By Jojie Alcantara
Witerary (Sunstar Davao)

MY FORMER college classmate is named Alexis. Behind this tough-sounding name is a tough persona and a highly contagious disposition. Seated together in class, she and I would often secretly pass notes to each other, writing about mundane matters that bore no relation to the courses we were taking. She was in Communication Arts and I was an English Major student.

The last time we got together was a few years back with our classmates (most of whom have become lawyers and educators). Jinky (she is fondly called) was still the same cheerful woman I have come to know and loved.

In our class, she had this motherly affection and tolerance for us, because she was wiser than her years. She always had this levelheaded way of dealing with problems, hence her leadership was always looked up to.

Marie Alexis “Jinky” Ocana graduated at the top of the AB Communication Arts Batch 1988.

She married fellow Ateneo alumni Pablo “Embong” Relampagos (BSBA ‘91), who surprisingly has the same kind of goofy sense of humor as she does.

Jinky taught in Ateneo Grade School from 1989 to 1997. She and her family then flew to the US where she worked as a Grade 2 teacher at the Briargrove Elementary School in Houston, Texas.

So it didn’t surprise me that she was recognized as the Houston Independent School District (HISD) 2007 Elementary School Teacher of the Year. This prestigious award was given to her in an annual Teacher’s Recognition Banquet on May 9, 2007 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.

She and a Secondary Teacher named Hafedh Azaiez both received $5,000 as grand prize after being selected from among 268 nominees.

In the Houston Chronicle article written about her, it states: “Relampagos joined HISD in 2000 and has taught second-grade English-as-a-Second-Language classes at Edward Blackshear Elementary School and Briargrove. She was Blackshear’s teacher of the year in 2002, and in 2003 she was ESL Teacher of the Year.”

“In addition to teaching her own students, Relampagos works with aspiring teachers, allowing them to observe her strategies for instruction and classroom management. She also works with parents to improve their children’s academic achievement. To her, teaching is both a science and an art, and the combination of the two brings out the best in every learner.”

This is the Jinky I know, the woman who encouraged me to persevere and hone my craft for others to follow. And when this article goes online (www.sunstar.com.ph), if you get to read this, Teacher Jinky, your batchmates are very proud of you. You are an exemplary model to all aspiring educators. And I do miss the hilarious little notes we used to exchange under the table. (More related story about the awards in http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/memorial/news/4791091.html)

http://www.philippinenews.com posted by PinoyMD

SAN JOSE — Dozens of Filipino Americans massed here in front of the Superior Court on Hedding street last Tuesday, May 15, to protest the alleged police brutality and unjust racial profiling of members of the Custodio family.

Single mom Marilou Alvarado Custodio, 50, and her two sons, Marlo, 18, and Romel, 25, accused members of the San Jose Police Department of beating them up while they were at the Evergreen Valley Park. Their complaint alleged one officer choked and tasered Marlo even while he was following police orders, while another officer slammed Marilou’s head against a police car three times. It happened February 5 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“This is definitely a case of racial profiling,� said San Jose State University professor Peter Chua, organizer of the Justice for Custodio Family Campaign.

Supporters of the Custodio family said Marilou suffered post-traumatic anxiety and trauma due to the police beating.

By their account, Marlo and a friend were just sitting in the park. The next thing they knew, the police were there and asked them to step out. Marlo complied and called out to his mother and brother who promptly came on the scene.

“Five officers swarmed, tackled and brutalized Romel. Already pacified, Romel was still tasered with three weapons for 40 seconds (over the usual time limit) and had to seek medical treatment for physical injury and taser burns,� Custodio supporters said.

The SJPD later arrested Marlo, Romel and Marilou. The motive remains unclear as of this writing. SJPD directed this reporter to the District Attorney’s office for official comment. Assistant DA David Howe said that since criminal prosecution is ongoing, details are not immediately available except for what’s on record in Docket #CC756870. The court adjourns hearing on June 26.

Chua said the Custodio supporters are working to get the DA to drop the resisting arrest charges against the family and to charge the six police officers who committed brutality and the two officers who witnessed the attack. Other supporters also said the six officers were white and were later joined by a Hispanic officer and an Asian officer.

Marlo was present at the rally only to express his family’s gratitude for the support from the FilAm community. He was advised by lawyers from discussing the details of the case.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations, or NaFFAA, did not return Philippine News’ repeated requests for a statement. For now, the Custodio family is banking mostly on the support of San Jose-based FilAms.

The poem below is called “The Chaos” and was written by G. Nolst Trenite, a.k.a. Charivarius (1870-1946). See:
  http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/english.html

Read it aloud:

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation — think of Psyche!
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough –
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!
 

 

By Joy B. Miranda

If there is one person I know who is extremely proud of his origin, it’s Vamsee. This morning he said, “In the history of Cyprus College, the first thing that they will know upon clicking on the Cyprus College website is that they will realize it is done by an Indian.” “Not just an Indian, but it is done by you!,” I quipped. “Done by me, by anybody else, as there are many others better than me out there, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that it is being done by an Indian like me,” he retorted in what could be a tone of pride in his voice.

I couldn’t blame him for that. Since I’ve known him for few years now , he is never ashamed of who he is. I joked at him one time by saying that he is so full of himself, which he didn’t take as a joke because “being full of himself” literally means self-centered and egoistic, and he was upset because he is not self-centered and egoistic. Of course. What I meant was that I also wanted to talk about Philippines and its history, my culture and traditions, my movies, my actors, my songs, etcetera. It just didn’t happen many times in our conversation because as always, topic is all about India. Fine. God bless India. Sure.

Anyways, he has been developing websites for a number of companies and even individuals in Cyprus. Being in a foreign land where discrimination is obviously displayed by some locals, Vamsee is one guy who expects and rather demands respect and it shows firmly in the way he talks to other people, to his clients, to his colleagues in the Research Department. Anyone he deals with can not fail but notice a gesture of “don’t -you- dare- look -down- on- me, or never- underestimate- me-look.” It’s just him, no less, in the manner and in every inch of professionalism, so to speak.

Some may find him snob, strict and choosy probably because of his serious-looking face. Well, he is a straight-forward yet dedicated person who knows what he wants in his life. He sticks to his principle whatever it is. He is snob and strict to those he knew would only be interested to mess up with him, so displaying an indifferent gesture is his way of signaling to them that there is no way they can mess up with him!

“Character is destiny” is his motto. Somehow, to understand it is also to understand him deeply. And understanding him in my case has changed a lot in me character-wise. Lesson? Here it is: Focus to what is really important in living. Money is supposed to be handled well, not money handling us, otherwise there is always chaos in life. Because money has no eyes, no heart, no senses. It just expends, and when it does, it doesnt care. Made sense? Hope so.

Well, I do not intend to write a whole book about him (as I know his humble, no show-off self wouldn’t agree to it either.) I only want to scribble some few lines about the person whom this website of mine has been created. He first felt my passion for writing, and he expressed his faith in my simple ability to write by way of making this website, as a birthday present to me last year…and I’ve never been so thankful! 

My lips will be left with insufficient words because I couldn’t really gather an appropriate adjective to support my heartfelt appreciation for all the good things he has done and still doing for me. He has been there for me through the good and bad times in Cyprus. He was the only person who showed up in the hospital when I had an accident. One day, and one day more, I will be going back to the Philippines. This site will be with me wherever and whenever I feel like writing something…and wherever and whenever, www.sentidokomon.com will always be indebted to him.

To Vamsee, thank you very much and many happy returns of the day! 

By Carmela Bignotia (OFW Guide)

The rise of the aging population in the USA made recruitment of foreign nurses necessary. Many nurses from other countries are attracted by the promise of the high salary combined with good working and living conditions. But not all nurses in the USA received the same salary.

Factors that can determine the wage of a nurse are years of experience, licenses, certifications, nature of the job, and place of work. The minimum wage and tax rates of a particular US state are also factors to consider.

The following information will help you gain an idea about the average annual salary of a registered nurse in America:

Starting Salary (Registered Nurse): USD 39,000

Salary may vary according to specialization:

Staff Nurse (Infection Control Department): USD 60,892

Transplant Coordinator: USD 65,612

Clinics: USD 37,300

Hospitals: USD 74,760

Salary may vary according to position:

Head Nurse: USD 78,732

In Charge of Intensive Care Unit: USD 83,900

Nursing Director: USD 102,200

(Note: Nursing directors requires an advanced degree)

Clinical Nurse Specialist: USD 73,350 to USD 78,000

Advanced Practice Nurse (Midwifery): USD 81,000 to 87,100

Nurse Practitioner: USD 78,283 to USD 84,000

Certified Nurse Anesthetist: USD USD 127, 213

Chief Nurse Anaesthetist: USD 157, 213
 
 
 

By Carmela Bignotia (OFW Guide)  

Libya, a country in North Africa is another destination for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Statistics from the Philippine Embassy in Libya showed that there is an estimate of 7,913 Filipinos working there in 2006. Filipino workers are mostly in the construction and oil industry and medical field. Some are employed as hospitality workers in hotels.

Fast Facts:

Official Title: Great Socialist Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Capital: Tripoli

Population: 5,900,754 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Religions: Sunni Muslim 97%

Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

Currency: Libyan dinar (LYD), Libyan dinars per US dollar – 1.3084 (2005)

Government: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

Chief of State: Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969)

Philippine Ambassador to Libya: Bayani Mangibin

Delay in salary and poor accommodations are some of the common problems encountered by OFWS in Libya especially the medical workers. To address the problem, the Embassy patiently lobbied the issue and the efforts resulted to improved labor law in Libya. Many oil and construction companies in Libya are located in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Brega.

The following are some of the companies that employ Filipino workers:

Companies                                                    Number of Filipino Workers
 
Value Added Oilfield Services (VAOS)                                402
 
Dong Ah Consortium                                                      384
 
Hyundai Engineering and Construction                              374
 
Sirte Oil Company (MedOil)                                              290
 
Daewoo E&C Co., Ltd, Benghazi                                      169
 
Interbeton BV, Libya Branch                                           116
 
Gemmo Impianti SPA, Libyan Branch                                101
 
MAN Ferrostaal Oil & Gas Ltd                                           100
 
Zuetina Oil Company (MedOil)                                           69
 
Waha Oil Company (MedOil)                                              59
 
Bonatti, Libyan Branch                                                     58
 
Ras Lanuf Oil & Gas Processing Co. (MedOil)                       48
 
Government hospitals on the other hand are located in the regions of Tripoli, Zawia, Benghazi, and Beida regions. The following are hospitals that employ Filipino workers:

Hospitals                                                  Number of Filipino Workers
 
Tripoli Medical Center                                             154
 
Tripoli Central Hospital                                             60
 
Zawia Central Hospital                                             30
 
Misurata Central Hospital                                         30
 
Jalo General Hospital                                               30
 
Ali Omar Askar Hospital                                           27
 
Al Afia Hospital                                                       24
 
Abusalem Trauma Hospital                                       24
 
Tajoura National Heart Center                                  20
 
Al Razzi Mental Hospital                                           19
 
(Source: DFA Office of Middle East & African Affairs, July 2006)

Reminders:

Libya is a Muslim country so respect to the Islamic teachings and customs must be observed at all times. Men and women should dress conservatively (long pants for men and long dresses for women). Avoid taking part in any religious or political discussions. In giving or receiving anything, use your right hand as it is considered rude to accept anything with the left hand.

By Carmela Bignotia (OFW guide)

Many countries are realizing the need to recruit foreign workers because of the problem of labor shortage. This gives overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) more options to choose a country where they can work. In the light of the stiff competition from other labor-importing countries, the Taiwan government said that it would increase the salary of some OFWs there.

According to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief, Rosalinda Baldoz, Taiwan is set to increase the monthly wage of domestic helpers and factory workers. The current salary of USD 400 or Dh 1,469 will be raised to USD 700 or Dh 2,571.

The higher salary to be offered made Taiwan a probable job destination for OFWs. Baldoz said, “We hope to get more jobs for workers in Taiwan, especially the high-end jobs.” About 90,000 Filipino workers are currently working in Taiwan. Majority of the workers that make up this statistic are employed as factory workers.

This is in contrast with the reactions of other labor-importing countries, which protested Philippine government’s new policy on the deployment of domestic helpers that requires foreign employers to offer a 100% increase in the salary of domestic helpers from USD 200 to USD 400.

The new hiring policy which took effect December 16 of last year also adjusted the minimum age requirement from 18 to 23 years old, and prohibited the charging of  placement fees of recruitment ag3ncies.

Baldoz and Augusto Syjuco, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority chief visited Taiwan for a preparatory discussion with the Taiwan’s labor officials. The Philippine government aims to implement a system that will give OFWs the right to complain against abusive employees even before their contract expires.

The POEA chief said, “We will pilot-test a new system wherein workers with complaints of recruitment violation against their employers and recruiters may file these at the POEA [in Taiwan] even before their contracts expire. Once all proceedings are completed, the complaint will be turned over to POEA and on the basis of the evidence gathered, (the labor agency) could resolve the case in behalf of the workers on site.” Baldoz said.

Falling down doesn’t make you a failure
but staying down does..
Always remember that no one is perfect
So when you fall down, bounce back higher..

__________________________

The reported release of eight (8) Filipino workers and three (3) Korean executives of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Company in Nigeria was confirmed to me by Labor Attache Rodolfo M. Sabulao who had been closely monitoring developments on the hostage-taking incident.

The Philippine Labor Department is grateful to our team from the Philippine Embassy and its local counterpart in Nigeria, particularly the local government of the region where the abduction occurred, for handling the negotiation that led to the eventual release of the hostages.

I already instructed Administrator Marianito Roque of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to effect a profiling of these Filipino hostages so that appropriate assistance would be afforded to them immediately, by their employers and by the Philippine government through the OWWA.

Despite the release, we will not lift the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in Nigeria yet pending thorough assessment on the general situation in that African country by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

By Carmela Bignotia (OFW Guide)  

Filipinos who wants to work as domestic helpers overseas can now avail of free training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the government agency (TESDA) started giving trainings and free assessment last April 20 for the Household Service Workers (HSWs).

Labor Secretary, Arturo Brion informed that the program is being carried out by an approximately 13 TESDA training institutions (TTIs) located in different areas of the Philippines. Brion also expressed admiration to the TTI’s for taking the initiative to start this project. He also dismissed the malicious accusations saying that the reform package was created to get profit from the HSWs.

Among the features of the reform package requires the HSWs who fail the assessment three times to undergo training. The TESDA are busy seeking ways to improve the program so HSWs expect more good news in the coming months.

As of this writing, only one Tesda center is offering the free training and that center is the one located in Taguig City. Brion added that more TTIs will be expected to offer free HSW training. The free assessment and training can be only be availed once.

List of TESDA Centers to Offer Free Training to HSWs

Region                    Training Institutions
 
Luzon                     Marcos-Agro Industrial School (Manayon, Bangui, Ilocos Norte)

                              Isabela School of Arts and Trades in   (Calamagui 2nd, Ilagan Isabela)

                             Southern Isabela College of Arts and Trades (Calaocan, Santiago City)

                             TESDA Women Center at TESDA Complex, East Service (South Super Hi-way, Taguig City)
 
Visayas                   New Lucena Polytechnic College (Efipanio Sonza Ave, New Lucena, Iloilo)

                             Arteche National Agricultural School  (Arteche, Eastern Samar)

                             Balangiga National Agricultural School (Balangiga, Eastern Samar)

                             Samar National School of Arts & Trades (Taft, Eastern Samar)
 
Mindanao                Dipolog School of Fisheries in Norte (Cagayan de Oro)
                         
                             School of Arts and Trades (Bugo Cagayan de Oro City)

                             Lupon School of Fisheries in Panunciaiman, (St. Lupon, Davao Oriental)

                             Surallah National Agricultural School (Brgy Dajay, Surallah, South Cotobato)

                             Northern Mindanao School of Fisheries (Matabao, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte)
 
For more details about this program, please inquire at the nearest TESDA regional office or at the TESDA Women’s Center in Taguig City. You can get in touch through tel. Nos. 818-8062 and 817-2651. You can also visit the TESDA website at http://www.tesda.gov.ph/