Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a tweet, Locsin suggested that the creation of DOFil must be carved out of the existing structure of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) instead of mixing foreign service officers with political appointees who are “sure to abuse its privileges”.
POEA, an office created during the Marcos administration, is the agency tasked to promote and protect the welfare of overseas Filipino workers.
“To spread around consular status is forbidden by diplomacy and dilutes the dignity of real foreign service officers by throwing in the mix political appointees sure to abuse its privileges. Plus DOF must be carved out of nothing & nobodies,” he said.
Published March 17, 2021, 11:54 AM
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, March 17 renewed her push for the passage of the bill that would ensure that workers in the private and public sector are able to access life and health insurance benefits amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Senator Risa Hontiveros
(Joseph Vidal / Senate PRIB / FILE PHOTO)
Hontiveros, who is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1441 or the proposed “Balik Trabahong Ligtas’ Act, said there is a necessity for the government to fast track essential measures that would protect workers’ health and well-being especially with the rising coronavirus cases in work spaces.
Crime
Sacramento, CA –In the past year audits have uncovered billions of dollars in misspent UI benefits at the EDD due to the inability to prevent fraud. Between March and August 2020, more than 34,00 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims were filed on behalf of inmates, and more than half of those claims were paid despite inmates being ineligible to receive the benefits under current law.
This bill would require California to cross-reference EDD claims with state prison rolls, a program already implemented in 37 other states. The author of the bill Senator Shannon Grove explains
“The State Auditor has made it clear that EDD was both poorly managed and vulnerable to fraud especially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Given the Department’s historic failure and cont