THE Bureau of Immigration yesterday ordered its officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to tightly screen Filipino tourists bound for Bahrain following reports that many of them end up becoming undocumented workers in the Middle East.
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David, Jr. issued the order after the Philippine embassy in Bahrain alerted the bureau about the practice of many overseas Filipino workers who travel to the kingdom on visitor’s visas but later convert them to work visa once they find an employer.
At the same time, David assured Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain Ma. Corazon Yap-Bahjin that airport immigration officers are continuously exercising vigilance and thoroughly screening Filipino tourists headed to Bahrain and other countries known to be favored destinations of OFWs.
Bahjin, for her part, commended the BI under David’s watch for its intensified drive against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
“I wish to commend the bureau under your watch for helping the embassy in Bahrain and other concerned foreign service posts in the fight against illegal recruitment and human trafficking,” Bahjin said in her letter to David.
BI statistics showed that since August last year, the bureau offloaded more than 54,000 departing Filipinos suspected of being “tourist workers.”
The government had earlier banned the deployment of OFWs to Bahrain. However, the ban was lifted recently after the political situation in the kingdom normalized.
David ordered airport immigration officials to meticulously conduct a pre-departure inspection of Filipinos leaving for Bahrain to ensure that only legitimate tourists and not prospective OFWs are able to leave.
Department of Foreign Affairs officials have complained over problems they encounter when dealing with undocumented OFWs as they cannot be given protection or assistance by Philippine embassies abroad whenever they run into trouble.
They added that in the case of abusive employers, the embassies cannot assert the undocumented OFWs’ rights. Lee Ann Ducusin
Published : Wednesday May 23, 2012 | Category : OFW | Views : 77
By : Itchie G. Cabayan
ALFREDO Salmos, the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Saudi Arabia who was electrocuted in 2010, is finally home. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) media affairs division head Ma. Connie Bungag said Salmos arrived from Jeddah 12:50 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. Salmos’ family expressed gratitude... Read more
Published : Thursday May 17, 2012 | Category : OFW | Views : 292
By : Jun Pisco
AN overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia who was electrocuted in 2010 is set to come home in the next few weeks. Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said Alfredo Salmos suffered severe injuries and was unable to work since the accident. “I am pleased to announce that our kababayan, Mr.... Read more
Published : Sunday May 06, 2012 | Category : OFW | Views : 547
MAKAKAUWI na rin ng bansa si Alfredo Salmos, 52, tubong-Nueva Ecija, na mistulang isang buhay na patay ngayon sa Saudi Arabia. Nalapnos ang kanyang katawan at nagdikit ang kanyang baba at leeg matapos makuryente sa isang aksidente habang nagtatrabaho bilang technician sa Jeddah. Puspusan ang tulong ng tanggapan ni Vice President... Read more
Published : Saturday May 05, 2012 | Category : OFW | Views : 548
FIFTY-FIVE stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Papua New Guinea have been sent home, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday. In a report to the DFA, the Philippine Embassy in Port Moresby said the stranded OFWs were expected to arrive in Manila yesterday from Manus, Papua New Guinea. Philippine... Read more
Published : Thursday May 03, 2012 | Category : OFW | Views : 462
By : Joel dela Torre
THE Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration has turned on its social networking site to further monitor situations and working status of overseas Filipino workers. OWWA Advocacy and Social Marketing Division head Reynaldo Tayag said that they will open both their Twitter and Facebook accounts to have a better relationship with... Read more
