Dateline Kamuning:   The Philippine government will continue to talk and negotiate with the Kuwaiti officials on its decision to no longer issue new visas to Filipinos who want to work in the Middle Eastern country, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Friday.   The President made the statement during an interview with reporters at the 125th founding anniversary of the Philippine Navy in Manila.   “It’s their country. Those are their rules. So, we will just leave that issue open and hopefully we will continue to negotiate with them. We will continue to consult with them at baka sakali, down the road ay magbago ang sitwasyon, maibalik ngayon ang ating mga workers, lalo na ‘yung mga nabitin,” President Marcos said, reacting to the proposal of Pangasinan 3rd District Rep. Rachel Arenas for a total deployment ban of OFWs to Kuwait.   The President said there are around 800 OFWs who failed to enter Kuwait due to the new deployment ban.   “Hopefu...

Dateline Kamuning:   The Bureau of Customs-Port of Cagayan de Oro (BOC-CDO) has started distributing balikbayan boxes for the families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Northern Mindanao. The delivery is part of the 4,625 packages consolidated by All Win Cargo LLC but abandoned by its deconsolidator, Cargoflex Haulers Corporation. The container arrived in Cagayan de Oro on December 29, 2022, with 99 balikbayan boxes intended for consignees in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Surigao, Davao, and Zamboanga del Sur.     As of January 4, 52 balikbayan boxes have been claimed by consignees. The port intends to deliver all 99 balikbayan packages by the end of January 2023. With the guidance of District Collector Alexandra Yap-Lumontad, the BOC-CDO is also coordinating with other BOC offices to deliver the balikbayan boxes in their area of responsibility to expedite its release. Consignees can claim their packages by presenting document...

    Dateline Kamuning Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco vowed to prioritize overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) traveling in and out of the country this holiday season. According to Tansingco, they have recently rolled out the latest update of their Border Control Information System (BCIS), which is the centralized database of all travel records of incoming and outgoing passengers. The system is a database sharing information that would allow the BI access to DMW’s OEC records, lessening paperwork for departing OFWs. Apart from faster processing, the system also allowed BI officers to immediately verify and intercept fake OECs upon presentation by illegal recruitment and human trafficking victims.