The Ilocos Times

San Fernando City , La Union—Once again, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office I (OWWA RWOI) scholars proved that they are now ready to face the professional world as they are now licensed educators and registered nurse. Four scholars recently passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) administered on September 30, 2018 and one scholar passed the Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) conducted last November 17 & 18, 2018. Among the LET passers are Julia Mae C. Agustin, Louise Casey C. Murao, John Carlo A. Manabat and John Bert A. Peralta. Ms. Agustin was a scholar under the OFW Dependent Scholarship (ODSP) while Messrs. Murao, Manabat and Peralta were under the Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP). On the other hand, registered nurse Jenalyn P. Raguini became an OWWA scholar through the Enhanced ODSP. Ms. Agustin earned her college degree at the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. She is the

  OWWA officials process the calamity assistance for Ilocos Norte members at the Provincial Capitol cafeteria. (OWWA ) San Fernando City, La Union—After typhoon Mangkhut [Ompong] hit Ilocos Region last month, the Overseas Worker Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office I (OWWA RWOI) gave Calamity Assistance to OFW-OWWA members and their qualified dependents who were severely affected by the typhoon. OWWA, through its Welfare Assistance Program (WAP), gave assistance amounting to PHP3,000 for active OWWA members and PHP1,500 for inactive members. Since the whole region was placed under a state of calamity during the typhoon, OWWA RWOI together with the local government of each provinces has to identify the top municipalities and cities that were hardly hit by the typhoon thus giving priority with the calamity assistance. In Ilocos Norte, the processing for the calamity assistance was held on September 25-28 and October 4-6, 2018 at Provincial Capitol Cafet

San Fernando City, La Union —The National Reintegration Centers of OFWs (NRCO) is now part of the Overseas Welfare Administration (OWWA) pursuant to OWWA Act of 2016. The said Act states that NRCO becomes an OWWA attached office and headed by an executive director who shall be under the supervision of the OWWA administrator. Being an attached office of the OWWA, NRCO will undertake all the reintegration services of the agency. NRCO, which Republic Act 10022 institutionalized, caters to the reintegration needs of the OFWs as well as those who are in distressful situations. Some NRCO’s reintegration programs includes Balik Pinay, Balik Hanapbuhay and Livelihood Development Assistance Program (LDAP) wherein beneficiaries were given trainings and start-up kits for their business ventures. OFWs who may avail these programs are distressed women worker-returnees who are victims of human trafficking, illegal recruitment, sexual harassment and maltreatment or abuse as well as thos

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Pinili , Ilocos Norte—The Ilocanos ’ love for green leafy vegetables is not just contained in backyard gardens, barangay streets and idle lots. This time, a primary school at Brgy. Badio, this town, is transforming its 6,235 square-meter lot into a haven for malunggay ( Moringa oleifera ) plantation. In time for the nutrition month celebration on July 27, 2018, around 147 pupils along with some 50 parents of the Badio Elementary School (BES) took off their shoes and slippers as they walked through the rice paddies within the school compound and planted malunggay cuttings on the sides. “We chose malunggay because it is full of vitamins and minerals. It is also easy to grow by the parents and children at home,” said Aileen Rambaud, BES principal. The lowly malunggay, also known as horse-radish tree is drought resistant and it grows well in Ilocos Norte soil. On the first year after planting, the tree can reach up to three m

By Jeremaiah M. Opiniano EVERY seventh of June, a Southeast Asian archipelago commemorates the "heroism" of compatriots who have been a visible reason for the steady growth of their motherland's economy. The celebration is National Migrant Workers Day, and the passage of a law to protect the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos and their families brought about the date's historicity. That law, currently coded as Republic Act 10022 (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, revised twice), spells out regulations for labor migration and lays out the bureaucratic structure—found at home and abroad—that ensures safe and orderly overseas migration. The original law, RA 8042, was a result of the execution of a domestic worker in Singapore, Ms. Flor Contemplacion, in March 1995. That episode created diplomatic tension between the two countries, as well as national shame for a country that then had no enabling law for migrant workers' protection. The

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Reaching out to the Ilokanos, a new language school and training center is now in the city offering Nihongo and German languages to interested applicants. Located at the heart of city, the Talaytayan Language and Training Centre Inc. is now accepting enrollees who wish to learn a foreign language for a better employment here and abroad. Founded by Riza Tongson-Espe, a specialist nurse who is now based in London, United Kingdom, the Talaytayan Language Center-Laoag branch aims to cater to students, caregivers, nurses or whoever that is interested to study Japanese or German languages. Research study shows that Japanese is one of the five hardest languages to learn, along with Arabic, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese. However, the Talaytayan Language Center has designed a comprehensive and convenient way to teach foreign languages. According to Ms. Espe, who is a native of Piddig, Ilocos Norte, thousands of hea

  THE  OWWA endeavors to strengthen its partnerships to the local government units, and the first Regional MDO Congress aims to hit that objective. (From left) OWWA administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac; Former DOLE Sec. and former OWWA administrator Marianito Roque; and, OWWA RWOI OIC Gerardo Rimorin. (OWWA Region I) Dagupan City —For the first time ever, migrant desk officers (MDOs) from various local government units (LGUs) in Region 1 have gathered for the first Regional MDO Congress in the Philippines, held on April 12-13, 2018 in Pangasinan. Led by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office I (OWWA RWOI), the activity convened the MDOs in the objective to strengthen them as the OWWA’s partner in the LGUs in the delivery of services to member-overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families. A total of 105 MDOs took part in the congress; 46 were from Pangasinan, 18 from La Union, 26 from Ilocos Sur, and 15 from Ilocos Norte. Highlight

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is calling on all repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Kuwait to report to the nearest OWWA for assistance. In Ilocos Norte, Nona Ganal, of the OWWA Regional Office said on February 28, 2018 that OFWs who were not able to receive any financial or livelihood assistance from the OWWA central office may avail of the said benefits. For every repatriated OFW, the OWWA is giving out at least PHP25,000 livelihood assistance and PHP5,000 financial assistance. Over the weekend, the OWWA and labor officials went to Kuwait City to check on the welfare of OFWs and to assess the impact of a new ban on Filipinos working there. This came following the murder of a 29-year-old Joana Demafelis by her employers and President Rodrigo Duterte immediately announced a departure ban for Filipinos planning to work in Kuwait. The ban remain