DFA: Beware of DH jobs at China and Mongolia

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing urges all Filipinos planning to work abroad not to accept job offers from recruiters as domestic helpers in China and Mongolia because it is unlawful to work as a domestic helper in both countries.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to China Francisco L. Benedicto stressed that China's and Mongolia's border control and immigration authorities are stepping up their campaign to apprehend illegal workers and immigrants.

"Filipinos who are promised jobs as domestic helpers in China and Mongolia are always in danger of being arrested because foreign nationals are not allowed to work as domestic helpers in China and Mongolia," Ambassador Benedicto stressed. "The Embassy has been informed by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Security Bureau that domestic service employment in China is closed to foreigners."

Ambassador Benedicto said that illegal recruiters continue to victimize foreign job seekers, which has resulted in the increasing number of foreigners coming and staying in China and Mongolia with inappropriate visa or working permit.

"Because they don't have proper visa or work permit, foreign job seekers, including our kababayans, who have been victimized by unscrupulous recruiters tend to overstay, hoping to find jobs in China and Mongolia," Ambassador Benedicto said.

Foreigners who overstay or who did not have proper visas face hefty fines up to 5,000 yuan (P33,000), detention and deportation in China. In Mongolia, foreigners who overstay are fined up to US$30 per day.

"The Embassy suggests that prospective overseas Filipino workers take steps to avoid exploitation such as demanding recruiters to issue official receipts, timely turnover of passports with appropriate work visas, draft employment contracts and contact details of employers," Ambassador Benedicto said.

Source:

DFA

Skilled Workers Highly Needed in Australia

The continuous aging population in Australia opens hundreds of job openings for skilled Filipino workers including mason, welder, carpenter, auto technician, pipe fitters, sheetmetal workers, butcher and chef. Professional jobs such as nurses, engineers and managers are also available.

WorkAbroad.ph, the leading overseas job portal for Filipino workers, together with POEA-licensed agencies, is calling all qualified applicants to apply in these positions.

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Group warns traveling OFWs vs illegal ‘padala’

The Middle East chapter of a migrants’ rights group on Monday warned returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) against accepting padala or care packages.

The term padala literally means consignment, in the form of money or goods. In the context of Filipino migration, it has become a tradition among OFWs to send packages of goods to relatives here in the Philippines.

At times, the OFWs’ relatives here ask other OFWs returning to the host countries to carry a package to a family member working there, to save on shipping costs. Similarly, workers ask their fellow OFWs returning here to bring items to the families they left behind.

More recently, however, OFWs have become unsuspecting drug couriers falling prey to syndicates, mostly from West African countries, which ask them to bring packages to their destination countries, unaware that these contain contraband or other illegal items.

Migrante-Middle East thus reminded OFWs to refuse padala from strangers or even friends without checking the content of the package.

“We are asking our fellow OFWs, especially those returning abroad, to refrain from accepting ‘padala’ especially if they have not checked and verified what the luggage, bags and similar items contain," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante regional coordinator.

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Pinoys warned vs ‘mushroom picker’ jobs in Poland

The government has warned Filipinos against seeking employment in Poland as mushroom pickers due to alleged inhumane working conditions there.

The Philippine Embassy in Poland issued the warning Saturday, saying it is asking the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) not to issue clearances for such jobs.


“There are approximately 86 Filipino women deployed or working as mushroom pickers currently in Poland. Majority of these workers are not happy with their jobs due to very low wages, unfavorable working conditions and/or substandard accommodations," Philippine Ambassador to Poland Alejandro del Rosario said in a statement posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs Web site.

He said they have received reports that some Filipino jobseekers had even fallen prey to “lending companies" that charge a placement fee of about $4,000 (P185,340).

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How to Verify UK Employers

The Department of Foreign Affairs issued the following information/advisory that would help Filipino jobseekers to verify if the employer/recruiter from UK is genuine.

• To ascertain the authenticity of job orders, employment contracts as well as the legitimacy of UK employers, Filipino jobseekers are advised to check with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA). They may also send their email-request for verification by POLO London at polo.london@yahoo.co.uk . It is not enough to know if the employers really exist or that the jobs are available. Filipino jobseekers should also verify for themselves by using internet search engines like Google or contacting the UK employers directly through their official websites;

• Filipino jobseekers who have been 'offered' positions through the Internet should advise their prospective UK employers to submit the original copies of their employment documents to the POLO Office, Philippine Embassy in London for verification and authentication. For their part, they should not rely on scanned documents sent to them by emails such as employment contract, appointment letters and the like, as most of these are found to be forged or fabricated;

• Job offers requiring applicants to pay or remit money are highly suspicious. Charging of fees, including payment for visa and 'work permit' expenses are generally prohibited under the UK employment regulations;

• The new UK Points-Based Immigration System has done away with the work permit requirement, and is now replaced by the certificate of sponsorship. To be able to issue a certificate of sponsorship in favor of a candidate or applicant, the prospective UK employer should be duly licensed as a sponsor by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Filipino jobseekers should verify the status of their prospective employers in the list of sponsors which can be found at the UKBA website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk. Payment for the certificate of sponsorship is also shouldered by the UK employer;

• Application for UK visa is done in the country of origin (i.e., at the British Embassy in Manila), and not in the UK. Visas are issued based on the points criteria for qualifications, prospective earnings, maintenance funds and English language proficiency. Since the visas are applied at and issued by the British Embassy in Manila, applicants should not give credence to the scanned copies of visas purportedly applied in their behalf by their employer's agents, including immigration consultants, solicitors or travel agents;

• As to the hiring of nannies or domestic workers, it is an important requirement for purposes of domestic worker visa application that the candidate must have worked with the sponsoring employer for at least one year prior to the date of application. Hence, to qualify to come to the UK to work as a nanny or domestic worker, the Filipino applicant must be an established member of the employer's household. The visa is also applied at the British Embassy in Manila;

• On hiring of au pair, it is advised that no au pair visas will be issued by the British Embassy to Filipino nationals, since the Philippines had never been included in the UK's list of au pair countries. In addition, the au pair visa scheme was abolished effective on November 26, 2008 and has been replaced by the Youth Mobility Scheme under the new UK Points-Based System.

For further clarifications or inquiries, prospective jobseekers can contact POLO London at the Philippine Embassy, at telephone 0044 (0)20-7451-1833 (32) or email at polo.london@yahoo.co.uk.

DFA

DFA Warns of Illegal Recruitment Scam in Spain

The Philippine Embassy in Spain reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs an illegal recruitment operation that is currently being perpetrated by a syndicate using Spain as a destination for Filipino workers.

The company allegedly to be recruiting Filipino workers under this scheme is Previsto Ferrocariel Guiscoanagin, with address at Calle Placentinos 18B, 32005, Barcelona, Spain.

The syndicate is using the email address espanolconsulate@europe.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to communicate with Filipino workers and lead them to believe that this is the email address of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid.

The Philippine Consulate-General in Barcelona has verified that there is no such address in Barcelona. There is a Calle de los Placentinos in the province of Salamanca, while the zip code 32005 corresponds to the province of Ourense, not Catalonia.

The public is advised to be wary of job offers from this company and to first check the veracity of any job offer and company with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the country concerned, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, or the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).


Source:
DFA

Warning on fake job offers in UK

The Philippine Embassy in London issued an advisory for Filipino online jobseekers looking for employment in the United Kingdom, advising them to be more cautious in view of the rampant cases of bogus internet job offers.

Among the non-existent UK jobs which have been offered online to Filipino applicants include positions like nannies, au pair, hotel staff, store managers, salespersons and engineers.

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Local and Overseas Jobs Available at Mega Job Fair 2010

After the success of the recently concluded Mega Job Fair 2009, WorkAbroad.ph in partnership with the city government of Marikina and Labor Relations Public Employment Service Office (LRPESO) brings back the Mega Job Fair 2010 on February 12, 2010, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Marikina Sports Park Sta. Elena, Marikina City.

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2000 Female Specialized Nurses and 3000 Female General Nurses needed in KSA

The MINISTRY OF HEALTH is in urgent need of qualified applicants for the following positions:


200 MALE & FEMALE SPECIALISTS
200 MALE & FEMALE GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
200 FEMALE ASST. PHARMACISTS
200 FEMALE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
200 FEMALE DENTAL ASSISTANTS
200 FEMALE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
** 100 FEMALE INFECTION CONTROL NURSES
** 100 MALE & FEMALE RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS

QUALIFICATIONS:
BS Graduates
With Board License (optional for RT)
With at least 1 and ½ years hospital work experience
Not more than 55 years of age for Doctors and not more than 40 years of age for other positions
Preferably with Saudi Council Exams

** 50 MALE BIO MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TECHNICIANS (HOSPITAL SAFETY OFFICERS)
QUALIFICATIONS:
Preferably BS Engineering Graduates
With or without Board License
With at least 2 years hospital work experience
Not more than 50 years of age

** Repeat Advertisement

Deadline of submission is on: 10 March 2010

Qualified applicants may personally submit a detailed resume with job description, school credentials, employment certificates, original and photocopy of the first page of the passport and six (6) pieces 2X2 recent picture at the Manpower
Registry Division, Window M, Ground Floor, Blas F. Ople Building (Formerly POEA
Bldg.), Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City or REGISTER ONLINE at
www.poea.gov.ph or www.eregister.poea.gov.ph

Present original documents, if submitting requirements personally. Those who will register online will be asked to present original documents for authentication of written information before forwarding the resume to the employer.

Source:
http://www.poea.gov.ph/Vacancies/100001.pdf

Five courses offered for OFWs in Saipan

The Philippine Consulate General, through its Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Saipan, announced the opening of registration for five courses that will be offered to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the first quarter of this year.

The five courses are to be offered are the following:

-Basic English Language Development Course (10 Sessions). It will be held every Saturday, 2pm to 5pm, from Feb. 20 to April 24.

-Basic Computer Operation 2 (8 Sessions). It will be held every Saturday, from 6pm to 9pm, from Feb. 20 to April 10.

-Home Decor + Sewing (8 Sessions). It will be held every Sunday, 9am to 12pm, from Feb. 21 to April 11.

-Basic Nihongo (8 Sessions). It will be held every Sunday, 2:30pm to 5:30pm, from Feb. 21 to April 11.

-Intermediate English (8 Sessions). No specific schedule yet. It will be held either Saturdays or Sundays in March.

Registration starts on Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, until Feb. 19, 2010. Slots shall be on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants are requested to bring their umbrella permit or work entry permit and passport.

For inquiries, visit the POLO at the ground floor of Marianas Business Plaza or call telephone nos. 235-3411 or 235-6992.

Source:
SaipanTribune.com

6th Korean Language Test

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration wishes to inform the public that the registration of workers for the Employment Permit System-Korean Language Test (EPS-KLT) scheduled for January 25-29, 2010 is postponed until further notice, while some issues are still for clarification.

Applicants who have registered for the program earlier are encouraged to visit the POEA website regularly for further developments.

The POEA also request the public to await final announcements on the new dates of the EPS-KLT registration and the actual examination.