Is recruiting foreign labor a wise solution to help curb the national nursing shortage crisis or just another move by the employing health care industry to import cheap labor? According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, a 21 percent increase in the need for nurses is projected nationwide from 1998 to 2008 and it could lead to a shortage of more than one million nurses by the end of this decade. This has created tremendous opportunities for healthcare staffing agencies, which recruit hundreds of nurses from India each year earning millions in revenue.
I know this much - the domestic workforce doesn't seem to share the same excitement about the profession as staffing agencies. Nurses' unions disagree with the premise that nurses from abroad will help solve the problem. Nursing organizations are voicing a deep concern that foreign nurses are not being incorporated into the unions upon entering the workforce. And this means hospitals and the like can hire foreign workers far cheaper than domestic nurses plus they don't complain about working conditions, because it's better than their home country. The result is a national deterioration of the nursing wage, which affects all nurses. "There is no shortage of nurses in Massachusetts," says David Schildmeier, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Nurses Association. "There is a shortage of nurses willing to work in hospitals under current conditions, assigned to too many patients, that is why people are leaving." more...
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Processing Of US Green Cards Resumes In July ( Visa numbers available for nurses, PTs and other professionals next month
NEW YORK CITY -- Visa numbers for Filipino workers under the employment-based third preference category (EB-3) will be available in July, according to a State Department release on Wednesday, June 13.
The availability of the visa numbers means the visa processing for EB-3 professional and skilled workers from the Philippines, including registered nurses (RNs) and physical therapists (PTs), will resume by July and the eventual deployment of these foreign workers will not suffer further delay.
EB-3 workers who are in the US waiting for visa availability will also be able to apply for adjustment of status beginning July. details....
The availability of the visa numbers means the visa processing for EB-3 professional and skilled workers from the Philippines, including registered nurses (RNs) and physical therapists (PTs), will resume by July and the eventual deployment of these foreign workers will not suffer further delay.
EB-3 workers who are in the US waiting for visa availability will also be able to apply for adjustment of status beginning July. details....
Philippines offers nurse transfusion
MANILA, Philippines – At 47, electrical engineer Victorio Mangalindan is back in school, studying for a new career as a nurse. His classmates include three lawyers and 10 accountants.
"And there are so many doctors!" he said.
Mr. Mangalindan says the foul air and water of Manila will only get worse as his 2-year-old son grows up. He wants to raise the boy in the U.S., and "the surest way to get a working permit or a visa is nursing."
Many Texas hospitals would be glad to have him. There are 28,000 job openings for nurses in the state. Texas colleges and universities are graduating just 6,000 nurses a year. By 2010, the federal government estimates, Texas will have a shortfall of almost 42,000 nurses. The nationwide shortage is expected to be 10 times as large.more....
"And there are so many doctors!" he said.
Mr. Mangalindan says the foul air and water of Manila will only get worse as his 2-year-old son grows up. He wants to raise the boy in the U.S., and "the surest way to get a working permit or a visa is nursing."
Many Texas hospitals would be glad to have him. There are 28,000 job openings for nurses in the state. Texas colleges and universities are graduating just 6,000 nurses a year. By 2010, the federal government estimates, Texas will have a shortfall of almost 42,000 nurses. The nationwide shortage is expected to be 10 times as large.more....
Filipino nurses in Ireland
By Mata Press Service
Canadian hospitals are headhunting Filipino nurses working in Ireland, with offers of fast-track work visas, better wages and even low-interest-rate car loans.
There are more than 10,000 foreign-born nurses working in Irish hospitals — a huge proportion of whom are Filipino nationals, Dublin media reported.
Filipino Overseas Ireland Ltd, which was on a recent recruitment drive, is hoping to attract 250 staff nurses for a hospital in Alberta.
Quoting sources in the Irish-Filipino community, a hundred nurses based in Irish hospitals signed up to work in Canada at a recent recruitment fair. The steady exodus has led to the magazine Filipino Forum running a lead feature titled “Goodbye Ireland.” more.......
Canadian hospitals are headhunting Filipino nurses working in Ireland, with offers of fast-track work visas, better wages and even low-interest-rate car loans.
There are more than 10,000 foreign-born nurses working in Irish hospitals — a huge proportion of whom are Filipino nationals, Dublin media reported.
Filipino Overseas Ireland Ltd, which was on a recent recruitment drive, is hoping to attract 250 staff nurses for a hospital in Alberta.
Quoting sources in the Irish-Filipino community, a hundred nurses based in Irish hospitals signed up to work in Canada at a recent recruitment fair. The steady exodus has led to the magazine Filipino Forum running a lead feature titled “Goodbye Ireland.” more.......
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Top 25 Nursing Blogs (By the Numbers)
Nursing and as well blogging can go hand in hand that is why one site here in the internet chose the top 25 nursing blogs that met their criteria.
In ranking the top nurse blogs, our goal was to show — using objective data from reliable third-parties — which blogs are the most popular, according to visitor traffic and site backlinks. To this end, we used data for these four metrics to calculate the rankings:
* Google — Google PageRank
* Alexa — Alexa Rank
* Technorati — Technorati Authority
* Bloglines — Bloglines Subscribers
Top 25 Nursing Blogs
In ranking the top nurse blogs, our goal was to show — using objective data from reliable third-parties — which blogs are the most popular, according to visitor traffic and site backlinks. To this end, we used data for these four metrics to calculate the rankings:
* Google — Google PageRank
* Alexa — Alexa Rank
* Technorati — Technorati Authority
* Bloglines — Bloglines Subscribers
Top 25 Nursing Blogs
Saturday, September 29, 2007
The Real Story Behind Work at Home Data Entry Jobs
As a stay at home mother, I can't help but click on all those work at home ads. The one that caught my interest most recently was something like this:
"Work at Home Data Entry- Get rich working only 15 minutes a day!"
Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? And yet I click, and read, and read again, wishing and hoping that the opportunity to work at home doing data entry is really there. The company that initially caught my eye was Data Entry Bank. However, there are numerous work at home data entry ads like this cropping up on the web, like type-at-home.com, mydatajob.com or homedatatypers.com, all of whom make strikingly similar pitches. Surrounded by pictures of sunny beaches and smiling, successful people in front of laptops, the page tells me that all I need to do is spend a few minutes a day typing ads for companies selling e-books and such. I'm treated to sample pay stubs that amount to thousands per week, and I'm told that every step will be explained for me. Suddenly data entry is starting to look like my dream job. I'm soon imagining a whole new wardrobe, that long vacation, a new home... but wait a minute. When I email the company to ask a question about how I might get a refund if I did sign up for their particular work at home data entry program, I get no reply. When I search on Google for Data Entry Bank, I find out that they haven't been in business for very long. There is no telephone number, no address, no name, just a way to send money. Details...
"Work at Home Data Entry- Get rich working only 15 minutes a day!"
Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? And yet I click, and read, and read again, wishing and hoping that the opportunity to work at home doing data entry is really there. The company that initially caught my eye was Data Entry Bank. However, there are numerous work at home data entry ads like this cropping up on the web, like type-at-home.com, mydatajob.com or homedatatypers.com, all of whom make strikingly similar pitches. Surrounded by pictures of sunny beaches and smiling, successful people in front of laptops, the page tells me that all I need to do is spend a few minutes a day typing ads for companies selling e-books and such. I'm treated to sample pay stubs that amount to thousands per week, and I'm told that every step will be explained for me. Suddenly data entry is starting to look like my dream job. I'm soon imagining a whole new wardrobe, that long vacation, a new home... but wait a minute. When I email the company to ask a question about how I might get a refund if I did sign up for their particular work at home data entry program, I get no reply. When I search on Google for Data Entry Bank, I find out that they haven't been in business for very long. There is no telephone number, no address, no name, just a way to send money. Details...
Internet Fraud: How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams
The Internet serves as an excellent tool for investors, allowing them to easily and inexpensively research investment opportunities. But the Internet is also an excellent tool for fraudsters. That's why you should always think twice before you invest your money in any opportunity you learn about through the Internet.
This alert tells you how to spot different types of Internet fraud, what the SEC is doing to fight Internet investment scams, and how to use the Internet to invest wisely.
Navigating the Frontier: Where the Frauds Are
The Internet allows individuals or companies to communicate with a large audience without spending a lot of time, effort, or money. Anyone can reach tens of thousands of people by building an Internet web site, posting a message on an online bulletin board, entering a discussion in a live "chat" room, or sending mass e-mails. It's easy for fraudsters to make their messages look real and credible. But it's nearly impossible for investors to tell the difference between fact and fiction. Details...
This alert tells you how to spot different types of Internet fraud, what the SEC is doing to fight Internet investment scams, and how to use the Internet to invest wisely.
Navigating the Frontier: Where the Frauds Are
The Internet allows individuals or companies to communicate with a large audience without spending a lot of time, effort, or money. Anyone can reach tens of thousands of people by building an Internet web site, posting a message on an online bulletin board, entering a discussion in a live "chat" room, or sending mass e-mails. It's easy for fraudsters to make their messages look real and credible. But it's nearly impossible for investors to tell the difference between fact and fiction. Details...
Friday, September 28, 2007
ADSENSE Top Earners
1. Markus Frind : PlentyOfFish.com - $300,000 per month
2. Kevin Rose : Digg.com - $250,000 per month
3. Jeremy Shoemaker - $140,000 per month
4. Jason Calacanis : Weblogs, Inc. - $120,000 per month
5. David Miles Jr. & Kato Leonard - $100,000 per month
6. Tim Carter : AskTheBuilder.com - $30,000 per month
7. Joel Comm - $24,000 per month
8. Shawn Hogan : DigitalPoint.com - $10,000 per month
These lists of top earners are grap from John Chow
2. Kevin Rose : Digg.com - $250,000 per month
3. Jeremy Shoemaker - $140,000 per month
4. Jason Calacanis : Weblogs, Inc. - $120,000 per month
5. David Miles Jr. & Kato Leonard - $100,000 per month
6. Tim Carter : AskTheBuilder.com - $30,000 per month
7. Joel Comm - $24,000 per month
8. Shawn Hogan : DigitalPoint.com - $10,000 per month
These lists of top earners are grap from John Chow
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Filipino diaspora moves up value chain
MANILA - A growing global search for English-speaking talent is greatly benefiting Philippine workers who pursue overseas opportunities and badly hurting the local companies and domestic economy they are in growing numbers leaving behind.
A recent study conducted by Grant Thornton International and Philippine accounting firm Punongbayan & Araullo found that 43% of Philippine companies rated the scarcity of skilled labor as the major impediment to their business-expansion plans. Last yearonly 15% of Philippine companies surveyed complained about a chronic lack of skilled labor. Full details
A recent study conducted by Grant Thornton International and Philippine accounting firm Punongbayan & Araullo found that 43% of Philippine companies rated the scarcity of skilled labor as the major impediment to their business-expansion plans. Last yearonly 15% of Philippine companies surveyed complained about a chronic lack of skilled labor. Full details
Exodus of nurses still triggers touchy debate
Second of two parts
IT may not have reached the higher levels of the decibel scale yet, but there is an ongoing debate on what to do with the exodus of nurses and other health workers for better paying jobs abroad.
On the one hand, you have the nurses themselves, as well as leaders of the profession, who say “hey, last we looked, this was still a democratic country, and anybody is free to travel and work elsewhere, if employers will take him in.”
On the other, you have lawmakers and other government officials who have expressed alarm over the diaspora, fearing the development—and the resulting dearth of such professionals will exact a heavy toll on the health of the population.
And for good reason, says Dr. Jaime Z. Galvez Tan, former health secretary and now vice chancellor for research at the University of the Philippines in Manila and executive director of the National Institute of Health. Details
IT may not have reached the higher levels of the decibel scale yet, but there is an ongoing debate on what to do with the exodus of nurses and other health workers for better paying jobs abroad.
On the one hand, you have the nurses themselves, as well as leaders of the profession, who say “hey, last we looked, this was still a democratic country, and anybody is free to travel and work elsewhere, if employers will take him in.”
On the other, you have lawmakers and other government officials who have expressed alarm over the diaspora, fearing the development—and the resulting dearth of such professionals will exact a heavy toll on the health of the population.
And for good reason, says Dr. Jaime Z. Galvez Tan, former health secretary and now vice chancellor for research at the University of the Philippines in Manila and executive director of the National Institute of Health. Details
Filipino nurses bewail CGFNS ‘poor service’
In 2003, there were 13,000 Filipino nurses who availed of the services of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). That translates to a total amount of $7.2 million in fees that were paid to CGFNS.
The number of Filipino nurses (13,000) represents more than 50% of the total number of foreign nurses worldwide who availed of the CGFNS services in 2003.
Therefore, the bulk of the income of CGFNS, a non-profit company based in Philadelphia, comes from Filipino nurses.
With this as a fact, one would think that the non-profit organization would have an operational office in the Philippines. Right?
Wrong. The truth is, the CGFNS has a one-man office in Manila with one telephone and one office computer.
“It is unfortunate that the organization is not delivering the excellent service that are due to the Filipino nurses, being the largest group of foreign nurses that utilize the services of CGFNS,” said Arthur Cantos, President of Bayani Consulting, a company based in Makati.
Cantos was one of the speakers during the 2-day Western Regional Conference of the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) in Tempe, Arizona on March 12-13, 2004.
Cantos, who himself is a Registered Nurse and worked in a hospital in San Francisco before forming his own company in Makati, said “ problems of delay, lost of documents, long turn around time and inefficient services of the CGFNS have been documented” by their office.
Mary Ann Tion, now working at St. Joseph Hospital told The Filipino American Journal that she spent P1,000.00 for telephone bills when she contacted CGFNS office in Philadelphia. Did she get any response? Full details
The number of Filipino nurses (13,000) represents more than 50% of the total number of foreign nurses worldwide who availed of the CGFNS services in 2003.
Therefore, the bulk of the income of CGFNS, a non-profit company based in Philadelphia, comes from Filipino nurses.
With this as a fact, one would think that the non-profit organization would have an operational office in the Philippines. Right?
Wrong. The truth is, the CGFNS has a one-man office in Manila with one telephone and one office computer.
“It is unfortunate that the organization is not delivering the excellent service that are due to the Filipino nurses, being the largest group of foreign nurses that utilize the services of CGFNS,” said Arthur Cantos, President of Bayani Consulting, a company based in Makati.
Cantos was one of the speakers during the 2-day Western Regional Conference of the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) in Tempe, Arizona on March 12-13, 2004.
Cantos, who himself is a Registered Nurse and worked in a hospital in San Francisco before forming his own company in Makati, said “ problems of delay, lost of documents, long turn around time and inefficient services of the CGFNS have been documented” by their office.
Mary Ann Tion, now working at St. Joseph Hospital told The Filipino American Journal that she spent P1,000.00 for telephone bills when she contacted CGFNS office in Philadelphia. Did she get any response? Full details
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
29 - Demand for practical nurses in US remains unmet despite
Nursing students who are unable to graduate will still have a chance to work in the United States.
National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses of America president Gregory Howard said there is a "huge demand" for licensed practical nurses in the US.
An LPN is one who has completed a practical nursing program, not necessarily a bachelor's degree, and is licensed by a state to provide routine patient care under the direction of a registered nurse or a physician. LPNs are often employed in hospitals, nursing homes, physician's office, clinics, schools, industry and correctional facilities.
"Unlike registered nurses (RNs), LPNs focus more on bedside care. Their task is highly technical and the scope of practice is dependent on the state where they are based," Howard said.
View Article
National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses of America president Gregory Howard said there is a "huge demand" for licensed practical nurses in the US.
An LPN is one who has completed a practical nursing program, not necessarily a bachelor's degree, and is licensed by a state to provide routine patient care under the direction of a registered nurse or a physician. LPNs are often employed in hospitals, nursing homes, physician's office, clinics, schools, industry and correctional facilities.
"Unlike registered nurses (RNs), LPNs focus more on bedside care. Their task is highly technical and the scope of practice is dependent on the state where they are based," Howard said.
View Article
Global Nursing School Opens in St. Kitts
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) -- People like Kate Zajdel are desperately needed to fill a worldwide shortage of nurses. Yet she was among tens of thousands of qualified applicants turned away by U.S. nursing programs last year because there are not enough teachers or space.
The dilemma brought the 22-year-old New Yorker to a new international nursing school in the Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Click to view the whole article
The dilemma brought the 22-year-old New Yorker to a new international nursing school in the Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Click to view the whole article
Fair pay urged for Filipino nurses
Ministry tells firms not to undercut as in other professions
Kyodo News
A draft government guideline for employers hiring nurses and caregivers from the Philippines says they should be paid the same as their Japanese colleagues, according to labor ministry officials.
Japan is to accept up to 400 nurses and 600 caregivers from the Philippines between fiscal 2007 and 2008 under a free-trade agreement signed in September.
The guideline drafted by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is aimed at preventing the Filipinos from having to work under unfair labor conditions, officials said.
Currently, foreign trainees in the machinery and agricultural industries tend to get lower pay than their Japanese counterparts.
Under the draft guideline, the Japan International Corp. of Welfare Services, an affiliate of the labor ministry, would serve as an office to match Filipinos who want to work in Japan with hospitals and welfare facilities looking for employees. The Filipinos would enter Japan after concluding contracts with their Japanese employers.
Employers would be required to report the labor conditions of their Filipino workers to ensure transparency.
The draft guideline would require employers of Filipino nurses to have trainers and a "sufficient" number of Japanese nurses at their facilities. They would be required to employ a total of more than one nurse or assistant nurse for every three hospitalized patients, according to the draft.
In principle, employers of Filipino caregivers would have to be designated insurance facilities, such as special nursing homes, where more than 40 percent of regular workers have a national care-worker license.
The draft would not allow Filipinos to provide at-home care services because of the inherent difficulties in monitoring their working conditions, the officials said.
Under the FTA, Filipinos entering Japan will be required to have six months of Japanese-language lessons before undergoing training to provide care services at hospitals and welfare facilities for the elderly.
Once here, nurses will have three years to pass government exams to continue working, while caregivers will have four years.
If they don't pass the exams, they will be required to return home, but those who pass will be effectively allowed to work in Japan indefinitely.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070118a3.html
Kyodo News
A draft government guideline for employers hiring nurses and caregivers from the Philippines says they should be paid the same as their Japanese colleagues, according to labor ministry officials.
Japan is to accept up to 400 nurses and 600 caregivers from the Philippines between fiscal 2007 and 2008 under a free-trade agreement signed in September.
The guideline drafted by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is aimed at preventing the Filipinos from having to work under unfair labor conditions, officials said.
Currently, foreign trainees in the machinery and agricultural industries tend to get lower pay than their Japanese counterparts.
Under the draft guideline, the Japan International Corp. of Welfare Services, an affiliate of the labor ministry, would serve as an office to match Filipinos who want to work in Japan with hospitals and welfare facilities looking for employees. The Filipinos would enter Japan after concluding contracts with their Japanese employers.
Employers would be required to report the labor conditions of their Filipino workers to ensure transparency.
The draft guideline would require employers of Filipino nurses to have trainers and a "sufficient" number of Japanese nurses at their facilities. They would be required to employ a total of more than one nurse or assistant nurse for every three hospitalized patients, according to the draft.
In principle, employers of Filipino caregivers would have to be designated insurance facilities, such as special nursing homes, where more than 40 percent of regular workers have a national care-worker license.
The draft would not allow Filipinos to provide at-home care services because of the inherent difficulties in monitoring their working conditions, the officials said.
Under the FTA, Filipinos entering Japan will be required to have six months of Japanese-language lessons before undergoing training to provide care services at hospitals and welfare facilities for the elderly.
Once here, nurses will have three years to pass government exams to continue working, while caregivers will have four years.
If they don't pass the exams, they will be required to return home, but those who pass will be effectively allowed to work in Japan indefinitely.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070118a3.html
Finland Hiring Nurses, Healthcare Workers From Philippines
Windsor Genova - AHN Writer
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Finland is hiring Filipino nurses, caregivers and healthcare workers starting next year.
The TV network reported that the Philippines' ambassador to Finland, Zeneida Angara Collinson, said companies in the Scandinavian country are planning to hire 100 nurses in 2008 and another hundred in 2009.
Collinson also told the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila that she had asked the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce to tie up with the health and wellness industry in the Philippines.
The ambassador noted that there is a demand for foreign nurses and healthcare workers in Finland because the country has a rapidly ageing population.
Most Filipino workers in Finland are in the shipping industry.
Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008560432
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Finland is hiring Filipino nurses, caregivers and healthcare workers starting next year.
The TV network reported that the Philippines' ambassador to Finland, Zeneida Angara Collinson, said companies in the Scandinavian country are planning to hire 100 nurses in 2008 and another hundred in 2009.
Collinson also told the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila that she had asked the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce to tie up with the health and wellness industry in the Philippines.
The ambassador noted that there is a demand for foreign nurses and healthcare workers in Finland because the country has a rapidly ageing population.
Most Filipino workers in Finland are in the shipping industry.
Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008560432
June 2007 Results of the Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam
Here are the results of the june 2007 Philippines Nurse Licensure Exam
2007-08-27: Nursing Licensure(A to C)
2007-08-26: Nursing Licensure(D toK)
2007-08-26: Nursing Licensure(L to Z)
2007-08-26: Nursing Licensure(SCHOOLS RANKING)
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/examresults/
2007-08-27: Nursing Licensure(A to C)
2007-08-26: Nursing Licensure(D toK)
2007-08-26: Nursing Licensure(L to Z)
2007-08-26: Nursing Licensure(SCHOOLS RANKING)
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/examresults/
Monday, September 24, 2007
Filipino nurses becoming more in demand in rich countries
DAVAO City - The demand for Filipino nurses in developed countries is growing.
In the United States alone, demand is estimated at 600,000 between now and 2020, acting regional labor chief Romeo Cagas said during a round table discussion on the nursing profession in Davao City.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regional director Delfina Camarillo reported that some 33,964 nurses were deployed abroad from 1995 to 2000.
But in 2001 alone, 13,536, or 39.85 percent of Filipino nurses, were deployed between 1995 and 2000.
Attended by various institutions, including the Commission on Higher Eduction in the Southern Mindanao Region, St. Augustine School of Nursing, Davao Doctors College, U.M. School of Nursing, Ateneo de Davao University and other nursing entities, the round table talk focused on the issues of the nursing profession in the Philippines, which needs intervention to cushion the effects of outflow of nurses from the country and maximize employment opportunities for nurses to encourage them to work in the Philippines.
It was suggested that implementation of the new Nursing Law, or Republic Act 9173, be strictly enforced and graduates in nursing courses first serve the country for at least two years before they can leave the country. It was also recommended that stiffer requirements for Filipino nurses going abroad be required.
“There used to be a program requiring nursing graduates to do rural service, but now our nursing profession has become very lax. Nurses should first serve the country before going abroad,” one participant said.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s employment promotions chief, Ofelia Domingo, said the nursing shortage in the U.S. is being caused by steep population growth resulting in a growing need for health care services; a diminishing pipeline of new students in nursing; an aging nursing workforce; and the lack of interest among youths to take up nursing because of the difficult and risky working conditions.
Filipino nurses prefer to work abroad because of its high pay. Low salary, abject health conditions and political instability are the frequent reasons cited by Filipino nurses trying their luck abroad.
Other points of discussion included:
• The shortage of nurses has led US hospitals to entice nurses from other countries by increasing the signing bonus from $1,000 to $7,000;
• There is need of nurses in Austria, Norway and Japan; • Doctors study to become nurses just to leave the country and get a US immigrant visa.
In the United States alone, demand is estimated at 600,000 between now and 2020, acting regional labor chief Romeo Cagas said during a round table discussion on the nursing profession in Davao City.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regional director Delfina Camarillo reported that some 33,964 nurses were deployed abroad from 1995 to 2000.
But in 2001 alone, 13,536, or 39.85 percent of Filipino nurses, were deployed between 1995 and 2000.
Attended by various institutions, including the Commission on Higher Eduction in the Southern Mindanao Region, St. Augustine School of Nursing, Davao Doctors College, U.M. School of Nursing, Ateneo de Davao University and other nursing entities, the round table talk focused on the issues of the nursing profession in the Philippines, which needs intervention to cushion the effects of outflow of nurses from the country and maximize employment opportunities for nurses to encourage them to work in the Philippines.
It was suggested that implementation of the new Nursing Law, or Republic Act 9173, be strictly enforced and graduates in nursing courses first serve the country for at least two years before they can leave the country. It was also recommended that stiffer requirements for Filipino nurses going abroad be required.
“There used to be a program requiring nursing graduates to do rural service, but now our nursing profession has become very lax. Nurses should first serve the country before going abroad,” one participant said.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s employment promotions chief, Ofelia Domingo, said the nursing shortage in the U.S. is being caused by steep population growth resulting in a growing need for health care services; a diminishing pipeline of new students in nursing; an aging nursing workforce; and the lack of interest among youths to take up nursing because of the difficult and risky working conditions.
Filipino nurses prefer to work abroad because of its high pay. Low salary, abject health conditions and political instability are the frequent reasons cited by Filipino nurses trying their luck abroad.
Other points of discussion included:
• The shortage of nurses has led US hospitals to entice nurses from other countries by increasing the signing bonus from $1,000 to $7,000;
• There is need of nurses in Austria, Norway and Japan; • Doctors study to become nurses just to leave the country and get a US immigrant visa.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Filipino Achievers
Filipino of the Century
There are no more beautiful words in a song than those written by a simple man they called Levi Celerio. His songs cherish life, convey nationalistic sentiments and utter grand philosophies that all sound wonderful. His melodies are even more impressive and proud is the least a Filipino could be upon hearing them.
As a composer and lyricist, Levi wrote more than 4000 songs. Among them are popular pieces, which many would hasten to call "immortal". At one time or another, no Filipino could miss the tune or lyrics of Levi's Christmas songs: Pasko na Naman, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, and Misa de Gallo. Who would not fall in love upon listening to the following love songs: Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Kahit Konting Pagtingin, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal, Kapag Puso'y Sinugatan, and Ikaw. Who would not feel like dancing upon hearing the lyrics and melodies of the following folk songs: Ang Pipit, Tinikling, Tunay na Tunay, Itik-Itik, Waray-Waray, Pitong Gatang, Ako ay May Singsing, Alibangbang, Alembong, Galawgaw, Caprichosa, Ang Tapis Ni Inday, Dungawin Mo Hirang, Umaga na Neneng, Ikaw Kasi and Basta't Mahal Kita.
His best songs combine great poetry, philosophy and passion. These are O Maliwanag na Buwan, Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Bagong Pagsilang and Sapagkat Kami'y Tao Lamang. Levi also wrote nationalistic songs such as Ang Bagong Lipunan, Lupang Pangarap, and Tinig ng Bayan. Imagine the world without these songs, and the Philippines would have been less known for its happy, romantic and enthusiastic people.
Known as a poet of Philippine music, Levi wrote songs that set the standards for class and quality. Other Filipino songs, which lack luster and rhetoric, were soon forgotten and rarely heard again. But not Levi's songs. They are classic, if not timeless. The full meaning and emotion of a particular theme is best captured in his lyrics, as in the song, Ang Pipit:
There are no more beautiful words in a song than those written by a simple man they called Levi Celerio. His songs cherish life, convey nationalistic sentiments and utter grand philosophies that all sound wonderful. His melodies are even more impressive and proud is the least a Filipino could be upon hearing them.
As a composer and lyricist, Levi wrote more than 4000 songs. Among them are popular pieces, which many would hasten to call "immortal". At one time or another, no Filipino could miss the tune or lyrics of Levi's Christmas songs: Pasko na Naman, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, and Misa de Gallo. Who would not fall in love upon listening to the following love songs: Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Kahit Konting Pagtingin, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal, Kapag Puso'y Sinugatan, and Ikaw. Who would not feel like dancing upon hearing the lyrics and melodies of the following folk songs: Ang Pipit, Tinikling, Tunay na Tunay, Itik-Itik, Waray-Waray, Pitong Gatang, Ako ay May Singsing, Alibangbang, Alembong, Galawgaw, Caprichosa, Ang Tapis Ni Inday, Dungawin Mo Hirang, Umaga na Neneng, Ikaw Kasi and Basta't Mahal Kita.
His best songs combine great poetry, philosophy and passion. These are O Maliwanag na Buwan, Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Bagong Pagsilang and Sapagkat Kami'y Tao Lamang. Levi also wrote nationalistic songs such as Ang Bagong Lipunan, Lupang Pangarap, and Tinig ng Bayan. Imagine the world without these songs, and the Philippines would have been less known for its happy, romantic and enthusiastic people.
Known as a poet of Philippine music, Levi wrote songs that set the standards for class and quality. Other Filipino songs, which lack luster and rhetoric, were soon forgotten and rarely heard again. But not Levi's songs. They are classic, if not timeless. The full meaning and emotion of a particular theme is best captured in his lyrics, as in the song, Ang Pipit:
Sex in a Relationship?
Is sex really important in a relationship? Especially in a girlfriend, boyfriend relationship?
My brother came up to me and wanted me to help him in his assignment? He is freshman in college, so being his sister i said yes. But when he started talking about his assignment, i was quite surprised about his question. Its not that i dont want to answer the question. We are living in the Philippines which is actually composed of christians particularly catholics and according to the churchs' teaching "SEX" is only for those married couple and it is a big NO NO to those not yet married. My brother anyway is enrolled in a catholic school so my answer would be in contradiction to it.
I am a believer of god and i do have a strong faith but when it comes to the issue of SEX im really open minded about it. Things do change..... Im not against it but for me it comes with greaT responsibility on the couple. Will you still believe that couple in a 4 year relationship did not experienced having sex? Maybe but maybe its unbelievable, except if both really can control the urges which is very hard.
Back to my brother, when he asked me that question well the only answer i had was, IT DEPENDS.
Is SEx really important in a relationship or should it be a part of it? I hope anyone can share their thoughts on this........Thanks
My brother came up to me and wanted me to help him in his assignment? He is freshman in college, so being his sister i said yes. But when he started talking about his assignment, i was quite surprised about his question. Its not that i dont want to answer the question. We are living in the Philippines which is actually composed of christians particularly catholics and according to the churchs' teaching "SEX" is only for those married couple and it is a big NO NO to those not yet married. My brother anyway is enrolled in a catholic school so my answer would be in contradiction to it.
I am a believer of god and i do have a strong faith but when it comes to the issue of SEX im really open minded about it. Things do change..... Im not against it but for me it comes with greaT responsibility on the couple. Will you still believe that couple in a 4 year relationship did not experienced having sex? Maybe but maybe its unbelievable, except if both really can control the urges which is very hard.
Back to my brother, when he asked me that question well the only answer i had was, IT DEPENDS.
Is SEx really important in a relationship or should it be a part of it? I hope anyone can share their thoughts on this........Thanks
Thursday, September 20, 2007
What is the nursing shortage and why does it exist?
In the most basic sense, the current global nursing shortage is simply a widespread and dangerous lack of skilled nurses who are needed to care for individual patients and the population as a whole. The work of the world's estimated 12 million nurses is not well understood, even by educated members of society. But nursing is a distinct scientific field and autonomous profession whose skilled practitioners save lives and improve patient outcomes every day in a wide variety of settings. In the 
Center's view, the vast gap between what skilled nurses really do and what the public thinks they do is a fundamental factor underlying most of the more immediate apparent causes of the shortage. These causes include nurse short-staffing, poor work conditions, inadequate resources for nursing research and education, the aging nursing workforce, expanded career options for women, nursing's predominantly female nature, the increasing complexity of health care and care technology, and the rapidly aging populations in developed nations. Because studies have shown that an inadequate quantity of skilled nurses in clinical settings has a significant negative impact on patient outcomes, including mortality, the nursing shortage is literally taking lives, and impairing the health and wellbeing of many millions of the world's people. It is a global public health crisis. (See The Global Shortage of Registered Nurses: An Overview of Issues and Actions, International Council of Nurses (2004) ("ICN Report").)
Link: http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/faq/nursing_shortage.html
Center's view, the vast gap between what skilled nurses really do and what the public thinks they do is a fundamental factor underlying most of the more immediate apparent causes of the shortage. These causes include nurse short-staffing, poor work conditions, inadequate resources for nursing research and education, the aging nursing workforce, expanded career options for women, nursing's predominantly female nature, the increasing complexity of health care and care technology, and the rapidly aging populations in developed nations. Because studies have shown that an inadequate quantity of skilled nurses in clinical settings has a significant negative impact on patient outcomes, including mortality, the nursing shortage is literally taking lives, and impairing the health and wellbeing of many millions of the world's people. It is a global public health crisis. (See The Global Shortage of Registered Nurses: An Overview of Issues and Actions, International Council of Nurses (2004) ("ICN Report").) In the 1990's, a number of factors combined to produce a nursing shortage in the United States and many other nations in the world. (See ICN Report; Suzanne Gordon, Nursing Against the Odds (2005); Dana Beth Weinberg, Code Green: Money-Driven Hospitals and the Dismantling of Nursing (2003).) During this time in the United States, some nursing positions were actually cut due to the demands of managed care, which had curtailed public and private sector insurance reimbursement rates and placed many hospitals and care facilities in difficult financial positions. Many hospital decision makers, who did not seem to understand or value nursing highly, implemented restructuring plans that had the effect of drastically increasing the workloads of individual registered nurses. Many nurses, who remain sadly underempowered in the current health system, lacked the professional resources to fight effectively against these threats to their patients and themselves. Many tasks formerly performed by nurses--tasks that enabled nurses to perform critical nursing assessments--were now performed by unlicensed assistive personnel, or not performed at all. Short-staffing and restructuring drove away many nurses who could no longer face their growing burnout and/or the realization that they could not meet their professional responsibilities to their patients. By 2005, roughly half a million U.S. registered nurses (about one fifth of the national total) had chosen not to work in nursing. (National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses.)
Meanwhile, U.S. women have come to enjoy a far greater range of career choices than in the past, and men are still not entering nursing in significant numbers. Men comprise only about 6% of working U.S. nurses. At the same time, the nursing workforce is rapidly aging, and too few new nurses are being trained. Poor relations with physicians, including lack of physician respect, physician disruptive behavior and major communication failures, continue to be a problem for nurses, especially where nurses' status is lower. As Suzanne Gordon and others have noted, most women in nursing have not made the gains in workplace empowerment that many of their sisters in other professions have. Even so, in the last few years, interest in nursing has increased to some extent, due to a weak U.S. economy, combined with a growing awareness that nursing offers plentiful, diverse positions with the chance to better lives, and pay that is good relative to the amount of formal training required. Unfortunately, a critical nursing faculty shortage driven by inadequate financial support has hampered efforts to train sufficient numbers of nurses; nursing schools have turned away or waitlisted many qualified applicants. Nursing research receives relatively little funding from the federal government. It comprises a paltry 0.5% of the National Institutes of Health budget (pdf).
The recent increase in interest in nursing in the U.S. has not been sufficient to end the shortage. (See Peter Buerhaus (2004) "Trends: New Signs Of A Strengthening U.S. Nurse Labor Market?") The U.S. continues to face an aging nursing workforce and an explosion in the need for skilled nursing, as the baby boom generation starts to retire, and health care and care technology grow increasingly complex. Legislative efforts to combat the shortage have not yet had a significant impact nationwide. The federal Nurse Reinvestment Act contains promising measures, including incentives to increase the number of nursing faculty, and to the credit of its supporters it has received some funding, though not much relative to other federal programs, and not enough to have a meaningful impact. A number of states have made efforts to address the shortage. California has taken the lead in implementing mandatory nurse staffing ratios that appear to have had a positive impact on patient care and nurse satisfaction, despite fierce and ongoing opposition from the hospital and insurance industries, who argue that specific ratios are impractical and may force hospitals to close. States including Massachusetts and Florida are now considering legislation mandating specific ratios. Recently, bills have also been introduced in Congress to address nurse staffing, including bills to limit mandatory overtime. The SEIU and UNA unions have endorsed bills (currently H.R. 1222) that would establish specific federal nurse-patient ratios. The ANA has recently endorsed a different bill, H.R. 1372, that includes a number of measures designed to improve staffing, but stops short of mandating specific ratios. Instead, it requires that each hospital establish a "staffing system that ensures a number of registered nurses on each shift and in each unit of the hospital to ensure appropriate staffing levels for patient care," based on factors including skill mix, patient acuity, and facility resources. Obviously, the flexibility in this bill could be seen as a way for hospitals to avoid adequate staffing. In any case, despite the above efforts, it is now projected that if current trends continue the United States will be short 275,000 nurses by the year 2010, and that the nation will need to educate about 1.1 million new nurses by 2012--almost half the size of today's nursing workforce. (See US Department of Labor "Occupational employment projections to 2012" (pdf).) If the shortage continues as currently projected, it will have catastrophic effects on the everyday health of the nation and may severely hamper the nation's ability to respond effectively to a mass casualty event.
Globally, the nursing shortage is even more complex, as the November 2004 ICN report makes clear. That important report surveys the causes, nature and effects on patient care of nursing shortages throughout the world. It discusses the "critical challenges" of HIV/AIDS, internal and international nurse migration, and health sector reform and restructuring, and it makes general policy recommendations to address these critical problems. One of the most alarming trends discussed in the report (and many current news reports) is the migration of many of the most skilled developing world nurses to much better paying positions in developed nations with shortages, with a devastating impact on already overburdened health systems in the poorer nations. The report notes that the nurse:population ratio varies greatly in different nations. The average ratio in Europe is 10 times that in Africa and South East Asia, and one recent estimate is that sub-Saharan Africa is currently short over 600,000 nurses needed to meet Millennium Development Goals. Some nations, particularly in Central and South America, actually have more physicians than nurses (in the U.S., there are about 700,000 physicians and 2.9 million registered nurses). Many nations also reportedly suffer from a poor distribution of nurses, with few nurses available in rural and remote areas. The ICN report stresses the considerable research showing the link between nurse staffing levels and positive care outcomes. (See ICN Report at 4-6.) In explaining the shortage, it notes that "[g]ender-based discrimination continues in many countries and cultures, with nursing being undervalued or downgraded as 'women's work.'" (Id. at 5.) The report concludes that "[w]ithout effective and sustained interventions, global shortages will persist, undermining attempts to improve care outcomes and the health of nations." (Id. at 6.)
Analytically, what is called the "nursing shortage" can be viewed as operating in several different--though related and overlapping--ways. Of course, the shortage at its simplest is a lack of adequate numbers of skilled practicing nurses, as seen now in most nations of the world. However, it may be useful to think more specifically about the exact nature of what the world is "short" of. Below are some suggestions.
Link: http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/faq/nursing_shortage.html
Reverse Shortage of Doctors and Nurses
by Pat Salisbury
In what many consider an extraordinary turnaround, in the last few years, the major gate-keepers of the medical profession have been forced to acknowledge that the shortage in the supply of physicians in the United States has reached a crisis level. Until 2003, except for a few bold voices, such as that of Dr. Richard A. Cooper (see interview this issue), the official, uncontested position of these institutions has been, that there is, and will continue to be a glut of physicians in the United States, and that therefore, measures need to be taken to reduce the number of doctors, with the possible exception of primary-care physicians.
Reality, and the stubborn refusal to buy into the fraud by a few, such as Dr. Cooper, have forced a grudging reassessment. The dimensions of the shortage crisis have thus begun to emerge. Immediate action to begin the reversal of this crisis is necessary if all Americans are to receive decent health care.
More Primary-Care Physicians Needed
A report on the status of officially designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), released in October 2006, provides some basic figures on the shortage throughout the United States, of primary-care physicians, the first line of defense against ill-health. Updated in 2005, it shows that as of September of that year, there were more than 5,500 health-professional shortage designations, indicating not enough doctors in either a geographic area, among a population group such as migrant workers, or a particular health-care facility such as a rural health clinic.
Looking at the deficit for geographic areas and population groups, the study showed that 831 entire counties were designated as HPSAs, while another 815 consisted of service areas within counties. There is no state that does not have some HPSA designation. The GAO estimate concluded that 6,941 additional full-time primary-care physicians are needed to achieve ratios that would eliminate HPSA designations; this is based on a ratio of one physician for every 3,500 people in a geographic area, and 1:3,000 persons in a population group.
While the HPSA designation was created in 1978 to identify areas and populations that needed doctors, and is used by a number of Federal programs to make decisions about financial and manpower aid, it has a built-in rationing system. The administering agency, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) designates HPSAs based on the ratio of population to the number of primary-care physicians and other factors, such as the area's infant mortality rate, the percentage of the population below the poverty level, or the area's birth rate. HRSA then gives each HPSA a score based on specific criteria that ranks its shortage of primary-care providers or other needs, relative to other HPSAs. Each HPSA is ranked from 0-25. A low score can disqualify an HPSA for certain Federal aid programs.
The GAO study was conducted to prove that the number of HPSAs in the nation is over-estimated, and through the usual process of redefinition and sleight of hand, manages to assert exactly that: a finding which, if left standing, would have dire consequences for numerous under-serviced areas and population groups.
Link: http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2007/3401dr_nrs_shortage.htmlLatest Gadgets in the Market Today
Nokia’s iPhone!! You must be joking…
Aug 30th, 2007 by albert
Well apparently, it’s not a joke. I am quite surprise when I read this news about Nokia present a phone that looks like iPhone but branded Nokia at Nokia’s GoPlay event this morning. This Nokia’s iPhone alike due out next year. During Q&A, Nokia’s Executive VP & General, Anssi Vanjoki was asked about the similarity to Apple’s iPhone and he answered “if there is something good in the world then we copy with pride.”
NokNok[Source]
Toshiba launch Gigabeat T401 flash PMC
Aug 28th, 2007 by albert
Toshiba announced their new Toshiba Gigabeat T401 sports 802.11b/g WiFi, 2.4-inch, 320×240 pixel display, support WMV video, mp3, WMA 9, DRM’d WMA audio and able to store up to 4GB of flash. Gigabeat T401 also able to run up to 16 hours of audio and 5 hours of video. This babe will hit Japan on Spetember 7th for around US$258 and available in three colours: black, red and white.
HTC launch TyTN II/Kaiser for Europe
Aug 28th, 2007 by albert
HTC has finally launched their newest Windows Mobile 6 handset, Kaiser/TyTN II this morning for European. HTC also announced that Orange, Voda, T-Mobile and o2 will all get their hands on this newly launch handset. Kaiser sports all the HSDPA, WiFi and built-in GPS. No news about the price of this baby but Europe will get a hand of Kaiser on this October.
artQ show off T5 portable flash player
Aug 27th, 2007 by albert
SmartQ has just released their new portable media player, SmartQ T5. Available in 2 GB and 4GB, SmartQ T5 sports 3-inch 320 x 240, 30fps XVID DivX, plays a variety file formats including 640 x 480 with a battery that can last 7 hours playing video and 22 hours playing audio. No words about the price or the availability yet.
TMS announced their Provia A1 navigator with DMB
Aug 27th, 2007 by albert
HTMS announced their new GPS navigator, Provia A1. Provia A1 sports 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen, power with 520MHz Intel PXA270 processor, 128MB RAM, SD expansion slot, stereo speakers, USB 2.0, AV inputs and built-in media player that support DivX, XviD, H.264, WMA, WMV, OGG, MPEG3/4. No price or when this GPS is available, however Provia A1 will only be available in South Korea.
Population of Filipinos Working Abroad
There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, about 11% of the total population of the Philippines.
Each year, the Philippines sends out more than a million of its nationals to work abroad through its overseas employment program. Others leave to become permanent residents of their country of destination. Overseas Filipinos are typically known to be as doctors, accountants, IT professionals, engineers,entertainers, teachers, nurses, military servicemen, students, bar girls, domestic helpers housekeepers, and caregivers.
According to estimates by the Central Bank of the Philippines, overseas Filipinos are expected to send back $14.7 billion in remittances to their ancestral homeland in 2007, up from $14 billion in 2006.
Overseas Filipino Workers
An Overseas Filipino Worker (often abbreviated as OFW) is a Filipino who is employed in work outside the Philippines. Some eight million Filipinos, out of a population of 80 million, have left the country to seek work abroad, attracted by jobs with salaries that far exceed those of jobs available in the Philippines. These jobs often include nursing, technology, fishing, and teaching, although a third are composed of unskilled workers. Money sent by OFWs back to the Philippines is a major factor in the country's economy, amounting to more than US$10 billion in 2005. This makes the country the fourth largest recipient behind India, China and Mexico. The amount represents 13.5% of the country's GDP, the largest in proportion to the domestic economy among the four countries.
However, the exodus of workers from the country includes an increasing number of skilled workers taking on unskilled work overseas, resulting in serious brain drain, particularly in the health and education sectors. Also, the exodus can result in underemployment, especially in cases where doctors undergo retraining to become nurses.
Nations with large Filipino constituencies
- United States. Despite race relations problems of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the American Northwest, most Filipino Americans today find it easy to integrate with American society. The Filipino population in the U.S. is estimated to be 2,807,731.[USA] As of 2007, this number grew to an estimated 4 million. [USA]. Filipinos remain as the second-largest Asian American group in the country; Tagalog is the fifth most spoken language in the U.S.
- Iraq. In spite of the Philippine government ban on OFWs working in Iraq, an estimated 1,000-3,000 Filipinos work there. Most work on US Military bases around the country as cooks and laundry service, sometimes as third-country national security guards. This is the only foreign nation in which Filipino men outnumber Filipino women.
- Canada. Only a small population of Filipinos resided in Canada until the late 20th century. The government of Canada has estimated that as of 2007 there are nearly 400,000 Canadians of Filipino origin.
- Spain. With around 25,000 citizens, the Filipinos form the 2nd largest Asian community in Spain behind the Chinese.[citation needed] Although many Filipinos did immigrate or ran away to Spain after the United States took over the islands in 1898, most of the Filipinos moved to the old metropoli during the 1960s and 1970s seeking jobs, which in many cases were related to housekeeping or industrial activities. There's also a significant group of Spaniards of Filipino origins (some of whom are from 3rd and 4th generations) including some famous people like Isabel Preysler, mother of famous singer Enrique Iglesias.[citation needed]
- Ireland.The POEA has been reported as having estimated that there are 11,500 Filipino OFWs in Ireland.
- Hong Kong. There are approximately 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, of whom most are domestic helpers (30,000 of them being members of the Filipino Migrant Workers Union). Filipino maids are known by the locals as amahs, or more often feiyungs (less politely bun mui or bun bun). A Hong Kong work visa requires some amount of higher education; and in some cases Filipino women with college degrees and perfect command of English are willing to work as maids and nannies for a salary higher than they could make at home.[HKG]
- Singapore. As many as 136,000 Overseas Filipinos work and reside in the nation-state of Singapore.[POEA2004] Moreover, about 200,000 Filipinos visit the country annually, making them one of the biggest foreign tourists of Singapore.[citation needed]
- Taiwan. According to the 2006 data of the government of Taiwan, there are 96,000 Filipinos currently living in Taiwan. Of these 96,000 Filipinos, 58,704 are in manufacturing industries and 34,602 are in social or personal services (e.g. maids).[ROC] However, according to 2004 data by the Philippine Government, there are 2,037 Filipinos living in Taiwan permanently, 154,135 are in Taiwan for work contracts, and 4,500 go to Taiwan irregularly, which make a total of 160,672. It is not known why there is such a big difference between these two numbers (96,000 vs. 160,672).
- Middle East. Many Filipinos work in the Middle East (mostly Saudi Arabia and UAE) as Engineers, Nurses or Hospital workers, Acountant, Office workers, Construction workers, Restaurant workers and maids. It is estimated that more than 2 million Filipinos have made the Middle East their home.[citation needed]
- Japan Some 250,000 Filipinos and people of mixed Filipino and Japanese descent are listed to be living within Japan's geographic confines.[JPN] However, this number is speculated to be larger, surpassing the one million mark, in relation to many unlisted and illegal Filipino nationals in the Land of the Rising Sun.[citation needed]
- South Korea According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, as of December 2006, some 70,000 Filipinos work and live in Korea. Of this number, some 6,000 are permanent residents, some 50,000 work legally, and some 14,000 are "irregular" or do not have the proper documents.
- Lebanon As many as 30,000 OFWs are working in the nation of Lebanon. Due to the recent turmoil between Lebanon and Israel, however, many have been repatriated back to the Philippines, while others have been relocated to Cyprus, a part of the Philippine evacuation plan.[LBN]
- Australia In 2000 Australia recorded about 127,000 Filipinos and/or Filipino Australians.[AUS]
- United Kingdom Nurses and caregivers have begun flocking into the United Kingdom these past years. The island-nation has welcomed about 20,000 nurses and other Filipinos of various employment and lifestyle during the past 5 years. According to news reports, the United Kingdom is home to 165,564 OFWs.
- Greece The POEA has been reported as estimating that there are 27,043 Filipino OFWs in Greece.
- Malaysia As Sabah is very close to the Philippines, there are many Filipino residents, as well as illegal immigrants there. Filipinos make up about 30% of the entire population of Sabah and they enumerate up to 900,000. Many of the Filipino residents come to work in construction industries, fisheries, and other labor intensive sectors in hopes of a better living. Most live in stilt slums scattered behind cities or on offshore islands. The Philippine government also has promised to establish a consulate provide any necessary help to its nationals. Historically, The Philippines has a dormant claim on the territory. Native Sabahans themselves are closely related to southern Filipinos.[citation needed]
- New Zealand There are about 30,000 Filipino residents including Filipino-New Zealanders, as well as illegal immigrants who mostly overstay their visitor visas. New Zealand is mostly looking for farmers and information/communication technology workers. There is a small amount of Filipino maids and caregivers present in the country. The New Zealand government is very tight on the type of people coming in and out of the country. New Zealand has accommodated Filipino telecommunications as well as media. As in the other countries above, most either have The Filipino Channel (TFC), operated by ABS-CBN and/or GMA Pinoy TV.[citation needed]
- Norway People with Filipino background in Norway is estimated to about 9,000, most of them living in the Oslo urban area. Most of the Filipino immigrants to Norway are females, representing 76 % of the total of 9,000
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Life's a Beach - Boracay
Whoever coined the trite little line "life's a beach" probably had Southeast Asia in mind. There are just too many good beaches in the region to ignore...
If you're looking for a good place to lay around a do nothing while the palm trees sway in the sun and someone periodically offers to refill you mai tai, Boracay is probably for you. "Paradise" and "breath-taking" are the two adjectives most often used to describe this island in the Western Visayas portion of the Philippines. About 4.5 miles long and in places only half a mile wide, the 32 powdery white beaches on this island draw thousands of visitors each year. It is a year round destination - although peak season runs from October through April.
A stay on Boracay doesn't have to be expensive.
The island is just over one hour flying time from Manila. Boracay's beaches are so fine and white as to remind you of powdered sugar. And the climate is marvelous: cool, dry and windy from October to January, warm and humid between February and June, pleasantly wet from July to September.
Life on Boracay is not confined to the beach. Boracay boasts a wide assortment of restaurants which offer international flavors. The island's nightlife is vibrant: you can boogie till dawn. Sunrise and sunset tends to bring crowds to the beach to watch the change of the day.
Finally, Boracay is a world class dive spot. There were 18 scuba schools on the island at last count. Whether you're a novice at scuba or an experienced diver, Boracay has something for you. The island offers swimming pool conditions in front of the white beach, drift dives, deep dives, and more. In the words of one operator, "Boracay is tailor made for diving". The number of dive spots is outstanding. For those of you who have never tried scuba diving, this is the place to start.
But the beach alone makes Boracay a hard place to leave...
link: http://goasia.about.com/od/philippines/a/blboracay.htmOvercoming Eating Disorders.
Chances are you know someone -- probably a teen-age girl or young woman -- who suffers from anorexia or bulimia. Though the perception is that eating disorders are nearly impossible to treat, experts say that close to 90% of the time, people can overcome them.
Unfortunately, says Edward J. Cumella, PhD, eating disorders are all too common. One out of 10 women will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in her life; for adolescents, that number is one out of 5, says Cumella, research director at Remuda Treatment Centers in Wickenburg, Ariz., a 101-bed inpatient facility devoted exclusively to the treatment of anorexia and bulimia in adolescent girls and women.
Bulimia is five times more common than anorexia, says Cumella, because "most people are not able to starve themselves."
The reasons for such a high prevalence rate are two-fold, says Cumella. First, there's the biological component. "Some people are born with a predisposition to having an eating disorder," he says, explaining that there are genetic markers that can push a person in the direction of anorexia or bulimia.
Eating disorders run in families, Cumella adds. "If you see a young girl or young woman with an eating disorder, there is a 12 times greater chance that her sibling, or one of her parents, has -- or has had in the past -- an eating disorder as well."
Having that genetic predisposition, however, does not guarantee that a person will automatically suffer from an eating disorder. "The environment -- a person's life experience -- still has to pull the trigger," says Cumella.
"We live in a toxic environment when it comes to eating disorders," says Cumella. "The message we receive, especially on TV, is that being super-thin is important."
To emphasize his point, Cumella says that on the Island of Fiji, there was little television before 1995 ... and eating disorders were rarely, if ever, heard of. In fact, "plump" was considered the ideal body shape for girls and women. In the five years following the widespread introduction of TV, eating disorders skyrocketed, says Cumella.
Though eating disorders strike girls and women more often, boys and men are not immune, says Denise Lensky, PhD, director of the Eating Disorders Program at Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment, part of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia. "Media images for men are getting more pernicious as well," says Lensky, although she adds that males are more likely to end up with eating disorders because of pressures related to keeping their weight down for certain sports (such as wrestling and swimming) than because of concerns about their appearance.
The messages that bombard us about thinness sometimes make treating an eating disorder difficult, says Cumella. An hour of outpatient therapy a week can help a person with anorexia or bulimia deal with issues of self-esteem and self-acceptance, but then, it's back to the TV, the movies, the fashion magazines. "You can't be isolated from the world," says Cumella. "An hour a week is difficult to counteract the messages being received from all the other sources. They just undo the therapy."
That said, outpatient therapy can be effective if the eating disorder is treated in its early stages. Counseling, combined with consultations with a nutritionist, can work quickly, says Cumella.
If left untreated, or if treatment isn't successful, eating disorders can result in serious physical problems, says Cumella, including low blood sugar, pancreas and liver damage, heart failure, osteoporosis, heart rhythm problems, and thought impairment.
That is why it's so important to seek help early, says Salvatore Cullari, PhD, chair of the psychology department at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Penn., and specialist in treating people afflicted by eating disorders.
It's important to get help, because eating disorders lead to death in 15% of cases," says Cullari. If you suspect that a friend or family member has an eating disorder, you need to talk to that person, says Cullari, not in a confrontational manner, but in a supportive, informative fashion. "People need to know the facts about anorexia," says Cullari. "They often don't know that this is a life-threatening, serious disorder, but that it can be treated."If you have already tried this, and the person continues to lose weight, hospitalization is probably in order, says Cullari. "At some point, action needs to be taken."
An inpatient treatment program consists of a multi-pronged approach, says Cumella. The first step is re-feeding. "If the brain is starved, it can't process any information, and there is also a change in personality ... a person becomes perfectionistic, compulsive, and rigid." After a couple of weeks of healthy nutrition, "the personality comes back," says Cumella.
Along with the re-feeding process comes cognitive behavioral therapy, to change the woman's way of thinking about herself and about her relation to food; and family therapy (there are frequently family issues involved in eating disorders), says Cumella. Sometimes an eating disorder is the woman's only way of saying, "I'm here."
Treatment often also involves medication, such as antidepressants to treat bulimia and/or anti-anxiety therapy, since depression and anxiety frequently accompany eating disorders.
Though the average inpatient stay at Remuda is 54 days (45 for bulimics, 60 for anorexics), the good news is that the success rate is about 90%, says Cumella.
There has always been a perception of high failure rates when it comes to treating eating disorders, but that's not really the case, says Lensky. "Eating disorders can be as successfully treated as any other compulsive behavioral disorder," she says. "People who suffer from eating disorders feel hopeless and ashamed, which may keep them from seeking help. But when they do, eating disorders are treatable."
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/48/39218.htm
Can Blogging Make You Rich?
Numerous people began blogs after hearing of others who are getting rich as a professional blogger. Many others question if becoming a rich blogger is actually possible or just a dream. That depends mostly on your definition of rich and how much effort your willing to put into blogging.
The modern web log, or blog, has evolved from the online diary kept by a few people to where it is today. While personal sites remain, many are topic specific with text, graphics, photos and links to other sites. Depending on the popularity of a given site, some companies are finding that placing advertising relating to the theme of the blog can target an audience displaying an interest in the subject.
There are also a few outlets which place random ads on your blog for you, and you get paid a referral fee, or sales commission depending on the company, for each sale that originates from your site. While the commission structure is usually not overly high, with several ads placed on your blog site, the commissions from several different ads can add up.
Affiliate programs are another good way to gain income from your site. By signing up with affiliate programs you can place ads of your choosing for companies of your choosing and receive a sales commission for referral sales. By combining several streams of income from your blog site, it is possible to earn enough of an income to make blogging your full time job.
Link:
http://www.articlealley.com/article_138967_13.html
The modern web log, or blog, has evolved from the online diary kept by a few people to where it is today. While personal sites remain, many are topic specific with text, graphics, photos and links to other sites. Depending on the popularity of a given site, some companies are finding that placing advertising relating to the theme of the blog can target an audience displaying an interest in the subject.
There are also a few outlets which place random ads on your blog for you, and you get paid a referral fee, or sales commission depending on the company, for each sale that originates from your site. While the commission structure is usually not overly high, with several ads placed on your blog site, the commissions from several different ads can add up.
Affiliate programs are another good way to gain income from your site. By signing up with affiliate programs you can place ads of your choosing for companies of your choosing and receive a sales commission for referral sales. By combining several streams of income from your blog site, it is possible to earn enough of an income to make blogging your full time job.
Link:
http://www.articlealley.com/article_138967_13.html
Australia's demand for nurses, skilled workers up, consul says
THE JOB market in Australia for Filipino nurses and skilled workers is expanding fast, according to Raul V. Hernandez, honorary consul to Melbourne who visited Davao City last week.
10T nurses
Hernandez, who paid a courtesy call on Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, said the state of Victoria alone would need some 10,000 nurses in the next three years.
The other five states and two territories of the vast commonwealth are New South Wales with Sydney as capital, Queensland (Brisbane), South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart), Western Australia (largest state with Perth as capital city), Northern Territory (Darwin) and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) with Canberra as capital.
Australia, Hernandez said, is also in need of more plumbers, welders and other skilled workers coming from the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia.
New work visa
The demand for more workers, he said, has prompted Australia to introduce a visa called "457" which refers to a short term and long business visa.
"Technically, there is now a contract workers situation in Australia," Hernandez said, adding contract workers can now stay a minimum of three months to a maximum of four years, he said.
Under the new visa system, a qualified worker who has proven himself to be a good performer can apply for permanent residence after three years.
In his short visit to City Hall, Hernandez encouraged the city leadership and the local business community to promote the city to investors in Melbourne. He said Australian businessmen are now looking for investment areas outside Manila.
Link:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2007/08/06/bus/australia.s.demand.for.nurses.skilled.workers.up.consul.says.html
10T nurses
Hernandez, who paid a courtesy call on Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, said the state of Victoria alone would need some 10,000 nurses in the next three years.
The other five states and two territories of the vast commonwealth are New South Wales with Sydney as capital, Queensland (Brisbane), South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart), Western Australia (largest state with Perth as capital city), Northern Territory (Darwin) and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) with Canberra as capital.
Australia, Hernandez said, is also in need of more plumbers, welders and other skilled workers coming from the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia.
New work visa
The demand for more workers, he said, has prompted Australia to introduce a visa called "457" which refers to a short term and long business visa.
"Technically, there is now a contract workers situation in Australia," Hernandez said, adding contract workers can now stay a minimum of three months to a maximum of four years, he said.
Under the new visa system, a qualified worker who has proven himself to be a good performer can apply for permanent residence after three years.
In his short visit to City Hall, Hernandez encouraged the city leadership and the local business community to promote the city to investors in Melbourne. He said Australian businessmen are now looking for investment areas outside Manila.
Link:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2007/08/06/bus/australia.s.demand.for.nurses.skilled.workers.up.consul.says.html
More Pinoy nurses seeking US jobs
The number of Filipino nurses who sought employment in the US in the first quarter of 2007 nearly doubled the number of those who did in same period in 2006, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said over the weekend.
TUCP’s Alex Aguilar said 5,076 Philippine-educated nurses took the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX) in first quarter of 2007 as against the 2,711 in the same period in 2006.
The NCLEX is final step in nursing licensure process in the US. The US National Council of State Boards of Nursing administers the examination.
The number of NCLEX examinees is "a good indicator" of how many US, as well as foreign nursing graduates, are trying to enter the profession in that country, Aguilar said.
He said the Philippines with 5,076 examinees tops all five countries with biggest number of first-time NCLEX examinees in the first quarter. India came next with 1,384; South Korea followed with 600; then Canada with 201; and last Cuba with168.
The Philippines still has "a huge surplus of qualified nurses ready for foreign deployment, including those who passed previous licensure examinations in past years," Aguilar said.
From 1996 to 2005, the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) issued licenses to 98,835 nursing graduates, excluding the 17,821 that passed the June 2006 controversial examination.
Aguilar said "…Filipino nursing graduates can actually skip the Philippine eligibility test, and simply work their way through the licensing process of their host countries."
"Thus, the potential number of Filipino nurses that may be deployed overseas is definitely not limited to those licensed by the PRC," he added.
Every year, 460 Philippine schools produce some 25,000 nursing graduates. The country sends over 15,000 nurses abroad every year, World Health Organization records show.
In 2006, 15,171 Filipino nurses took the NCLEX for the first time (non-repeaters), or 65% higher than the 9,181 in 2005. - GMANews.TV
Link:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/41184/More-Pinoy-nurses-seeking-US-jobs
TUCP’s Alex Aguilar said 5,076 Philippine-educated nurses took the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX) in first quarter of 2007 as against the 2,711 in the same period in 2006.
The NCLEX is final step in nursing licensure process in the US. The US National Council of State Boards of Nursing administers the examination.
The number of NCLEX examinees is "a good indicator" of how many US, as well as foreign nursing graduates, are trying to enter the profession in that country, Aguilar said.
He said the Philippines with 5,076 examinees tops all five countries with biggest number of first-time NCLEX examinees in the first quarter. India came next with 1,384; South Korea followed with 600; then Canada with 201; and last Cuba with168.
The Philippines still has "a huge surplus of qualified nurses ready for foreign deployment, including those who passed previous licensure examinations in past years," Aguilar said.
From 1996 to 2005, the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) issued licenses to 98,835 nursing graduates, excluding the 17,821 that passed the June 2006 controversial examination.
Aguilar said "…Filipino nursing graduates can actually skip the Philippine eligibility test, and simply work their way through the licensing process of their host countries."
"Thus, the potential number of Filipino nurses that may be deployed overseas is definitely not limited to those licensed by the PRC," he added.
Every year, 460 Philippine schools produce some 25,000 nursing graduates. The country sends over 15,000 nurses abroad every year, World Health Organization records show.
In 2006, 15,171 Filipino nurses took the NCLEX for the first time (non-repeaters), or 65% higher than the 9,181 in 2005. - GMANews.TV
Link:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/41184/More-Pinoy-nurses-seeking-US-jobs
Change in work habits of Pinoy nurses causes slump in demand
THE decline in the demand for Filipino nurses abroad is caused more by a change in the working attitude of the latest batch of nursing professionals rather than the board exam cheating controversy.
“Nurses in the Philippines now are no longer of the same quality as the nurses five to 10 years back,” said Dr. Henry Seno, president of the American Dream Review Institute Inc. (Amdream).
He said 40 percent of Filipino nurses in the United States, despite receiving an average salary of $8,000 to $10,000 a month, “do not show up for work.”
“They literally do not report to the hospitals, especially those with immigrant status. Those who report act as if they are not there because they’re busy doing other things,” he said in a press conference yesterday at the Casino Español de Cebu.
While there are “hardworking” nurses, many of them lack the hands-on experience and a good grasp of educational background which should have been provided by the academe, he said.
“There are more nursing schools now and so many nursing graduates. They (schools) have become mere diploma mills,” said Seno.
This negative scenario has caused hospitals and clinics in the United States to recruit more nurses from India, Korea and China, he said.
Job fairs conducted by foreign hospitals and recruitment agencies were common in the last three years but due to the “deteriorating quality” of nurses today, US hospitals have become apprehensive in their choice of nursing imports, he said.
A “more depressing fact,” Seno added, is that US hospitals were “duped” by local recruitment offices that take advantage of the hospitals’ immediate need for nurses and send people who are not qualified or do not have licenses.
Answering the call to improve the country’s nursing graduates, Seno introduced the Amdream review center in 2000. The review center specializes in online reviews, particularly in preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurse (NCLEX).
The two-month intensive review covers language training, audiovisual presentations, lectures and simulated exams, which are similar to the actual NCLEX test. Results of the exam will determine the student’s strengths and areas for improvement.
As of December 2006, Amdream’s passing rate during the NCLEX exam was at 83 percent, he said. (MMM)
Link:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/08/17/bus/change.in.work.habits.of.pinoy.nurses.causes.slump.in.demand..html
“Nurses in the Philippines now are no longer of the same quality as the nurses five to 10 years back,” said Dr. Henry Seno, president of the American Dream Review Institute Inc. (Amdream).
He said 40 percent of Filipino nurses in the United States, despite receiving an average salary of $8,000 to $10,000 a month, “do not show up for work.”
“They literally do not report to the hospitals, especially those with immigrant status. Those who report act as if they are not there because they’re busy doing other things,” he said in a press conference yesterday at the Casino Español de Cebu.
While there are “hardworking” nurses, many of them lack the hands-on experience and a good grasp of educational background which should have been provided by the academe, he said.
“There are more nursing schools now and so many nursing graduates. They (schools) have become mere diploma mills,” said Seno.
This negative scenario has caused hospitals and clinics in the United States to recruit more nurses from India, Korea and China, he said.
Job fairs conducted by foreign hospitals and recruitment agencies were common in the last three years but due to the “deteriorating quality” of nurses today, US hospitals have become apprehensive in their choice of nursing imports, he said.
A “more depressing fact,” Seno added, is that US hospitals were “duped” by local recruitment offices that take advantage of the hospitals’ immediate need for nurses and send people who are not qualified or do not have licenses.
Answering the call to improve the country’s nursing graduates, Seno introduced the Amdream review center in 2000. The review center specializes in online reviews, particularly in preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurse (NCLEX).
The two-month intensive review covers language training, audiovisual presentations, lectures and simulated exams, which are similar to the actual NCLEX test. Results of the exam will determine the student’s strengths and areas for improvement.
As of December 2006, Amdream’s passing rate during the NCLEX exam was at 83 percent, he said. (MMM)
Link:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/08/17/bus/change.in.work.habits.of.pinoy.nurses.causes.slump.in.demand..html
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