OFW repatriation, assistance and their right to vote

Tweet

I have relatives and friends who live and work in different countries around the world. Many times I communicate with them thru phone, send messages via emails and chat on YM or in facebook. Glad to know that they are safe and are in good health.

Approximately there are about 12.5 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) around the world trying their luck from faraway places, away from their families and love ones. And they have different stories to tell, different reasons to share why they go abroad.

And most of them try their luck going to other countries to find employment, and to financially support their families here in the Philippines. Hard as it may seem they go abroad to earn a living despite the many challenges themselves and their families have to face. The hardest is being away from your family, from your kids especially when they are still in their younger years.

Moreover, OFWs are all over the world plays a significant role not only to their host country as workforce, but also to the Philippine economy with their dollar remittances that sustain and propel the economy. A modern hero as they call them.

On this note the government wants them to participate not only on helping our economy but also by way of exercising their right to vote, thus the government has opened registration centers abroad to enable OFWs to participate and vote during elections as an absentee voting. Additional registration centers have been put in place to accommodate more OFWs to be registered and vote during elections.

In the Iblog8 Summit held May 25 at UP Diliman Quezon City,  James Jimenez, spokeperson of the COMELEC shared that there were 589,830 registered voters in 2010 and 153,323 actually voted at that time. COMELEC estimates there will be 686,798 voters on they year 2013.

Comelec plans to put up registration counters in airports so OFWs can register even before leaving. There will be registration booths in airports as well as at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration office (POEA) where they can enlist as they get their work permits.

The Commission on Elections has announced that it will still be accepting applications for voter registration until October 31, 2012. This will proceed even while the issue of whether the poll body can reuse for next year’s midterm polls the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines they utilized during the 2010 national elections remains pending before the Supreme Court.

James Jimenez in a statement said that applications for correction of entries, change of name, and transfer of registration records will likewise be accepted.

We have to inform and encourage overseas Filipinos regarding Overseas Absentee Voting, so that they can practice their right to vote, to register for the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) and vote for the 2013 elections. Information of these things are important to citizens of the Philippines working abroad.

Assisting and helping OFWs in need

Alfred Salmos is a 52-year old Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia who was seriously wounded while rendering service at his work place. His body was severely scarred after accidentally being electrocuted under a 14,000 volt- breaker while he tries to shut it down, that was 2010. He’s finally home in the Philippines last May 22.

In a press briefing organized by the Blas F. Ople Policy Center (BOPC) last May 24, having Salmos as the guest. Salmos’ repatriation was delayed because of a lack of a final exit clearance from his employer, and a police clearance in connection with his involvement in a car accident a decade ago.

Salmos, a native of Nueva Ecija, has been unemployed since his accident. He was in a coma for a month and is now still recuperating from his injuries, which have left him severely scarred. For the past two years, an Indonesian worker has been looking after him. He could no longer work because of his physical condition. When his video and photo became viral, that help started to pour in, and arrangements to bring him home gained attraction. OFW advocate Susan Ople of the BOPC arranged Alfred’s’ homecoming. She said that outpouring of concern from Filipino Facebook users and social media enthusiasts around the world signify a sea-change in how social media directly impacts on cases of distressed OFWs.

Villar Foundation headed by former Congresswoman Cynthia Villar with Sagip OFW Program availed assistance and help to Alfred. Moreover, Sagip-OFW program gives livelihood assistance program and provide repatriation since 2008. OFW agencies address all  OFW concerns “to bring a concerted effort” in asking the Saudi government to grant Salmos’ exit. Previously, Alfred’s sister was also a beneficiary of the Villar Foundation’s Sagip OFW program when she availed of a free ticket home after running away from her abusive employer in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

We are all be thankful to many who helped bring Alfred back home, those who posted information on social media networks like Facebook regarding Alfred’s condition, the media, NGOs , OFW advocates in Saudi Arabia, the Philippine consulate in Jeddah, DFA and OWWA, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Villar Foundation, the long time partners in the Sagip OFW Program and many others.

Filipinos who have signed up for the government’s mandatory repatriation program are mostly those who have suffered abuses from their employers.

Marvin Agustin's Sumo Sam Opens 11th Branch at Gateway Mall

Tweet

Celebrity Chef Marvin Agustin opens 11th branch of Sumo Sam with its new home at the 2nd floor of The Gateway Mall, in Cubao, Quezon City.

This new addition to the aggressively growing chain of restaurants features a 100-seating capacity dining area, with funky but still classy interiors, warm lighting and upbeat ambiance. Sumo Sam Gateway Branch boasts of ever-so-popular selection of grilled seafood and steaks, rolls, sushi, tonkatsu, with its top 3 best sellers such as ebi tempura, beef teppan, and chicken teriyaki, providing a high quality, Japanese dishes in a generous Western serving.

As the legend says, the champion fighter Sumo Sam always received a grand banquet in his honor every time he fought with other Japanese Sumo Wrestlers. He is said to be the Champion Eater, Legendary Fight. He is the icon that is carried by the Sumo Sam, the Japanese Restaurant that desires its guests to feel like champions by combining different techniques and elements of international cooking and integrating it to Japanese Cuisine.

Ebi Tempura

Creating the Legend

Sumo Sam was conceived through the 3 great minds of young entrepreneurs: Mr. Raymund Magdaluyo; Mr. Ricky Laudico and, celebrated entertainer and restaurateur Mr. Marvin Agustin.  Together with renowned chefs: The Chef of the stars - Chef Florabel Co-Yatco; Chef Nikki Nicolas, pioneer batch of CCA and Chef Benjamin Gonzalez, this young and determined group of business entrepreneurs has already achieved a total of 11 Sumo Sam stores all over the archipelago, and is still rapidly growing the business, and will close 2012 with over 20 branches.

According to Sumo Sam’s President actor/entrepreneur Mr. Marvin Agustin, Gateway is their 11th branch, and they have more plans of expanding soon, even abroad—who graced the said event), diners and Japanese food enthusiasts don’t have to fly all the way to Japan to get a taste of some authentic Japanese food.

Tuna and Pink Salmon with wasabi

SumoSam's Hot Prawn Salad 

Sumo Sam's Gyoza with dip.

Sumo Sam's Chicken Teri

Sumo Sam Spicy Tuna Salad

Marvin's special for the day- Tuna Sushi with dip

Red Iced Tea

Tuna Sushi with dip.

Colorful Fruits for Dessert

For more information on activities and new offers, visit the Facebook Page SumoSam.

With Miss Tina Andrea Papera and Blogger Friends at the SumoSam Gateway Mall 

This is an interesting Sumo Sam Legend.

“Sumo Sam:  the Champion Eater, Legendary Fighter”

 “The legend of SumoSam began when one spring, the finest Sumo Wrestlers in all of Japan witnessed migrating cranes from the United States flying towards mighty Mt. Fuji. They saw one crane carrying a red, white and blue pouch and were thrilled to see a baby boy break free from its shiny cloak upon descending at the foot of the mountain. Believing that the baby was a gift of good fortune, they took him back to their village and raised him as their very own. The baby grew fast in size and strength, and used these gifts only to champion the good and defend the weak. He grew up holding two passions: Japanese Food and Sumo Wrestling. His appetite broke records and he saw Japanese Food as the true reward to a good match up. Eventually, he was regarded as a Yokozuna -  a grand champion, the highest rank in sumo wrestling. He has finally proven his worth when he released a village from tyranny by defeating the evil lord Aiku. This answered the prayers of Miyuki, the most beautiful maiden he had ever seen. She was the one who served him food he had never tasted before which helped him regain the strength he needed to fight Aiku. He was stronger as his heart fought for freedom and love. When the fight ended, the villagers prepared a grand banquet in his honor. His passion had made him an artist and he remains a true champion. His name is SumoSam:  the Champion Eater, Legendery Fighter.”

David Beckham Graces Two Covers of Elle's UK July 2012 Edition

Tweet

David Beckham,  37-year-old soccer player has become ElleUK’s first cover boy for their July 2012 issue. And there are even two different covers. One is sent to the lucky subscribers and shows the tattooed star stepping out of a pool in dark wash wet jeans.

David Beckham is immortalized in a laid back grey t-shirt with one hand in his hair and with a super-sexy glance at readers

David is walking out of a pool with soaking Dior Homme jeans and a perfectly-toned upper body.

Lorraine Candy is the editor-in-chief of the magazine and she claimed that “David Beckham is a national hero...he is an icon and Elle is known for featuring icons on its cover. This is a first for us on the newsstand and I believe he is loved by men and women alike."

"Anyway, who doesn’t want to see a picture of one of the world’s most handsome men on the front cover of a magazine? It will be a collector’s issue."

David is the first ever solo male cover star for this A-list magazine.

Here's the  behind-the-scenes video of the cover shoot.

No to Crazy Pimple Remedies, Yes to Garnier Pure Active

Tweet

I am so happy to get invited in Garnier event, "No to Crazy Pimple Remedies, Yes to Garnier Pure Active!" This is regarding taking good care of our skin and to meet Garnier’s brand ambassador, Ms. Georgina Wilson.

In a country that takes pride in its traditions, bad skin habits are a dime a dozen. Many people have experienced following weird skin care practices just because they were told to, or because everybody’s already doing it. For drying out their zits, some of the wrong advice given includes the ever common use of toothpaste, lipstick and even calamansi.

Because of this, world-trusted beauty brand Garnier, with brand advocate Georgina Wilson, makes it their mission to educate more Filipinos on the importance of following a proper skin care regimen.

With the launch of its newest line—Pure Active—Garnier presents a more reliable solution for fighting the six skin problems that Filipinos face.  These problems include pimples, whiteheads, oiliness, impurities, enlarged pores and unevenness. With a breakthrough solution of natural pimple-fighting ingredients, Garnier Pure Active delivers visible results from DAY 1.

With beauty advocate Georgina Wilson on board, Garnier aspires to disprove the use of crazy pimple remedies and give a better, safer, more reliable option—the Pure Active range.

“Look at it this way: your skin is your first layer of presentation. Would you want that layer treated with a shady substance? Of course not! Resorting to the use of weird home remedies is like a zit-fest waiting to happen. It only shows people that you don’t care about your face. Because let’s face it, looking good matters. Having a healthy skin matters. You won’t attract opportunities if you don’t care about how you look,” says Georgina.

A lot of factors come to play when facing the daily grind. With burdens thrown left, right and center, it’s hard for the busy Filipino not to neglect caring for his features. It’s a given fact that in a professional environment, and also in life in general, one needs to look presentable in order to be taken seriously.

This is where the stress comes in: most of the naive youth who are given the wrong skin care advice end up following it because it’s easier, not realizing that the use of these crazy home remedies might put the skin at risk and even cause potential damage.

For blemishes and acne marks, Garnier Pure Active works wonders. It’s made up of two products: the Multi-Action Scrub and the Cooling Pimple Roll-On. The line's active ingredients include Salicylic Maximum Concentration at 2%, a powerful anti-bacterial ingredient with oil control and pore clearing properties; and Natural HerbaRepair™, a natural extract that repairs and regenerates the skin to prevent scarring—a better way to fix zit problems than using crazy pimple remedies.

“Using calamansi is like putting condiments on your face. And obviously, toothpaste is meant for dental purposes—something I overlooked when people told me to use it in the past. It’s embarrassing! And lipstick! Lipstick is for the lips, not for pimples! It’s just plain crazy. I have no idea where people got it from!” says Georgina. “I cannot stress enough how important it is to use the right product for your skin. Trust me on this; using skin products specially formulated to fight blemishes is the right thing to do. After all, once it’s your skin that’s on the line, you wouldn’t want it taken for granted, right?”

“Whether you’re about to meet a hot date or have a fun night-out with your girls, next time you’re bothered by a pimple, don’t be a hot mess, use Garnier Pure Active—It’s way better than using crazy pimple solutions!”

Georgina  shared her secrets and talk about how she takes good care of her skin. In this event, we were given the chance to ask her some questions. One friend of mine  asked her what's her regimen every night before she sleep. 

“First I pray then.  First I use cleansing oil to remove my make-up then I wash my face with Garnier and then I apply moisturizer to keep my skin moisturized. You have to always keep your skin moisturized.', Gerogina said. 

There were other questions from the crowd  and what's the next fun and exciting part is the chance to take pictures with the beautiful model and Garnier’s brand ambassador, Ms. Georgina Wilson.

Here's the crowd taking a glimpse of Georgina! There were a lot of lucky people had the chance to have picture with her. 

I love using these Garnier products! 

Isa,Dalawa,Takbo : Run For Children's Rights on June 24

Tweet

On June 24, 2012 at 5:30 in the morning, children and young people and of people with a big heart for children are all invited to be part of Isa, Dalawa, Takbo:  Run for Children’s Rights at UP Academic Oval, UP Diliman.  As an advocacy event of MYLE and Lingap Pangkabataan, it aims to:

·     To raise child rights advocacy spirit among its partner communities- academe, young people, adult, social development, churches, parents in a creative and fun event.

·     To encourage greater public awareness and social investment on children- where every child could fully develop and participate in putting place an environment that respect and celebrate their full potential.

There will be:

1.  3K, 5K, and 10K running, jogging and walking around the university oval

2.  Advocacy presentations from Lingap children’s advocacy groups, Ateneo- Performing Arts groups and other partners

3.  Running Pack – singlet, number and other freebies

4.  Child rights advocacy booths and food stalls

The Movement for the Youth’s Legal Education (MYLE) is an organization in the UP College of Law that seeks to provide legal education primarily for children, and secondarily for the children’s families and their educators towards a holistic formation of the Filipino youth. It aims to provide awareness to children of their basic rights through classroom activities, lectures and workshops. MYLE also seeks to serve as a venue for students of the law to engage in a pro-active approach to learning laws pertaining to children’s rights.

Lingap Pangkabataan Inc. is one of the social development organizations in the Philippines whose primary mission is to lead in child- advocacy efforts.  As an organization or a network member, Lingap has been at the forefront of community education, awareness- raising, lobbying and other advocacy activities upholding the rights of children and promoting child protection. 

PRE- REGISTRATION MECHANICS

A.         FUN RUN PARTICIPANTS

1.      Isa, Dalawa, Takbo:  Run for Children’s Rights is open to all child rights advocates/ supporters and fun run enthusiasts.

2.     To join, participants must secure a PRE-REGISTRATION FORM from designated pre- registration stations:

NAME	ADDRESS	TEL. NOS.	CONTACT PERSONS
(1)   Lingap Pangkabataan- Cubao Office	158 Ermin Garcia St., Cubao, Quezon City	912-0302	Russel, Cathy, Ruby, Ryan
(2)   MYLE	UP- College of Law		Maan, Lia

For downloadable on-line registration forms, visit www.facebook.com/isadalawatakbo.

3.    Submit duly accomplished registration form and pay required registration fee.  The Pre- Registration Volunteer will facilitate registration process by enlisting the participant in the pre- numbered SUMMARY LISTING according to category and assigning a runner’s number. 

The ‘Fun Run Kit Stub’ will serve as the receipt of the participants.

For participants who will undergo on-line registration, payments can be deposited thru the following bank accounts:

Bank Account No         : Banco de Oro  401-001-8286

Bank Address              : New York-EDSA Branch

Account Name            : Lingap Pangkabataan Inc

or

Bank Account No          : Metrobank 056-3-05651302-8

Bank Address               : Aurora Boulevard

Account Name             : Lingap Pangkabataan Inc

Deposit slips should be emailed to takbo_lingap@yahoo.com.ph or faxed to 912-4225 together with the duly accomplished pre-registration form.  Lingap will then send the FUN RUN KIT STUB with the registration number thru email. 

4.      FUN RUN KITS (singlet, runner’s number, baller and other freebies) will be made available two weeks before the event.  Registered participants can claim the kit at their PRE- REGISTRATION STATION by presenting their Fun Run Kit Stub.