Trade Union Congress of the Philippines - Home

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines - Home

More OFWs hired despite global financial crisis

December 15, 2011

MANILA, Philippines – More Filipino workers were hired in various countries abroad despite the prevailing global financial crisis and hostilities in the Middle East region, the government said yesterday.

Administrator Carlos Cao of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said deployment of land- and sea-based Filipino workers for the first 10 months of the year posted a five percent growth compared to the same period last year.

“Our deployment statistics are still very good even as we face so many challenges this year,” he said. “In fact, we have sent 1,350,000 Filipino workers to over 200 countries in the first 10 months of 2011.”

Cao said overseas deployment from January to October this year was five percent higher than the recorded 1,281,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) deployed during the same period in 2010.

Based on POEA preliminary data, land-based workers comprised the greater bulk of the total deployment in the first 10 months of 2011, he added.

Cao said Saudi Arabia hired the most number of Filipino workers despite its ongoing policy that requires Saudi employers to hire more local workers.

In the first 10 months of the year, Saudi Arabia hired over 200,000 Filipino workers, he added.

Cao said compared to the previous year, more highly skilled and less vulnerable workers were hired.

“The situation has changed for the better as production workers and other related skills are now beginning to catch up and tend to overtake the hiring of household service workers,” he said.

“We have also observed an increasing number in the hiring of male household service workers who are less prone to abuses and if we are going to this kind of trend, this is much better.”

Cao said the government is negotiating with various host countries to forge new bilateral agreements that could provide better protection for OFWs.

He expressed confidence that the upward trend in deployment of Filipino workers would continue into the coming year. –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)

aflcio.org - America's Union Movement

aflcio.org - America's Union Movement

House approves bill strengthening socialized housing projects

14 December 2011 10:38:36 AM
Writer: Jazmin S. Camero, MRS-PRIB

The House of Representatives has passed on third reading a bill requiring the participation of owners and developers of condominium projects in the government's socialized housing program.

House Bill 5446, to be known as "An Act Strengthening the Balanced Housing Development Program," seeks to amend Republic Act 7279, which provides for a comprehensive and continuing Urban Development and Housing Program.

A Malacañang-certified measure, the bill will tap owners and developers of condominiums in the country to participate in the construction of socialized housing.

"To accelerate the government's socialized housing program nationwide, the bill is eliciting the participation of condominium owners and developers," said Rep. Rodolfo Valencia (1st District, Oriental Mindoro), one of the authors of the bill.

"We have included the development of education facilities within the projects or within cities or municipalities as a mode of compliance with the balanced housing requirements, among others," Valencia said, Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development.

Under the measure, developers can engage in a joint-venture project with another private developer, both of whom shall be solitarily liable in the production of the socialized housing in compliance with the balanced housing requirement, regardless of the provisions of their joint-venture agreement.

The bill includes condominium projects whose owners or developers shall be required to develop an area for socialized housing equivalent to at least 20% of the total condominium area or condominium cost.

The bill imposes a prison term of six years and a fine of not more than P10 million on violators.

The co-authors of the bill are Reps. Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Party List, Bagong Henerasyon), Marcelino Teodoro (1st District, Marikina City), Lani Mercado-Revilla(2nd District, Cavite), Walden Bello (Party List, Akbayan), Kaka Bag-ao (Party List, Akbayan) and Carmelo Lazatin (1st District, Pampanga), Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City), Catalina Leonen-Pizarro (Party List, ABS), Irvin Alcala(2nd District, Quezon), Sigfrido Tinga(2nd District, Taguig City), Angelo Palmones (Party List, AGHAM), Arnel Ty(Party List, LPGMA), Isidro Lico (Party List, Ating Koop), Emerenciana De Jesus (Party List, Gabriela), Mel Senen Sarmiento(1st District, Western Samar) and Jeci Lapus (3rd District, Tarlac).

Source: http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=5729