News

Newsbreak: Trending stories of March 30, 2019

DUBAI: An exclusive report by The Filipino Times about a new policy by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regarding the application for overseas employment certificates (OECs) by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) vacationing for the first time has stirred a hornet’s nest, dividing netizens, with one camp opposing the measure and the other calling for restraint, stressing it is for the common good.

The new measure, which will take effect on tomorrow, April 1, requires OFWs who arrived in the UAE on a visit visa and are going home on vacation for the first time after having acquired employment visa, to get their OEC at POEA.

Prior to this, they need to have their employment contract verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the consulate in Dubai, after which an online appointment should be made with POEA.

Most OFWs were complaining that the new measure is a burden in that it unnecessarily takes off at least a day from their vacation as they would have to be physically present at POEA for their OEC. They argued that in this age of online transactions, the move is a step backward.

Other OFWs were on the other hand calling for restraint, stressing that the move was meant to ensure that those who entered UAE on visit visa and have landed jobs are documented.

Meantime, 30 undocumented Dubai-bound Filipinos were not allowed by Immigration officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to leave the country on Friday, March 29.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the workers, 18 women and 12 men, claimed they would only visit relatives in Dubai but inconsistencies in their reasons for leaving the country made BI officers suspicious, according to a press release issued on Saturday.

BI-TCEU Chief Erwin Ortañez said 29 of the Filipinos would be working as waiters and waitresses in various Dubai hotels, while one was bound for Baghdad to work as a kitchen supervisor.

Only one passenger had valid tourist visas issued by the UAE Ministry of Interior, according to Immigration.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said the passengers later admitted they were going to work abroad and that their travel documents were given to them by a handler who met them outside the airport.

Trafficking charges against their recruiters would be filed, according to the Immigration

In other trending news, the Department of Foreign Affairs is looking for relatives of an OFW identified as Richard Soriano, who suffered from amnesia and was left in a hospital in China.

He was repatriated to Manila last Friday. The foreign affairs department could not ascertain his family or next-of-kin.

In a statement, the DFA is asking help from the public if anyone knows Soriano and his family.

They may contact DFA at:
Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA)
2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Tel no. (02) 834-4996 or (02) 834-3246
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Meantime, retired American boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. has brought his private jet to Manila for a quick vacation.

He arrived in Manila 3:30 am today and is set to spend some time in Boracay.

Before this, however, fans of the US boxing legend are speculating that he’s been training again.

Mayweather posted in his Instagram account a video of him taking an ice bath. An ice bath is used regularly by top athletes after a period of intense exercises. It speeds up the recovery process.

The video showed Mayweather sunk in a metal tub in a pool of iced water. Then somebody pours more ice on the tub. The temperature reads somewhere off the negatives.

“Someone is training,” one comment reads.

“You coming back bruh? Cause boxing needs you,” another one wrote.

The Instagram video so far had 5 million views.

Mayweather announced in 2007 that he will quit boxing, but he came out of retirement when he was matched with British boxer Ricky Hatton in 2007,

Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

Related Articles

Back to top button