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MMDA Metro Manila Motorcycle lanes

For balikbayans, if you happen to be visiting or passing through Metro Manila, do not be surprised.  Just this week, EDSA became the third main road to have a designated motorcycle lane after Commonwealth Avenue (traversing north Quezon City) and Diosdado Macapagal Avenue (near Mall of Asia complex).

Absentee Voters' Registration at NAIA-1

OFWs can now register as an Overseas Absentee Voter at NAIA 1, Mondays through Sundays 7am-10pm according to the Manila International Airport Authority website.

The government aims to increase OFW participation in the next national elections on May 2013.  Their plans also include setting up booths in the POEA, DFA, OWWA offices and distributing information materials

Migrante-Middle East in its blog welcomed this development although it also pointed out “the conduct of massive OAV registration information and dissemination, and voter’s education campaign abroad is still wanting”.

New relaxed rules for Korean foreign workers

The Korean Parliament reduced the waiting period of foreign workers who wish to return to South Korea after finishing their contracts. It also exempted them from taking another Korean language proficiency test or employment training, a POEA news release reports.

US Embassy-Manila closed on Feb20

According to the website of The Embassy of the United States in Manila, the Embassy and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on Monday, February 20, 2012, in observance of Presidents’ Day, an American holiday.

The US Embassy and its affiliated offices will resume services on Tuesday, February 21.

OFWs remitted USD20.12 billion in 2011

Overseas Filipinos remitted more than 20 billion US dollars that were coursed through banks as noted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The remittances increased because of the better network of remittance services available amid the political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, the uncertainty of the US and EU economies, and the general slowdown of the world economy.

This big contribution of OFWs to the Philippine economy still does not include the remittances sent over by other means.

How Pork Barrel is spent

Want to know how your Congressman/Representative spends his/her assigned Pork barrel?

OWWA-Region-9 opens OFW Dependents scholarships

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 9 reports that it is now accepting applications for its OFW Dependent Scholarship Program for the school year 2012-2013.

POEA allows redeployment to Yemen

The POEA Governing Board has allowed the redeployment of currently vacationing workers in the Philippines to return to their work in Yemen.  

According to the Department of Labor and Employment, however, the resumption of the deployment does not cover newly-hired workers as the deployment ban for them remains.

DFA Raises Alert Level 3 Over Iraq

The DFA announced yesterday that it raised Alert Level 3 in Iraq to contact and urge all remaining OFWs to avail of the DFA's voluntary repatriation offer.

Under Alert Level 3, OFWs who wish to leave Iraq are offered voluntary repatriation at government expense. The alert level covers all regions of Iraq except the northern autonomous region of Kurdistan, near the country's border with Turkey.

Read this before buying real property

Is the location of your property flood, landslide, tsunami, or earthquake safe?

If you are currently thinking of buying a condominium unit, house & lot or just a small piece of land, see to it that it is not in a high-risk area. This is not only for protecting your future investment but also protecting the lives of your love ones and not be just another disaster statistic.