Latest news with #FilipinoWorkers
South China Morning Post
22-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Marcos slammed for ‘inexcusable' snub of Filipino-American community during US visit
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is facing a wave of criticism from migrant advocates and Filipino Americans over what they see as his failure to defend overseas workers caught in the widening immigration crackdown by US President Donald Trump's administration. Marcos is in Washington for a three-day state visit culminating in high-stakes trade and security talks with Trump on Tuesday. He and his entourage were met by more than 100 protesters on Sunday and Monday, gathered outside both the White House and Blair House, where the Philippine delegation has been staying. Demonstrators accused the president of ignoring urgent immigration issues, including raids, detentions and deportations of Filipino workers, while making time to court US defence officials and business leaders. 'It is inexcusable that he would not make time to visit his own citizens while we are faced with immigration crackdowns, rights violations in detention centres, looming taxes on remittances and many more attacks on migrant communities under the Trump presidency,' Andan Bagoyo, chairman of Bayan USA, a progressive alliance of Filipino organisations, told This Week in Asia. The United States is home to the world's largest Filipino diaspora, with 4.1 million people of Filipino descent as of 2022. Nearly half are immigrants. But no meetings with community representatives have been scheduled during Marcos' visit, which began on Sunday. According to Philippine foreign affairs officials, the president's itinerary simply did not allow for it, as 'it's a very short visit'.
Russia Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian speakers a risk compared to pro-Western Filipinos
Lithuania's defense minister has lashed out at Russian-speaking migrants, calling them a security threat while comparing them to 'pro-Western' Filipinos. The country, along with its Baltic neighbors, has for years sought to phase out the Russian language spoken by a significant part of the population. Dovile Sakaliene made the comments on Wednesday after meeting with Hans Cacdac, the Philippines Secretary of Migrant Workers, to discuss labor migration. The defense minister, however, used the opportunity to warn that an 'unprecedented number of Russian-speaking migrants from post-Soviet states raise national security concerns for Lithuania.' Sakaliene praised Filipino workers as 'English speaking, Catholic, pro-Western… famous for high skills, great work ethics, & willingness to learn the language of the host country.' About 5% of Lithuania's population, or roughly 141,000 people, identify as ethnic Russians, with around 190,000 people saying Russian is their native language. Meanwhile, over 60% of the total population is Russian-speaking, mostly due to the Soviet legacy. Lithuania's Migration Department last year reported over 227,000 foreign residents, over 80,000 of whom are Ukrainians, followed by approximately 60,000 Belarusians and 15,000 Russians. Only 774 Filipino citizens held residence permits in the country at the start of this year, though that figure has more than tripled since 2023. Lithuania has for years sought to sever cultural ties with Russia, with the efforts intensifying after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Last year, Education Minister Gintautas Jakstas proposed phasing out Russian-language secondary schooling, arguing that Lithuania should not use the languages of 'unfriendly countries' in its classrooms. The idea, however, has faced pushback, particularly from Vaiva Vezelyte-Pokladova, the head of the National Minorities Policy Analysis, who warned against 'marginalization of one nationality.' This spring, Lithuanian authorities issued a report listing Russia, Belarus and China, as top security threats. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mocked the designation, quipping that the document 'forgot to mention holy water and wooden stakes' as potential threats. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed speculation that it is planning to attack NATO, stating that it has no interest in doing so.
GMA Network
14-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Filipino seafarers invest in the Philippines. They shouldn't be punished for it.
In mid-2020, Philippine media reported the arrival of a flight carrying the remains of 49 Filipino migrant workers who had died from COVID-19. State officials had spent months finding ways to have their bodies returned home. In his statement to reporters, then-Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was noticeably sombre, 'It's very painful to welcome dead heroes who served their families and country well,' he said. When I shared this story to Nilo, a cruise worker who lost his job during the pandemic, he wondered if he, too, should have returned to the Philippines dead, instead of alive and unemployed. Unlike those who had died overseas, no one considered him a 'hero.' 'We're more like those soldiers who went off to war, got wounded, then were sent home,' he scoffed. 'You served the nation, but now, you're no use to anyone because you lost your leg and can't even walk.' Nilo's response reflects the struggles that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) face when forced to return home. While the Philippines celebrates migrants for their contributions, we often fail to recognize their worth beyond their remittances. Still, I found the bitterness in Nilo's statement concerning. While all migrant workers contribute to the Philippine economy, seafarers, I would argue, are among the most committed to the nation. Yet, it is clear that they do not have the support they need within their own country. A career prone to disruption When Filipino seafarers set sail, they're not just chasing higher wages. They're investing in a life back home. Working in an oil tanker or a luxury cruise ship does not open doors to long-term residency or citizenship elsewhere. Unlike nurses and teachers, sea-based careers run on short-term contracts, roughly 4 to 10 months at a time. And unlike domestic workers, seafarers return home more frequently, cycling between the Philippines and their work at sea. As such, their dreams are mostly anchored within the country: a small business, a new house, or a good education for their children. It is true that seafaring pays higher wages than many jobs in the Philippines, but this profession is also vulnerable to disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of how little support there is in helping them weather such crises. As a sociologist, I followed the experiences of Filipino service staff employed in the global cruise industry. The cruise workers I interviewed were retrenched during the pandemic and only returned to their jobs two years later, heavily in debt and working to stay afloat. Like other Filipinos, they struggled with the sudden loss of income. But, I found that the main cause of their financial distress was the very investments that were supposed to secure their futures. Risky investments When the travel industry shut down, cruise workers turned to home businesses and part-time work to get by. While they managed to cover their daily expenses, their biggest expenses were insurance premiums and monthly payments on land, property, and cars. Philippine government officials had promoted these investments as a 'smart' way to maximize migrant remittances, and cruise workers readily bought into these ventures. Few were warned that these investments relied on regular payments and there were no concessions for unforeseen disruptions. In the first few months of the pandemic, cruise workers tried to keep up with these fees, dipping into hard-earned savings and borrowing money from friends. A year later, they were defaulting on monthly payments, selling their things, and for many, letting banks repossess their property. Glaiza, a massage therapist in her ship's spa, lost a house that she had been paying for the last four years. 'Sumama talaga loob ko (I felt bad),' she lamented. 'Hindi ko naman kasalanan nawalan kami ng trabaho! (It wasn't my fault that I lost my job.)' While it is easy to point the blame at migrants' lack of financial literacy, perhaps what we should consider is how the smart investments we encourage seafarers to consider were what put them in debt. Nasaan ang programa namin? One might argue that Philippine government agencies did have programs specifically directed at seafarers. However, available grants were overwhelmingly focused on entrepreneurship and livelihood projects. While a benefit to some, most cruise workers were intimidated by the multiple requirements for training and business plans. Already stressed over their own bills, the idea of embarking on a new business venture seemed impractical. Rather than new investment 'opportunities,' cyclical migrants like cruise workers need a stronger safety net in times of disruption. Life insurance may help cope with an untimely death, but it doesn't address the issues that come with sudden retrenchment or a canceled contract. During the pandemic, cruise workers saw unemployment benefits from Philippines' Social Security System as much more helpful compared to small business grants. While these benefits came in small amounts, they addressed workers' immediate needs. The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented in many ways, but the hardships that Filipino seafarers faced reflect a bigger, ongoing problem: the lack of meaningful protections and support for migrant workers who are invested in the nation. Yasmin Y. Ortiga is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Singapore Management University. Excerpts from this column are taken from her latest book, "Stuck at Home: Pandemic Immobilities in the Nation of Emigration" (Stanford University Press).
Daily Tribune
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
Focus on essential healthcare updates for Filipinos
A town hall meeting on PhilHealth services and updates took place on May 30, 2025, at the Sentro Rizal, Philippine Embassy, Manama offering essential information to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and members of the Filipino community. Among the organizations represented during the discussion were Good Cause Bahrain, led by Antonette Guese Avila; Pinay Ikaw Na (PIN), headed by its president Dinah Sta. Ana; LBC Express Bahrain, represented by Dhela Solidad; Alpha Kappa Rho International Humanitarian Service Fraternity and Sorority – Juffair Chapter; and the Filipino Writers' Circle (Filwrite) president, Cecil Ancheta. The event high lighted the government's dedication to supporting its citizens abroad by keeping them informed about their healthcare benefits. It was attended by Her Excellency Anne Jalando-on Louis, Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain, along with embassy officials, including Administrative Officer, Mr. Virgilio Pasive Jr. and Ms. Cellia V. Cabadonga, Officer-in-Charge of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO). In her address, Ambassador Louis thanked all the guest specially the Filipino community members, for showing up, even on a Friday, which is usually a day off for many. Under the PhilHealth presentation topic, she emphasized the value of information sharing. She asked audience to use the facts they gained from the session and relay it to their respective communities. This appeal helped to highlight the ripple effect of awareness, hoping that by sharing the information, more people would be enabled to access PhilHealth effectively and appeal for their health care needs. Overseas employment Realizing the temporary nature of overseas employment, Ambassador Louis advised OFWs to regularly keep themselves enrolled in OWWA, PhilHealth, SSS, and Pag-IBIG. Foreign employment may have an advantage of being able to earn immediately, but it is also essential to spend on saving for the future. Active participation in these top-priority Philippine institutions provides OFWs with access to vital benefits. The visiting delegation from the Philippines was led by Mr. Gregorio C. Rulloda, PhilHealth Philippine Ambassador, H.E. Anne Jalando-on Louis, speaks at the event Vice President for Mindanao.
