would show a trend of Filipino Catholics renouncing their religion, it stated that its recent survey gave credence to the assertion of Jesuit priest and university president Fr. Joel Tabora SJ that "people have been leaving the Catholic Church" partly as a result of "theological bullying."

Filipinos in S.Korea Unfazed by Threats from North

Most Filipinos living and working in South Korea appear to be unfazed by the recent threats made by North Korea. Filipino community leaders in South Korea interviewed by ABS-CBN News said the situation in the country is calm, and not as serious as people in the Philippines might perceive. Fr. Arvin Mosqueda, who works closely with the Filipino community in Seoul, said some Filipinos are worried about the situation but so far he has not talked to anyone who wants to leave the country because of it.