ofws in bahrain celebrate family day · ofw family day and dole’s 85th anniversary. labor...
TRANSCRIPT
15 December 2018
OFWs in Bahrain Celebrate Family Day
Being a family-centered people, members of the Filipino Community in Bahrain
trooped to the Philippine Embassy on December 14, 2018 to join the twin celebrations of
OFW Family Day and DOLE’s 85th Anniversary.
Labor Attaché Vicente M. Cabe of
the Philippine Overseas Labor Office
(POLO) in his Welcome Remarks
underscored that the family as a basic
societal institution is the strength of any
nation. It plays the key role of laying
down the building blocks of children’s
character and society’s moral fiber but it is
under threat as labor migration
necessitates separation of families, hence, it is imperative to protect it.
In her Inspirational
Message, on the other hand,
Consul-General and Chargé
d’Affaires Maria Paz Cortes
lauded Filipinos for highly
valuing their families and the
immeasurable sacrifices they
continue to make for their sake.
She urged the OFWs to lay bare
to their family members the
realities of harsh work
conditions they face on a daily basis so that they may have realistic expectations and
together maximize the positive outcome of their work overseas.
Members of the Filipino Community together celebrate Family Day
The celebration was
spearheaded by the Overseas Workers
Welfare Administration-Bahrain
(OWWA-Bahrain) with Fil-Am
Association, Traveler’s Tribe, and
Hagod Towelless Group as the major
partners. Highlights of the celebration
included games, flower arrangement
contest, massage services and
intermission numbers by various
individuals showcasing the diverse
talents of Filipinos. Fourteen (14)
distressed OFWs who are temporarily
sheltered in the Migrant Workers and
Other Filipinos Resource Center
(MWOFRC) awaiting resolution of their cases and repatriation, received various gifts from
charitable Filipino organizations.
Welfare Officer Redina C. Manlapaz concluded the program by highlighting that
Family Day is celebrated yearly across posts to remind OFWs that family is the
fundamental reason they work abroad and should therefore exhaust all means to keep
and strengthen their families despite the many odds and challenges of living apart.
Officers and staff of POLO-OWWA Bahrain headed by Labor Attaché Vicente
M. Cabe and Welfare Officer Redina C. Manlapaz are the forces behind the
twin celebrations of Family Day and DOLE 85th Anniversary
15 December 2018
69 OFWs in Bahrain Take Oath as Licensed Professionals
Sixty-seven (67) OFW-examinees in Bahrain who successfully passed the Special
Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) held on August 24-26, 2018 including two
passers of the PRC Upgrading
Technical Evaluation for
Professional Electronics Engineer
took their oath as licensed
professionals in a symbolic Oath-
Taking Ceremony led by
Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver on
December 15, 2018 at the Ramada
Hotel and Suites, Amwaj Islands in
the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The 2018 SPLE Passers were led by two
topnotchers, Meriel Joyce C. Capunihan and
Armando T. Tayoba II, who placed 3rd in Nursing
and 10th in Architecture, respectively.
Overall, the SPLE passing rate in
Manama, Bahrain stood at 29%. Among the
fifteen (15) professional fields covered by the
examination, Registered Master Electrician
showed the highest passing rate of 82% followed
by Electronics Technician at 71% and
Architecture at 67%.
Passing Rate Per Profession 2018 SPLE, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Profession Total
Takers Total Passers
Passing Rate
Architecture 27 18 67% Accountancy 4 1 25% Civil Engineer 16 2 12% Dentist 1 0 0 Electrical Engineer 9 2 22% Electronics Engineer 13 0 0 Electronics Technician 7 5 71% Environmental Planner 7 0 0 Geodetic Engineer 5 0 0 Master Electrician 11 9 82% Master Plumber 39 9 23% Mechanical Engineer 14 5 36% Nurse 40 14 35% Teacher-Elementary 22 0 0 Teacher - Secondary 16 2 12% 231 67 29%
*PRC Upgrading Technical Evaluation Passers for Professional Electronics Engineer 2
HE Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver administers oath to the 2018 SPLE passers
The first to be held in the Kingdom, the SPLE is a joint effort of the Philippine Embassy
and POLO-Bahrain, in response to the increasing demand of many professional groups
under the umbrella of PPO-Bahrain, to establish a testing center in the country for the
benefit of their non-licensed members.
Ambassador Ver, in his
inspirational message,
shared that labor migration is
a reality of the times and
while nations including the
Philippines are united to
institute measures to protect
workers through the Global
Compact for Migration,
acquiring a license as a
professional is a protection
in itself.
He also shared that being a licensed professional opens many doors to better job
opportunities. He cited the many ongoing and emerging labor markets in the fields of
medical & hospitality services and infrastructure which will boost demand for various
skills. Addressed especially to those in the engineering field, he floated the possibility of
them becoming project contractors and not just employees, of setting up their own groups
or companies and become a major player in the infrastructure development of the
Kingdom. The new professionals were also urged to always challenge themselves to be
better workers and persons that Filipinos are widely known for.
The event also witnessed the turn-over of leadership in the Philippine Professional
Organization. The incoming set of officers led by Engr. Manolo I. Lacuata were sworn-
in by Labor Attaché Vicente M. Cabe. Michael D. Lapeña, the out-going PPO
Chairperson, recounted the achievements of the group which included the formation of
the Philippine Teachers Association in Bahrain, the conduct of numerous professional
Ambassador Alfonso A.Ver urged the new professionals to aim big and be the best
workers and persons they could be in his Inspirational Message
trainings and conferences to upgrade the competences of their members, hosting of
sports activities to foster camaraderie and build a network of support among the members
and the holding of the first SPLE in Bahrain, among others.
PPO-Bahrain,
being the umbrella
organization of all
professional groups,
is a valuable partner
of the Post especially
in massive
information
dissemination, online
registration of the
prospective
examinees and
conduct of review classes. As the SPLE initiative in Bahrain saves Filipino professionals
time and expense in the acquisition of a license that makes them better positioned in the
labor market, the PPO targets to mobilize at least 300 prospective examinees for 2019,
which is the minimum number required per PRC guidelines, in order for the country to
remain as a testing center for SPLE.
Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver and Labor Attaché Vicente M. Cabe pose with the newly
inducted PPO Officers headed by Engr. Manolo I. Lacuata as the incoming Chairperson.
Also in the photo is Engr. Michael Lapeña who, as the outgoing Chairperson, successfully
managed the 2018 SPLE, among many other projects of the PPO.