POEA-7 orients OFWs against drug trafficking abroad
Cebu City (08 March) - Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are cautioned against smuggling drugs and guns which is given emphasis during the pre-departure orientation seminar by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) -7 as part of the requirement before leaving for their job destination abroad.
POEA-7 Regional Director Evelyn Durato bared that even before the issue on drug mules involving OFWs has magnified into an alarming problem resulting to some fellow Filipinos awaiting the death row in China, the POEA-7 has already incorporated in its seminar the dangers of committing illegal activities in foreign lands such as drug and gun smuggling.
“After the case of Flor Contemplacion back in the 90s, we have undertaken initiatives to warn our OFWs to strictly adhere to the laws of the country they are working in,” Durato disclosed during a recent special PIA Kapihan on Drug Mules.
Durato warned OFWs to beware of packages asked by fellow kababayans to be sent back home “and you do not even know what is inside the package. Sometimes, our “utang na loob” trait is what pushes us to be careless unknowingly you might just be used to smuggle in something illegal,” Durato said.
The POEA-7 director said that she received reports on a few cases of drug smugglinginvolving Filipino seafarers but the cases are not as alarming as what is reported today.
Currently, there are 689 drug trafficking cases committed by Filipinos abroad mostly in theAsia Pacific Region including the 79 cases in China where the convicted Filipinos await execution, the penalty for such crime, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) - 7.
Drug mules are paid with an average of US $2,000, PDEA-7 Regional Director Adrian Avariño said.
Although Durato said she has not encountered a single case of an OFW from the region that has been involved in drug trafficking abroad to which Alvariño agreed as based on their record, most come from Western Luzon and a few from Western Visayas. But all are not OFWs as some Filipinos convicted of drug trafficking in other countries are plain tourists that are used or exploited by drug syndicates, the notorious of which are from West Africa.
Durato likewise disclosed that their agency also orients pre-employment seminar to graduating students bearing in mind that these would-be professionals would find prospects of working overseas more appealing in the absence of sufficient employment in the country.
“In our pre-employment seminar, we also stressed to graduating students to strictly follow the laws of the countries where they plan to work in case they entertain thoughts of working abroad,” Durato said. (PIA-Cebu/Fayette C. Riñen)
Central Visayas’ dengue cases decreased by 67.1 percent
By: Juju S. Manubag
Cebu City, March 7 (PIA) --- Dengue cases in Central Visayas decreased by 67.1% compared to to the same period of last year data with 1,653 cases and 19 deaths and Cebu City remains on the top list.
The Department of Health (DOH)-7 Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) reported that there were 543 dengue cases with 6 deaths for January 1 to March 5, 2011 recorded from the various disease reporting units of DOH-7.
Per RESU report, Cebu City has 95 cases with three (3) deaths followed by Mandaue City with 66 cases and 1 death.
Lapulapu City has 62 cases recorded while Talisay City has 29 cases and 1 death. Consolacion on the other hand has recorded 28 cases, Dumaguete City with 27 cases, Liloan 26, Minglanilla 19, San Fernando 17 and Danao City with 16 dengue cases recorded for the January 1-March 5, 2011 period.
According to the RESU report, ages of those with dengue cases ranged from three (3) months to 79 years old and mostly of those affected are under 1 to 5 years old.
Cebu City remains no.1 on the Top 10 municipalities and cities with dengue cases and deaths for the period.(PIA-Cebu/JSM)
AGIO-7 aims to bring gov't and dev’t closer to the people
By: Hazel F. Gloria
Cebu City, March 8 (PIA) -- The Association of Government Information Officers in (AGIO-7) Central Visayas aims this year is to bring government and development closer to the people.
In its annual planning workshop, AGIO-7 president Eddie Llamedo said the association will do its best to deliver government services to the people especially to the poorest of the poor communities.
The members of the association are divided into 6 committees namely: information caravan, media affairs, membership, TV and radio programs, fund raising and capability and training programs that attend to their respective committee taks.
Llamedo said the planning workshop was done for the association to sustain and improve the information advocacy support to government’s programs and projects.
Sharing of meaningful learning experiences and contribution of ideas among the officers and members could help attain the targets of the association which is in line with P-Noy’s priority programs, he added.
Last year, the association accomplished various activities such as trainings for the Information Officers, Information Caravan with Medical-Dental Mission and supported the programs and projects of different government agencies through TV and Radio guestings.
On the other hand, PIA-7 Regional Director Minerva Newman shared PIA’s Thrust and the new direction of the Aquino administration.(PIA-Cebu/HFG)