MANILA, Philippines — From slain overseas Filipino worker’s final rites to a review of the K-12 promise of jobs after completing basic education — these were among our headlines and news stories from the past week we think you should know if you’re a Filipino based abroad.
Overseas Filipinos
- Slain OFW Jullebee Ranara’s remains were laid to rest on Sunday.
The Department of Migrant Workers said it plans to send a fact-finding mission composed of its senior officials to Kuwait to look over her case. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salen Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has condemned her murder, saying Kuwaiti authorities will keep the Philippines updated on her case.
Lawmakers are still calling for a deployment ban, with Sen. Raffy Tulfo asking the upper chamber to review the country’s bilateral labor agreement with the Gulf State.
- There were more cases of human trafficking in the Philippines after major typhoons affected local agricultural industries, a 2022 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime showed. Economic hardships from the effects of the typhoon made some more vulnerable to trafficking and others more susceptible to engaging in it.
- President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be in Japan this week for an official working visit. He will meet with members of the Filipino community on February 12 before flying back home.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the issue of comfort women will not be brought up but they will not stop private individuals or victims from seeking reparations. As far as the government is concerned, Japan has already paid reparations for its occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945.
- The DFA will continue to provide OFW assistance and legal aid through its Assistance to Nationals fund until March 31 this year, "pending the full turnover of ATN functions to the DMW." The DFA is also working on sharing all data and information on OFW cases to the DMW to prepare the newly established department in handling all OFW services.
Work and the economy
- The Department of Education acknowledges that the K-12 program has not yet delivered on its promise that senior high school students would be ready for work right after graduation. Data showed only around 10% of K-12 curriculum graduates landed a job right after basic education studies, while the rest pursued higher education.
- The Philippines’ healthcare workers will still receive allowances despite the expiration of the country’s COVID-19 state of calamity.
- The 2021 World Risk Poll of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and pollster Gallup showed that 22% of women and 18% of men in the Philippines have experienced violence and harassment at work. Many did not report the incidents due to fear and because they think cases would not prosper.
- Senators have started to grill members of the economic team on the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund, stating concerns over investment gains and governance structure. The proposed investment fund has the backing of the president, the government's economic managers, and leaders of the House and Senate.
Politics and the nation
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According to the Department of Education’s first-ever basic education report, two out of three school buildings have issues or are in need of repair. Only 104,000 of around 328,000 facilities are in good shape.
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Meanwhile, DepEd’s 2023 budget only has room to build 6,000 classrooms, far from the 91,000 classroom shortage previously projected. This comes amid calls on the government to build its own evacuation centers instead of relying on educational institutions for space, affecting children’s education quality.
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DepEd recorded 404 student suicides in 2021, while there were 2,147 students who attempted to take their own lives. The department noted a shortage of guidance counsellors may be a key factor to assisting students’ mental health.
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Authorities recorded 40 crimes related to the operations of Philippine Offshare Gaming Operators last year, four times more than the nine logged in 2019. The country has, overall, recorded 102 POGO-related cases since 2019.
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The Philippine National Police sought help from other government agencies in its mission to take down active websites that continue to host e-sabong games. The Philippines has so far blocked or taken down 102 e-sabong platforms, while 76 have been deleted or deactivated.
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The Philippines and the United States have agreed to expand their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement by designating four new sites. This means US military will soon have access to nine of the Philippines’ military facilities.
You can view last week’s rundown here or sign up for the newsletter here.
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