The Filipino Migrants: November 2011

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Celebrations at The Blue Lagoon

Another bonus for OFWS here in Nigeria is this: all holidays celebrated by Christians and Muslims are enjoyed by everybody. Sallah day fell on a Monday (Nov. 7) which left us with Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday merry-making. Nov. 6, on a crisp Sunday morning, the Mercado clan celebrated the birthdays of Ampy Ronquillo, Gel, Llames, Doods Mercado and Maebs Mercado held at JBN Blue Lagoon (kase may pinturang blue). Family and friends happily joined in the celebrations as shown below:

Celebrants: Ampy Ronquillo with nephew Gel Llames; Mother and son Otie and Rami; Ef and Rami

Well-wishers: friends as well as colleagues...

Ancing and Angie and Khaye and Medel P. and Rex and Medel R.

as friends arrive...

The Nuncio and Fr. Andrew met by the celebrants

Celebs with the clergy: the Nuncio with Maebs; Ampy with Fr. Andrew and the Nuncio; Gel and Sr. Marilou

Alessa, friends as reflected in Gel's frame, Ef, JR, Janice, Maris and John

Gel and Gilbert; Sr. Efling; Ancing and Fr. Andrew

The Nuncio and Fr. Andrew

Celebrant Maebs, ang Mutya ng mga Mercado

just...waiting ...to be...hungry...

The Nuncio exchanging views with the Pinoys

The clan: Doods, Renz, Gel and Jay R

Marekoy, naglalangis lang ang mga 'yan....

am I seeing Gel ---THATserious?!!!

The emperor (Hirohito or penguin?)

More friends as well as colleagues; and here comes Alan; Sr. Marilou

Weyt lang.....

Pre - lunch checking

That's Gladys and dotter Blessing - the Chef of the year...Ready...

Prayers before meals...

New Churchgate guys with Chie and Eric; Jeju, Joel, Fernando; Medel and Angie and Tickboy; and that's Noel with Lito

Lunch time ...in progress

...progressing....

...almost done...the stomach progresss... busog na po...kaya nkasandal na lang si ancing kay chet...

...talaga pong busog na!!!

Mrs. Annie Padalhin; The Nuncio; and the Four Sisters

...that's Ness

...during 'Happy Hour'

A toast and several more ...for Gel at this 'conference table'

...more 'Happy Hour'

After the 'Happy Hour'

One for the road...Fr. Andrew and Otie, Sr. Marilou, Sr. Aurea, Sr. MaryGrace and Nonits; with Gel and Maebs and Sr. Efling; with Grace and Ampy and Maebs

...'till next year...

...the R E A L HAPPY HOUR Jamie and Alessa....

...ayan...talagang pag busog na...masaya na ulit....

the HERRERAs + Efren Lim

Bonding? nah...already well-bonded...Jamie, Ampy and Maebs, Big bro Doods and baby sis Maebs, Ampy and dotter Kathy, Doods and Renz and Maebs

...ang MGA kabataan...wala...wala nga ang mga parents?!!! ('anduon nag su swimming na!)

The venue - Blue Lagoon

...and everybody left for another event at the JBN Utako clubhouse....a continuation actually...

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

Efren and Ness Lim hosted this lunch. Gel's birthday Nov. 7, 2011.

OBITUARY

OBITUARY

With heavy hearts and our heartfelt prayers, we bid Marjorie Dalit a sad farewell. Marjorie shown above with daughter Reese and son RJ, wife of OFW Engr. Roseler Dalit of Churchgate, Abuja, passed away after a very nasty accident in the Philippines - the tricycle they were riding was hit by an automobile. Reese and RJ who were with her in the accident are safe although RJ had his jaw operated on.
She was in a deep coma and finally succumbed to the call of the Lord at 10:00 am Friday (Nov. 11, 2011).
We request for prayers for her eternal rest and fortitude for Ross to bear the loss.

This picture was taken last August 21, 2011 at D & S during the joint birthday celebrations of Mercy and Mabelle and send-off party for Mr. Nestor Dador. Here, Reese serenely napping and RJ clinging to his mum Marj with Dad Ross.

Dalit Family: Roseler, Marjorie, RJ and Reese

Thursday 3 November 2011

Pinoy, Paano Ka Na Ngayon

PINOY PAANO KA NA NGAYON?

BY Lito Nucum

“NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA Governing Board RESOLVES, AT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to stop the deployment of OFWs to the above-mentioned countries for non-compliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022”

Inilabas na nga ang POEA GB Resolution No.7, Series 2011 at tinukoy dito ang 41 bansang hindi pa nakapag-comply sa Rule III of RA 10022.

Ito nga kaya ang tamang kasagutan para mailayo sa ibayong dusa ang isang Pilipino na nais makipag-sapalaran sa ibang bansa? Mapa -Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia man ito, bakit pilit pa rin ang Pinoy na umalis at suungin ano man ang panganib na maaring naghihintay sa kanya sa mga bansang naturan o sa mga iba pang bansa na “non-compliant” pa daw sa Rule III, ng RA 10022?

Ang alam ko, karapatan ng bawa’t Pilipino ang maghanap-buhay maski saan mang lupalop ng mundo. When the state failed to provide its own people of sustainable employment, tutunganga na lang ba si Itay at Inay at tingnang nakangiti ang isang katerbang mga anak habang tirik ang mata at nakanganga ang bibig sa gutom?

SURVIVAL, buhay ng buong pamilyang Pinoy ang nakataya dito kung kaya’t kinakalampag natin ang damdamin ng gobyerno “NOT TO IMPOSE DEPLOYMENT BAN” saan mang bansa.

Alam kong nare-realize ng ating gobyerno ang kakulangan ng sapat na pagkakataon sa ating bansa na magkaroon ng magandang hanap-buhay. Kaya nga maski na labag sa Section 5 ng RA 10022 “… shall allow the deployment only of skilled Filipino workers” libu-libo pa ring ineng, ate, nanay, tita at lola ang pilit na nagsusumiksik sa mga bansang talamak ang pang-aabuso. Ano sa palagay ng gobyerno natin, maki-kichismis sila doon, makikipag-kareoke lang. Gising…… kailangan nilang mabuhay ng marangal.

Marami dyan sa atin sa gobyerno ang de-kotse, magandang bahay sa Forbes, Dasma o kaya Alabang, mga anak Ateneo, UP, La Salle, signature ang mga kasuotan, smartphones, pa Belo-belo pa. Well, after all madali lang naman sabihin “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only to say the word and I shall be healed”. Until next kumpisal ulit. Tapos gusto pa nilang hawakan ang ating buhay, ang ating kinabukasan.

Anyway, mabalik ako sa punto ng ating pinag-uusapan.

Narito ang ilang bahagi ng nabasa kong lathala na sinulat ni LBG, GMA News.

“DOLE Secretary Baldoz said the ban will affect “a little over 200” OFWs, who she said can avail of the government’s intrgration program if they wish to return home”.

“Earlier Wednesday the POEA ordered a deployment ban on 41 countries for the lack of guarantees ensuring the welfare of overseas Filipino workers”.

“… she said many of the OFWs deployed to the 41 countries are employed by globally operated companies and are not covered by the deployment ban”.

Nagtatanong lang ako kung saan nakuha ng Kagalang-galang na DOLE Secretary yung “a little over 200”. Baka ikako typo-error lang ito at nakulangan lang ng dalawang zero. Kasi ayon sa pananaliksik ko sa datos ng POEA, merong 21,948 (see attached table) ang landbased OFWs ang legal na nagta-trabaho sa mga naturang bansa. Unang-una sa listahan ang Libya na kung saan mahigit 11,000 dakilang kababayan ang nandoon na kahit na may giyera ay pinili ng karamihan na hindi muna umuwi.

Salamat naman kung “a little over 200” lang ang apektado sa ban sa 41 countries na ito na ang ibig sabihin yung mga 21,700 nating kababayan ay nagta-trabaho sa “globally operated companies” kaya hindi sila covered ng deployment ban. Pero ganito kaya ang magiging pananaw ng mga taga BI. Eh, walang hinihintay ang mga kapatid dyan sa BI kung hindi ang mga ganitong Resolution at iba pang government orders na siyang nagiging sanhi ng lalong pasakit sa Pinoy na gustong mag-hanap buhay sa abroad. Sa mga taga BI, ginto ang mga bansang naturan oras na naging epektibo na ang GB R#7.

Tiyak ko marami sa ating mga kababayan na nagta-trabaho sa naturang mga bansa ay mag-aatubiling mag-bakasyon sa pangambang hindi na makabalik sa bansang siyang kumakalinga’t nagbigay ng hanap-buhay sa kanila. Paano na? “Inday, sorry Ma, e-explain mo na lang sa mga bata kung bakit hindi tayo magkakasama sa paskong ito. Merry Christmas. I love you all very much at God bless, ingat”.

Tulad nating taga – Nigeria. Marami sa atin ang naging biktima ng “deployment ban”. Isa na ako doon. Kaya naman malakas ang loob kung maglabas ng aking saloobin. At malakas na sumisigaw pa ring nananawagan ‘ALISIN ANG DEPLOYMENT BAN”, or else isa naman malaking katanungan ang bubulaga sa atin. PINOY PAANO KA NA NGAYON? Lalo na kung aanga-anga ka sa iyong karapatang pang-tao.

Pasalamat talaga ako sa Panginoong Diyos at nandyan sina butihing Ellene Sana at Karen Gomez Dumpit at ang dating Human Rights Commissioner na si Gng. Leila De Lima na ngayon ay Secretary ng Department of Justice. Sa tulong nila ay nagkaroon ako ng ibayong lakas ng ako’y maharang sa Immigration dahil ayaw kong makisabay sa laban. Ibinigay ang tunay sa serbisyong pinoy at ginawa ang daang matuwid pero naging bingi ang Immigration. Higit ang bisa ng pinag-sama- samang kulay ubeng papel. Walang nagawa ang prinsipyo ko sa kinabukasan ng mga anak ko. SURVIVAL na talaga ang usapan.

Tungkol sa partial deployment dito sa Nigeria hindi rin talaga dapat. Kasi maliwang ang nasasaad sa Section 6 RA 10022. Termination or Ban on Deployment, which states “notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 1 and 5 of this Rule, in pursuit of the national interest or when public welfare so requires, the POEA Governing Board, after consultation with the DFA, at any time, terminate or impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers”.

Eh ano bang national interest at public welfare ang apektado para magkaroon ng ban sa isang bansa na compliant na nga, tulad ng bansang Nigeria na siyang nagbigay - buhay sa ating mga pangarap na hindi nagawa ng ating sariling bansa. Tapos mag-iimpose pa ng ban., Ito ba ang isusukli sa bansang kumupkop sa atin. Ang hiyain siya sa buong mundo. Talipandas at walang utang na loob ang ating gobyerno. Sa halip na salamat ay sampal ang igaganti. Napakasakit Kuya Eddie.

Susunod na issue, ang OWWA Membership Funds. Pera ng OFWs ito kaya’t dapat tayong maki-alam.

_________________________________________http://thefilipinomigrants.blogspot.com

OFWs THAT MIGHT BE LOSING THEIR RIGHT OF LIVELIHOOD & THEIR RIGHT TO TRAVEL

DUE TO POEA'S GOVERNING BOARD RESOLUTION NO. 7, SERIES 2011, SGD ON 28.10. 2011

Controlled & Disseminated on Nov. 02, 2011, but shall take effect 15 days after publication in 2 newspapers of general circulation

The 41 countries hereunder mentioned "NON-COMPLIANT WITH THE GUARANTEES UNDER RULE III, RA 10022

		POEA 2010 Statistic only
No.	Country / Trust Territory	Deployed Landbased OFWs

1	Afghanistan	21
2	Antigua and Barbuda	10
3	Barbados	21
4	Cambodia	1,499
5	Cayman Islands	929
6	Chad	807
7	Croatia	33
8	Cuba	555
9	North Korea	0
10	Dominica	0
11	East Timor / Timor Leste	1,208
12	Eritrea	26
13	Haiti	153
14	India	842
15	Iraq	0
16	Kyrgyzstan	25
17	Lebanon	1,327
18	Lesotho	43
19	Libya	11,604
20	Mali	145
21	Mauritania	67
22	Montenegro	5
23	Mozambique	568
24	Nauru	10
25	Nepal	10
26	Niger	0
27	Pakistan	383
28	Palestine	0
29	Serbia	3
30	St. Kitss & Nevis	4
31	St. Lucia	3
32	St. Vincent & the Grenadines	8
33	Sudan	1,441
34	Swaziland	49
35	Tajikistan	3
36	Tonga	6
37	Turks & Caicos	0
38	Tuvalu	0
39	US Virgin Islands	82
40	Vanuatu	39
41	Zimbabwe	19

	Total Deployed OFWs	21,948
	as per POEA records	21,948


And I quote/unquote important aspect of the said resolution
"NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA Governing Board RESOLVES, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to stop
the deployment of OFWs to the above-mentioned countries for non-compliance with the
guarantees of RA 10022."

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Pre-Halloween Celebration

A Pre-Halloween Eve Celebration

Once upon a long, long time ago…Halloween meant a great deal for me…when the full moon would conjure broomsticks and cauldrons and pumpkins and the howling of the hounds baying at the moon, fire from the neighbors’ kitchen stove cast dancing imps.

That stage passed. Came the ‘trick or treat’ season – from house to house with a bunch of excitable kids – the ‘escape-goat age’ – meaning if your parents were so kill-joy (KJ) you’d escape to join the bunch and when you’re caught and confined to your room, you’re the ‘goat.’

That stage passed. Came the waves rolling by the seaside; bonfire with melting marshmallows and cashew nut shells’ acrid scent wafting in the air, roasting and toasting, while playing great music (noise) and howling and baying (no longer the dogs).

That stage passed. Came the costume and masks and parties – the ‘adult phase.’

And it, too, came to pass.

But what does Halloween actually remind us of? To put it bluntly: what’s its relevance to ones life other than its commercial value? Theoretically speaking, from my catholic-oriented education I learnt that All Saints’ Day ( translated into No school today!) officially the Solemnity of All Saints is also called All Hallows or Hallowmas (‘hallows’ meaning saints and ‘mas’ meaning mass) to commemorate all the saints, the famous, the popular and the unknowns. They’re the people who once inhabited this world; led exemplary lives and when they passed this realm have been conferred the beatification and canonization honors. Now they are in direct service to the Almighty in what we Catholics perceived as in Heaven. Rewarded for all the good actions (in thoughts and in words and in deeds) done here on Planet Earth and when released – PRESTO – the awards night! Commemoration mandated every November 1^st . Collective ‘in memory’ of all saints.

An annual routine, a robotic motion for me – a ‘hollow’ block.

Until last Saturday, 29^th of October. Fr. Andrew of The Nunciature caught me off-guard with his homily. His what he called a pre-Halloween eve mass. Because as he said, ‘some are already celebrating today.’

Actually, I was dozing off. The hum of the air conditioner was lulling me to sleep.

Fr. Andrew held up a piece of paper with the word T E N D boldly written on it. ‘What is written on this paper?’...’Tend.’ The congregation chorused. I sat erect and craned my neck. ‘Do you know that this word TEND came from the Latin word ‘teneo’ meaning HOLD?’

Now he has my full attention.

He flipped open the paper he’s holding: came the word E X placed beside TEND . We read: EX TEND. Reach out. Another flip: IN TEND. As EX TEND goes out, IN TEND comes in. All the intentions for one another’s (if we can’t afford for the entire humanity’s) well-being. Another flip: AT TEND; a collective sharing of whatever good we hold within ourselves.

And the final flip: the prefix – PRE beside TEND.

And what better time to PRE TEND than on the ‘Vigil or Eve of All Hallows’ commercially known as Halloween? The revelers of the flesh come vibrantly alive. This eve is the one other time to put on the mask. Life-imitating-death, the somber, the macabre, dancing into the tongues of fire with heated passion (ever heard of arson – body and soul?) Like the chameleon with its long, sticky tongue frequently and rapidly changing appearance.

However, no mask nor masking tapes can annihilate our real persona. Revelers’ subconscious point to the masks that best portray each one – the ‘rancid’ soul beneath the flesh rears its ugly head. And proudly flaunted!

As Fr. Andrew rounded up his homily: ‘…this is the time to be ourselves, the true selves fashioned in Christ image.’

No more act of charity where there is none emanating from one’s self. No more posturing of piousness where piety never entered one’s heart. No more humility where only pride thrives within. No more turn-coats flesh wise. After all it’s only people who prized the superficial value of each one. It’s only people who praise and extol each one. It’s only people for whom each one puts the ‘masks’ on.

For what? Personal gratification of all sorts. Like the ‘kadangare’ – that big colorful African lizard jumping off from the wall and upon reaching the ground proudly ‘heaving and puffing’ its chest: ‘I’M THE BEST!’

I would have loved to add this: POR TEND. Everything the flesh holds within portends what we’ll become.

http://thefilipinomigrants.blogspot.com

To One and All: a fruitful celebration. Just like the celebration last October 29 immediately after the Mass. Held at No. 1 Chari Close (Off Bobo/John Paul II Strs.) The finished project of The Filipino Migrants’ Architect Benjamin Nadado of the LUXURY PROPERTIES DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD.

Here's some pictures:

...how to pronounce that dish... coq a vin...doesn't matter now.... d e l i c i o u s!!!

Nonits, Rex, Willy, Lito, John, Gilbert, Annie, Angie and Noel...before the demolition...of the food!!!

Il Capo Nonito!...'yon nga lang, Mafiosi o Yakuza? napapaligiran ng kanyang mga hitmen (sa lengwahe ni Lito - 'eat men': si Rex, si John, si Gilbert, si Donald -