Adventures in the rain

Lucky you if you are vacationing in Baguio right now or are somewhere abroad basking in enviably cool weather. But here in Manila, the summer heat over the past weeks has been torture, sticking to your skin like arnibal. Last Sunday afternoon, May 22, was another microwave oven day and we were all baking. Everyone sought to escape the sun’s rays by hiding indoors, but even the electric fan positioned steadily toward me was belching warm air that made working at my computer uncomfortable.... Read more

DFA launches Passport Tracking System

The Department of Foreign Affairs-Officer of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) launched the Passport Tracking System (PTS) to provide updates to the public on the status of their passport applications.

To access the PTS, applicants can visit the DFA website and click on the PTS icon. Read more

DFA ready to repatriate OFWs in Yemen

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that it is ready to repatriate Filipinos in Yemen at government’s expense due to the continuing political tension and violence in the capital city of Sanaa.

Crisis alert level 3 has been raised in Yemen, which means that voluntary repatriation at government’s expense will be offered and a deployment ban is put in place effective immediately in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). All Filipinos are advised not to travel to Yemen at this time. Read more

217 Filipinos repatriated from Jeddah this week

A total of 217 overstaying Filipinos will be repatriated this week after being cleared to exit Saudi Arabia by the Jawazat (Saudi Directorate General for Passports), according to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) news.

Philippine Consul General to Jeddah and Charge d’ Affaires to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh Ezzedin Tago said this batch of repatriates includes 73 men, 100 women and 44 children who were staying at the Hajj Seaport Terminal. Read more

DOLE launches project for returning women OFWs

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) launched last week the Balik Pinay! Balik-Hanapbuhay! Project which provides skills training to returning women overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), according to DOLE news.

The project will particularly cater to women OFWs in distress who were repatriated, including those who were displaced due to conflicts in Arab countries. It will give priority to about 2,400 women household service workers. Read more

PH labor officials in Kuwait recalled

Labor chief Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said in a press statement that officers of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait have been recalled and not dismissed.

“I would like to clarify earlier reports in the media that our officers at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait have been ‘sacked,’ or dismissed, for alleged wrongdoing. The reports are untrue,” she clarified. Read more

Facebook dos and don’ts for job hunters

You think that Facebook is where you can be yourself—the good, the bad and the ugly. But if you’re a job seeker, revealing your uncensored self may have serious consequences for you.... Read more

Working in Canada | By STEPHEN C NAROMAL

Mutual funds get you invested in multiple stocks

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada–The stock market is every country’s symbol of national wealth. You go inside the stock market trading floor and you will witness traders shouting orders, prices and what have you. Beyond the trading floor are investors who give the order to buy or sell. These people can be in the luxury of their homes, offices or even cars looking at stock reports in the newspapers. They diligently conduct research on listed companies and seem to have developed the acumen to tell the best time to buy or sell particular stocks. The not-so-diligent are rarely able to make money as fast; usually their best position is to hold on to their stocks until they are above their acquisition cost.... Read more

OFWs in Italy train for leadership, social entrepreneurship

A total of 43 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Italy have completed a continuing course on Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) given by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Rome, said Acting Labor and Employment Secretary Danilo P Cruz.

The LSE program is part of the joint efforts of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to transform Philippine Embassies, consular offices, and POLOs into centers of care and excellence, and to invest in human resource, according to DOLE news. Read more

Instant popularity at a potluck party

BY ROSSANO HERNANDEZ

When I was working for Fisher & Paykel (F&P), we would have regular get-togethers and potluck parties to welcome new staff or bid farewell to old-timers. F&P is one of the biggest whiteware manufacturers in the world. It is also one of the biggest employers in Aukland, New Zealand with a large multicultural workforce.

In one of these gatherings, I cooked chicken & pork adobo which became an instant hit with the Pacific Islanders, Indians, Chinese, Kiwis and even the Americans. Read more

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