Gary Garcia has been working as a seafarer for almost 10 years—and has been a registered absentee voter for just as long. In fact, it’s as long as the existence of Republic Act No. 9189 or the Overseas Absentee Voting Law, which provides for a system for Filipino citizens working or residing outside the Philippines to vote in a national election.
Automated elections are now under way in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
Amanda came to Bantay OCW at Radyo Inquirer to complain that her husband, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), had another family and had stopped supporting his original family.
On April 15, my birthday, a pair of bombs battered the beautiful city of Boston. Everything I planned for that weekend went well. A prayer meeting Friday night, a dinner with my husband Steve and my in-laws on Saturday afternoon, followed by a party for a friend’s 65th birthday.
Ma. Victoria Esquivas, an overseas Filipino worker in Qatar, was repatriated recently. Her work contract actually ended last August 2012, but she said her employer had refused to allow her to go home.
Deployment of household service workers (HSWs) or domestic helpers continues to increase and outpace deployment of professional and skilled workers despite an imposed minimum HSW salary of $400 and more stringent welfare and protection clauses.
The bipartisan senators in charge of drafting the comprehensive immigration reform measure recently introduced the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 (S.744). The 844-page bill contains several components, including border security and new rules for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, among others.
Macau, a sparkling metropolis at night, is home to thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Famously described as the Las Vegas in Asia, the city bustles with activity day and night, with well-heeled tourists flocking to its five-star casinos and first-class hotels.
CLYD of Bacolod City received a message from his wife in Kuwait, telling him that she was separating from him because she did not love him anymore. She said she had found a new love in Kuwait, a fellow Overseas Filipino worker whom she met through Facebook.
One who has traveled to the United States as a visitor is familiar with the “white” card. This is the Form I-94 submitted upon entry to the United States. What actually is the importance of this card to a traveler? And what major changes is the Department of Homeland Security implementing with regards to the use of this card?
Back in the ’80s when the Marcos regime was near its end, we decided to move our family to the United States. People Power was then gaining ground, with constant demonstrations around the city. Yellow confetti frequently rained down from buildings and protesters, fleeing from riot police and tear gas, often sought refuge in my husband’s office in Ayala Avenue.
Twenty-three Bruneians attended the Filipino language class opened recently by the Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) Language Centre.
