SEAFARERs SOUGHT ATTY. MELANIO "BATAS" MAURICIO's HELP @ BALITAAN SA ALOHA

Atty. Melanio "Batas" Mauricio

(Atty. Melanio "Batas" Mauricio, assisting the seafarers in their petition before the POEA at Balitaan sa Aloha Media Forum)

 

Did you know that Filipinos could now be hired for overseas employment even if they did not apply with a local recruitment agency? This is now allowed by the Rules and Regulations of the Philippine Employment Overseas Administration (POA), which provides for the direct hiring of Filipinos for foreign employment, under a system known as “name hire”. 

 This information surfaced in the course of the Wednesday news forum, where the 12 Filipino seafarers who were barred from resuming their work with Gyron Crew, Inc. of Netherlands disclosed that they were not allowed to return to their work after the POEA suspended the license of Gyron Crew Philippines, Inc., the local agency. Responding to Atty. Melanio “Batas” Mauricio, Jr.’s queries, POEA lawyer Domingo blurted out that the seafarers could in fact be re-employed if they applied directly with Gyron Crew Inc. of Netherlands, precisely under the “name hire” rule of the POEA. This “name hire” rule allows the deployment of a Filipino worker to a job overseas if he himself is the one who will apply, Domingo added. 

Atty. Mauricio explained that Filipinos could now be hired for overseas employment even if they did not apply with a local recruitment agency. This is now allowed by the Rules and Regulations of the Philippine Employment Overseas Administration (POA), which provides for the direct hiring of Filipinos for foreign employment, under a system known as “name hire”. Explaining this during the Balitaan sa Aloha Hotel news forum hosted by veteran media personality Lolly Acosta last Wednesday, October 10, 2012, POEA adjudication lawyer Jerriel Domingo said the particular provision could be found at Rule II (14) of the Rules and Regulations, which mandates direct hiring even without the intervention of a local recruitment agency. This rule says: “14. Name Hire – shall refer to a worker who is able to secure an overseas employment opportunity with an employer without the assistance or participation of any agency.” 

This seems to be an amendment of the previous POEA rule which says that no Filipino can be deployed for any job abroad if their employment papers were not processed by a local recruitment company. “Name hire” or the direct hiring of our countrymen starts when a Filipino worker himself applies with a foreign employer. Domingo emphasized that the foreign employer is not the one which recruits. It is the Filipino which applies for the job abroad. If the foreign employer accepts the Filipino worker and confirms that a job is available for him, the worker then furnishes the POEA with his application letter, the response of the foreign employer, and other documents pertinent to the job that had been applied for. It is still the POEA that will process the employment contract between the Filipjno applicant and the foreign employer. 

Under this system, the Filipino worker avoids the payment of usually exhorbitant placement fees. He is even placed under the direct care of the POEA, instead of the placement or recruitment agency which is often indebted to a foreign principal. 

World Ostomy Day!

(From left: Greg Oculto, President, Ostomate Association of the Philippines (OAP); Luningning Siarez, President Stoma Nurses Core Group; Dr. Ramy Roxas, President of the Philippine Society of Colorectal Surgeons and the Asean Society of Colorectal Surgeons; Dra. Rachel Rosario, Executive Director and Romy Marcaida, Director, Philippine Cancer Society; Lolly Acosta, Moderator, Balitaan sa Aloha Hotel; and, Colorectal Cancer Survivor, Fernando Lazaro, Vice-President, OAP) 

Colorectal Cancer is now plaguing our country! Who are these people we call Ostomates? “The truth shall set us free”, said Lolly Acosta during her opening statement at the forum. In furtherance of its mission, the Philippine Cancer Society and Balitaan Sa Aloha Hotel in a joint project, launched a quad media, i.e., television, radio, print and the internet, campaign to advocate for the eradication of Colorectal cancer in the country on October 3, 2012, in celebration of the World Ostomy Day on October 6, 2012.

“Statistics shows that Colorectal Cancer is the third leading cancer in the Philippines today. Consequently, pursuant to the mission of the Philippine Cancer Society, there is a need for the society to disseminate information concerning the disease to lessen if not totally eradicate all kinds of cancer in our country”, said Dra. Rachel Rosario of the Philippine Cancer Society, the lead convenor of the forum at Balitaan sa Aloha Hotel on October 3, 2012.  

 “Colorectal Cancer is one of the most common cancer in the world today and the number of those suffering from the disease is growing, said Dr. Ramy Roxas, President of the Philippine Society of Colorectal Surgeons and the Asean Society of Colorectal Surgeons. “Data gathered by the Philippine Cancer Society shows that the survival rate of those suffering from the said illness in our country is only forty percent (40%), while those in the  United States is more than 60%”, said Dr. Roxas. He further added that, “the disease can be eliminated if earlier detected and curable”.

And what are the remedies?   Hear it from them personally.  Join us in our Talakayan at Balitaan sa Aloha:    

WORLD OSTOMY DAY PART 1:

World Ostomy Day!

“WORLD OSTOMY DAY: WHAT?” 

@ Balitaan sa Aloha 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 

On October 6, 2012 we shall celebrate the World Ostomy Day. What this celebration means sounds strange to many of us. Many may not be even aware that they maybe already afflicted with the disease, which is the fourth leading cancer in our country: Colorectal Cancer! 

People with such ailment are generally called “ostomates” or those with colostomy bags on their body. We have limited information how to prevent and manage it, including survivor’s experience. Some of the known Filipinos with colon cancer is Joey Albert, while President Cory Aquino and Rio Diaz already died from the illness. 

Join us in this year’s celebration with the theme: "Let's be heard!" The aim of WOD 2012 is to improve the rehabilitation of ostomates worldwide by bringing to the attention of the general public the needs and aspirations of ostomates. Join us at Balitaan sa Aloha this Wednesday October 3, 2012 with : Dr Ramy Roxas (PGH Surgeon, main advocate for Ostomates), Greg Oculto (President of the Ostomates Association of the Philippines, patient group/survivors), Nelda Escueta (ETNAP President, Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Association of the Philippines) and Dr. Rachael Marie Rosario of the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS).