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Politics

TAKE ONLINE TESDA COURSES: QUARANTINED OFWS URGED

Senator Dick Gordon has urged the estimated 9,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are currently under strict quarantine or isolation to keep their patience and their minds occupied towards self-improvement. Gordon, who is known as a man of action, suggested returning OFWs to join in Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) online courses which […]

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Politics

VILLANUEVA LAUDS NEW DEPARTMENT FOR OFWS

Senator Joel Villanueva welcomed the signing of Republic Act No. 11641 creating the Department of Migrant Workers, which seeks to improve the services given to millions of overseas Filipino workers by consolidating all government offices and agencies scattered across the bureaucracy under one roof. “Today, December 30, the day we honor one of the great […]

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Government

DOT LAUNCHES WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE FOR BALIKBAYANS

Big discounts and great deals from airlines, accommodation establishments, tour operators, and travel agencies await Balikbayans who will come home to the Philippines this season as the Department of Tourism (DOT) launches the balikan.ph website.  The website is a one-stop site for Balikbayan-exclusive promos with as much as 50 percent discount on hotel and resort rates and […]

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Politics

DEPARTMENT OF MIGRANT WORKERS GETS SENATE OK

The Senate stamped its approval on the bill creating the Department of Migrant Workers, in a major advance for legislation the administration has pushed as an urgent measure. Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, hailed the passage on 3rd and final reading of Senate Bill No. 2234, which organizes the proposed Department […]

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Politics

DON’T HIKE OFW PASSPORT RENEWAL FEE – PANGILINAN

Senator Kiko Pangilinan said he is opposed to the increase in the passport renewal fees imposed on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other Filipinos in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the United States. “Mariin kong tinututulan ang pagtaas ng presyo ng passport renewal fees sa Middle East, Europe, Asia, at US. Ang desisyon ng […]

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Politics

OFW DEPARTMENT FOR SENATE’S OK SOON – VILLANUEVA

Senators wrapped up their interpellation on the bill creating a department to handle concerns of 10 million overseas Filipinos, bringing the measure closer to approval in the Senate. Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, said the termination of the period of interpellation and debates “means we’re entering the last quarter of the […]

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Politics

MATCH SKILLS OF OFWS WITH LOCAL JOBS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva called for an inventory of skills of thousands of overseas Filipinos being repatriated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, urging the government to match the available talent with the existing demand of the labor market. Touted as the largest repatriation of Filipinos since the Gulf war in the 1990s, Villanueva said it was […]

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Politics

EXPAND COVERAGE OF VACCINE CARD FOR OFWS — POE

Senator Grace Poe pushed for the expansion of the coverage of vaccine cards to allow more mobility for fully inoculated individuals and make it easier for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to travel for employment. “Now that we are once again about to enter a two-week hard lockdown, we need to have a recovery plan for […]

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Politics

MAKE BANKS ACCOUNTABLE FOR OFW ‘PADALA’ – POE

Holding banks accountable for the actions of their cash agents will provide better protection for consumers, especially those who rely on the “padala” of their relatives to help them get by during these trying times. Senator Grace Poe said the central bank’s push for financial inclusion will benefit from the necessary safeguards and encourage more […]

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Politics

PROTECT OFW REMITTANCES, MONEY TRANSFERS – POE

Senator Grace Poe said financial institutions such as banks and money transfer companies as well as regulators should do more to protect the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The latest Consumer Expectations Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that 96 percent of households that receive remittances spend it on food and […]