Countries that have been declared off-limits to OFWs

Afghanistan

A total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in Afghanistan took effect in 2007.

Iraq

OFWs were prohibited from going to Iraq in 2004 after a series of suicide bomb attacks and the abduction of Filipino truck driver Angelo Dela Cruz.

Jordan

Reports of widespread abuses against Filipino workers prompted the government to stop sending OFWs there in January 2008.

Lebanon

Following the war between Israeli and Hezbollah forces in 2006, Filipino workers were barred from entering Lebanon in June 2007.

Nigeria

Deployment ban in this African country was implemented in December 2007 due to kidnappings and civil unrest in the Niger Delta.

* Due to desperation for work or good pay being offered, thousands of workers sneak into these countries using fake documents.-

8 Pinoys in Afghan crash to undergo DNA testing

Eight of the 10 Filipinos who were killed in a recent helicopter crash in Afghanistan will have to undergo DNA testing so that they can be properly identified, Vice President Noli De Castro said Thursday.The victims were were killed on July 19 after the Russian-owned civilian Mi-8 helicopter transporting them slammed into the tarmac at the Kandahar Air Base shortly after takeoff at NATO's largest air base in Afghanistan. [See: 10 Pinoys killed in Afghan chopper crash]In a statement., the Department of Foreign Affairs identified the 10, who were employees of US-based construction firm The AIM Group, Inc. as:1. Celso Q. Caralde (born in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental)2. Ely I. Cariño (Cabusao, Camarines Sur)3. Ernesto C. De Vega (Naic, Cavite)4. Manolito C. Hornilla (Taysan, Batangas)5. Leopoldo G. Jimenez Jr. (Lubao, Pampanga)6. Mark Joseph C. Mariano (Floridablanca, Pampanga)7. Marvin P. Najera (San Fernando, Pampanga)8. Rene D. Taboclaon (Cagayan de Oro City)9. Recardo E. Vallejos (Bislig, Surigao del Sur)10. Noli M. Visda (Lubao, Pampanga)But De Castro, quoting a report from Kuwait Ambassador Ricardo Endaya, said that only two bodies were recognizable while the other eight were severely burned and charred.He identified the two recognizable fatalities as Jimenez and Hornilla. De Castro, who is also presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers, said the remains of the two workers will immediately be repatriated to the Philippines, while the other eight bodies will still have to undergo DNA testing so that their names can be properly matched with their bodies.Endaya reported to the vice president that the unrecognizable remains will be brought to Maryland in the United States for the test, as it is “standard operating procedure" whenever the accident is military-related.Afghanistan is one of five countries where overseas Filipino workers are forbidden to work. The others are Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Nigeria, although there are moves to ease the restrictions on Jordan, Lebanon and Nigeria.Despite the ban, many Filipino workers still end up employed at military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, where US troops and allies are fighting militants.The AIM Group and Philippine officials, however, maintained that the Filipinos killed in the crash had in fact been working at the NATO base for several years. They just did not return to the Philippines because the government had imposed a travel ban on Afghanistan and they didn’t want to risk losing their jobs, said Carmelita Dimzon, chief of the government's Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.Undersecretary Conejos said that the DFA will look into how these workers got into the country despite the ban after the repatriation procedures have been settled.

Remains of 2 of 10 Pinoys in Afghanistan crash to arrive Tuesday

The remains of two of the 10 Filipinos killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan will arrive in Manila on Tuesday, Vice President Noli De Castro said Monday.The victims were killed on July 19 after the Russian-owned civilian Mi-8 helicopter transporting them crashed on the tarmac in Kandahar Air Base shortly after takeoff at NATO's largest air base in Afghanistan. [See: 10 Pinoys killed in Afghan chopper crash]The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier identified the 10, who were employees of US-based construction firm The AIM Group, Inc. as:1. Celso Q. Caralde (born in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental)2. Ely I. Cariño (Cabusao, Camarines Sur)3. Ernesto C. De Vega (Naic, Cavite)4. Manolito C. Hornilla (Taysan, Batangas)5. Leopoldo G. Jimenez Jr. (Lubao, Pampanga)6. Mark Joseph C. Mariano (Floridablanca, Pampanga)7. Marvin P. Najera (San Fernando, Pampanga)8. Rene D. Taboclaon (Cagayan de Oro City)9. Recardo E. Vallejos (Bislig, Surigao del Sur)10. Noli M. Visda (Lubao, Pampanga)De Castro said the bodies of Jimenez and Hornilla are due to arrive 3 p.m.Tuesday, August 11, on Kuwait Air flight QR 646. The remains of the other eight, however, were charred, and that DNA testing would be needed for identification. [See: 8 Pinoys in Afghan crash to undergo DNA testing]Benefit claimsIn a separate statement, the vice president warned the families of the 10 victims not to avail of services of unauthorized persons in facilitating their claims from AIM.De Castro issued the statement after one of the claimant families reported to his office that they have been receiving calls from different people who offer their services they could fast track the processing of their claims.“The legal heirs of these 10 victims must wait for the official communication from the employer, the AIM group. The families should only talk to the representatives of AIM and no other, regarding the possible death benefits they could claim," he said.The vice president said that the legal heirs of the victims are the sole beneficiaries of the benefits and claims granted by AIM. “They are entitled to it in full, so they should be cautious of people who are asking for commissions or fees. The heirs must directly deal with the authorized representatives of AIM."Afghanistan is one of five countries where overseas Filipino workers are forbidden to work. The others are Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Nigeria - although there are moves to ease the restrictions on the last three. Despite the ban, many Filipino workers still managed to get employed in military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, where US troops and allies are fighting local militants.

Think twice before accepting job offers abroad, OFWs told

Aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFW) should at least think twice before they decide to accept job offers abroad – especially to places that have been considered unfit for employment, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Wednesday.“(I) hope that prospective overseas workers will be discerning in pursuing employment abroad, especially with regard to accepting appointments at work destinations that have been declared off-limits due to safety concerns, like war zones and areas of armed conflict," said OWWA chief Carmelita Dimzon.Dimzon issued the statement after the remains of two of the 10 Filipinos killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan – where there is an existing deployment ban – arrived in Manila on Tuesday via Qatar Airways Flight QR646.The victims were killed on July 19 after the Russian-owned civilian Mi-8 helicopter transporting them crashed on the tarmac in Kandahar Air Base shortly after takeoff at NATO's largest air base in Afghanistan. [See: 10 Pinoys killed in Afghan chopper crash]The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier identified the 10, who were employees of US-based construction firm The AIM Group, Inc. as:1. Celso Q. Caralde (born in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental)2. Ely I. Cariño (Cabusao, Camarines Sur)3. Ernesto C. De Vega (Naic, Cavite)4. Manolito C. Hornilla (Taysan, Batangas)5. Leopoldo G. Jimenez Jr. (Lubao, Pampanga)6. Mark Joseph C. Mariano (Floridablanca, Pampanga)7. Marvin P. Najera (San Fernando, Pampanga)8. Rene D. Taboclaon (Cagayan de Oro City)9. Recardo E. Vallejos (Bislig, Surigao del Sur)10. Noli M. Visda (Lubao, Pampanga)Only the bodies of Jimenez and Hornilla were repatriated because the remains of the other eight were severely charred, thus in need of DNA testing for identification. [See: 8 Pinoys in Afghan crash to undergo DNA testing]“They will be repatriated as soon as possible after the test results become available," said Dimzon.Respect the banDimzon said preliminary findings revealed that most of the crash victims had originally or initially gone to Dubai for other jobs but later found their way to Afghanistan.Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the ban on Afghanistan took effect after the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration recommended it on Dec. 17, 2007. The labor chief said the issuance of the ban was consistent with the provision of Section 5 of Republic Act No. 8042, or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, which “authorizes the government ... when the public welfare so requires, to at any point impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers."Aside from Afghanistan, OFWs are also forbidden to work in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Nigeria. Despite the ban, many Filipino workers still end up employed at military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, where US troops and allies are fighting militants.But Roque said workers should be aware of the risks of venturing into areas that have been declared off limits due to prevailing hazardous conditions.Become OWWA membersIn an interview with GMANews.TV, Dimzon said OWWA will not grant the family of the 10 workers any financial assistance as the OFWs were not active members of the agency.Under OWWA policies, only active members are entitled to their insurance and health care benefits.These benefits include P100,000 for natural death, P200,000 for accidental death, about P2,000 to P50,000 for disability and dismemberment, P100,000 for total disability, and P20,000 for burial.Dimzon said OFWs need to become members of OWWA so that they would be provided with a “safety net."“Registering as a member of OWWA will help ensure that, in times of uncertainty or distress, an overseas worker can look forward to official protection and assistance. So, the thing to do is to get yourself covered by our welfare and benefits system," she said.Despite the non-OWWA coverage of the 10 workers, Dimzon said the agency took care of their repatriation. Roque has also assured that the “utmost humanitarian assistance possible" will be extended to their families.AIM had also assured the families of the workers that their insurance and other benefits would be paid.

Launching of machine-readable passport in NY goes smooth - DFA

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government's launch of its machine-readable passport went smoothly in New York, the Department on Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.In a statement posted on its website Thursday, the DFA said the launch received positive sentiments when it was conducted Monday."Since May, the Philippine Consulate General New York and all the Posts in the US have been preparing the Filipino community for the transition from the scripted green passport to the new MRP. On the whole, the community's sentiments toward MRP, which offers increased security features at no additional cost, has been positive," it said.Consul Millicent Paredes and the passport team spent the early morning hours addressing concerns and orienting those present to the simple step-by-step procedure and the new requirements.By mid-morning, operations had resumed its normal flow.The Philippine Consulate General New York is one of the top-ten Philippine Foreign Service Posts in terms of number of passports processed, averaging 60 applications a day.The first batch of MRP applications was sent to the DFA in Manila through diplomatic pouch and is expected to be ready for release in six weeks time, as scheduled.On the other hand, the DFA advised Filipino citizens in the US to keep their passports current and renew their documents at least two months before they need to use them."In view of the six-week transit time to and from Manila, the Philippine Consulate General New York will no longer be able to address requests for early release of passports for foreseeable circumstances, such as those who neglected to check the validity of their passports before purchasing their airline tickets," it said.Still, it said the Philippine Consulate General New York appreciates the community's positive response to the MRP.It said that for information on the step-by-step application process, people can visit the consulate's website at: http://pcgny.net/pcgny/2008/PR-31.pdf.

Filipinos in UAE warned against fake Machine Readable Passports

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were advised anew to be wary of people offering to sell them machine-readable passports.Online news site Khaleej Times reported Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo personally gave the advice during a recent visit to Dubai.“The new machine-readable passport is also fool-proof so its introduction will not only meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), but will also provide a hassle-free travel to all Filipinos as machine-readable passports are in place in 62 countries worldwide," he said.But he cited reports reaching him indicating unscrupulous parties had approached some people and offered to facilitate getting such passports.He said Filipinos can get machine-readable passports from the diplomatic missions in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai or at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, and not anywhere else.Romulo added the best way to avoid being victimized is to directly renew or get new machine-readable passport at DFA or at diplomatic missions in UAE.

After the machine-readable passport, now comes the Philippines e-passport

MANILA, Philippines — If you are the owner of a manually scripted passport (green or brown) that is still valid beyond 2008, don’t rush into replacing it with a machine-readable passport.

Reason: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is scheduled to issue “electronic passports" to the public starting December.

According to the DFA, the “e-passport" is more advanced than the machine-readable passport in that it has a 64-kilobyte microchip where the security features and personal data of the holder are stored, making it difficult for syndicates to commit passport fraud.

In mid-2007, the DFA main office and the more than 40 Philippine embassies and consulates have issued 1.4 million machine readable passports.

The DFA said the newer version of the Philippine passport aims to combat fraud and tampering of the travel document. Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Domingo Lucenario said the e-passports will be supplied by the French company Francois Charles Oberthur, which bested 14 other companies in a bidding conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on June 26.

Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Domingo Lucenario on Friday said Francois is the supplier of e-passports in Belgium, touted as the first country to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard. Sixty other countries have reportedly started issuing e-passports in compliance with the new global standard.

Lucenario said e-passports will first be issued in October to diplomats and government officials but it will be available to the public only in December.

Francois won the contract with a bid of P859.7 million, well below the approved budget cost of P970.5 million, the DFA said.