The Embassy of Japan is accepting applications for the 2012 Japanese Government Scholarship: Teacher Training and Japanese Studies Categories until February 29, 2012.

According to a press release from the embassy, these scholarship categories are open to all Filipino citizens satisfying the requirements indicated below.

Teacher Training

• Requirements: 1) Teaching at elementary or secondary educational institution or academic staff in a teacher training school (College professors are not eligible). 2) At least 5 years teaching experience. 3) Good academic standing.
• Age: Under 35 years old
• Fields of study: Education management, methods of education, special subjects, observation study, etc.

Japanese Studies

• Requirements: 1) Majoring in fields related to the Japanese language or culture in universities. 2)Enough knowledge of the Japanese language. 3) Good academic standing.
• Age: 18-29 years old
• Fields of study: Japanese language, life and culture, etc.

Application forms and requirements are available at the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) Library at the Embassy of Japan in Manila. The forms may also be downloaded from the Embassy of Japan website.

Free scholarship consultations are also held at the library of the Embassy of Japan every Friday at 9:00 am-12:00 pm and 2:00-4:30 pm. Interested individuals are requested to bring a valid ID to enter the embassy premises.

Form more information, contact the following:

Manila
Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC)
Embassy of Japan
2627 Roxas Boulevard, 1300 Pasay City
Phone: (02) 551-5710 Ext. 2315/2317

Cebu
Consular Office of Japan, Cebu
7/F Keppel Ctr, Samar Loop corner
Cardinal Rosales Ave
Cebu Business Park, 6000 Cebu City
Phone: (032) 231-7321

Davao
Consular Office of Japan, Davao
Suite B305m, 3/F, Plaza de Luisa Complex
140 R Magsaysay Ave, 8000 Davao City
Phone: (082) 221-3100

See also the embassy website.

Image from Microsoft Office website.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) plans to open two honorary consulates in Manzanillo and Veracruz, two port cities in Mexico where at least 100,000 Filipino seafarers pass each year.

According to a DFA press release, Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa expressed support for these plans in a meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F del Rosario last week.

The two officials signed two bilateral agreements, establishing a Joint Bilateral Consultation Meeting and providing for the exchange of information, training modules and scholars for diplomatic training.

Mexico also offered to assist the DFA in establishing its own online diplomatic training and education program, which Mexico is implementing with success.

Secretary del Rosario also congratulated Foreign Minister Espinosa for assuming the presidency of the G-20 for 2012 and affirmed the Philippines’ support for its priorities. The two officials also agreed to cooperate in climate change issues such as the Green Development Agenda.

Del Rosario noted that in the last 60 years of Philippine-Mexico relations, 21 bilateral agreements were signed but mainly on education and culture. He underscored the need to focus the relations more on bilateral trade and investments.

Noting that tourism is the Mexico’s second largest source of foreign exchange reserves, del Rosario pointed out that the Philippines can readily supply goods for Mexico’s booming tourism industry.

The two officials expressed agreement to join the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and will work together to make their common objective a reality. They also shared best practices to render assistance and protection to their nationals abroad.

They exchanged views about developments in Asia and Latin America, including the competing claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Image provided by iStockphoto via Microsoft Office website.

Blessed Pedro Calungsod will be the second Filipino to be declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church when he is canonized on October 21.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pope Benedict XVI announced this much-awaited news over the weekend through Angelo Cardinal Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Calungsod, whose feast day is celebrated on April 2, was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who canonized the first Filipino saint Lorenzo Ruiz in 1987.

Like Ruiz, Calungsod is a lay person and a missionary. The Visayan native died in Guam at the young age of 17 while defending a Jesuit priest, Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, from the natives. He lived in the 17th century.

For more information, see the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Image from Microsoft Office website.

Labor chief Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz encourages incoming college students to take academic courses that address the needs of emerging industries where there are better prospects for employment in the country.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) news, Baldoz said four industries are seen to provide the most number of local jobs in the long term: creative industries, strategic farming and fishing, power and utilities, and renewable energy.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) reported that many of the 2,937,847 students enrolled for academic year 2010-2011 are still concentrated in the following courses: business administration and related courses (785,305 students); education, science and teacher training (400,912); and medical and health (363,147).

“This uneven concentration of students in these fields contribute to jobs-skills mismatch after graduation,” said Baldoz.

Meanwhile, those courses that are likely to qualify students for work in industries with the most job opportunities have fewer enrollees. These include information technology (IT)-related disciplines (376,046 students); and engineering and technology (354,218).

“It’s no secret that employers are looking for people with skills more relevant to the current economy, and one of the greatest things future job seekers can do is prepare themselves for this shift. There are a multitude of opportunities out there. The key is to make the right choices,” Baldoz said.

With this aim, the government, the academe, and industry are intensely working on a Career Guidance Advocacy Program (CGAP) where high school students, parents, and schools will have easy access to relevant information which includes awareness on current work practices and potential job opportunities to ensure effective career choices.

On its part, the DOLE, through its Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), has produced a package of labor market information, such as the 101 Career Guides. It feature in-demand jobs/careers viable in the next five to 10 years. It describes the basic education requirements of a job, skills and competencies, attributes and characteristics, salary/compensation, prospect for career advancement, employment opportunities, and cost of education or training. To know more about other up-coming in-demand jobs, visit DOLE’s 101 Career Guide.

Image provided by Fotolia via Microsoft Office website.

Only “the most talented international graduates” in the United Kingdom (UK) will be eligible to work there as soon as the new rules become effective on April 6, 2012.

According to UK Border Agency (UKBA) news, foreigners who study in the UK will be qualified to remain there for work only if they earn a degree in a university and are offered a skilled job with a minimum salary of £20,000 by a UKBA-accredited employer.

This is part of the government’s efforts to ensure that the student visa system is not abused. In the past, many who came to the UK for the purpose of studying actually intended to work there instead.

For more information, see the UKBA website.

Image provided by iStockphoto via Microsoft Office website.

Another Filipino-American singer/actress is entertaining audiences in Broadway by appearing in Stephen Schwartz’ musical, Godspell.

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, who sings the musical’s signature song “Day by Day,” has music in her blood, being the granddaughter of the Queen of Kundiman, Sylvia La Torre.

She has already appeared in musical films including Disney’s Camp Rock, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and the 2009 remake of Fame.

The 21-year-old actress relishes her new role. “I love Godspell because it’s a diverse musical that has an interesting twist on religion. It’s also very improvisational and it allows us, as a cast, to think on our toes. I like that the lessons derived from the play are relatable to every day experiences,” she said in the Godspell website.

Tagle recently paid a courtesy call on Consul General Mario L De Leon Jr at the Philippine Center in New York to invite him to watch the musical, according to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) news.

“She is a role model for many talented and aspiring Filipino performers to continue pursuing their artistic dreams,” the Consul General said of the young performer.

Photo taken from the DFA website shows Tagle (center) with Consul General De Leon and Deputy Consul General Tess Dizon-de Vega.

See also the Godspell website.

Labor chief Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz signed early this month two landmark agreements with Lebanon Labor Minister Charbel Nahaz that could pave the way to the lifting of the household service worker (HSW) deployment ban to Lebanon.

The two officials signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Labor Cooperation and an accompanying Protocol. These are meant to improve the process of recruitment and deployment of domestic workers to Lebanon when the deployment ban, which continues to remain in effect, is lifted.

“This is a concrete and positive step toward the promotion of decent work for domestic workers in accordance with international standards. This new bilateral labor cooperation agreement will be beneficial to OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) who would like to work in Lebanon in the future and to the estimated 31,000 OFWs who are already working in that country, 96% of whom are domestic workers,” said Baldoz, who went to Amman and Beirut, the Lebanese capital, to sign the agreements.

Like the Protocol with Jordan, which was signed last month, the Protocol with Lebanon on the MOU on Labor Cooperation contains outstanding features that guarantee the welfare and better protection of Filipino HSWs.

These features include the following:

• Recruitment of Filipino domestic workers to Lebanon shall be done only through Philippine recruitment agencies licensed for the purpose;
• Both Lebanon and the Philippines shall adopt all necessary and appropriate measures in licensing and inspecting recruitment agencies to prevent all illegal practices and provide adequate protection for and prevent abuses of domestic workers;
• Lebanon shall ensure that a Filipino domestic worker is issued the appropriate visa to work in Lebanon before leaving the Philippines;
• Work permit and residence permit shall be issued the Filipino domestic worker and the renewal thereof shall be at no cost to the worker;
• Persons under 23 years of age shall not be recruited as domestic workers and no visa or work permit shall be issued in Lebanon to any Filipino domestic worker under 23 years of age;
• Both Lebanon and the Philippines shall come up with a standard employment contract within 30 days upon the signing of the Protocol, which contract shall govern the employment of all Filipino domestic worker in Lebanon;
• Employers shall provide health insurance for Filipino domestic workers, in addition to the mandatory insurance required under Republic Act (RA) 10022, at no cost to the worker;
• Filipino domestic workers shall have the right to keep in their possession their passports and identity documents;
• Employers shall open a bank account in the name of the domestic worker to which her salary shall be deposited within seven days from her salary due date, and the domestic worker shall have a copy of the deposit coupon as proof of payment;
• Employers shall provide the domestic worker with free decent accommodation, food and medical care, and shall not employ her in any work not specified in the contract;
• Filipino domestic helpers shall have a weekly rest day of at least 24 uninterrupted hours–if she resides in the household, she shall not be obliged to remain in the house during her rest day, and there shall be no restriction on her correspondences or religious practices;
• Working hours shall not exceed eight hours a day; for domestic workers residing within the employer’s household, hours on call shall not exceed four hours; and the domestic worker shall have 10 uninterrupted hours of daily rest; and
• Lebanon and the Philippines shall set in place appropriate inspection and conflict resolution mechanisms to resolve problems arising between the domestic worker, employer and recruitment agency.

Secretary Baldoz said the MOU and the Protocol will take effect 30 days from the date of a written notification by both parties through diplomatic channels indicating that the requirements for its effectivity have been completed.

“Within this period, both Lebanon and the Philippines have agreed to commence discussion and reach an agreement on the implementing guidelines of the Memorandum, including the standard employment contract consistent with the principles of Decent Work for Domestic Workers,” she finally said.

See also PH, Jordan sign agreement on recruitment of maids.

Image from Microsoft Office website.

Remittances from overseas Filipinos coursed through banks for the whole year of 2011 amounted to US$20.1 billion, 7.2% higher than the amount in 2010, according to a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) press release.

For the month of December, remittances grew by 6.2%, registering the highest monthly level at $1.8 billion.

The growth in the total amount of remittances for the whole year slightly surpassed the BSP projection of a 7% increase in 2011, said BSP Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Juan D De Zuniga Jr.

The substantial increase was due to higher remittances from both sea-based and land-based workers, which went up by 14.0% and 5.5%, respectively. The remittances of land-based workers accounted for about 78.4% of total remittances.

For the period January-December 2011, the major sources of remittances were the United States (US), Canada, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom (UK), Japan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Italy, Germany and Norway.

Cash transfers from overseas Filipinos were estimated to comprise 9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)–a major contributor in stimulating domestic demand. Remittances remained resilient in spite of the slowdown in global economic growth.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported that for January 2012, 12.3% (or 7,160) of the total approved overseas job orders of 58,123 were processed. The processed job orders were mainly in the service, production, and professional, technical and related job categories, particularly in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Taiwan, Singapore and Kuwait.

South Korea has adopted measures that will make it easier for foreign workers, who worked for Korean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under the Employment Permit System (EPS), to be rehired when their contracts expire.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) news, Act. No. 11276 (Revision on the Act on Employment of Foreign Workers) was promulgated on February 1 and will take effect on July 2.

The amendment will allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose contracts have expired to return to South Korea after a waiting period of three months (instead of six). Before departure, they must already have a new contract in the work sector that continues to have a labor shortage. They are not required to take the Korean Language test nor to undergo employment training, but they should also have no recorded transfer without justifiable cause during their previous employment period.

Last week, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Luis Cruz met and thanked Representative Kang Sung-chun of the ruling Grand National Party for the amendment. Cruz suggested further changes to the EPS law including raising the age limit (which is currently 38) and reviewing the contract period (currently four years and 10 months).

According to DOLE, there are 24,000 OFWs in South Korea, many of whom are in the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and fisheries sectors.

A total of 51 more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are scheduled for repatriation from Kuwait after the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) was able to settle their cases, according to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) news.

POLO Kuwait’s efforts are in line with the new DOLE policy to reduce the number of distressed OFWs sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resource Centers (FWRCs) through case settlement and repatriation.

“I commend our POLO in Kuwait for pursuing our instruction during the recent POLO Middle East Conference for all POLOs to fast-track the settlement of cases and repatriation of OFWs to de-clog our FWRCs,” said Baldoz.

In June last year, there were as much as 355 OFWs housed in the FWRC. Once the 51 OFWs, who have been provided with return tickets by their foreign recruitment agencies, have been repatriated, only 144 occupants will be left. The number is expected to go down further after four more are repatriated by next week and six who were given new transfer visas are hired again.

Many distressed OFWs who run away from employers are household service workers (HSWs), who are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

The DOLE aims to elevate the standards for HSWs, advocating a minimum pay of US$400. To prevent HSWs from settling with low-paying jobs, reforms are underway in the following: POLO accreditation and contract verification system; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) certification; pre-employment, pre-departure, and post-arrival orientations; efforts vs. illegal recruitment and human trafficking; and others.

Image from Microsoft Office website.