Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts

Sunday, June 15, 2014

...the OFWs contribution in GCC

Why GCC would not be the same without Filipinos

By Dr Jasim Ali,
Special to Gulf News
First Published: May 24, 2014

They are admired for possessing traits of productivity, discipline, customer service, attention to detail, and ease of communicating in English, and presentable.

It is not unfair to claim that Filipinos have emerged as a factor in local economic activities in all GCC countries. And it can be asserted that quality of life in the GCC cannot be the same without the OFWs on the back of their significant presence in diverse sectors." - Dr. Jasim Ali, Member of Parliament, Bahrain

The Gulf countries are home to the largest number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and it’s an arrangement which benefits both sides. For instance, for the Philippines, the workers send home billions of dollars.

GCC airlines benefit from the traffic to the Philippines, with Emirates dominating the Manila route.

Fact is, a sizable number of Filipinos live and work abroad for economic reasons, with their number estimated at around 10.5 million and comprising around 11 per cent of the country’s total population. The stats include some 5 million permanently living abroad and about 1.5 million irregulars.

However, this piece focuses on OFWs, officially estimated at more than 2.2 million by end 2012, including some 0.45 million working on the high seas. Yet, thousands of Filipinos were exposed for overstaying their work permits following the implementation of the Nitaqat scheme in Saudi Arabia in July. The controversial project is meant to make Saudi nationals, rather than immigrant workers, employees of choice in the private sector.

Notably, five of the six Gulf countries are on the list of top 10 destinations for OFWs, an evidence of openness of the economies of the grouping.

Saudi Arabia continues to maintain its position as the top destination for OFWs, which has been the case since 2004, followed by the UAE. In 2012, Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounted for 20 and 16 per cent of OFWs, respectively. Qatar emerges in fourth popular place after Singapore in third position. Qatar alone boasts some 200,000 Filipinos.

Service workers

The increasing significance of Gulf countries for Filipinos partly reflects the changing composition of OFWs, with more emphasis placed on household services workers. Unlike the GCC, Western countries are known for applying relatively strict conditions on employment of live-in housemaids.

To a degree, the changing make up of OFWs is in response to difficulties surrounding employment in the Philippines. The challenges include an unemployment rate of 7 per cent, and under-employment of nearly 20 per cent. More than 40 per cent of the employed work in the informal sector.

The Philippines enticed some $24 billion (Dh88 billion) in remittances in 2012, the third highest worldwide after India and China, according to the World Bank. The amount represents around 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). This sum is inclusive of money sent via financial institutions, cash carried by returning and visiting Filipinos and others in-kind.

The figure could be higher for the lifestyle of Filipinos, who are known to spend in the local economies. The habit of spending a considerable amount of their salaries in local markets adds to the attraction of having Filipinos in the GCC workforce.

Much to their credit, OFWS have made the first impression with respect to working habits and ethics.

They are admired for possessing traits of productivity, discipline, customer service, attention to detail, and ease of communicating in English, and presentable.

The writer is a Member of Parliament in Bahrain.

Friday, November 15, 2013

...the Filipino Spirit

Filipino diaspora rallies after Typhoon Haiyan

By Demetri Sevastopulo in Hong Kong and Simeon Kerr in Dubai

Financial Times

15 November 2013

Residents walk towards their destroyed houses after a military helicopter delivers aid to an isolated island off Guiuan town
©AFP
A resident looks out from his home among the devastation in Tacloban city
©Getty

From Hong Kong to Dubai, pastors, teachers and consular officials describe an unprecedented outpouring of support from a diaspora that even in normal times is renowned for sending large amounts of money home to family and friends.

“Everyone is mobilising, everyone is raising funds for organisations and churches,” says Joyce Demetillo, a pastor at the Jesus is Lord church in Hong Kong.

Verna Fajilan, a former ballerina at Ballet Philippines who teaches dance in Hong Kong, says that while the Filipino “spirit for helping . . . is instinctive”, Haiyan has sparked an altogether different level of response from expatriates.

“Because of the enormity of the typhoon, there are more people now who want to mobilise the relief efforts,” says Ms Fajilan, who is organising charity zumba dance classes to raise money.
The Philippines foreign ministry says there are more than 10m Filipinos overseas who, according to the central bank, sent $21bn home in 2012.

Rosanna Villamor, the Philippines deputy consul-general in Hong Kong where there are 180,000 Filipinos, says she has been amazed by the “sheer number of people who have come forward with a number of fundraising events”. She adds that one difference from previous disasters is that people are sending the consulate names of relatives and loved ones that they cannot locate.

Daisy Mandap, editor of the Sun, a newspaper for Filipinos in Hong Kong, says this Sunday – the day most of the city’s 163,000 domestic helpers have a day off – will see a big response, as Filipinos arrange fundraising events across the territory.

Similar events are happening across the world, including in the United Arab Emirates, home to 500,000 Filipinos, most of whom live in the business hub of Dubai. They are the second most dense concentration of migrants in the oil-rich Gulf after Saudi Arabia, where an estimated 1.2m work.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

...the world's best performing currencies

Peso is 3rd best-performing currency globally

By Prinz Magtulis

The Philippine Star

April 28, 2013

MANILA, Philippines - The peso remains one of the world’s best performing currencies, debt watcher Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) said Friday.

The local currency ranked third globally, appreciating 25 percent in real terms from March 2007 to March 2013, according to the S&P report.

Only the Chinese renminbi and Singapore dollar outperformed the peso. The two currencies have strengthened 29 percent and 26 percent, respectively, from their levels six years ago.

The performance was calculated using the real effective exchange rate (REER), which measures the inflation-adjusted value of currencies versus a basket of other units from trading partners.

“No single member of the 27-member European Union and only one of the 34-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is among the top 10 most appreciated currencies,” S&P noted.

Behind the peso, the Australian dollar ranked fourth, rising 23 percent from its 2007 level. It was followed by the Brazilian real, Colombian peso and Peruvian nuevo sol, which rose 22 percent, 21 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Rounding up the list was the Russian rubble, which firmed up 18 percent, and Saudi riyal and Venezuelan bolivar, which both appreciated 15 percent, the report stated.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the peso has strengthened 6.8 percent versus the greenback last year. It closed at 41.22 to a dollar last Friday, up four centavos from the previous day.
In real terms, the peso increased its value by 6.5 percent versus currencies of trading partners, according to the BSP. “The peso lost external competitiveness in 2012,” it said.

Concerns have been raised against the continued appreciation of the peso, especially on how it trims the value of dollar export earnings and remittances from overseas Filipinos.

The BSP, for its part, has implemented various macro-prudential measures to temper capital inflows causing the peso’s strong performance.

Among others, foreign funds were banned in parking at special deposit accounts (SDA) last July. Interest paid on SDA - money of banks and trust departments with the BSP - were also slashed by 150 basis points this year.

Foreign exchange rules were also further liberalized this month to encourage more outflows and balance the inflows to prevent pressure for the peso to rise.

Friday, April 19, 2013

...the most gender equal nations

Women on top: Phl among most gender equal nations

By Camille Diola

(philstar.com)

Updated April 19, 2013

File photo from the World Bank Photo Collection.

MANILA, Philippines - The World Bank identified the Philippines as a world leader in gender equality, particularly in the fields of legislation, management and government.

In its World Development Indicators report released on Thursday, the international organization cited latest data showing that 55 percent of Filipino lawmakers, senior officials and managers are female.

The number, taken from 2007 to 2011 statistics, is the highest in the World Bank report with data from 88 countries.

The Philippines is among the two only countries in the world with more women than men in the said professions, using the International Labour Organization's standard classification of occupations.

Although the report said that gender inequality is most prevalent in developing countries, the Philippines, a lower middle income nation, is one exception.

"The share of women in high-skilled occupations ... indicates women's status and role in the labor force and society at large," the report explained.

Following the Philippines' lead is The Bahamas, a chain of island in the Caribbean, with 52 percent of leaders who are female.

Barbados, another island country in the Caribbean, is in relatively far third with 47 percent.

Ranking fourth is Latvia with women landing in 45 percent of top occupations, while the Cayman Islands are fifth with 44 percent.

The United States, the largest economy in the world, is tied with Latin American country Puerto Rico with 43 percent.

Indonesia, one of the Philippines' peer in Southeast Asis for one, only records 22 percent of high government and business positions given to women.

The world's most gender unequal nations in the world include those that have a dominant Muslim population, the lowest being Pakistan with women occupying only 3 percent of seats in legislation, governance and management.

Also at the bottom of the scale are Azerbaijan (7 percent), Lebanon (8 percent) and Saudi Arabia (8 percent).

"These patterns of inequality begin at an early age, with boys routinely receiving a larger share of education and health spending than girls, for example," World Bank said in the report.

The study, World Bank said, is a compilation of "relevant, high-quality and internationally comparable statistics about global development."

Other indicators cited in the report under people development are prevalence of malnutrition, HIV, unemployment and underemployment, as well as maternal mortality, adolescent fertility and under-five mortality.

Monday, March 18, 2013

...the Filipino work ethic

Prince Faisal commends Filipino work ethic

RIYADH: Rodolfo C. Estimo Jr.

Arab news

Saturday 16 March 2013

“Their (Filipino workers') efficiency and hard work has contributed to the national development of both Saudi Arabia and the Philippines." - Prince Faisal Bin Salman, Governor of Madinah

Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman receives Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago in his office.

Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman has lauded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the region for their work ethic.

“Their efficiency and hard work has contributed to the national development of both Saudi Arabia and the Philippines,” Prince Faisal said.

He made the statement to Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago, who called on him last Sunday to congratulate him on his appointment as the new Madinah governor.

Tago thanked Prince Faisal for the excellent treatment accorded to OFWs in Madinah who are mostly nurses and other medical workers and to Filipino students in the region studying Arabic, Islamic law and theology.

He also expressed his thanks for the services accorded to Filipino pilgrims coming to the Kingdom to perform Haj annually. Eight thousand Filipino pilgrims will perform Haj this year, up from 6,000 last year.

Tago invited Prince Faisal to visit the Philippines. The prince said he had not yet visited the Philippines but his father, Crown Prince Salman was in the country on an official visit in 1999 as Riyadh governor.

Prince Faisal said he would cooperate fully with the Philippine Embassy in connection with the concerns of Filipino workers in the region.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

...the World's best performing markets

PSE is world's 3rd best performing market

ABS-CBNnews.com

02/26/2013

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Stock Exchange has been cited as the third best performing market in the world, according to the recent 2012 Market Highlights report released by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).

The WFE said the Philippine bourse was the third best among 50 of its member exchanges in 2012.
The PSE recorded a 38.9% expansion for its market capitalization in 2012, outpaced only by the stock exchanges in Turkey and Thailand.

"Ranking among the top markets around the world is a feat which I think all Filipinos can be proud of as we are pitted against the best of the best markets in these global rankings. This is a testament to what we have been saying that the Philippines is now indeed in the global radar for investments and these numbers prove our worth as a viable investment destination," PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Hans B. Sicat said in a statement.

The WFE report noted the 25.3% growth in value trading turnover at the PSE in 2012 was third best after Saudi Stock Exchange and Bermuda Stock Exchange.

The PSE was fourth in terms of expansion in number of trades; and had the fifth highest increase in broad market index for 2012.

This was the second year in a row that the Philippine bourse has been considered one of the fastest growing markets in the world.

In 2011, the PSE's growth rates of its broad market index, domestic market capitalization and trading turnover ranked first, third and fourth respectively out of 51 exchanges.

"For two consecutive years, our stock market has been recognized among the fastest growing markets. This just shows that our growth has been sustainable particularly as it founded on the increased economic activity in the country. We are excited about the outlook in 2013 as we also undertake new programs and introduce new products in our stock market to keep the growth momentum in the coming years," Sicat said.

The PSE index has been on a bull run, as investors were optimistic about the Philippine economy's prospects and expected upgrade to investment grade status this year.

On Monday, the main index breached the 6,700 level for the first time and notched its 21st record close for the year.

Monday, February 18, 2013

...the Filipino people

Who is the Filipino? genome expert asks

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Monday, February 18th, 2013

It is a question that has been asked for generations: “Who is the Filipino?”

A Filipino-American scientist and global genomics expert believes the answer is in every one of us, literally.

Michael Purugganan, a world authority on the molecular study of the origin, evolution and characteristics of organisms, is calling on the government, private sector and Filipino scientists to embark on the Philippines’ own genome project—an undertaking that would determine where the Filipino comes from.

“One of the things that I’ve always advocated is a systematic analysis of the genome of Filipinos… It’s still really basic research but I think it has practical values. It allows us to see, for example, what genetic diseases we might have, which might help doctors,” Purugganan told the Inquirer on Jan. 30.

“Just as important is that it allows us to see who we are, to tell the story of who we are. That’s a very powerful idea, that we as Filipinos can go to our DNA and see who we are and what makes us different,” said the dean of science at New York University (NYU) while on a visit to Manila.

Purugganan, who works closely on rice genome studies with the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute, proposed to look into the DNA of a representative group of 10 Filipinos from different provinces and tribal groups, and sequence their genome, the entirety of an organism’s genetic makeup.

The project would ultimately answer the question that one local apparel brand posed through billboard ads last year: “What’s your mix?”

“I remember somebody asking me that and I had to think about it. I said, ‘I actually don’t know what being a Filipino means genetically.’ So, genetically we’re mixtures of Taiwanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Arab, Spanish, probably some American and British. It’s just different degrees,” Purugganan said.

This is not to say, however, that no one is native Filipino, said Purugganan, who became the features editor of the Collegian in the early 1980s and finished a chemistry degree at the University of the Philippines (UP), before taking up advanced studies in top universities in the United States.

Most everyone, after all, is born with a mix of bloodlines from different parts of the world, given the long history of human migration, settlement and, in the case of the Philippines, colonization.

“Of course, there is native Filipino. What it means to be native Filipino is to be somebody who lives on these islands and traces his ancestry from all these people who have come to these islands for tens and thousands of years,” said the professor, who heads NYU laboratories in New York and Abu Dhabi primarily studying the evolution of plant genomes.

“Even though we’re mixtures from all these places, we can find out what makes us different from all those mixtures,” said the Manila-born Purugganan.

He said other countries like India and China had sequenced the genomes of their citizens as they understood “why it’s important economically and culturally.”

“India has sequenced 200 genomes. China has done it and there’s a big international project on a thousand genomes. They want to know who they are. They want to know what mutations there are in genomes of citizens that would allow them to develop new drug therapies,” the professor said.

It’s a test that Purugganan had done on himself to determine his ancestry. “I actually thought that my father was a quarter Spanish. Turns out my father was half-Spanish. My grandmother was full Spanish. I’m quarter,” said the 49-year-old professor, who visits the Philippines once or twice a year.

“And I found out that my Y chromosome, the maleness gene, is related to the Y chromosomes found in China, which is probably true because we probably got a lot of immigration from China and a lot of intermarriages,” he said.

While already tied up in teaching, laboratory and administrative tasks at NYU, Purugganan said he would be willing to lead the effort. He believed the project should be conducted by an all-Filipino team.

“We do have in the country people who can do it. They’ve never done this project but I don’t think that would stop them from doing this… I think our scientists are very, very good, really motivated, well-trained and they’re looking for exciting challenges,” he said.

He expressed admiration for his Filipino colleagues, noting how they cope with challenges that continue to hound scientists in the Philippines, including limited resources for research and low pay.

Purugganan said the Philippine Genome Center at UP Diliman had expressed interest in the project if granted proper funding. The NYU dean of science, who sits on the center’s international advisory board, said he was “very impressed” with UP’s genome lab, saying it had genome sequencers and other equipment at par with those used in top laboratories overseas.

He said his proposed Philippine genome study could be done at P5 million. Government and private foundations could partner for the program. “It’s something that would be exciting, something that would resonate with Filipinos,” he said.

Monday, February 11, 2013

...the resilient countries

RP Among ‘Resilient’ Countries – MasterCard

Manila Bulletin

11 February 2013

The Philippines' robust economic growth has made it among the ''resilient'' countries in the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East, the worldwide survey revealed.

In its latest Insights Report, MasterCard survey revealed that the Philippines along with Japan and Hong Kong ranked highest on the index as ''relatively resilient.''

The MasterCard survey assesses the extent to which a slower growing global economy and specifically a slowdown in merchandise exports, will impact the resilience of consumer confidence in key markets in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Following the three nations are Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. UAE was ranked lowest or ''very vulnerable.''

The index and its accompanying reports do not represent MasterCard's financial performance, the company said.

''Markets with the highest level of consumer confidence, as well as those that are most resilient to a slowdown in merchandise exports have the strongest potential to weather the economic downturn,'' MasterCard said.

''At the opposite end of the spectrum, markets with very low consumer confidence and those that are also most vulnerable to a slowdown in merchandise exports have the least potential,'' the company added.

Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, MasterCard global economic advisor and co-author of the report said the strong growth in global demand that they saw during the decade of 2000 to 2010 was unique in many ways.

Hedrink-Wong said this was underpinned by an unprecedented increase in global liquidity which provided a tremendous boost to the export-oriented economies in Asia/Pacific and Middle East.

''But growth in global demand will be a lot weaker than before. Putting it bluntly, a repeat performance is highly unlikely,'' he said.

For many markets in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East, especially the export-oriented ones, Hedrink-Wong said the outlook of a slower growing global economy will mean weaker demand for exports.

''Their ability to leverage domestic demand, especially private consumption, will be critical in supporting stronger economic growth. The extent to which they may succeed will in turn depend on how resilient consumer confidence is in these markets,'' he added.

The report, meanwhile, found Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, India and China to be well positioned with the strongest potential to leverage private domestic consumption to support economic growth.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

...the PH consumer confidence

PHL consumer confidence one of highest in world – Nielsen

GMA News

February 5, 2013

The Philippines is one of the most optimistic countries when it comes to consumer confidence, said a new survey released by international research firm Nielsen on Tuesday.

Nielsen's Fourth Quarter Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions gave the Philippines a score of 119 for the last quarter of 2012, one point higher than its score in the third quarter.

The total ranks the Philippines second only to India in the global tally, with the latter scoring 121 to lead the pack for the second straight quarter.

The survey, which was conducted from November 10 to 27, 2012, tallied the online responses of 29,000 respondents from 58 countries. The survey's baseline is 100; countries scoring below that is seen as having a "pessimistic" outlook when it comes to consumer confidence.

Only 10 countries of the 58 registered an "optimistic" outlook; after India and the Philippines, the top 10 is rounded out by Indonesia (117), Thailand (115), the United Arab Emirates (113), Saudi Arabia (112), Brazil (111), China (108), Malaysia (103), and Norway (102).

The 10 countries with the lowest scores in consumer confidence are Bulgaria (61), Japan (59), Slovakia (57), France (52), Spain (46), Croatia (42), Italy (39), South Korea and Portugal (tied at 38), Hungary (37) and Greece (35).

“While consumers around the world struggled with increasing economic concerns, consumers in the Philippines continue to have a positive outlook. This optimism can be attributed to the strong performance of the economy in 2012 which was driven by real estate, construction, manufacturing, services, and trade sectors,” said Nielsen Philippines managing director Stuart Jamieson in a statement.

According to the study, in the fourth quarter of 2012 Filipinos felt confident about:

- local job prospects: 76 percent are optimistic about job prospects in 2013. The rate is four points higher than the rate in the previous quarter, and is one of the highest in the world; and

- personal finances: 77 percent feel confident about their personal finances, a one-percent drop quarter-on-quarter. 2013 will be a good time to buy products, said 51 percent.

Beefing up their savings was a priority for 65 percent of the respondents, but the rate is two points off from the percentage recorded in the third quarter.

Filipinos' top concern is job security, followed by work/life balance, health, the economy, parents' welfare and happiness, and increasing utility bills.

The top global concern is the economy.

Optimism dropped in eight of 14 Asia-Pacific economies on the survey — a sign of "an increasingly polarized Asia-Pacific region," said Cambridge Group chief economist Venkatesh Bala, that divides the region into high-population economies with robust domestic consumption and developed markets that are more export-dependent that are therefore more exposed to volatile international fluctuations.

Global consumer confidence in the fourth quarter of 2012 fell slightly to 91 from 92 in the third quarter. — BM, GMA News

Thursday, January 10, 2013

...the Asia-Pacific Banker of the Year

Tetangco named Asia-Pac central banker of the year

ABS-CBNnews.com

01/10/2013

MANILA, Philippines - Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. has been named as the best central banker for the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.

The Banker, a publication of The Financial Times group, chose Tetangco as its Central Banker of the Year for Asia-Pacific.

"The Philippine economy has performed strongly in the past year and its growth in the third quarter of 2012 was the second highest in Asia after China. Ratings upgrades in the past year have put the Philippines just one notch away from investment grade - the level of Indonesia - which the country now has its sights now. The sound monetary policy of the BSP and its Governor Amando Tetangco have contributed to these improvements that have recently pushed the Philippines into the spotlight," The Banker said.

The Banker's awards cite officials who have succeeded in steering their countries through economic difficulties last year.

Turkey's central bank governor Erdem Basci was named Global Central Banker of the Year. Other winners include Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney for the Americas, Banco Nacional de Angola Governor Jose Massano for Africa, and Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Governor Fahad Al-Mubarak for the Middle East.

This is the third time Tetangco has been named among the world's best central bankers in the last few months. Global Finance Magazine gave the BSP chief an "A" rating, while international financial magazine Emerging Markets of the Euromoney Group named him as 2012 Emerging Markets Central Bank Governor of the Year for Asia.

Monday, November 19, 2012

...the OFWs in Qatar

Challenges and rewards of Filipinos in Qatar

By Maricar CP Hampton
FilAm Star

Sunday, November 18th, 2012

Filipino construction workers in Qatar PHOTO/FILAM STAR

Slowly but surely, Filipinos in Qatar are making strong contributions to the country’s culture in the areas of arts, sports, fashion and design.

In the creative field, architect Adonis Canonicato has played an important role in the design of such outdoor structures like the Qatar Pavilions at the World Expo in Nagoya, Japan in 2005, as well as in Zaragoza, Spain in 2008. He also designed the Qatar Reception Lounge for World Petroleum Congress held in Madrid, Spain, in 2008.

Canonicato believes that the underlying strength of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) lies in their ability to adjust to any work situation.

“It is mainly because we come from a country where we can find homeless and jobless people around us. So, having a job is considered to be a blessing. We are from a country which produces competitive professionals,” Canonicato said to the Qatar Tribune.

Based on published data, there are about 175,000 to 250,000 Filipinos living and working in Qatar with most of them into the hospitality, health care and construction industry.

Considered a small sized country within the Persian Gulf, this oil rich country houses the third largest gas reserve in world after Russia and Iran. And because Qatar has one of the best GDP per capita rates, which translates to a good pay rates, the country attracts many overseas workers.

For the millions of Filipino migrant workers, Qatar is the fourth-largest choice destination worldwide and the third-largest destination of choice in the Middle East after United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Estimated to be the second largest group of foreign workers next only to the Indians, Filipinos in Qatar have about 44 community based organizations ranging from sports leagues to religious organizations and cultural groups that enjoy a high membership turn out.

Another Filipino who is making a buzz, this time in sports is Rhea Navarro, the players’ affairs supervisors at Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) lends her more than a decade experience in sports to develop Qatar’s basketball league as she oversees the requirement for the national team in relation to Qatar’s participation in FIBA Asia Championships.

“Working in such a male-dominated field is never a problem for a tough cookie,” she tells the news source.

Confident of her position, Navarro explains, “Filipino workers are diligent and dedicated professionals who know their craft well. We love what we do and this makes for rendering an excellent job regardless of title or industry.”

While in the world of high fashion, Victoria Ferraris, a sales manager, social media blogger and fashion stylist who has initiated and popularized fashion related events in the country is among Qatar’s most well connected media person.

“As a Filipino I am proud to say that I am where I am now. I enjoy life. I love what I do and I embrace all other culture,” says Ferraris.

Meanwhile, serving the educational needs of the children of the Filipino community in Qatar is the establishment of the Philippine School in Doha (PSD).

“Guided by the dictum “Knowledge Begets Wisdom”, the Philippine School Doha envisions itself to be the center of academic excellence as the first Philippine Science School in the Middle East abreast with the dynamics and development of society, culture, Science and Technology and the Arts,” the website said.

After 8 years of striving for excellence with only 33 original students, PSD now boasts having 2696 currently enrolled students for the school year 2012-2013.

The birth of PSD was the result of the community’s action with support of the Philippine Embassy.

Dubbed as modern day heroes of the country, especially in light of the economic hardships, OFW’s worldwide through there billions of dollars in remittances have helped the country stay afloat all while excelling in their field.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

...the Global Gender Gap ranking

Phl leads Asian countries in Global Gender Gap Report

By Jovan Cerda

The Philippine Star

Updated October 24, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines remained as the top Asian country in ensuring that men and women have equal access to rights and privileges, including economic opportunities, a report released Wednesday by the World Economic Forum showed.

The country remained at the 8th spot of the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2012, which ranks countries based on their ability to close the gender gap in healthcare, education, political participation and economic equality.

"The Philippines remains the highest-ranking country from Asia in the Index. It ranks 1st on both education and health and is also among the top 20 on economic participation and political empowerment. The Philippines is the only country in Asia this year to have closed the gender gap in both education and health," the report said.

It added that the country also performs in the top 10 of indicators that include legislators, senior officials and managers, literacy rate, enrolment in secondary education and years with female head of state.

The Philippines has already elected two women presidents which include Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In August, President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed Maria Lourdes Sereno chief justice of the Supreme Court, the first female to hold the position.

Ranked ahead of the Philippines are Iceland (1st), Finland (2nd), Norway (3rd), Sweden (4th), Ireland(5), New Zealand (6th) and Denmark (7th), while Nicaragua (9th) and Switzerland (10th) rounded out the top 10.

Among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippines is followed by Singapore (55th), Thailand (65th), Vietnam (66th), Brunei Darussalam (75th), Indonesia (97th), Malaysia (100th) and Cambodia (103rd). Myanmar and Laos are not included in the list.

Among economic powerhouses, the United States is ranked 22nd, China is 69th and Japan is 101st.

Stuck at the bottom of the list are Saudi Arabia (131st), Syria (132nd), Chad (133rd), Pakistan (134th) and Yemen (135th).

The report said there is a strong correlation between countries at the top of the index and the countries that are most economically competitive.

“The key for the future of any country and any institution is the capability to attract the best talents,” said Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman.

“In the future, talent will be more important than capital or anything else. To develop the gender dimension is not just a question of equality; it is the entry card to succeed and prosper in an ever more competitive world,” he added.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

...the Penshoppe goes to Jakarta

Penshoppe gets into Indonesia’s huge market

By Doris C. Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

A Penshoppe poster FROM PENSHOPPE.COM

MANILA, Philippines—Retailer Penshoppe has gained a foothold in Southeast Asia’s most populous market, Indonesia, as part of its road map for global expansion via the franchising mode.

Bernie Liu, president of retailer Golden ABC Inc., which owns the Penshoppe trademark, announced in a press briefing on Tuesday that his company has entered into a franchising partnership with the MAP group of Indonesia, which has been planning to open at least 150 Penshoppe stores across Indonesia within the next 10 years.

The first two stores are opening this December—a 476.86-square-meter flagship store in Jakarta’s Central Park Mall and a 355-sqm store at the brand-new Mall@Alam Sutera in neighboring Tangerang City.

His vision, Liu said, was “planting the Filipino flag in as many countries in the coming years.” Being a P1-trillion economy with a population nearly three times that of the Philippines and a $5,000 per capita income, Liu said Indonesia has always been part of Penshoppe’s offshore expansion strategy.

In the Philippines, Golden ABC has about 600 stores employing over 3,000 people. The flagship Penshoppe brand has 300 stores in the Philippines. The next-biggest brand is Oxygen, which has 100 stores. Other brands in the retailing group are ForMe, Memo, Regatta, Tyler and its direct-selling subsidiary Red Logo.

Overseas stores currently number 12, which will increase to 30-40 by 2013, according to Liu.

Penshoppe is now present in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, and it also operates stores in the cities of Jeddah, Riyadh, Al Jubail, Al Khobar, Dammam, Manama and by next month, will open its first store in Dubai.

Liu’s ambition is to eventually grow the international business so that it would be larger than the local business, similar to the business model of Spanish retailer Zara.

With its franchise deal, Penshoppe becomes the first Asian brand to be carried in Indonesia by the publicly listed MAP group, which has a portfolio of over 100 lifestyle brands from around the world.

“Asian brands are just as good as the Western brands. If they have the capability and desire to elevate their standards to become one of the best in the world, then they should be treated equal to Western brands,” said Agus Gozali, president of MAP group’s PT Prima Mode Indonesia.

“We believe Penshoppe is such a brand. It is a fast fashion brand with great up-to-date styles and product design. Its stores provide its customers with world-class shopping experience,” he said in a statement.

The MAP group’s portfolio in Indonesia includes Sogo, Seibu, Debenhams as well as fashion stores under Zara, Marks & Spencer, Topman, Topshop, Lacoste, Massimo Dutti, Bershka and DKNY. It also operates food and beverage stores such as Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, a bookstore chain and a lifestyle supermarket.

PT Prima Mode was created by MAP group for the sole purpose of managing Penshoppe’s retail operations in Indonesia.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

...the PH facebook 'friends'

Who is the Philippines' 'closest friend' on Facebook?

by Jojo Malig,

ABS-CBNNews.com

09/12/2012

MANILA, Philippines -Which country is the Philippines' "closest friend" on Facebook?

It's the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a new interactive report published by the social network website's "Stories" section.

The UAE topped the Philippines' "friends" list based on the number of Facebook users in the 2 countries who are friends, according to researcher Mia Newman.

Newman attributed this to the use of Facebook by immigrants and migrant workers who connect with their families and relatives in their countries of origin.

More than 200,000 Filipinos were working in the UAE in 2010, according to latest data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Saudi Arabia, which had more than 293,000 Filipino migrant workers in 2010, is the Philippines' "second-closest friend" on Facebook.

Singapore placed third, followed by Japan and Kuwait.

Facebook data also shows that the Philippines is 4th closest friend of Canada, 2nd closest friend of Japan, and 4th closest friend of South Korea, and 3rd closest friend of Singapore.

The Philippines and the United States are not apparently "close friends" on Facebook, despite the large number of migrant Filipinos in the country's former colonial ruler.

"Immigration is one of the strongest links that seems to bind these Facebook neighbors, as thousands of people pour over borders or over seas, seeking jobs or fleeing violence, and making new connections and maintaining old friendships along the way," said Newman, a Stanford graduate in International Relations.

"Economic links, through trade or investment, also seem to be strong predictors of country connectedness. And finally, one of the most overwhelming trends we found as we explored this graphic is the strong tie that remains between nations and their former colonizers, whose continued linguistic, cultural, and economic ties still echo today," she said.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

...the PH maid in French Film

Pinay maid lands role in French film starring Sophie Marceau

By DICK VILLANUEVA

July 17, 2012

GMA News

PARIS — Out of hundreds who auditioned for the role, a Filipina domestic worker here in the French capital was chosen to play the role of an Asian maid in a film starring French international actress Sophie Marceau and famous French comedian Gad Elmaleh.

Dina Nietes Capistrano, 52, told GMA News Online that it was a great honor to be chosen for a role that almost 500 people auditioned for.

Capistrano said her employer received an email asking for permission to allow her to join the cast of ”Un Bonheur N'arrive Jamais Seul” (Happiness Never Comes Alone) which was released on June 27 this year.

Capistrano spent 10 days shooting for the film, which took two months to finish.

She earned 5,000 Euros (roughly around 256,000 Pesos) which she will use partly to pay her debts. The rest would be spent for her children in the Philippines.

Having been an undocumented worker before she landed the role, Capistrano also received a "permit to stay," thanks to the film production agency. She has received an entitlement to work from the Prefecture de Police.

Dina Nietes Capistrano, a Filipina maid in France, plays the role of an Asian maid in the film "”Un Bonheur N'arrive Jamais Seul.” Capistrano is shown here with the young actors in the film. Dick Villanueva

Being a maid not a hindrance

Capistrano said she learned that being a maid does not prevent a person from reaching his or her dreams.

Capistrano grew up in the Bicol region of the Philippines and obtained a Communication Arts degree before she worked abroad.

She used to be a leg woman in an agency in the Philippines, which she thought was ironically the exact opposite of her experience while working in the film.

“Noon ako ang sumusundo at nagdadala sa mga artista, pero dito sa Paris ako ang sinusundo para sa shooting namin,” Capistrano said.

She first worked in Saudi Arabia and got the chance to escape from her employer when he brought her to Paris, where she worked as an illegal worker for 10 years.

After those 10 years, she can now finally return to the Philippines to visit her children who were only nine and 10 years old when she left.

Currently, Capistrano holds a health care benefit in France that enlists her profession as a comedian.

Her agency also promised that she will be given priority for upcoming French films should there be a need for casting or extras.

Good memories

Capistrano shared the good memories during the shooting of the film as “Nana,” the nanny of Marceau’s children.

She said that Sophie Marceau was kind and very supportive while Gad Elmaleh was impressed with her and told her: “Dina, you’re an actress.”

Even James Huth, their director, was impressed with Capistrano’s ability to act naturally beyond the script without being trained to do so.

She also memorized her lines with ease.

The child actors and actresses also got attached to Capistrano, calling her “Nana” even when the camera wasn’t rolling.

She also mentioned that she spoke in Tagalog for her role as “Nana” in the film. — with Andrei Medina/VVP, GMA News

Sunday, December 18, 2011

...the PH wings

UN hails Philippine protection of migrant workers

By Tina G. Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

Logo taken from United Nations website

MANILA, Philippines—While the sob stories usually make the headlines, the country’s efforts to help thousands of overseas Filipinos, especially those caught in wars and calamities, have not gone unnoticed in the United Nations.

A UN executive speaking at a recent conference in Geneva has commended the Philippines for its exemplary efforts to protect its nationals caught in international crisis situations, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Peter Sutherland, the special representative of the UN secretary general for international migration and development, “specifically mentioned the Philippines as rising to the challenge by setting up a system to protect and engage its migrants,” the DFA said.

Sutherland made the remarks at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) held in the Swiss city earlier this month, where he said the forum participants “could learn from the Philippines’ initiatives and good practices,” the foreign office added.

The Philippines drew praise for its repatriation efforts in troubled countries like Libya, Yemen and Syria, among others, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez told the Inquirer on Saturday.

“He (Sutherland) probably saw that we’re proactive in protecting our people by taking them out of harm’s way,” Hernandez said.

In the forum, the UN official also drew attention to the plight of domestic workers, particularly the so-called “kafala” or sponsorship system which he said “constituted a modern form of slavery,” the DFA said.

More fleeing Syria

Hernandez said another batch of at least 51 Filipinos from Syria will be repatriated in the next few days. The last group that arrived in Manila over a week ago totaled 55, bringing the current number of Filipino repatriates to 240 since political violence escalated in the Arab state earlier this year.

“Our embassy in Damascus continues to negotiate for the release of the workers from their employers or agencies,” Hernandez said, adding that securing airline seats for the next batch had been difficult of late because of the peak Christmas season.

The year 2011 has been one of the busiest for the DFA in terms of evacuating Filipinos from strife-torn regions, starting with those fleeing Egypt in February, at the height of street protests against the regime of then President Hosni Mubarak.

From that same month to March, the repatriation efforts shifted to Libya, with no less than Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario personally leading one of the missions across the Sahara desert to fetch compatriots fleeing the fighting between rebels and government forces under dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The turmoil in Yemen also prompted Del Rosario to go there in March to assess the situation and offer voluntary repatriation to the less than 1,500 registered migrant Filipinos working in that country.

Review of ‘unsafe’ countries

Apart from the repatriation efforts, the DFA is currently conducting a review of the 41 countries earlier considered unsafe for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and could be covered by a labor deployment ban.

“At present, we have asked a review of the present status of each of the 41 countries to determine if they have already acceded or enacted laws that would protect our migrant workers,” Hernandez said in an earlier interview.

The DFA proceeded with the review after asking the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to defer the ban for three months.

“We will use the deferment period to revisit the 41 countries with the view of moving forward toward compliance with the amended Migrant Workers Act (Republic Act No. 10022),” which forbids the deployment of OFWs to countries certified as not protective of migrant workers, Hernandez said.

“We will submit new certifications after 90 days, taking into account results of DFA’s dialogue with countries concerned and new developments in those countries with respect to the protection of migrant workers,” Hernandez said.

9M in 200 countries

More than 1.4 million Filipino workers were deployed overseas last year, according to the POEA. Of this number, 1.1 million were land-based, while around 350,000 were sea-based workers.

For land-based OFWs, the top destinations were Saudi Arabia (293,049), United Arab Emirates (201,214), Hong Kong (101,340), Qatar (87,813) and Singapore (70,251).

Among the newly hired overseas Filipino workers deployed last year, the top occupational categories included household service workers (96,583), cleaners and related workers (12,133), nurses (12,082), caregivers and caretakers (9,293), and waiters, bartenders and related workers (8,789).

According to the latest estimates by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, some 9 million Filipinos are in more than 200 countries around the world as of December 2009. With a report from Inquirer Research
Sources: Commission on Filipinos Overseas, POEA.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

...the BenCH

Bench bags international honors

The Philippine Star
November 06, 2011

Ben Chan at the 15th Asia-Pacific Retailers Convention in Singapore. Bench won the Best Marketing Campaign award for its series of underwear shows.|

MANILA, Philippines - When you think of a local retailer that has successfully gone global, top of mind would be Bench. Now with stores in Riyadh, Kuwait, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and different cities in China (more than 27 company-owned stores and 19 franchises in this emerging superpower alone), Bench is now providing affordable and quality products to not just Filipinos based abroad, but also to fashion lovers who can’t resist the brand’s youthful, practical and trend-purveying products.

Bench’s international appeal, however, is not only consumer-reliant. Just recently the clothing and lifestyle brand proved that global success is not just based on sales or a particular number of stores when it bagged the Best Marketing Campaign Award at the 2011 FAPRA (Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Association) Awards.

Bench head honchos Virgilio Lim, Ben Chan, Nenita Lim and Bryan Lim

Once just a small booth at SM Department Store, Bench, founded by Ben Chan (a dreamer with an interior design education), first entered the retail scene by peddling T-shirts. A year later, Chan opened his first boutique and expanded the Filipino wardrobe by offering bottoms and more clothing options. In 1991, Bench pursued the possibilities of advertising and released a TV commercial featuring then local heartthrob Richard Gomez. Devoid of copy or voiceover, the black-and-white TVC showed Gomez rowing a banca to a soundtrack of Chopin’s Claire de Lune.

The audacious simplicity of this ad won the Best Cinematography Award in that year’s Philippine Advertising Congress and set an internal standard for succeeding Bench advertising and marketing campaigns. The success of this TVC also became a portent to other forms of marketing recognition, a fitting precedent to the FAPRA award it recently received.

Ben Chan, on behalf of Bench, receives the Best Marketing Campaign award from FAPRA Permanent Secretariat Secretary General professor Xiaoning Cao with Dr. Jannie Tay, FABRA chairman Lee Chul Woo.

Held annually during the Asia-Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition, the largest gathering of all retailers in the region, the FAPRA Awards honors Asian merchants’ most innovative and creative efforts in the selling,
marketing, customer service and even training categories.

This year, the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) nominated Bench and its series of underwear shows as a contender for the Best Marketing Campaign Award. The much-awaited event, which had its debut showing in 1997, is mounted every two years and attracts hordes of attendees, most of whom would probably give an arm, leg and any other available limb just for a ticket. Over the years, the Bench underwear event has grown from just being a show of skin or a celebrity stage gathering to a spectacle that incorporates international acts and globally-based Filipino designers — in 2008, Bench introduced their Mobo underwear line by London-based designer Lesley Mobo, and also wowed audiences with French acrobats hanging from the ceiling, tethered just by aerial silk; in 2010, the Bench Uncut show focused on Bench’s global undertakings and featured designs of Dubai-based designers Michael Cinco and Furne One, both now making waves in Hollywood.

PRA president Frederick Go with Ben Chan, Virgilio Lim and Robert Claudio

Monday, October 3, 2011

...the vege vendor turned shop owner in Riyadh

'Sitaw' vendor now shop owner in Riyadh

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 10/03/2011

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – A former vegetable vendor and carabao shepherd is now a perfume and jewelry shop owner in Riyadh.

Nancy Vitales designs one of a kind jewelry products and sells perfume made in Paris.

“Bale, ito yung produkto ng White Crystal. Mayroon kaming 44 brands ng signature perfumes. First of all, yung perfume namin made in Paris. So hindi siya gawa sa iba-ibang place," Vitales said.

Original perfumes are expensive but Vitales made them available to Filipinos at an affordable price.

“So nag-isip kami na bakit hindi natin i-repack o i-innovate ang mga perfume na to into size na ma-afford kahit sino man? Kung mayroon kang 400 riyals, apat na signature perfume ang mabibili mo,” she said.

At a young age, Vitales realized the value of hard work to be able to put food on the table. She took care of a water buffalo and sold vegetables like sitaw.

“So, nakamulatan ko na po na sa umaga, gumigising ako, kasama ko yung lola ko, yung nanay ko namimitas kami ng gulay tapos ibinibenta naming,” she said.

Vitales said the values she learned in the past helped her achieve the success she’s enjoying right now.

“Gusto ko na lahat ng bata ganun na pag binigyan mo ng P100, hindi niya iisipin kung anong bibilhin niya.

Kundi, maiisip niya kung paano palaguin yung P100. Kaisipang Intsik, sabi nga nila,” she said.

Ambassador Ezzedin Tago was all praises for Vitales who found innovative ways to succeed. She also was able to use her savings wisely by investing in a worthwhile business. She also shared her ideas to OFWs who may want to enter the same business.

“But we do encourage this. The first thing is for everyone to know what the rules are and to work on saving more and also getting into new creative ideas para dyan," Tago said.

Tago said the embassy supports businesses run by Filipinos, which is why they are doing everything they can to protect it.

“Pero lahat ng mga business people gusto malaman na protektado ang kanilang investment. So what we are working on right now is to compile yung database ng mga batas ng Philippines at sa Saudi para malaman ng mga tao yung karapatan nila when it comes to getting into business whether here in Saudi or in the Philippines," he said. - Marilyn Lavina, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

...the Judges Spirit awardee

OFW choir group wins Judges Spirit Award in California

By Ed Yra
FilAm Star

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

From the Facebook group of Prime Note Ensemble

“The Prime Note Ensemble captured not only the audience but also the judge’s hearts, that is why they were awarded the Judges Award for Exemplifying the CICF Spirit,” said Pat Harris, the executive director of the California International Choral Festival and Competition (CICF).

It was noted by those who attended the choral competition, which was held from June 24 to June 26 at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo, that many audience members were captivated by the overseas Filipino ensemble’s arrangement and moving rendition of the song, “The Circle of Life” from the movie The Lion King.

Operated by the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble, a local nonprofit organization, the CICF competition is a world class event that began in 2007, and includes many choral groups from as far as Indonesia, Uganda, Republic of Congo, parts of Europe and the Philippines.

The gathering, which is held every other year, has been dubbed by Harris as a type of “choral Olympics,” and this year’s installment included a free concert by all choir competitors as part of the festivities at the Farmers Market along Garden Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.

Harris told FilAm Star that this year was unlike any of the previous competitions, where participants traditionally would stand around and sing in robes while swaying.

“The three-day event included livelier and intense performances in different categories that included Folk Song Competition, Required Pieces Competition and Choir’s Choice Competition,” said Harris.

She added: “Since this is an international choral competition, we were faced with many challenges about terrorist issues, visa issues and issues about participants coming over and not going back to their country.”

Harris noted that two choral group competitors, Lembaga Karsa Cipta Indonesia and Bangelus Choir, were not able to compete because of visa problems.

“We were thankful for the Filipino group, the Prime Note Ensemble to be able to participate on our short two week’s notice to them because of two cancellations,” Harris said. “They did not hesitate to join our competition.”

The Prime Note Ensemble, an all-male choir group composed of Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW) from the Philippines who were originally based in Saudi Arabia, recently participated in another choral group competition in Reno, Nevada.

Dubbed as the only Filipino a cappella choir group from Saudi Arabia that has won awards in international competition, the story of the Prime Note Ensemble is one of taking significant risk by forming a singing group in a strict Islamic country like Saudi Arabia, which prohibits congregation or gathering of any form.

Despite their risky situations in the Middle East kingdom, the group managed to overcome arrest or punishment by doing their rehearsals discreetly at their rented soundproofed apartment near a mosque.

Founded by Medard Obida in 2001, the group with no musical experience but an unrelenting passion to sing managed to rehearse and perform under the guidance of Novern Cabios, who as a professional and experienced choirmaster and music arranger was able to capture the talent of each member of the group.

Competing in events held in places like China in 2006 and in Austria in 2008, the Prime Note Ensemble won bronze and silver medals in the music chamber choir category.

Because of their number (22) as a choral group, Prime Note Ensemble were unable to compete in the same category versus choirs, such as the University of Redlands Chapel Singers, which won the second place award, or the Riverside City College Chamber Singers, which won the first place competition award.

“But because they inspire us with their music, talent and performance, and they embody the spirit of what the CICF competition award stands for, we award them the Judges award to them because they made an impact in this 2011 competition,” Harris said.

The competition and the festival according to Harris is an opportunity for “international bridge building.”