Good news to Filipino household service workers who wants to work in Saudi Arabia. Less than a year after issuing a deployment ban, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is ready to issue work visas to Filipino household service workers again. Furthermore, Saudi also increased the minimum salary to USD400 or SR1,500.

This development is the result of a new memorandum of agreement that was recently signed by the governments of Saudi and the Philippines.

What are the benefits of Pinoy Household Workers in Saudi under the new agreement? 

For those who need to apply or renew for a Philippine passport, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will conduct mobile passport services in different locations in March. All the mobile passport services are scheduled on a Saturday.

The schedule below is taken from the official website of the DFA.

Important Reminders for Passport Mobile Services

The processing of passports at Mobile Passport Services is guided by the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 and its implementing rules and regulations, other relevant Department Orders, Circulars and Memoranda.

Participation in the Mobile Passport Services must be coordinated with the Passport Coordinator designated by the Local Government Unit (LGU) in advance. The designated LGU Passport Coordinator will collect copies of the application forms from interested applicants at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled date of the mobile passport service.

The LGU Passport Coordinator will inform the applicant of the indicative time during which he or she will have to file the passport application on the scheduled date of the Mobile Passport Service.

Personal appearance is a requirement for all passport applicants.

The Mobile Passport Service will not accept applications for the replacement of lost valid passports but will entertain applications for lost expired passports.

The Mobile passport fee is same with the Expedite Rate.

For Any Details please call RCOCC at 834-400

Local Nos. 2406 – 2410 or 836-7750

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration recently announced the schedule of the 8th Employment Permit System- Test of Proficiency in Korean (EPS-TOPIK)  in thePhilippines.

According to an advisory that is posted in the POEA website, here is the exam schedule of 8^thEPS-TOPIK.

Test Date:   March 18, 2012 (Sunday)

Time:         10:30-11:40 (Session 1 ), 15:00-16:10 (Session 2)

All examinees must be in the designated test room until the designated time (9:30for session 1 and 14:00 for session 2) for the orientation.

Test Venue:  Test  venues  will  be announced  on  March  6,  2012  on  POEA website(www.poea.gov.ph)

How to Register for the 8^thEPS-TOPIK

The registration will be held from February 6 to 9 from 9 am to 5pm.

Registration Period: February 6 – 9, 2012, (Mon- Thu.), 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Registration Venues:

MetroManila:  5^thLevel, SM Manila (Back ofManilaCity Hall)

Bulacan:        Provincial Capitol Gym, City ofMalolos Bulacan

Tarlac:              My Metrotown Mall,McArthur Highway, City ofTarlac

Baguio:             POEA Regional Extension Unit-CAR,  Benitez Court             Compound,Magsaysay Avenue,BaguioCity

Iloilo:             POEA Regional Extension Unit-Region VI,   2^ndFloorDivinaGraciaBuilding,IloiloCity

Davao:          POEARegionalCenterforMindana,  2^ndFloor, AMYA II                      Building,Quimpo Blvd., cor Tulip Drive, Ecoland,DavaoCity

 Click here for more information about the 8th EPS-TOPIK.

To encourage more OFWs to register for the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that they are ready to give away all-expense paid trips to top tourist spots in the Philippines and gift checks through a raffle. All OFWs who will register for the coming elections will get a chance to win.

According to Velasco, the registration for the OAV started last November but only 16,070 OFWs had registered for the 2013 elections. This is a very small figure as compared to their goal of at least one million registrants from an estimated 12 million Filipinos working overseas

The Commissioner is hoping that the incentives they are offering would increase the number of registrants.

Velasco said, “Raffle prizes would include free trips to Boracay andBaguio, among other destinations, and gift checks from Duty Free Philippines. But we’re still finalizing the mechanics.”

The Comelec also plans to put up registration counters in airports so OFWs can register even before leaving.

The following warning is taken from the Facebook page of PIA-OFW Watch

Filipino job-seekers were warned strongly against falling for promises of fake jobs in four Chinese cities and the special territories of Hong Kong and Macau, where hiring of foreigners remains restricted.

The warning was issued by the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and the Philippine Consulates General in Chongging, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Macau.