• OFW in Kuwait suffers burns from an explosion
• Her employer wants her to return to work or 150k to be allowed to go home to the Philippines.

Amor Tallaser is an OFW working in Kuwait who on May 25, while she was cooking, suffered partial thickness burns when the oven exploded.

Her daughter, Claire Sarmiento, shared the story on Facebook.

“Sunog ang dalawang kamay at ibang parte nang mukha niya. sunog ang kilay at pilik mata at lumabo ang paningin.”

Amor’s employer told her that she could rest and return to work after she has fully recovered. But after a week, Amor’s employer was already ordering her to come back to work while she was still recuperating.

“nangako ang amo nya na ipapagamot sya at hindi pagtatrabahuhin habang nagpapagaling pero wala pang isang linggo at hnd pa hilom ang sunog nya sa kamay ehh pinagtatrabho na sya nang amo nya.”

The family decided that it was best for Amor to come home to heal. They then apreoached Amor’s agency to try and bring their mother back to the Philippines, but to no avail. They were not getting the responses that they wanted.

All of a sudden, Amor’s employer said that if she wants to go home, she would have to put up 150k, money that Amor does not have.

“Tinawagan daw sya nang agency sa kuwait at sinabing pag umuwi sya eh magbabayad sya nang 150k. at kong wala syang pera magpagaling nalang at magtrabho?”

Amor’s family contacted the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) but were told to wait for five working days.

Netizens are urging Claire to contact the controversial Tulfo brothers to get some help.

• Christian OFW shared his farewell letter to thank his Muslim Boss for the support she gave
• He was hired to work abroad and had passed all the medical exams required, by then he was not yet infected with HIV until 2017
• Vic had thought that her boss would send him back to the Philippines but she eventually said that she would not be allowed the Ministry of Health to send him home and she is willing to fight his right to stay and work

A Christian OFW shared his farewell letter on Twitter to thank his Muslim boss for the support she gave and for fighting for his right to stay after he was diagnosed with HIV.

In an interview with The Dailypedia via Twitter direct message, he shared his experience and how he was supported by his Muslim boss.

Nicknamed Vic, the 33-year-old nurse started to work in the Middle East in 2012. On April 2018, he was admitted to a hospital and took the test for HIV and the results came back positive. At the time, he hadn’t informed but he was so sure that the Center for Communicable Diseases had already done so.

On May 1, 2018, he was discharged from the hospital and he received a call from his boss. His boss said that he could rest at home and report to the office if he was already well enough to walk. By the second week of June, he reported to his boss in her office.

RETWEET
This is the farewell letter of a Christian HIV infected staff to his supportive Muslim Boss.

She fought for me in the higher management that's why I was still able to stay for 9months abroad post diagnosis

My 7yr journey as OFW ended but the memories will last forever. pic.twitter.com/u82ywUzdGi

— Victorious_0410 (@Victorious_0410) May 19, 2019

During their conversation, his Muslim boss asked him if he had something to share. At first, he did not admit he was HIV positive but she consistently questioned him and he soon broke down in tears. Vic had thought that his boss would send him back to the Philippines but she eventually said that she would not allow the Ministry of Health to send him home and that she was willing to fight for his right to stay and work.

Vic’s boss told him to stay and even offered him all his work privileges such as additional sick leave, retention of benefits, and even promotion after a year. She also assigned him to a job area that was not too tiring.

Unfortunately, some of the nurses took a peek at his files and spread the news about his condition which made his boss mad. She called the attention of all the nurses that have accessed his files on the system, scolded them, and wrote a warning letter that went into their records.

"It saddens me, thinking, that not all battles being fought are victorious. Sometimes, we really need to let go and move on."

–Few words that killed me–

— Victorious_0410 (@Victorious_0410) May 19, 2019

The Ministry of Health ordered him to handle any patients until they give their final decision on his case.

By October 2018, the higher management of the Ministry of Health made their final decision that he needed to be sent home but not necessarily immediately. All he had to do was to file a formal resignation which he did by that month.

Before he returned to the Philippines, his boss treated him to a theme park, some restaurants, and coffee at the local cafe. She also gave him a watch and 50,000 pesos from his department.

On January 11, 2019, he finally returned to the Philippines.

His boss did not stop supporting him because she even contacted her friends in the Philippines to offer him a job but he chose to refuse the offer. Vic decided to find a job on his own and is currently working as an HIV nurse.

https://twitter.com/Victorious_0410/status/1130113877008498688

Until now his former boss still communicates with him and he shares with her news about his life now.

He also has a message for those who have been diagnosed with HIV, but still refuse to undergo medication.

“Advice sa mga taong hindi pa ready na mag-gamot. Actually, acceptance is hard to achieve. Lalo na pag yung foundation ng faith mo is weak. Kahit anong galing ng magadvice ng doktor about sa technicalities ng HIV, hindi talaga nila mauunawaan ang kahalagahan. They have to return back to God and seek for wisdom and strength. Kapag matibay ang spiritual aspect mo, damay-damay na yan, emotionally, mentally, socially hanggang physical aspect…

“It’s ok not to be ok… healing process is not immediate. They have to be surrounded by people who will lift them up and inspire them that life has so much to offer for them.
“And life is a gift from God, kapag binavalue nila itong gift na ito, mas mauunawaan nila ang kahalagahan ng pag gagamot.”

He also had something to say to people who discriminate against individuals with HIV.

“Sa mga taong mapanghusga pa rin…You can throw all your stones on us, but as you throw these stones, we will pick them all up and build a wall so that you won’t hurt us anymore. Just remember that we are still humans, kaibigan niyo kami, katrabaho, kachurch at kapamilya. We are no less of a human than anyone else. Our status does not define who we are as a person.

“Let’s stop discrimination and humiliation
Let’s stop belittling women
Let’s stop discriminating black people
Let’s end the fear of Muslims
Let’s fight and put an end to HIV stigma
We are all equal in the eyes of GOD”

• Lilian Abenoja, an OFW in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia made it home with the help of ABS-CBN’s Tulong Center
• ABS-CBN’s Tulong Center offers free legal and medical assistance to Filipinos in need
• During her visit at the Tulong Center, Lilian shared her bad experiences with her employer

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was recently in danger made it home safely to her husband and children thanks to the quick action of the ABS-CBN Tulong Center, the “ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya sa DZMM” radio program, and government agencies.

Lilian Abenoja, who worked as a helper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, alerted her husband Renato Rimando after repeatedly suffering various forms of abuse in the hands of her employer. Renato rushed to the Tulong Center in Quezon City frantic for help upon getting a call from his wife, who feared that her employer would rape her or worse, at any moment.

The center, which provides Filipinos with free legal and medical assistance through connecting them to appropriate organizations and agencies, immediately gave him with an endorsement letter to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and endorsed Lilian’s case to the“ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya sa DZMM” radio program with Julius Babao and Bernadette Sembrano-Aguinaldo. They featured Renato and Lilian’s situation on air and connected them to OWWA’s Repatriation Assistance Unit, making immediate action on it possible. They got the agency’s commitment to tap other concerned government agencies here and in Riyadh to rescue Lilian.

Within a month, she was back home with her family.

During a recent visit to the Tulong Center, Lilian shared how her male employer tried to intimidate her into giving him sexual favors, while her female employer accused her of seducing her husband and retaliated by withholding her wages, food, and basic needs. Moreover, even the children she cared for were hurting and mistreating her too.

“We are so grateful for the help extended to us,” said Renato. “We know about others who’ve had to wait for months to be rescued, and the horror stories of starvation, rape, and worse. But thanks to ABS-CBN, who alerted the authorities on our situation attention and acted quickly, my wife was saved from further harm,” he added.

Launched in February 2014, the Tulong Center aims to serve Kapamilyas in need of legal, medical and other forms of assistance and has served more than 40,000 individuals and counting since then. While it doesn’t provide direct financial assistance like cash, it works with various groups, including hospitals, pharmacies and government agencies to respond to the needs of Kapamilyas who need help. The Tulong Center also connects the clients with DZMM TeleRadyo’s “Lingkod Kapamilya” program who air their stories and pleas for help to alert the organizations and government agencies to take action immediately.

The Tulong Center is located along Eugenio Lopez Drive at the ABS-CBN Compound in Quezon City every weekday from 8 am to 5 pm. They can also call the hotline at 4141296 or 4145431, or get in touch via Facebook at facebook.com/abscbnfoundationkapamilya. Pleas for help sent via phone, email, social media, or referrals are acted upon within 24 hours. Volunteers and interested donors and partners can call the same hotline to join the Tulong Centers efforts.

For more information, go tofacebook.com/abscbnfoundationkapamilya. For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or go abscbnpr.com.

Everybody loves food, ask anyone. Eating leftovers just feels different compared to eating a newly cooked food.

Rosemarie Silapan, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Bahrain posted on facebook; her photos and her co-workers’ eating. But the thing is the food they were eating were leftovers from their employers. They have no choice but to eat the leftovers since their employer said that they would starve if they won’t it.

They have no say in what they want to eat.

The photo showed them eating on the floor, along with plates and utensils that looked like they have already been used. It was not a pretty sight.

“Kung di ka kakain ng tira2 ng mga amo nyo gutom ka…Kung maarte ka patay ka. Patibayan ng sikmura dito kahit na duduwal kana hala subo,” she said in her post.

Given that their work requires much energy, they need to eat in order to gain more energy. She said that people have the notion that OFWs are living comfortably abroad, but that is not actually the case.

“Yung di mo naranasan sa bansang pinagmulan mo..mararanasan mo dito sa mundo ng mga camel..kaya laban lang….
Kala nyo puro lang kami pasarap dito Walang sarap dito puro kami pasakit dito..” she added.

She also said that their employers sometimes have some harsh words to say that affect them emotionally. In addition to that, they find it tiring to look after a child. So they really have no choice but to eat the leftovers.

OFWs also sympathized with her, as they shared their experiences abroad. Some even shared that these employers view Filipinos as inferior.

Even with all that, she is still positive that the current suffering she is facing is only temporary and that one day she will be coming home.

“Kaya laban lang d naman tayo permaninte dito. Uuwi din tau”.

On April 26, during a ‘Wowowin’ episode, the audience was filled with emotion when a contestant revealed why she went back home from being a caretaker in Taiwan.

A ‘Wowowin’ contestant named Tin said she went back home to donate her kidney to her own mother. She said that her mother’s condition, called Stage 3 CKD (chronic kidney disease), a kind of kidney cancer, cannot be treated with dialysis and that a kidney transplant was the only way to save her.

“Nag-boluntaryo na po ako Wil umuwi lang po ako galing ng Taiwan sa kasagsagan ng trabaho ko po, kahit ayaw ko po iwan ‘yung trabaho ko kasi sobrang mahal na mahal ko po ‘yung mga pasyente ko,” she said.

She felt that it wasn’t right that she can take care of other people but not her own mother, so she decided that she would donate her own kidney to save the woman she always loved.

“Nag decide po ako na I cannot lose my mother at a very young age, gusto pa naming siyang makasama,” she said as tears were pouring all over the studio.

Her mother Edna said that she is lucky to have a daughter that is responsible and one that sacrificed a lot for her family, as Tin was crying.

Tin’s youngest sister Nica was also in attendance but did not say much but “Thank you” as she could not express to words her emotions and gratitude. The three women then hugged it out and the camera showed a good amount of audience members crying.

Tin expressed her gratitude for her sister by saying “Sobrang proud ako sayo, ako siguro yung pinakamasayang ate sa buong mundo kasi may isa akong kapatid na katulad mo. Kahit gaano man kahirap ang ating buhay, natapos mo yung pag aaral mo.”

Tin also said that her sister urged her to come home because she needed to be a mother to her child and that it was her sister’s turn to work for the family, which made Tin cry even more as she was sharing this story.

The contestant did not regret anything she did in the sacrifices that she made for her family.

“Ma, fight fight lang tayo diba. Kaya ko naming mabuhay na nag-iisa lang ang kidney eh. Ang nanay at magulang ay hindi napapalitan. Kulang na kulang itong isang kidney ko na ibibigay sayo sa sobrang sakripisyo na binigay mo sa amin Mahal na mahal kita mang mahal na mahal kita,” she expressed, as tears were still dripping from her eyes.

Her mother and her sister felt everything she said as the crowd was sympathizing with them all throughout.

Watch ‘Wowowin,’ weekdays on GMA Network before ’24 Oras,’ hosted by Mr. Willie Revillame with co-host Sugar Mercado.

• A heart-warming video showing two Filipino helpers whose employer was caught crying as they said their goodbyes
• Two OFWs were set to go back home, but before heading to the airport the employers posed for a family photo with them
• They were so lucky enough to have employers who would even treat them as family members

A former taxi driver in Kuwait named Dave JF posted a heart-warming video of two Filipino helpers, whose employer was caught crying as they said their goodbyes. “#KUWAIT Masarap sa pakiramdam kung ang employer mo tinuturing kang kapamilya. Umuwi na ang mga suki ko. God Bless! #proudOFW #spreadlove”

There were reports that many of the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Middle East encountered heartless employers, especially in Kuwait. Usually, they are not provided with enough food and require them to work for long hours with little rest. Some were even sexually abused and were not being treated very well.

But not all OFWs working in Kuwait have the same experience, some were so lucky to have employers who treated them as family members. There are also generous employers who would even help them financially, especially during an emergency case that they have to send money back to their families in the Philippines.

Just like these two domestic helpers, Estela Nebril Tillo Samorano and Julie French Melo Paglinawan, who were so lucky to have an employer who would treat them like family. These two OFWs were set to go back home. But before heading to the airport, the employers posed for a family photo with them. This was so rare because OFWs know that most of the employers don’t want to have their photos together with household workers. But in their case, even the male employer joined to pose for a picture with them.

https://www.facebook.com/spread.humanity.754/videos/324560218258360/

It is very unusual that they even brought the two to the airport and it felt heart-warming seeing that their employers were not ashamed of crying to say goodbye to them both.

Many netizens were so happy for these two because they have found good employers despite bad news from other OFWs who were so unfortunate with their employers. The heart-warming video went viral over social media as it hoped that other OFWs would also find great employers as they did.

• An OFW dad marched for her daughter’s graduation whom he lost due to dengue
• Art Tecson Jr. was working in Jeddah when he was informed that Allyza Marie was rushed to the hospital
• When he learned that Allyza would have graduated with high honors, he decided to attend the ceremony in her honor

Every parent’s greatest fear is to bury their own child and yet this tragedy has been experienced twice over by an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who lost a 6-year-old daughter to sepsis about two years ago and then another, just recently, due to dengue.

Art Tecson Jr., who works in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was informed that his 18-year-old daughter was rushed to the hospital due to dengue fever.

His daughter Allyza Marie Tecson was a smart young woman, studying at the Asian College of Technology – Bulacao Campus in Cebu City before succumbing to the said illness.

Although weak, she was resolute to graduate from senior high school and even finished some of her school projects while confined at the hospital.

Sadly, Allyza took a turn for worse while her father Art was still in Saudi.

“During the time (when) she was being revived by the doctors, I had my family put me on video chat so I can see my daughter. I kept saying, lumaban ka anak. Please, wag mong iwan si papa. But then I saw how weak my daughter was and finally said to her, anak give up na tayo. Pahinga ka na,” disclosed the OFW dad.

“Ang hirap. Kasi, yung hindi ako makatulog nang maayos dahil everytime makakatulog ako ang gulo ng utak ko. Hindi inabot ng one week ang anak ko, bago binawian nang buhay,” added Art who lost his daughter on March 15, just days away from her graduation day.

When he learned that his daughter would have graduated with high honors, grieving Art decided that Allyza would have happily received them.

He then attended the graduation rites, holding Allyza’s graduation photo he put in a frame so that his daughter could still “attend” the ceremony she worked hard for.

Art was accompanied by his older sister Maureen Tecson Dakay when he went on stage to receive his daughter’s diploma and medal. Weeping Art proudly wore her medal in honor of his late daughter and everyone at the ceremony shed a tear for Allyza.

• Pinay OFW shared online her hilarious conversation with Malaysian employer
• “Ok maam, I don’t cook you…I just cook, sir” line especially got netizens reeling with amusement
• Netizens enjoyed reading the conversation and were amazed that Landong and her employer were still in sync, despite the language barrier

An overseas Filipina worker in Malaysia has shared on Facebook her somewhat confusing but amusing conversation with an employer, which had netizens’ enjoying with a good laugh.

Valleryn Caranza Landong who is originally from Bato, Camarines Sur now works in Gelang Patah, Johor Malaysia. She posted a screenshot of the hilarious conversation on her account:

Employer: Sandra I out tomolo you cook sir the brief in the frid fly veges and rice you can fly the rice put egg

Valleryn: Okie maam I dont cook you… I just cook sir?

Employer: Yes just cook sir and please fly the fish sir many eat if you cooking

Valleryn: Okie maam

Employer: Thank you

In broken English, Landong’s employer wanted her to cook the beef in the fridge, and fry the vegetables and rice while putting an egg on it, while she’s out tomorrow.

And despite the confusing string of sentences, Landong was perfectly able to understand what her employer meant. She replied with a broken English of her own, probably for the employer to better understand her, considering that she doesn’t speak proper English either.

What had netizens rolling in laughter though was the OFW’s response of “I just cook sir?”

Only about 20 percent of the world’s population speaks English as a first or secondary language. Language, especially English, is always shifting, evolving, and adapting to the needs of its users—something that Landong and her employer perfectly demonstrated.

Mastery of it is only secondary, in the face of achieving understanding when it comes to communicating.

The female employer also remarked that if Landong is the one cooking, her male employer eats a lot. What is commendable is that she properly knew how to say please and thank you, a sign of good etiquette and respect amidst news of maltreatment that OFWs suffer from their employers on almost a daily basis.

• Proud daughter of OFW mother posts her grad pic on FB with a caption asking her mother to come back home
• Minerva Jane Borca asks her mom to return to the country so she can work in her stead
• Borca shared on Facebook the trials she and her mother underwent as they lived away from each other

A netizen posted last Friday her graduation photo on Facebook, where her caption and heartfelt message for her mother, who is an overseas Filipino worker, warmed the hearts of social media users.

Minerva Jane Borca, wearing her graduation toga, proudly posed in front of the camera while holding a whiteboard placard with the words: “Ma, uwi ka na ng Pinas, ako naman magtatrabaho!”

Borca narrated the hardships her mother faced as an OFW, as well as her own trials being a daughter of one.

She wrote:

“‘Mabuti pa yung ‘sahod’ buwan buwan umuuwi ng Pinas.

‘Ako na naman magce-celebrate ng Pasko at bagong taon mag isa.

‘Ne, sobrang nakakapagod dito wala pakong kain nagkape lang ako.

Linyahang sobrang nagpapabigat ng pakiramdam… linyahang hindi ko dapat indahin yung pagod sa pag aaral. Madaling sabihin, madaling isulat, madaling bigkasin pero napaka imposible. Mas pinipili kong pauwiin siya kesa makatanggap ng ano mang materyal na bagay.”

The graduate at Our Lady of Fatima University juggles her studies while caring for her three younger siblings in order to fulfill her promise to her mother: Attain her college degree of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management.

There were moments when she put her siblings’ needs first to make her remember the sacrifices their mom had to make in order for them to live well, which in turn made her all the more focused to achieve her goals in the end.

“Yung realidad na mismo nagbukas sa isip ko na hindi dapat pansariling kagustuhan yung mauuna. Mas komportable ako sa salitang sila muna bago ako. Kung maraming nawala at kulang sakin simula noong mag-abroad siya, alam kong mas marami siyang tiniis at sakripisiyo sa malayong lugar para sa ikagagaan ng buhay namin at para mabigyan niya kami ng sapat na edukasyon,” Borca penned.

Borca also thanked her father for always taking her to school and relentlessly looking after the brood.

And now that she’s donned the graduation cap – fulfilling her promise – she pleads her mother to come back home so she can start working, in her stead, for their family.

Borca hopes for a future where other Filipinos need not look for greener pastures outside the country, and be away from their loved ones, in the meantime.

To others who wears the same shoe as her, she remarked, “At sa mga pamilya ng mga nag OFW, sana maintindihan at maunawaan niyo sila kung bakit sila umalis ng Pinas para sa ikagaganda ng buhay niyo.”

“Minerva Jane Borca, Anak ng OFW,” ended the grateful Facebook user, by affixing her name to the message.

Her post has since gone viral with five thousand reactions and three thousand shares online.

• Cathy Garcia Molina announced the first-ever movie of Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards
• There were speculations that the movie will not push through because Alden Richard is exclusively for GMA Network
• Having this new team-up, both their fans positively accepted the upcoming “KathDen” movie

Recently, Star Cinema, under the direction of Cathy Garcia Molina, announced the first-ever movie of Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, who will play the role of an OFW working in Hong Kong.

During the story conference of the KathDen movie last Tuesday, Alden was given a warm welcome by director Cathy Grace Molina, Roxy Liiquigan, Mico del Rosario, and director Olive ‘Inang’ Lamasan.

https://twitter.com/TOA_ScarForRFJ/status/1105377599050506240

According to Roxy Liquigan, it took “5 months preparation” to arrange the team-up and there were speculations that the movie will not push through because Alden Richard is exclusively for GMA Network, and there was a possibility that the GMA Artist Center would not allowed him to do the project.

But with the help of Philip Rojas of Asian Artist Agency, headed by Boy Abunda, the project was made possible.

When both artists were asked about their reactions knowing that they would be working together, Kathryn said, “Kung tatanungin niyo ako kung kinakabahan ako, super!” and Alden’s reaction was, “Siyempre, first-time kong makakatrabaho si Kath. We’ve been seeing each other for a long time.”

Kathryn and Alden are known for having strong and loyal fans in their respective love teams, Kathryn with Daniel Padilla for “KathNiel, and Alden with Maine Mendoza for “Aldub.”

But having this new team-up, both their fans positively accepted the upcoming “KathDen” movie.

To show their love and support for both artist they posted their reaction on Twitter.

As a supporter of Alden, I will support all of your project. Way to go Alden #KathrynAldenMovie2019 ❤️ https://t.co/8IFTCWpKbv

— ADMIN SHIN ™ (@ADMIN__SHIN) March 12, 2019

Matured KN fans, ADN, Alden fans, Kathryn fans thank you. We're gonna support this movie ✊#KathrynAldenMovie2019#KCA #VoteKathrynBernardo @bernardokath

— KATHNIEL FANBOYS ✊ (@MgaLalakingKNs) March 12, 2019

https://twitter.com/alwaysfaulkrsn/status/1105373547633864704

https://twitter.com/royalbluedivine/status/1105381955338551296

Some KathNiel fans show maturity by showing support for the upcoming movie.

https://twitter.com/marcinareus/status/1105450263488286720

And now because of Maine’s announcement on her blog that he is dating Arjo Atayde, some of the AlDub fans felt sad and hope this new team up would be a successful one.