• HOW TO TRAVEL THE PHILIPPINES
Top 10 of Thailand - • TOP 10 THAILAND (THE BEST OF THAILAND)
Philippines VLOG Playlist
• Philippines Travel Vlog Series
Instagram LostLeBlanc
SnapChat LostLeBlanc
Twitter LostLeBlanc
Facebook LostLeBlanc
Laura's Insta: LauraReidd
Laura's vlog: / laurareidd
Laura's snap: LauraReidYTBY JEFFREY DAMICOG
Sep 3, 2023 09:09 AM
Filipinos who are going abroad to see their foreign partners are no longer required starting today, Sept. 3, to undergo the guidance and counseling program (GCP) of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
In a statement, Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the scrapping of the GCP requirement was issued by the CFO, a member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), to lessen the requirements for departing Filipinos.
All immigration officers have been informed of the new CFO rule, Tansingco said.
“The inter-agency council is committed to continuously review departure requirements for departing Filipinos to adapt to current trends,” Tansingco said.
“The BI, as an implementing agency, is ready to implement changes in departure guidelines, as deemed fit by members of the inter-agency,” he added.
He said he received a letter last Aug. 31 from CFO Chairperson Romulo Arugay who informed the BI of the latest rule.
“The GCP was initially a requirement for Filipinos with foreign partners departing to meet or marry abroad,” he also said.
He pointed out that the new rule is part of the 2023 Revised Guidelines on Departure Formalities for Internationally-Bound Filipino Travelers.
Earlier, IACAT had announced the suspension of the implementation of the revised guidelines which were supposed to be implemented today, Sept. 3.
Several quarters have raised their objections to the revised guidelines claiming the new rules violate a person’s right to travel.
The Senate had requested IACAT to defer the implementation of the new guidelines. Its request was granted.
BY JEFFREY DAMICOG
Sep 3, 2023 09:49 AM
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) against accepting “third country recruitment” or the contract to work in another country other than the place where they were originally and legitimately hired.
With the practice of “third country recruitment,” the Philippine government would not have records of the OFWs being transported to a different country, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said on Sunday, Sept. 3.
Tansingco said that OFWs, who usually accept “third country recruitment” after their visas expire, would be immediately transferred to the third country and would not get an opportunity to return to the Philippines.
“While ‘third party recruitment’ is beyond the scope of the BI, we deem it necessary to share to the public stories we encounter at the airport, as we are the first to hear about this back in the Philippines,” he said.
He stressed that “OFWs should protect themselves from exploitation by ensuring proper documentation when they work abroad.”
Tansingco issued the warning after five Filipinos arrived in the Philippines last Sept. 1 after their deportation from Moscow, Russia.
He said that four of the victims, all females with valid overseas employment certificates, shared the difficulties they encountered in Russia.
“Three of the female victims were OFWs in Hong Kong and were recruited to transfer to Russia upon expiry of their contracts,” he said.
“The other female victim worked as a nanny but remained in Russia despite the expiry of her contract,” he noted.
The male deportee, on the other hand, left the Philippines as a tourist to visit his OFW wife but overstayed due to Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
The 20 contestants of "The Debut: Dream Academy" including the Philippines' Sophia Laforteza
Kristofer Purnell - Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — Filipina Sophia Laforteza is one of twenty contestants vying to be part of HYBE and Geffen Records' next global girl group through the talent show "The Debut: Dream Academy."
The 20-year-old Laforteza and 19 other young ladies originating from South Korea, Japan, United States, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Belarus, Sweden and Slovakia were selected from over 120,000 candidates from a process dating back to November 2021.
"The Debut: Dream Academy" released posters and short videos introducing each of the 20 candidates, who all underwent the K-pop training and development system.
Beginning September 1, "The Debut: Dream Academy" will air on Youtube and Japanese streaming platform Abema, concluding with a finale on November 18 with the final members and name of the new girl group.
Fans can also participate by voting on TikTok and Weverse which members they want to be considered to make the cut. The group's concept and how many will ultimately be chosen will be announced at a future date.
The eventual group's development process will be filmed for a Netflix documentary series coming out next year directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nadia Hallgren.
"Each candidate is incredibly talented, dedicated, and driven, making this an exciting moment for music fans around the world," said Geffen Records’ chairman John Jannick in a statement.
HYBE is the Korean agency behind BTS, Seventeen, NewJeans, Enhypen, Tomorrow X Together and Le Sserafim.
Meanwhile, Universal Music Group's Geffen Records founded by veteran producer David Geffen currently manages Ann Marie, Kali Uchis, Neon Trees, Big Time Rush, Marshemello, American distribution for Seventeen, NewJeans, and Le Sserafim, reissues of Nirvana, and Filipino-American Olivia Rodrigo.
