Philippine workers win landmark case in applying for permanent residency

HONG KONG – A Hong Kong court on Friday ruled a law banning foreign maids from settling permanently in the city was unconstitutional, in a landmark case for domestic helpers.
The High Court said immigration laws barring maids – mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia – from applying for permanent residency violated Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
The legal action, brought by Evangeline Banao Vallejos, a Philippine domestic helper who has lived in Hong Kong since 1986, has cast a spotlight on the financial hub’s treatment of its army of 292,000 domestic helpers. Source: Inquirer

The way China works, Beijing must be finding ways to curb their fear of mass migration. With a huge population and the fact that labor sourced locally is better for them, this is just a minor setback that I'm sure they will correct. So this helps out present filipino workers, how will it affect the future filipino overseas worker to Hong Kong?

At this point, President Aquino's stubborness not to apologize for the Hong Kong hostage incident in Manila may come to play with this somewhat. The Hong Kong citizenry certainly won't forget that.

PALEA Troubles Stack Up

A dismayed President Aquino has ordered Malacañang lawyers to check whether Philippine Airlines (PAL) employees who staged a wildcat strike on Tuesday that canceled flights and stranded thousands of passengers could be charged in court.
The President said in Tokyo that he initially considered the move by the PAL Employees’ Association (Palea) a form of “economic sabotage,” but later decided to allow his legal team to look more closely into the work stoppage.

“I thought about that this morning,” he told members of the Philippine media delegation over coffee at the Imperial Hotel late Tuesday night.
Mr. Aquino said he had been informed about a previous meeting wherein Palea supposedly said its members had “no plans to embark on such an activity.”
He said the group should have issued a 24-hour notice that its members would stop working. “They didn’t do any of those things and there was even a typhoon,” he said.
Source: Inquirer

I really sympathize with the PALEA (Philippine Airlines Employees Association) members but the way they are doing it is wrong. Although it is a labor issue, it is more of an image campaign. When watching the news, the image of inconvenienced passengers and motorists caught in traffic because of the striking members is gaining sympathy towards Philippine Airlines rather than the disenfranchised PALEA members. They are pictured as loud, angry and brash.

To give you an idea, it has been a common belief that PAL members have it all. Such as free trips anywhere in the world. Job stability that extends to their children (retiring employess are replaced by their kids who are eligible). And not to mention some experience with rude PAL employees when flying their airline. It seems that for a long time, the company is held hostage by this union. I may be wrong with this but this is the public perception.

Now that the tables have been turned, it's hard to sympathize with PALEA. I have friends in the union and they are hardworking individuals. But at this point, if they are shown in a bad light every time, it diminishes whatever support they get from the public.

Also the fact that they seem to brandish leftists slogans reminiscent of the Marcos era isn't helping either. It just scares the public away from them.

Now, with President Aquino siding with PAL, the chips continually stack heavily against them.

During the storm, it was shown how thousands of passengers were inconvenienced when according to media, these members locked down operations which resulted in their forcible ejection. The image of passengers who can't do anything juxtaposed with shouting PALEA employees isn't giving them any positive support.

There's even news that tomorrow, Friday, they will hold a rally that will tie up traffic inconveniencing motorists. If this happens, I think PALEA just hit the bottom of the barrel and whipped out a shovel.

I do understand that they have to let the public know of their plight. And that this is a serious issue for everyone since other companies may follow suit. But from the start, PALEA should have tackled this in an image perspective and PR campaign.

World Record for Dragonboat team led by Filipino

LONG BEACH, California – The AeroDragons dragon boat team set a world record in open sea crossing last Saturday as they paddled 34.32 miles from Catalina Island to Long Beach in 5 hours and 39 minutes.

The team arrived at their final destination in Long Beach to loud cheers.

“It feels good especially because it’s the first time. We’re really excited for it,” said crew member Raymond Villegas.

...Norman Vera, another member of the team, said dragon boating is a perfect sport for the Filipinos, adding that the recent international victory of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation team inspired them to pursue this challenge.

“Sa dragon boating, hindi mo kailangan na matangkad ka, di mo kailangan na masyadong built,” Vera said. “I think the Philippine government is not supporting, but in spite of those hindrances they still excelled in the competition.”
Source: ABS-CBN News

This is not the same dragonboat team that won last month. That was the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation team. The Aerodragons are basically a recreational team. Here's what the team bio says:

AeroDragons is a club devoted to the sport of dragon boat racing. We are a competitive recreational team, and we are a member team of the Southern California Dragon Boat Club (SCDBC). Our members are a diverse mix of The Aerospace Corporation and Los Angeles Air Force Base/Space and Missile Systems Center employees, military personnel, families and friends. We are sponsored by the AEA (Aerospace Employees Association). AeroDragons' purpose is to cultivate a deeper appreciation for Asian/Pacific and other cultural heritages through team building, recreation, friendship and fun.
Source: CDBA

I think we have found the sport we can truly excel and make a mark. First boxing, now dragon boat racing. Onwards and upwards!

Is Cebu Pacific the world's worst airline?

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are a generally patient bunch. When we encounter bad service, we tend to deal with it on the spot, if at all, maybe rant about it a little or a lot, then chalk it up to experience. Now, if the service is just way too aggravating, that’s the only time we bother to make written complaints.
...there are common and resounding cries of rude crew, crew who don’t listen to reason or are just plain stupid, incredibly long delays of flights, even cancelled flights, hotlines that are not serviced properly, refunds that take months or more than a year to obtain, overbooking, outrageous excess baggage fees, overpriced on-board refreshments, and more…all the customer annoyances imaginable, really.
...the complaints posted and those I have gathered personally run from 2007 to the present. Do the same complaints recur? Yes. And what I also saw recurring was how people get so traumatized, they end up swearing off the airline. As in swearing to never use it voluntarily again. Cebu Pacific has been called “the worst of airlines,” “the lousiest airline,” “a useless airline,” “evil”, with teeth-grinding, ears-smoking accounts from people who are mostly seasoned travelers.
Source: Manila Bulletin

Seriously, I have more friends who have complained about Cebu Pacific than I have enemies.

I'm not sure why but I would guess they're just really an apathetic group. Whenever I see a problem about an airline, I would always assume it's Cebu Pacific. 8 times out of 10, I would be right. I remember the issue about the autistic child they refused to board, that went to the news. There was also an issue of a kidney organ they refused to board on the plane (I hope no one died because of it). Delayed flights, rude employees, and unprofessional behavior are normal topics when it comes to Cebu Pacific.Truth to tell, it's been years since I have flown with Cebu Pacific. And the experience then was not at all traumatic.

But with all these constant stories I get from friends about the airline now, I am just scared witless to take that airline. Seriously.

I have an image in my head that they seem to relish the idea of accumulating bad press and bragging about it. I dread the day that Cebu Pacific is the only airline around in the Philippines. I wonder how Cebu feels since their name is attached to that airline.

I mean, if there was an award for world's worst airline, how many would nominate Cebu Pacific?

Philippine Airlines says strike cripples flights

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Airlines said a strike by ground employees has paralyzed flight operations at Manila airport and affected about 14,000 passengers.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the national carrier is considering filing administrative and criminal complaints against about 300 employees who took part in the strike and work slowdown Tuesday.
Source: Inquirer News

In a nutshell, PAL is going to start outsourcing employees to cover their catering, ground handling and flight reservation operations. This will displace thousands of Philippine Airlines regular employees who would be given severance packages. This move by PAL is part of their cost cutting plan to make the business profitable again. The airline industry seems to be slowing down due to local and global conditions.

It would be hard for these Philippine Airlines employees to garner sympathy if they seem to purposely inconvenience passengers during the height of the storm. PAL employees are already at a disadvantage but going the strike route is not the right way.

Travelers and tourists in my opinion should not be held hostage to something they are not part of. By doing this, PALEA is putting a negative light on their plight.

5 reasons why the Philippines can become next Asian tiger

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines has a fresh opportunity to be Asia’s next tiger economy, potentially regaining the glory lost decades ago, according to a visiting regional business leader from Brunei. Dato Timothy Ong, a leading Brunei businessman who founded and now chairs regional dialogue platform Asia Inc. Forum, said in a press briefing on Monday that he has seen signs that the Philippines could revisit its goal of being the next Asian tiger despite staying at the bottom half of the 10-member Association...
...For Ong, the Philippines can join the ranks of Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, the so-called Asian “tiger” economies or newly industrializing countries. He cited five reasons why the country, though a “dark horse,” had the makings of the next “tiger.”
Source: Inquirer.net

In a nutshell, Ong's 5 reasons the Philippines will rise to the top are:

1. President Aquino's promise to weed out corruption in the Philippines.
2. The Philippines vast pool of hardworking and skilled manpower. Especially those based overseas.
3. The Philippines' "centers of excellence". These are the business centers all around the city that mirrors first world quality like the Makati Central Business District.
4. Homegrown companies such as Jollibee Foods Corp, The Ayala Group of Companies, and the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. These Philippine homegrown companies are at par with the world's best.
5. The Philippines sharply improving competitiveness. Proof of this is the 10point jump from 75 to 85 in the latest ranking of the World Economic Forum.

Not only can we be proud of our beautiful country, we can look forward to a prosperous one in the near future.

40 Percent for sex

Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr., the United States' envoy to the Philippines, said about 40 percent of the male foreign tourists in the Philippines come for sex. Speaking before a round-table discussion among Court of Appeals magistrates in Manila on Thursday, Thomas said it was unacceptable but "we know that 40 percent of foreign men who come to the Philippines, including from the US, come for sexual tourism." Source: GMA news

I hardly see American male tourists around anymore. Years ago, I would agree with this. Unless of course they go to other cities in the Philippines like Cebu or Angeles City. Most nationals I see at the moment are Koreans and would you believe, Russians? Russians seem to like the country and are silently investing in some companies, I hear.




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Philippine Beauty and Brains

That is one sexy Filipina!
Before I get angry posts, the Miss Universe Pageant is a beauty pageant first and foremost. Although having a brain counts a lot. And all of 'em have brains. But hell, Shamcey is one hot and sexy girl!
She won third runner up in the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant, but she's number one in my hotness book. hehe.


Here's a short bio:

Shamcey Supsup (born on May 16, 1986) is a Filipina beauty titleholder who represented the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant, in which she was declared as the third runner-up. She is also a licensed architect and topped the Architecture Licensure Examination in July 2010 in the Philippines.[ source: Wikipedia

Oh, here's another shot of her: