Homecoming for Alfredo Salmos set; family conveys thanks to FB users

News Release

Blas F. Ople Policy Center

May 20, 2012

Homecoming for Alfred Salmos set; family conveys thanks to FB users

Two years after suffering severe burns due to electrocution, overseas Filipino worker Alfredo Salmos is finally arriving home.

The 52-year old electrician from Nueva Ecija conveyed his gratitude to all Facebook users who wrote about his plight, uploaded videos about him on their page, and exerted pressure through social media for the government to help bring him home. The OFW suffered electrocution when he was shutting down a 14,000-volts breaker in February 2010 and was comatose for one month. An Indonesian couple has been caring for him since then. It was only recently, when his video and photo became viral, that help started to pour in, and arrangements to bring him home gained traction.

OFW advocate Susan Ople, who has been assisting the family in arranging for Alfred’s homecoming, said that the outpouring of concern from Filipino Facebook users and social media enthusiasts around the world signify a sea-change in how social media directly impacts on cases of distressed OFWs.

“The outpouring of support for Alfred Salmos demonstrates the power of Facebook as a platform for OFW assistance and empowerment,” Ople noted.

During this morning’s Tinapayan media forum in Manila, Alfred’s younger sister, Epifania Salmos Colina gave special thanks to the first Facebook user who posted Salmos’s photo and wrote about his plight. “Gusto ko man banggitin ang pangalan ay baka may mga makaligtaan ako kaya sa tamang oras na lamang po namin babanggitin lahat lahat ng dapat pasalamatan,” Epifania said.

Herself a former OFW, Alfred’s younger sister said that the family’s immediate priority is to give him time to rest and have private moments with his mother and siblings as well as to ensure that his medical needs are attended to. The last time that Alfred saw his mother was seven years ago during a brief vacation in the country.

“Sa amin po titira si Kuya at aalagan namin siya ng husto. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga tumulong at gustong tumulong sa kanya,” Colina said. (“My brother will stay with us and we will take good care of him. We would like to thank all those who helped him and who’d like to help him.”)

Alfred’s sister also acknowledged the assistance of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, the Villar Foundation and the Office of Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

Senator Manny Villar and the Villar Foundation headed by his wife, former congresswoman Cynthia Villar, pledged to help with the medical expenses and livelihood assistance while Atty. Gwen Pimentel-Gana, chief of staff of the Office of Senator Koko Pimentel offered to coordinate with the Philippine General Hospital for the OFW’s medical treatment.

Previously, Alfred’s sister was also a beneficiary of the Villar Foundation’s Sagip OFW program when she availed of a free ticket home after running away from her abusive employer in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon had earlier assured the Salmos family that Alfred would receive his full disability benefits as OWWA member as well as livelihood assistance. The OWWA official has also directed her staff to provide airport and transportation assistance to Salmos.

Ople appealed in behalf of the Salmos family: “I hope that we can all welcome Alfred Salmos home as a brother who suffered enormous physical and emotional pain while in Saudi Arabia. He deserves a warm, friendly, and dignified welcome after everything that he had to endure mostly by himself in Saudi Arabia.”

OFWs in Jeddah gather and donate to Alfredo Salmos

The NGO noted that Saudi Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz al Saud was instrumental in the waiver of fees accruing from the time Alfred’s car was impounded due to a car accident in 1998.

OFWs in Jeddah gather and donate to Alfredo Salmos

OFWs Romy Carbonel, Frank Resma, Joseph Espiritu and volunteers of Patnubay Riyadh among several others, assisted Alfred in sending a personal letter in Arabic addressed to the Office of the Governor of Jeddah to waive the accumulated fees that barred him from leaving Saudi Arabia. Jeddah-based OFW blogger Jebee Kenji Solis also helped out in gathering donations from fellow OFW bloggers throughout the world. Other NGOs, Facebook users, and Saudi-based OFWs have been helping Alfred Salmos in coordination with the family and the Philippine Consulate.

Photo Courtesy of Patnubay Online. Romy Carbonel with Frank Resma

In his appeal to Prince al Saud, Alfred Salmos wrote: “Your Royal Highness, I believe that you are fair regardless of race, color or creed. Please send me home to my country. I want to see my family. I haven't seen them for quite a long time. In the Philippines I have a family who can take care of me.  Please tell the Moroor to clear any penalty for my car registration and to consider my physical condition for humanitarian considerations.”

The Prince granted the plea of Alfred Salmos, all fees were waived, and in a matter of days, the OFW most featured in the pages of Pinoy Facebook users around the world, shall soon be home.

Photo Courtesy of Patnubay Online. Romy Carbonel with Mang Alfredo Salmos

For those who wish to help OFW Alfred Salmos, please get in touch with the Blas F. Ople Center via 833-5337/833-9562 for coordination purposes. Donations can be channelled to the bank account set up by Alfred’s sister: Epifania Reem S. Colina, BPI Carmen West Rosales Pangasinan #0639-0859-29.

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©2012 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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Project NeaLShai

NealShai, from Sharon Flores Facebook account, a jargon name of her 9 years old son and her name.

Who is she? She was a caregiver in Haifa, Israel. Her story was brought to PEBA's attention a few days ago by some of her concerned friends, fellow caregivers Mush and Mazelle. 

They been doing everything they could to support Sharon and send her home. Why?

She is 32 years old single mom, and is working for 5 years as caregiver in Haifa. For more than one month, she had been hospitalized, and her friends and family learned from the doctor taking care of her, that she needs immediate medication and treatment for stomach cancer. 

Her friends had been persistently asking the support of the embassy in Israel to repatriate Sharon so she can spend most of her remaining days with her son. The embassy said they can't help her because she was UNDOCUMENTED after her employer died of old age, and she decided to stay even without documents so she can support her son and family. 

We found out that the embassy wanted Sharon to stay and stabilize at the hospital before flying home. The doctor advised otherwise because chemotherapy could weaken her more. 

The letter below was from Mush, Sharon's friend and also a caregiver. We forwarded this letter to The Ople Center through the effort of Ms. Susan Ople, and the Patnubay who knew well the rules regarding this situation.

The Ople Center contacted the embassy in Israel, and do more of the contacting in Manila.

As of this writing, Sharon is being flown from Haifa to Manila. 
We would like to plead for support moral and financial and donation, or even sponsorship of her son's education. 

Sharon and her son

 Here is the letter from Mush:

Magandang araw po sa inyong lahat.

Si Sharon Flores po, 32 years old, ay isang caregiver dito sa Israel. Mahigit isang buwan na po ang nakakaraan ng mag umpisang sumakit ang kanyang tyan, ayon po sa mga doktor, ang pananakit daw po ng kaniyang tyan ay sanhi ng appendicitis, kung kaya madalian po siyang inoperahan upang alisin ang knyang appendix. Ilang araw siyang tumagal sa hospital, hanggang pauwiin na sa kanyang bahay. Pagkaraan ng ilang araw, tumawag muli ang doktor sa kanya upang pabalikin sya sa hospital dahil may nakita silang iregularidad sa knyang sikmura. Mula noon ay ini confine sya sa hospital at sumailalalim sa iba't ibang tests. Pagkatapos ng ilang araw, lumabas ang findings ng doktor at nadiagnose sya na merong STOMACH CANCER, STAGE 4, at ipinayo ng mga doktor na iuwi na sya upang sa Pilipinas sumailalim ng chemotherapy. Sa kasalukuyan po ay naka confine pa din sya sa hospital habang hinihintay ang mga dokumentong kailangan nya sa kanyang pag uwi, at inaasahan po namin na makakauwi sya sa susunod na linggo.

Siya po ay isa lamang sa napakaraming Pilipino na nakikipagsapalaran sa bansang ito at nagtatrabaho kahit walang dokumento. Siya po ay nasa ilalim ng kategoryang UNDOCUMENTED WORKER, at sinabi po ng DFA na wala syang matatanggap na kahit na anong benipisyo mula sa gobyerno. Wala din pong maibigay na tulong pinansyal ang Philippine Embassy dito sa Israel o kahit na po sa OWWA ay di sya entitled sa kahit anong benifits dahil sa status nya  . Bilang isang breadwinner ng pamilya, sya po ay walang ipon na pera at meron po syang 9 na taong gulang na anak na lalaki na nangangailangan ng suporta at pagmamahal nya. Sinubukan na po namin na makakolekta ng kaunting pera mula sa mga malalapit na kaibigan pero alam ko po na hindi yun sasapat para sa pagpapagamot nya.

Siya po ay isang mabuting halimbawa ng isang mabuting mamamayan, na handang ibigay ang lahat para sa mga mahal nya sa buhay, at sya din po ay kabilang sa mga bagong bayani ng ating bayan. Sayang po kung basta na lamang isusuko ang laban kung dahil lamang sa kakulangang pinansyal. Kaya po bilang isang kaibigan, na nakakita at nakasaksi sa kanyng kahirapan, idinudulog ko po sa inyo, at nagmamakaawa po ako, na sana ay tulungan nyo sya na madugtungan pa ang kanyang buhay, para sa kanyang anak na umaasa na sa paglaki nya ay may ina sya na makakatuwang sa buhay.

If you wish to donate or offer prayers and support for Sharon, 

Mobile No. +639474773934

Bank Details

Name: Banco De Oro

Savings Account Name: Sharon Flores

Savings Account No.: 6320062362

please email at contact@pinoyblogawards.com

PEBA would like to thank again Mush and Mazelle for their courage and unfaltering support to Sharon at the lowest times of her life, as well as the Ople Center and Patnubay Riyadh for helping our distressed Kababayans. Mabuhay po kayo!


©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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Symposium on Saudization in Manila

Ms. Susan Ople of the Blas Ople Foreign Policy Ceter lead the Symposium on Saudization today June 23, 2011 at Midas Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Atty. Koko Pimentel welcomed participants from the OFW Families, Recruitment Agency and the NGOs.
Mr. Lito Soriano presented a powerpoint showing statistics emphasizing on the nature of the deployment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) where only 36% are new hires and the majority at 64% are rehires. And of the total 2008 data from CFO (Comm. of Filipino Overseas), of the 2.2M deployed abroad 53% (47% the rest of the world) are found in the Middle East (ME) where 1.3 (regular and irregular/undocumented) Filipinos work in KSA. He stressed that the biggest challenge for OFWs in the Middle East is downsizing. It was re-echoed by a participant from a recruitment agency that once KSA implemented a successful Saudization it would follow that other countries in the ME would follow suit.
The Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affair (OUMWA) Executive Director Eric Endaya offered several suggestions in addressing and counteracting Saudization like expanding TESDA training, providing more consular offices and labor officials abroad, revisit and analyze
RA 10022 Amendatory Law on Magna Carta for Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos (provision on mandatory insurance for migrants deployed by recruitment and/or manning agencies. ). He proposed the need to include the private sector in reviewing the law and encouraged the symposium participants to submit their policy proposal to address Saudization.
In the forum PEBA founder Kenji Solis’s video interview was presented together with a video from Patnubay ng Riyadh. It was seen from the interviewed that some are not familiar about Saudization or still confused with it. Only few of them are aware of the color coding system of Nitaqat.

Mr. Jun Aguilar, Jr. of the Filipino Migrant Workers Group presented the Nitaqat System. The Saudization law which is aimed at placing skilled and qualified Saudis in a career field and creating business growth was already put forward since 1994 but this year in 2011 September 10; the Saudi government will fully implement the law. So only three months are given to those companies in the yellow (partially satisfied Saudization requirement, their employees going on 6 years will not be rehired if the company will not fully comply to reach the green category) and red (contravened or ignored Saudization) categories to comply with the law. OFW who are in the household work (domestic helper, gardener, etc) and those who work in companies with less than 10 workers are exempted from the law. Platinum (company with exceptional record) and green (company that complies with Saudization) categories are the safe companies that OFW should belong to.

According to Mr. Aguilar the Saudi government is keen to implement Saudization this time given that they have already outlined concrete process to implement it and providing penal provisions for those who will not comply. Several ministries are also linked on this effort that includes the Ministry of Labor, the Minsitry of Interior (that issues Iqama/Jawazat) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This action from the government of providing jobs for Saudis is seen as their answer in preventing revolts in the Kingdom like those that happened in other Gulf countries where youth are asking for jobs.

Although considered as an adversity but there is also opportunities that await OFWs like possible of being upgraded to a better paying and more stable job. The speaker suggested that OFWs be provided information in finding out companies in the platinum and green category; OFW families be prepared of the possible implication of Saudization; and for the government to come-up with a comprehensive reintegration plan for OFWs.

In the symposium the government representatives from OWWA and POEA were at the receiving end of several tough questions they managed to answer with their best. One of the contentions raised by recruitment agency is RA 10022 where they foresee themselves going bankrupt if they will be the ones to cover for repatriation of OFWs (deployed and covered under RA 10022) who will be affected by Saudization law.

©2011 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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