DOLE

'Pampakapal lang ng wallet': Solon slams DOLE's 'useless' OFW card

MANILA - A party-list representative on Thursday slammed what he called "useless" identification
cards issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to overseas Filipino workers.

ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto "John" Bertiz III said the cards, which serve as a substitute for overseas
employment certificates, have no value at all.

"It is just an ordinary ID card that no machine whatsoever can read. Pampakapal lang ng wallet ng
OFW ‘yan," he said, adding that only a few Filipino migrant workers have received the cards.

DOLE started distributing the cards in December 2017. But Bertiz blasted Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello
III for supposedly calling the project his "number 1 achievement."

"We challenge Secretary Bello to join us at the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport). Let us
count together the number of departing OFWs actually carrying the useless ID card," the lawmaker
said.

Bertiz also lamented that not all distressed and repatriated OFWs are getting financial assistance
from government. He urged DOLE to find new ways to help over 7,000 Filipinos leaving the country
every day to work abroad.

Source: http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/12/18/pampakapal-lang-ng-wallet-solon-slams-doles-
useless-ofw-card

St. Luke’s Medical Center: DOLE workplace inspections at hospitals are routine

By: Julius N. Leonen - Reporter / @JLeonenINQ

Workplace inspections at hospitals are merely routine work by the government to ensure
compliance of any institution with labor standards.

This was the explanation of St. Luke’s Medical Center on Friday after the Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE) issued a statement to reporters that it has set labor inspections at the
private healthcare institution.

“Inspections are routine. But as of this point, results are not yet out,” said Nian Rigor, assistant
vice president for corporate communications of St. Luke’s Medical Center.

“There’s nothing special about the inspections. They conduct that at all hospitals,” she said.
The DOLE issued a media statement by email on Thursday, June 28, announcing that it was set to
assess the healthcare firm’s hospitals to check their compliance with general labor standards.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1005488/st-lukes-medical-center-dole-workplace-
inspections-at-hospitals-are-routine

DOLE sets workplace inspections at St. Luke’s hospitals

By: Julius N. Leonen - Reporter / @JLeonenINQ

INQUIRER.net / 04:10 PM June 28, 2018

Workplace inspections have been set by the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) at the hospitals of St. Luke’s Medical Center to look into the private healthcare
institution’s compliance with general labor standards.

DOLE on Thursday said it would send teams to inspect St. Luke’s compliance with
guidelines on the employment and the working conditions of health personnel in
the private healthcare industry.

These guidelines include the assurance of proper payment of wages, holiday, and night
differential pays, service incentive leaves, 13th-month pay, and other leave incentives
for women stated under the law, DOLE said.

“The inspection will also assess the hospital’s compliance with the normal working
hours for their health care personnel and break time for meals and rest periods must be
strictly observed,” the agency disclosed.

“To be looked into as well is the proper remittance of social benefits such as
contributions for SSS, Pag-Ibig, and Philhealth. The team will also ensure that there are
no unauthorized deductions from the hospital workers,” it added.

On the other hand, DOLE inspection teams would verify St. Luke’s compliance with
occupational safety and health standards, as well as their programs to prevent the
spread of various illnesses in the workplace.
“As prescribed in the labor laws, the hospital is mandated to provide their employees
with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at no cost to their employees,
student-trainees or interns and apprentices,” the DOLE said.

“Hospital employees are also entitled to have security of tenure, right to self-
organization, and collective bargaining,” it also said.

DOLE said St. Luke’s hospitals in Quezon City and in Taguig City would undergo
inspections by teams from the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) and from the
Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC).

INQUIRER.net tried to get the side of St. Luke’s but has yet to respond as of posting
time.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1005120/dole-sets-workplace-inspections-at-
st-lukes-hospitals#ixzz5Lapu78PP

Labor chief wants OFW IDs to double as 'temporary' passports

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 13 2018 10:27 AM | Updated as of Jul 13 2018 10:28 AM

MANILA -- The government is working to have ID cards for Overseas Filipino Workers double as
"temporary" passports, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Friday, responding to criticism.

The OFW IDs are mere wallet fillers since these are not machine-readable, ACTS-OFW party-list
Rep. Aniceto "John" Bertiz III earlier said.

Bello said he would request Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to allow the use of the
OFW IDs as "temporary" substitutes for lost passports.

The Department of Labor and Employment began distributing the IDs for free last December to serve
as overseas employment certificates.

Bello said he halted the release following complaints from OFWs that they were being charged for
the free IDs.

The labor chief denied that he had a personal tiff with Bertiz, who publicly criticized the OFW card
program.

"Baka nabibigla lang si congressman. Kaibigan ko 'yan e," he said.

(Maybe he was just caught off guard. He's my friend.)

Source: http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/13/18/labor-chief-wants-ofw-ids-to-double-as-
temporary-passports

DOLE chief pinagbibitiw dahil sa 'katiwalian'; Bello dumepensa

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 16 2018 09:54 PM

Pinagbibitiw ng isang grupo si Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre
Bello III dahil sa alegasyon ng umano'y katiwalian sa kaniyang pamunuan.

Inaakusahan si Bello ng Samahang Pagbabago National Movement for Change ng pangingikil umano
sa employment agencies para sa kanilang lisensiya.

"Hindi ka na karapat-dapat diyan dahil wala kang puso, dahil wala kang malasakit sa mga tao," ani
Alie Dizon, secretary general ng naturang grupo.

Nagbatay ang grupo sa reklamo ng Azzizah Manpower International Corporation na umabot sa P6.8
milyon ang hiningi umano ni Bello, sa pamamagitan ni Undersecretary Dominador Say, para
maaprubahan daw ang lisensiya ng employment agency.

Nangako rin umano si Bello na tutulungan niya ang overseas Filipino worker (OFW) na si alyas
"Mercy" para makauwi na rin ang siyam na buwang sanggol sa Pilipinas mula sa Saudi Arabia, pero
hindi raw ito nangyari.

"Kung alam ko lang po na ganito ang mangyari, hinding-hindi na ako uuwi para makasama ko 'yong
anak ko," sabi ni Mercy.

Pinabulaanan naman ni Bello ang mga alegasyon.

"Kung mayroon man lang kaisa-isang, kahit isang agency na magsabi na tumanggap ako o humingi
ng pera, ora mismo aalis na 'ko," anang kalihim.

Sabi pa ni Bello, sa sinumpaang salaysay ng complainant, hindi naman sinabing direktang nanghingi
o tumanggap si Bello.

"Usec Say tumanggap, tapos alam ko daw. 'Yon ang nakalagay. Kung basahin mo 'yong affidavit,
halatang naisingit lang 'yong pangalan ko," sabi ni Bello.

Hindi rin naman daw inilalapit ni Mercy ang kanyang anak kundi ang pending na lisensiya ng
ahensiyang gusto ng naturang OFW.

Iniimbestigahan pa ang ahensiyang ito dahil sa umano'y ilegal na aktibidad.

Gayunman, tutulong daw ang DOLE para makauwi ang anak ni Mercy.
"Basta ipaalam sa 'min kung sino at nasaan, it is our responsibility to repatriate the baby," ani Bello.

Wala pang tugon si Say sa alegasyon ng pangingikil. Nagbitiw si Say sa DOLE noong Abril.

Maaari umano siyang dawit sa graft, sabi noon ng Palasyo.

Source: http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/16/18/dole-chief-pinagbibitiw-dahil-sa-katiwalian-
bello-dumepensa