Not only are extra-judicial killings in the Philippines an important issue in the United States of America. Even local concerns in the country, at least in the opinion of U.S. concerned citizens and migrants, bear watching. BY BULATLAT Not only are extra-judicial killings in the Philippines an important issue in the United States of America.…
Category: OFWs & Migration
Advocacy Groups Critical of Changes in Canada’s Migrant Policy
The Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced improvements in its Temporary Foreign Worker program. But organizations of Filipino-Canadians and OFWs believe that the new policy of requiring live-in caregivers to remain with one employer to be eligible for a work permit for three years and three months is a violation of their human rights. BY SIKLAB…
Miners Falsely Accused and Imprisoned in Saudi Arabia Feels neglected and betrayed by the government
Experienced and hard working, 23 miners from Benguet had bright hopes for the future as they were offered P40, 000 ($821.81 at an exchange rate of $1=P48.673) a month salaries to work in Saudi Arabia. They expected to earn four times more than what they had been receiving here. But their fate turned for the…
Stories of Abuse and Courage of Women OFWs
There seems to be no end to the stories of rape and abuse committed against overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Sad and horrifying as it is, Bulatlat decided to write their stories in an effort to call the attention of the government, and to contribute to the efforts of migrant rights advocates in promoting and defending…
Gov’t Tailoring Nursing Sector to U.S. Demands, Health Activist Says
Is the government tailor-fitting the country’s nursing sector to the demands of the U.S. market? The secretary-general of the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Dr. Gene Nisperos, has posed this question following statements by government officials that the Arroyo administration is amenable to having the June 2006 nursing board examination passers be subjected to a…
In Kuwait: Husband Pins Blame on Gov’t for Wife’s Death Sentence
The husband of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sentenced to die by hanging in Kuwait said he should not have listened to Philippine government officials who advised him to keep silent regarding his wife’s case. “Lalo nilang pinabayaan e. Dapat sana lalo kaming nag-ingay,” (They neglected the case more. We should have raised our concerns…
Just to earn money for education, family OFW in Kuwait Goes Home almost Paralyzed
With nine screws placed in her left foot and two big screws in her spinal column, Carmelita Lagata, a domestic helper in Kuwait, was teary-eyed relating the pain she had to endure after an accident while running away from her employer. She even had to fend for herself during those trying times as the government…
Weekly Protests in RP, Big Mobilization in HK Set vs New POEA Policy
Calling the new guidelines of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as a “sugar-coated extortion scheme,” OFWs in Hongkong and Migrante International, the local organization of OFWs, are planning more protest actions and bigger mobilizations. BY AUBREY MAKILAN Bulatlat Weekly protest actions in the Philippines and a big mobilization in Hong Kong are already set to…
The social cost of migration and the Live-in Caregiver Program
Having to face the problem of racism while their parents had to juggle their time to more than one job to earn a living, Albert Lopez, like other Filipino youth living in Canada, turned to his gang and to drugs for comfort and a sense of belonging. That was until he was approached by an…
Fil-Am Immigrants Launch U.S.-wide Alliance
Around 350 Filipino-Americans met in Queens, New York over the weekend for a two-day national conference and to form a national alliance that would address the various issues affecting the Filipino-American community. The new alliance agreed to address issues affecting the various sectors of the community. BY Bulatlat.com NEW YORK CITY — Around 350 Filipino-Americans…
Canada, Not All ‘Rosy’ for Filipino Migrants
Canada is one of the preferred countries of destination for Filipinos aiming to work and live abroad. But life for migrant workers and overseas Filipinos is not all that rosy in the “Land of the Free,” a motto coined and patented by Canada. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat.com Canada is one of the preferred countries…