Maniolas

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 9:45 pm | Friday, April 25th, 2014 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Here’s good news for Filipinos wishing to work or permanently settle in Canada. The Canadian government is forging ahead with a new immigration system that will offer “express entry” to qualified immigrants, according to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. Citing a report from Leonida Romulo of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Toronto, Canada, Baldoz said that Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander recently made an announcement regarding Canada’s active recruitment model for economic migration officially called “Express Entry,” formerly referred to as “Expression of Interest.” “This model is considered to be a major step forward in the transformation of Canada’s immigration system into one that is fast, flexible, and focused on meeting its economic and labor needs,” Baldoz said. Under the scheme, candidates who receive a valid job offer or nomination under Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program will be quickly invited to apply for permanent residency—a key distinction between Express Entry and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which is only used to fill temporary labor and skills shortages. The immigration system is to be launched in January 2015. On the other hand, Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s maritime provinces, recently introduced the New Nova Scotia Nominee Program—Regional Labor Market Demand Stream, aimed at selecting individuals who meet the labor market needs, wish to join the labor market with full-time and permanent positions, and wish to live in Nova Scotia. Read More …

Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (C), 23, is assisted out of the hospital in Sragen district in central Java island February 5, 2014. Sulistyaningsih, 23, who was allegedly tortured by her Hong Kong employer left hospital on February 5 after a month, tearfully expressing the hope that her case would prevent future abuse of “small people like us”. AFP HONG KONG—Time magazine has named an Indonesian maid allegedly tortured by her Hong Kong employer as one of the world’s 100 most influential people, shining a spotlight on the city’s treatment of its migrant workers. Erwiana Sulistyaningsih reportedly suffered months of abuse in a case which has renewed concern over the treatment of domestic helpers in the southern Chinese city and sparked angry protests. Time magazine hailed Sulistyaningsih’s bravery in speaking out against her employer and pushing for laws that better protect maids in Hong Kong. The 23-year-old was delighted at the news, telling AFP: “I give thanks to God, I am very happy and I hope more attention will be given to the fate of migrant workers throughout the world. “I also hope that there will not be any more migrant workers who experience what I went through.” Time’s recognition of Sulistyaningsih brings international attention to the treatment of migrant domestic workers in the city, said Eman Villanueva, spokesman for the Hong Kong-based Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body. “The inclusion itself only proves that the issue of migrant domestic workers, the slavery, the exploitation and abuse is something that the international community Read More …

Former Commission on Audit chairman Reynaldo Villar on Friday filed a petition for bail before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the plunder case he is facing on the alleged misuse of P366 million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) fund, radio dzBB reported. The petition was filed when police presented Villar to the anti-graft court’s First Division, the same radio report said. This was confirmed to GMA News Online by a court personnel who refused to be named. The former COA chief was accompanied by his counsel, lawyer Rene Saguisag. The court personnel said a mugshot of Villar was also taken and submitted to the court. The radio report said the Sandiganbayan First Division set Villar’s arraignment on April 30 at 8:30 a.m.  Villar is a co-accused of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the case. Police on Thursday arrested Villar in his home in Merville Park, Parañaque City at 4 p.m. Aside from Mrs. Arroyo and Villar, the other accused in the plunder case are former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte; former PCSO assistant general manager for finance Benigno Aguas; former PCSO board directors Jose Taruc V and Ma. Fatima A. S. Valdes; and Sergio Valencia, Manuel Morato and Raymundo Roquero, all former PCSO officials. At present, only Uriarte and Valdes remain at large. Mrs. Arroyo remains under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. Taruc surrendered in March and was arraigned in April. He was allowed to post a P1-million bail. Morato Read More …

Former Senator Panfilo Lacson’s list of personalities allegedly involved in the pork barrel scam may be incomplete, according to the lawyer of alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. In an interview Friday, lawyer Bruce Rivera said they are not worried that other individuals are claiming to have copies of the list that Napoles prepared. “At the end of the day, our list is what matters,” he told GMA News Online, adding they will release their list at the right time. “Ilabas nila kung may listahan sila. Pero kami we will wait for the announcement [from the government]. We cannot be bamboozled into releasing the list just because they say they have copies too,” he said. Rivera confirmed that Napoles’ husband Jaime had given Lacson a copy of the list. “Kung kakaunting pangalan ang nandoon tapos ilalabas nila, eh di nakakapagtaka iyon, ‘di ba?” he said. Another personality who claimed to have a copy of the list is Sandra Cam, who heads the Whistleblowers Association of the Philippines. “Not a sack race” Rivera lamented how other individuals meddling in the issue seemed to be “competing” with them in releasing the list to the public. “Hindi ito paunahan. Hindi unahan na parang sack race. Maglabas sila, okay lang sa amin,” he said. Rivera confirmed that Napoles, whom he was about to meet, has already finished preparing her sworn statement, including a supplemental one. “Tapos na ang affidavit. Pero pupunta na lang ako doon para ma-interview siya on some specifics,” he said without elaborating. Read More …