The houses that migrant workers build but do not live in | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: "Houses without people
Overseas labor migration, which started in the 1980s, has transformed Sumilang.
The village used to be an agrarian, artisanal, and petty-trading village, located some five kilometers inland from the coastal town center. Today, a large segment of its population of nearly 2,000 persons work overseas, mostly in Spain and Italy. A sizeable number of them also work in the Persian Gulf states, Canada, and Taiwan.
Why these absent workers send money to build houses they do not live in continues to baffle many observers of the Philippine labor migration phenomenon.
A few who consider migrants as poor deem the construction of a costly house in the “middle of nowhere” as a case of misplaced values, if not a waste of scarce resources.
If not houses, some buy electrical appliances like refrigerators and washing machines, even when the village has no electricity. Anecdotes abound of migrant workers who introduce such modernity to their remote villages.
Some economists explain such spending as stimulating demand for consumer goods and services, which ultimately increases production."
Monday, October 27, 2008
OFW in Taiwan gets death penalty - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
OFW in Taiwan gets death penalty - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) A Filipina who taught English in Taiwan was sentenced to death by the Kaoshiung District Court for the murder of her job broker in September last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.
In a phone interview, DFA undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said the decision was handed down September 30 this year.
'The first hearing of the appeal would be on the first week of November,' he said.
Citing court records, Conejos said Nemencia Armia, an undocumented teacher whose visa had expired, had a heated argument over money with her female Taiwanese job broker in the apartment Armia was sharing with an American man.
'The court said she stabbed the victim to death with a knife, took her ATM card, and made several withdrawals using the ATM,' he said."
In a phone interview, DFA undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said the decision was handed down September 30 this year.
'The first hearing of the appeal would be on the first week of November,' he said.
Citing court records, Conejos said Nemencia Armia, an undocumented teacher whose visa had expired, had a heated argument over money with her female Taiwanese job broker in the apartment Armia was sharing with an American man.
'The court said she stabbed the victim to death with a knife, took her ATM card, and made several withdrawals using the ATM,' he said."
Monday, October 20, 2008
OFWs in Taiwan to keep jobs--recruiter - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
OFWs in Taiwan to keep jobs--recruiter - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "MANILA, Philippines -- Factories in Taiwan are slowing down operations due to cancelled orders from Western countries, but they are not shutting down, a recruiter of Filipino workers there said Tuesday.
Therefore, the 100,000 or so Filipinos working in Taiwan will continue to do so although they will be spending shorter hours, particularly on overtime, said Jackson Gan, president of the Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (Pilmat).
Taiwan factory owners 'intend to keep their Filipino workers on site and to just reduce overtime hours for some factories. Other companies may re-tool their production lines and concentrate on their other electronics products,' Gan said, quoting his clients there."
Therefore, the 100,000 or so Filipinos working in Taiwan will continue to do so although they will be spending shorter hours, particularly on overtime, said Jackson Gan, president of the Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (Pilmat).
Taiwan factory owners 'intend to keep their Filipino workers on site and to just reduce overtime hours for some factories. Other companies may re-tool their production lines and concentrate on their other electronics products,' Gan said, quoting his clients there."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Microsoft donates $600,000 for OFW training - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Microsoft donates $600,000 for OFW training - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos: "icrosoft said it is donating more than $600,000 worth of cash and software to a computer learning program for overseas Filipino workers.
This is part of the program, dubbed Tulay, which is Microsoft' global Unlimited Potential initiative that involves technology-oriented programs aimed at developing countries.
The grant, valued at exactly $633,000 according to Microsoft, was announced during official turn-over ceremonies Friday attended by Vice President Noli De Castro.
This latest grant was turned over to the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a local NGO and Microsoft's program partner.
Launched in 2004, the program has established 14 so-called community technology learning centers locally and in other countries including Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
These centers cater to OFWs and their families who are trained on using basic Microsoft programs and the Internet to communicate via email and instant messaging."
This is part of the program, dubbed Tulay, which is Microsoft' global Unlimited Potential initiative that involves technology-oriented programs aimed at developing countries.
The grant, valued at exactly $633,000 according to Microsoft, was announced during official turn-over ceremonies Friday attended by Vice President Noli De Castro.
This latest grant was turned over to the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a local NGO and Microsoft's program partner.
Launched in 2004, the program has established 14 so-called community technology learning centers locally and in other countries including Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
These centers cater to OFWs and their families who are trained on using basic Microsoft programs and the Internet to communicate via email and instant messaging."
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