Wednesday, January 12, 2011

DOLE to OFWs: Don't be sweet-talked into being drug couriers

Recent cases of overseas Filipino workers being sweet-talked into working as drug couriers have prompted an urgent warning from the Department of Labor and Employment.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz reminded the workers it is not worth it to be involved in the business, regardless of the financial rewards involved.

"However high the rewards in terms of monetary compensation being offered by these individuals, it is not worth it to be involved in the drug courier business. Avoid them as you do a plague," Baldoz said in an article posted on the government portal.

Baldoz ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices to include in their orientation seminars a strict warning to OFWs against being used as drug couriers.

She said the DOLE is closely working with relevant government agencies dealing with this drug menace.

Baldoz said many OFWs, mostly women, unknowingly fall prey to notorious members of international drug trafficking syndicates.

According to her, it is very unfortunate that some OFWs fall victim to these drug rings, some of which have infiltrated the Philippines with their illegal operations.

Baldoz said OFWs should always be wary of people offering large sums of money for bringing a small bag, box, or any container in or out of the country as a favor.

"Ignorance of what is contained in your checked-in luggage in any port of destination does not exempt you from prosecution and arrest if they find out that these contain contraband drugs or illegal items," she said.

Citing a report of the US Embassy in Manila, Baldoz said there is an increase in the recruitment of OFWs to smuggle cocaine and heroin in and out of the country. The article, however, did not give specific details.

The recruited OFW drug couriers "transport or smuggle" the illegal drugs to China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. A number of these drug couriers have been arrested and are now facing stiff penalties, including the death sentence, the article said.

"The challenge for the government to address this problem is just too awesome. An inter-agency cooperation in the highest levels is urgently needed to ultimately put an end to these menace," Baldoz said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV

Monday, January 3, 2011

60,000 available jobs to kick-off 2011

Para sa mga naghahanap ng trabaho ngayong Bagong Taon, may good news ang Department of Labor and Employment. May 60,000 na trabahong inaalok ngayon na wala pang gaanong aplikante. Anu-ano ang mga ito? Alamin sa pagba-Bandila ni Apples Jalandoni. Bandila, Enero 3, 2010,

DOLE's New Year advice to job seekers: Hone up skills to avail of opportunities 
 
"Hone up your skills to avail of job opportunities in 2011."

This is the New Year advice of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz to jobseekers yesterday, as she bared that 2010 brought increased local job opportunities as can be seen from the country's main online portal for jobs and skills matching, the Phil-Jobnet system (www.phil-job.net).

Baldoz said this is good news for the New Year, as she encouraged job seekers including students, fresh graduates, and the youth, to continue to train and upgrade their skills if they wish to successfully respond to and fill up these vacancies.

"Our efforts to strengthen the employability, competitiveness, and opportunities for labor," Baldoz emphasized, "are in pursuit of the overarching goal of President Benigno S. Aquino III, in 22-point labor and employment agenda, to invest in the country's no. 1 resource, its human resource, in an atmosphere of industrial peace and social justice."

The labor and employment chief emphasized that skills training and upgrading is one of the appropriate responses to the prevailing labor mismatch and unemployment problem which affect mainly high school graduates at about 46 percent, and college graduates at almost 43 percent.

Baldoz cited a report of the Bureau of Local Employment Director Ma. Criselda R. Sy which show that as of 28 December 2010, there are 61,548 vacancies of all types, both local and overseas, currently posted by employers in the Phil-jobnet.

Phil-Jobnet also carried online some 7,127 skills for hire on a variety of labor skills.

The BLE report also show that some 56,708 job seekers applied for 61,548 vacancies posted in the Phil-jobnet.

The top 50 vacancies currently posted in the system include opportunities for those with skills, credentials, or qualifications as pharmacists (615), call center agents (296), kitchen helpers (202), merchandisers (200), staff nurse (200), sales executives (160), occupational therapists (150), receptionist s (124), service crew (120), mechanical engineers (100), materials engineers (100), land surveyors (106), among many other occupations.

The "hot jobs" for the week from 21 until 28 December 2010, cover about 120 positions available to qualified applicants in local industries, along with 20 overseas position titles.

"The top 10 hot jobs for the week are mainly local ones, consisting primarily of opportunities for those with skills or qualifications as welders (1,001), occupational therapists (51), reinforcing iron workers (50), store supervisors (50), inventory clerks (50), receptionists (34), delivery helpers (21), professional tutors (20), delivery drivers (20), head teachers (20), sales clerks (20), motorcycle drivers/riders (20), bill collectors (20), stock clerks (20), customer relations officers (18), stockman (18), and accounting staff (12)," the report said.

On the other hand, the top hot jobs for overseas included those for domestic helpers (100), reinforcing iron workers (50), and mechanical engineers (20).

The top skills for hire carried currently in the Phil-Jobnet include service crew (1,993), production workers/factory workers (1,758), cashiers (1,635), sales clerks (1,396), production machine operators (1,394), salesladies (863), staff nurses (737), data encoders (712), office clerks (691), merchandisers (404), etc.

"For jobseekers who would like to avail of these jobs in 2011, they need to train and upgrade their skills to match the requirements," Baldoz said.

For inquiries about this release, please go to a Public Employment Service Office (PESO) located in your nearest local government unit (LGU), if not the DOLE Regional Office in your region, or see the specific employers and their linkage details at the Phil-jobnet system accessible at http://phil-job-net. Furthermore, for skills training assistance/queries, please call up the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at 8932454 or visit their website at www.tesda.gov.ph

TESDA to provide free trainings for 50,000 PUV drivers


At least 50,000 drivers of public utility vehicles will be given free trainings in a bid to ensure the safety of their future passengers and improve road safety, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) said it is willing to provide technical assistance for this.

In a statement, TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva said it made this commitment because of the string of vehicular accidents that occurred over the holidays, and as a response to a request of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

Villanueva explained that in Nov. 2010, Transportation Secretary Jose “Ping" de Jesus wrote him a letter asking if TESDA could certify more than 50,000 bus and truck drivers nationwide in the next two years.

"We gave our commitment to provide technical assistance for these drivers," he said. “We welcome the proposal considering this recent series of road accidents."

TESDA and the DOTC are set to meet this month to flesh out the training program, Villanueva said.

According to the DOTC, 85 percent of road accidents are "driver-related," indicating a lack of skills by drivers.

“Thus, it is important to assess their (drivers) capability on the road," Villanueva said.

The TESDA chief, however, said that private operators and traffic enforcers should also take part in the project.

"They should do their share of educating and training their drivers to guarantee that they can safely ferry their passengers and cargoes to their destination," he said.

If the proposal pushes through, drivers would have to undergo trainings at either TESDA schools or accredited private driving schools. Either way, they must still be assessed by TESDA, Villanueva said.

A three-way collision along STAR Tollway in Batangas on Sunday killed seven members of a family who were on their way to Manila.

Last week, a road accident in Sta. Rosa, Laguna killed six people in a jeepney, and the week before that, a bus collided with a car along Commonwealth Avenue, killing a retired Makati City Regional Trial Court judge and his wife who were on their way to midnight Mass. —Kimberly Jane Tan/DM/KBK, GMANews.TV