PIA Dispatch - Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Gov’t to help Filipinos coming from Haiti

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to assist Filipinos arriving from Haiti and their families.

Executive Eduardo Ermita made the disclosure in a press briefing today. 

Some 42 Filipinos are expected in the country this week, with 11 arriving tomorrow and another 30 coming on Friday. The two groups will be escorted by Philippine Vice Consul to Havana Jason Anasarias and Philippine Ambassador to Havana Macarthur Corsino, respectively.

Aside from 172 Filipino peacekeepers, there are an estimated 290 overseas Filipino workers in Haiti, mostly occupying middle and upper management positions in the garments, telecommunication, and power generation sectors.

Twenty three Filipinos arrived over the weekend from Haiti, which was devastated by a series of earthquakes two week ago. (PNA)

PGMA says BPO jobs form part of her legacy

MOLO, Iloilo City -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today stressed that the 500,000 jobs created in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry are part of the legacy she will leave behind when she steps down this June, after nine years of steering the country to progress.

In her message delivered at the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University here, the President said she created and developed what is today a global powerhouse: the Philippines BPO industry.

“From $24 million in 2001, our BPO industry has grown to earn $7.3 billion in 2009, not far behind India's $9 billion,” the President said.

The President said that in developing the BPO sector, her administration invested in strategic digital infrastructure, formulated the appropriate policy, created the legal environment, and developed human capital.

According to the President she also encouraged the establishment of broadband services in cities and identified growth areas; created the Commission on ICT, which is guided by the market with minimal government interference; and invested in technical education and skills development by providing schools with computers and Internet connection.

''We invested in technical, vocational, and skills training three times more than that of three previous administrations combined. A very large portion of this investment went to scholarships for call center training,'' she said.

On the third leg of her week-long tour of the country’s Cyber Corridor, the President hailed the university for offering courses for call center agents.

“Iloilo City has been identified as having great potentials for ICT because of its ICT academy,'' the President said.

During her visit, the President observed an ongoing English proficiency class of 20 students and a computer class for potential call center workers.

The President also noted that the university offers TESDA (Tecnical Education Skills and Development Authority)-registered courses and was able to produce 400 Pangulong Gloria Scholars for call center agents. To date, 252 of these scholars are employed in BPOs.

The Cyber Corridor, identified and periodically updated by the private sector, the academe and government, was originally confined to Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

Over the years, it has expanded so much that it now includes ten ''New Wave Cities, notably Metro Laguna, Metro Cavite, Metro Pampanga, Metro Bulacan, Central Bulacan,Davao City, Cagayan de Oro City, Lipa, Metro Laguna, and Iloilo. (PNA)

‘No ban yet on RP sailors’ deployment’

The recruitment of Filipino seafarers to man vessels plying the African coast, where piracy is a constant threat, continues to this day.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, however, disclosed in a media briefing that a recommendation has been submitted to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ban the deployment of Filipino sailors to such vessels. 

But the President, according to Ermita, has yet to act on the recommendation.

The President, he intimated, must be studying as well the position of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which is worried about the loss of revenue and employment opportunities that the probation would cause. 

The Philippines is the foremost supplier of seafarers, manning oil tankers, luxury liners, and passenger vessels around the globe.

“While awaiting the guidelines from the President, it will remain the way it is. There is no ban yet,” Ermita said.

On Jan. 18, Ermita said, 16 Filipino seamen were released by Somali pirates after almost two months in captivity. Their Greek vessel, the M/V Maran Centaurus, was hijacked Nov. 29 last year in the Somali Bassin, 600 nautical miles north east of the Seychelles.

The seamen, he said, will soon be back to the country, accompanied by their employer.

Since 2006, Ermita said, a total of 402 Filipino seamen in 33 ships have been released. A total 460 Filipino seamen serving aboard 38 sea vessels have been kidnapped.

To this day, 58 seamen remain in the hands of the pirates. (PNA)