US cites human trafficking, overstaying for a ban

The US Embassy in Manila issued approximately 40 percent of the total T-derivative visas issued worldwide from 2014 to 2016, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.

MANILA, Philippines – The US Department of Homeland Security has banned issuing visas for new Filipino workers seeking agricultural and non-agricultural jobs in the country for a year.

In an announcement posted January 18, the department announced that the Philippines will no longer be eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs due to high overstay rates.

The H-2B visa is issued to foreign workers in the US for temporary non-agricultural services while the H-2A visa allows foreign workers for temporary or seasonal agricultural work.

This ban will take effect from Jan. 19, 2019 to Jan. 18, 2020, according to the DHS.

The ban on the Philippines stems from the nearly 40 percent overstay rate of H-2B visa holders.

US Embassy in Manila issues most T-derivative visas
The US agency noted that the US Embassy in Manila issues the largest number of T-derivative visas, which are reserved for certain members of principal T-1 nonimmigrants or certain victims of a severe form of human trafficking.

“DHS and [Department of State] are concerned about the high volume of trafficking victims from the Philippines who have originally issued H-2B visas and the potential that continued H-2B visa issuance may encourage or serve as an avenue for future human trafficking from the Philippines,” the DHS said.

The US Embassy in Manila has issued an estimated 40 percent of the total T-derivative visas issued worldwide from 2014 to 2016, according to the DHS.

Approximately 60 percent of those who were granted T-1 statues, whose spouses were also issued T-2 visas in the same period, have been identified to have been victims of trafficking to the US through H-2B visas.

The US government considered the rates of overstay and human trafficking severe enough to remove the H-2A visa program for Filipinos as well.

The DHS noted that there was also an increase in H-2A visa applications from Filipinos between 2015 to 2018.

“The Philippines’ continued inclusion creates the potential for abuse, fraud, and other harm to the integrity of the H-2A or H-2B visa programs,” the DHS said.

Aside from the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia were also deemed ineligible for the program due to overstaying rate and being “at risk of non-compliance,” respectively.

The three countries have been removed from the eligibility lists for H-2A and H-2B for 2019 but nationals may still be beneficiaries of approved petitions upon request of the petitioner determined by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Source: philstar.com

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Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean Blog

The Subic Bay Freeport is starting the year on a positive note by booking six vessel arrivals for January.

The vessels include cruise ship World Dream, which the Freeport has welcomed for the third time.

“Right now, we’re experiencing a phenomenal influx of cruise ships and this is really a strong start for Subic, which recorded 17 arrivals last year,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said in a statement.

World Dream is the flagship of Chinese brand Dream Cruises owned by Genting Hong Kong. It booked its arrival on January 30.

Meanwhile, Italian-flagged and Costa Crociere-owned Costa Atlantica, which is another Subic regular, has set two arrival dates, the second being January 29.

“We are very happy that our cruise ship program is really picking up, and this is just the start. By next month, we hope to see more cruise ships coming in and some of them would be staying here in Subic overnight,” Eisma said.

In 2018, ship arrivals in Subic generated over P85 million in the first eight months. Eisma is expecting to keep up the momentum this year with the recent implementation of Executive Order (EO) 72.

Eisma said EO 72 “eased the entry of foreign nationals via the Subic seaports and extended them a visa-free stay of 14 days similar to those entering through the Subic airport.”

“This arrangement is less complicated, and thus we foresee that the resulting ease of travel would make Subic Bay an even bigger tourist magnet and anchor destination in Central Luzon,” she added.

The new measure can also facilitate the development of tourism in nearby areas of Region 3, with Subic as the “anchor destination and gateway,” Eisma said.

Meanwhile, SBMA Tourism department manager Jem Camba said there were about 3,000 tourists per visiting cruise ship. They tour the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City and Clark Freeport Zone. Other parts of Zambales and Bataan are visited.

The top destinations, Camba said, are the nature theme parks in Subic and historical places in Bataan and Pampanga.

Source: manilatimes.net

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International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI)’s subsidiary Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC) has expected that container volume will further grow this year, after hitting its milestone 200,000th twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) move last December.

The event was marked by the offloading of a milestone CMA CGM steel box from MV Sinar Sangir.

SBITC President Roberto Locsin said SBITC, which operates the New Container Terminals 1 and 2 at the Subic Bay Freeport, capped 2018 with a milestone after reaching its 200,000th TEU move last December 23.

“We are proud of reaching this latest milestone. More than hitting our targets, this new record highlights Subic Bay International Terminal’s capability to continuously outpace market growth, and readiness to serve the vibrant Subic Freeport market,” he said.

The event was marked by the offloading of a milestone CMA CGM steel box from MV Sinar Sangir.

He said this achievement was made possible through their customers, the collaboration of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and other stakeholders, and more especially through their passionate, humble and committed workforce.

“Along with further investments in port equipment and systems, we continue to work hand-in-hand with our customers to improve the efficiency of our operations and processes, and inevitably make their experience a more pleasant one,” he added.

Subic Bay International Terminal, one of the country’s most technologically-advanced box terminals, has an annual capacity of 600,000 TEUs.

The increasing volumes at the Subic Bay Freeport have enabled ICTSI to streamline and interface the operations of New Container Terminal (NCT) 1 and 2.

The merged operations were ready to serve an improving local economy in Central and Northern Luzon regions, alongside with its continued support to facilitate the box market of Metro Manila.

In 2007, under the Subic Port Development Project, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) awarded ICTSI subsidiary SBITC the concession for NCT 1, with commercial operations commencing in 2008.

In 2011, under the Subic Port Project’s second phase, SBMA awarded ICTSI Subic Inc. the concession to operate NCT 2.

Source: manilatimes.net

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Photo Credit: hdfcbank.com

Angeles City—This Pampanga city’s debt payment in 2019 will climb to a new high of P233 million, “taking a heavy toll on the city’s social services as it irreversibly falls into a disastrous debt trap for 15 years,” a mayoral candidate said over the weekend.

This developed as the Northern Luzon Airport Consortium has committed to invest P6 billion to run the operations and maintenance service of Clark International Airport that will “redefine the tourism and travel industry of the region upon its completion come 2020.”

Kambilian official candidate Alexander S. Cauguiran said the city government’s total outstanding debt has ballooned to P1.6 billion, the largest in the city’s history, and its yearly debt payment shall increase from P179 million in 2018 to P233 million this year, as the installment for the P1.22-billion loan from the Development Bank for the Philippines starts to kick in.

This massive borrowing, Cauguiran warned, exacts a heavy toll on the city’s basic social services.

“Take the case of the Ospital Ning Angeles [ONA]. Its 2019 budget for drugs and medicines amounts to only P4 million, and P11 for medical, dental, and laboratory supplies and equipment. This was approximately the same amount appropriated for the same items last year, while the city paid P179 million to service its loan,” he said.

The candidate said most ordinary Angeles residents “are complaining of the dire lack of medicines and medical supplies at the city-owned hospital.”

“Indeed, how can one reconcile that city spends P233 million for debt service while providing a measly P15 million for ONA’s medicines and medical supplies?” he added.

Meanwhile, the NLAC includes Josephine Gotianum-Yap, president and chief operating officer of Filinvest Development Corp., one of four companies in the consortium.

Cauguiran, the former Clark International Airport Corp. president, said the group’s vision is to position Northern Luzon as a gateway “that will surely create more growth of job and economic prosperity for Angeles City.”

“This is the reason why we need to develop the industry as more tourists mean more jobs and a strong economy for city, he said during a meeting with the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Pampanga (HRAP).

To realize the success of the program, Cauguiran said the region needs to attract over 600,000 tourists a year ? including the Koreans, Chinese, retired Americans, and Australians who are regular visitors of the city.

Data from the World Travel and Tourism Council showed that every 30 tourists who visit a place creates one job for the locals, he said.

The employment generated by the tourism industry will be deployed in hotels, restaurants, and food industries. Accountants, IT technicians, drivers, tourists guided, janitors and utility men will also see more opportunities.

“More tourists, more jobs with strong economy will also generate more related establishments like souvenir and delicacy shops for economic prosperity,” Cauguiran said.

Source: manilastandard.net

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Photo Credit: abc.net.au

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — The two engineering districts in Bataan said on Friday that the right-of-way issues posed no big problem in the ongoing widening into six lanes of the four-lane Roman Highway.

District Engineers Erlindo Flores and Ulysses Llado admitted that they encountered problems but they are exerting all efforts to resolve so as not to delay the projects.

“Ninety-five percent of the people were already paid for the right-of-way. There are only few of them who have yet to be paid,” Flores said in an interview with the media.

He said there are resistance from some property owners in some portions in the towns of Samal and Hermosa who refused to be paid but said he was hopeful that it would be resolved in due time.

“There is no problem on right of way in the second district, only minor ones but being settled. If there is a need for advanced payment, we are doing it in order to avoid problem,” Llado said.

“The widening is continuously going on although we still have a long way to go,” he added.

Right of way expands to a total of 30 meters or 15 meters from the center of the road each to the left and the right.

To be widened are about 18 kilometers in the first district and 39 kilometers in the second district spanning from the town of Dinalupihan to Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles.

Trees inside the right of way have to be cut or transferred by earth-balling. Land owners affected have to be paid based on the present market value.

The widening of the highway is in preparation to the proposed Manila Bay Bridge with a span of 24.4 kilometers that will connect the provinces of Bataan and Cavite aimed at lessening the monstrous traffic in Metro Manila.

Llado said he many foreign and local construction consultants have recently visited his office showing interest in the Bataan –Cavite Bridge across Manila Bay.

Source: ptvnews.ph

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