According to a recent statement by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), remittances from overseas Filipinos amounted to $9.63 billion in the first six months of the year, up 6.3 percent year-on-year.

The OFWs do not only support their country’s economic health but they also provide essential services in various fields they work everywhere in the world. They undergo a lot of sacrifices and hardships, not to mention the homesickness they have to bear. The degree of these hardships must have been thousand-fold for the pioneer OFWS, the courageous nomadic Filipinos of yesteryears.

Without the aid of modern machinery and technology, the pioneer OFWs toiled in pineapple and fruit orchards, construction of infrastructure, monotonous and brain numbing assembly lines in factories, fish canneries. In contrast to the modern OFWs who have access to telephones, emails and video chats, the pioneer OFWs had to bear the long periods of not being able to communicate with their loved ones. The pioneer OFWs also had to live in accommodation without the luxury of heating and air-conditioning.

At the background - an old cottage, now a museum (click image)

In a cruise in Alaska my husband and I recently took, the first stop was Ketchikan, Alaska’s salmon capital. Here, I came to know about the original Alaskan OFWs who worked in salmon canneries and who were fondly referred to as the “Alaskeros”. We toured a cannery which was no longer used for production but is now a museum where machinery still in working condition demonstrates the arduous canning process. A short film was screened in a theatrette showing how work was done in the olden days.

It was heartening to hear that Filipino workers are being acknowledged as part of the workforce which contributed to the successful operations in the canneries. At the same time, it was touching to see the wooden cottage – sans heaters and other conveniences – they shared with the Chinese and other non-Caucasian workers. The narrator in the film also mentioned that to help cope with boredom, loneliness and the cold, some turned to rum and opium.

Tribute to Pioneer OFWs

A marker to the memory of pioneering OFWs (click image)

The next port of call was at Juneau, Alaska’s capital city since 1906. Juneau’s natural beauty is breathtaking, with the snow-capped mountains, deep-blue body of water surrounding it, and with its school of frolicking whales and seals, oblivious to the parade of cruise ships. It is known to be Alaska’s cruise-ship capital and the gateway to attractions including the Glacier Bay National Park.

I think I must have fallen in love with Juneau. But, I must say though these are not the only reasons why I left my heart in Juneau.

In Juneau, I felt proud to see a two-storey hall dedicated to the brave spirits of pioneering Alaskeros and which today serves as a multi-purpose centre in Juneau’s busy business district.

A plaza called Manila Square (click image)

I bumped into a kababayan, who works in the city government. She was proud to tell me that of the 30,000 population of Jeneau, there was an estimated 6,000 Filipino-Americans. In a place which is very far from the Philippines, 20 percent resident population of Philippine origin is quite large.

It was also heart-warming to see a park across the MPC-like hall was dedicated as a the ‘Manila Square’. In the heart of this park, a bust of the Philippine National Hero, Dr Jose Rizal, sits on top of a stone pedestal. Underneath the pedestal, is a plaque which pays tribute to the Filipinos’ contributions to the city from the mid 1920s to the present time.

Marker to recognise the pioneering Alaskeros (click image)

It highlighted that: “The first Filipino community in Juneau was organized in 1929. It was later incorporated under territorial law on Feb. 1, 1956…”

A number of shops either owned or operated by Filipino-Americans line up the business district.

I bought some souvenir jewellery from a Filipino-owned shop and also had a look around in another shop which was next-door to a beauty parlour operated by another kababayan; these were located alongside the ‘MPC’. There was also an eatery called the Manila Grill.

I was proud and happy for these kababayans who are doing well in the land they now call ‘home’

Manila Grill and others in Juneau's business district

Next: My Juneau in Sydney’s vision of a Philippine cultural centre

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Violi Calvert is a free lance writer; Media & PR of the Australian Handball Federation (www.handballaustralia.org.au); Media & PR of the Nenad Bach Music (Australia & Asia – www.nenadbachband.com)

In attendance during the opening last April 1 were Philippine Airlines Country Manager Arnul Pan, community leaders and other well wishers.

Travel Access is operated by Emma de Vera.

*** The Filipino Australian owns copyright of the photos on this post. Please contact us if you plan to use any of the photos for whatever purposes.

In the hit romantic comedy ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’, the lead actress Kate Hudson plays a journalist who did everything she could to get the leading man (Matthew McConaughey) to hate her.

It was an experiment concocted by Kate’s editor for a writing assignment due in 10 days. But the ruse backfired when, despite it all, the pair fell in love.

It was a great movie with a happy ending, just like my writing trip to Manila, a whirlwind 10-day tour that pulled at my heartstrings despite my early reservations.

It wasn’t that I wore the rose-tinted glasses of a balikbayan (homecoming) but my pragmatic eyes were protected from the sun by some cool shades I bought at Greenhills (oh, how I miss you, Greenhills!).

It wasn’t that I didn’t hunger for information on the political goings-on but I was sated, too, by the culinary feast I enjoyed from the kitchen table of my uncle’s house to the high-end restaurants that were on par with Sydney’s finest (Thank you, La Cocina de Moning!).

It wasn’t that I didn’t miss the clockwork precision and speed of the Central to Wynyard train (my home-to-office train route) but the surprise encounters and friendships I forged after taking an air-conditioned bus to La Union all made up for it.

There were things I could easily share with any of my Aussie friends keen to visit: good food, good shopping and great places to see. But as a writer, Manila woke my senses. My writing muse, catatonic from my matter-of-fact finance writing, resurfaced, threw cold water on my face, shook my shoulders and begged me to write creatively again.

And he did okay. More than a year on, I have a coffee table book with all the memories of my journey. Just like Kate in the movie, Manila occasionally played tricks on me, giving me reasons not to love it, but the city’s raw energy, sense of humour and beauty kept bubbling over to the top.

I surrendered. I boarded the plane a devil’s advocate and came back a country ambassador. Now when can I book my next flight?

In the hit romantic comedy ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’, the lead actress Kate Hudson plays a journalist who did everything she could to get the leading man (Matthew McConaughey) to hate her.

It was an experiment concocted by Kate’s editor for a writing assignment due in 10 days. But the ruse backfired when, despite it all, the pair fell in love.

It was a great movie with a happy ending, just like my writing trip to Manila, a whirlwind 10-day tour that pulled at my heartstrings despite my early reservations.

It wasn’t that I wore the rose-tinted glasses of a balikbayan (homecoming) but my pragmatic eyes were protected from the sun by some cool shades I bought at Greenhills (oh, how I miss you, Greenhills!).

It wasn’t that I didn’t hunger for information on the political goings-on but I was sated, too, by the culinary feast I enjoyed from the kitchen table of my uncle’s house to the high-end restaurants that were on par with Sydney’s finest (Thank you, La Cocina de Moning!).

It wasn’t that I didn’t miss the clockwork precision and speed of the Central to Wynyard train (my home-to-office train route) but the surprise encounters and friendships I forged after taking an air-conditioned bus to La Union all made up for it.

There were things I could easily share with any of my Aussie friends keen to visit: good food, good shopping and great places to see. But as a writer, Manila woke my senses. My writing muse, catatonic from my matter-of-fact finance writing, resurfaced, threw cold water on my face, shook my shoulders and begged me to write creatively again.

And he did okay. More than a year on, I have a coffee table book with all the memories of my journey. Just like Kate in the movie, Manila occasionally played tricks on me, giving me reasons not to love it, but the city’s raw energy, sense of humour and beauty kept bubbling over to the top.

I surrendered. I boarded the plane a devil’s advocate and came back a country ambassador. Now when can I book my next flight?

M4 Western Motorway :: Source: NSW RTA

The operation of M4 Western Motorway was handed back last 16 February to the NSW Government and the toll was removed.

The M4 is a 40 kilometre motorway that extends from Concord in Sydney’s inner west to Lapstone at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Statewide Roads has operated a 12.5 kilometre section, including the section from Silverwater Road (Auburn) to James Ruse Drive (Rosehill), as a toll road for a concession period of 20 years.

To facilitate the transition there will be road works and a reduced speed limit while the lanes are reconfigured. This will include changing the traffic arrangements at the toll plaza areas in Auburn to three lanes eastbound and four lanes westbound. Traffic delays are expected.

Motorists are asked to drive with care and to observe the directions given on signage and by traffic controllers.

Source: RTA NSW

A section of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, one of the highways which boost domestic travel [photo: emanila gallery]

Travel traffic between Australia and the Philippines continued to buck the trend this year in the face of the current global recession.

In an exclusive interview, the Philippines’ tourism attache in Sydney, Consuelo ‘Lito Jones, told Radio Sandigan that despite a worldwide decline of 8 per cent, traffic between Australia and the Philippines had increased by 5 per cent. “I am happy to say that we’re doing pretty well,” Ms Jones said.

“Domestic travel overall (within the Philippines) was up 13 per cent, with destinations in, for example, Camarines Sur (in southern Luzon) posting an increase in visits of 194 per cent compared to last year.”

Worst affected destinations were Europe, which saw a 10 per cent decline in traffic, followed by the United States with 6 per cent. Australia and the Pacific suffered a decline of 4 per cent, Ms Jones said.

There were destinations, however, that had actually seen improvement in traffic movement. “France, the most popular destination, was up 1 per cent,” she said. “It was the same with South America and Maldives. But the majority of destinations around the globe had negative figures.”

Ms Jones attributed the spiral in travel traffic everywhere to a diminishing number of passengers in air travel. “The financial crisis has had people opting for other means of travel for safety and economic reasons,” she said.

“Further, many businesses have chosen Internet conferencing over sending executives interstate or overseas. Things like that.

“As a result, airlines have cut their number of destinations to concentrate on more profitable ones. All that, in turn, has had a negative impact on hotels and many other businesses in the travel industry.”

But in light of continuing interest in tourist travel between Australia and the Philippines ~ and cuts in spending ~ Philippine tourism is bumping up its aggressive promotion.

“You will see and hear more on the Philippines in the Australian media next year,” Ms Jones said. “The travel market around the world will rebound, and I believe the immediate future of travel and tourism is looking good.”

The Philippines is clearly preparing for it. “Already, there have been more hotels built comprising 1,230 more rooms,” Ms Jones said. #

Screenshot of National Geographic's Adventure 25 Best New Trips in the World in 2010 promotion

The Philippines was named “One of 25 Best New Trips in the World in 2010” by National Geographic, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs recently reported.

The DFA report said that the Philippines’ ancient cultures, structures and biodiversity were cited by the National Geographic as key reasons to visit the country.

In its November 2009 Adventure issue, the DC-based National Geographic described the Philippines as ‘harboring as many islands at the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet.’

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa said the inclusion of the Philippines in the list shows the global community is “taking note of the natural and cultural wonders in the country as well as the efforts to protect and preserve them.”

The DFA said that the Philippines has been promoting its cultural and natural wonders as preferred travel destinations for global tourists. It works closely with the National Geographic in raising awareness on the importance of sustainable development and ecological protection.

The National Geographic list of 25 Best New Trips in the World in 2010 includes Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Canada, France, Kenya, Iceland, New Zealand and the US.

“Now more than ever, travelers want their dollars to do more – for others, for the planet, for themselves. At least that’s what we found while searching for the best trips of 2010,” National Geographic said about its 2010 list.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo displays her ePassport Credit: DFA Photo

No other than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the recipient of the first ePassport presented to her by DFA Secretary Alberto G. Romulo in ceremonies held at the DFA Auditorium coinciding with the Department’s 111th Founding Day anniversary.

President Arroyo’s ePassport bears the serial number EA0000001. To illustrate its features, the President scanned her ePassport on the passport reader which revealed her biometric information, digital signature and photograph.

A joint project of the DFA and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the issuance of the ePassport makes the Philippines compliant with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), of which it is a member.

Filipino travellers and migrant workers stand to benefit the most from the globally-compliant ePassport currently being used in over 60 countries.

The ePassport’s security features have been enhanced with a hidden encoded image, an ultra-thin, holographic laminate; and a tamper-proof electronic microchip.

Its Integrated Circuit (IC) chip stores the passport holder’s photograph and other personal data for easy verification of identity and is fully inter-operable which means that the chip can be read by border control officials in other countries using a passport chip reader.

The ePassport will facilitate and hasten the entry formalities in other countries of OCWs, Filipinos residing in other countries and Filipino travelers, as well as further cut down on opportunities for passport fraud and tampering.

Despite its advanced security features, the Philippine ePassport will be available for a fee of P950, making it one of the lowest-priced ePassports in the world.

Filipino passport applicants may still choose between the ePassport OR the machine readable passport (MRP) currently priced at P500.

The ePassport project is part of the DFA’s passport modernization program which started in 2007 with the launch of the machine readable passport. To date, about four million MRPs have been issued.

Initially, application for the ePassport will be on appointment basis. Full implementation of the project will take place in the next three months. //Source: Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs

All Australian passport-holders eligible to travel to the US under that country’s Visa Waiver Program must, before they travel, obtain approval through the US’ Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). This also applies to passport-holders from other countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program.

ESTA is an online system administered by the United States Government which determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to travel under the Visa Waiver Program prior to boarding a carrier to the United States. ESTA has been operating on a voluntary basis since 1 August 2008 and will become compulsory on 12 January 2009.

The ESTA website is at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Prospective travellers will be required to provide basic biographic, travel and eligibility information online in order to receive authorisation prior to their departure. There is no charge to complete the application.

Most travellers can expect to receive authorisation within a few minutes. However, travellers are advised to complete an ESTA as soon as they begin to plan their travel, and at least three days in advance, to avoid any last-minute delays.

Travellers who do not have a valid ESTA on or after 12 January 2009 may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing or be denied admission at a United States port of entry. Once granted, electronic pre-clearance will be valid for up to two years and for multiple-entry visits to the United States.

The DFAT bulletin recommends that travellers keep a print-out or record of their ESTA application number for reference, if required, at airports or seaports.

Australian passport-holders who hold a valid visa for travel to the United States are not required to obtain an ESTA.

By way of background, the Visa Waiver Program allows eligible visitors from Australia and other participating countries to travel to the United States for business or pleasure for 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa.

Based on figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, The Filipino Australian has gathered that nearly half of all Australian short-term departures were to New Zealand, the UK, the USA, Indonesia and Fiji, the top five destinations for Australian departures. Most people travelling to these countries were going for a holiday, except for travellers to the UK, where many were visiting friends and relatives.

In January 2008, short-term resident departures from Australia totalled 478,000 movements, an increase of 0.5% over the immediately preceding month’s movements.

The Philippines has changed the format and features of its passport, to comply with the international standard set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the United Nations agency that governs and coordinates concerns of international air transportation.

The Consulate will now issue Machine-Readable Passports (MRP) which can be read mechanically when swiped through a passport reader machine. The MRP will provide Philippine travelers greater convenience and security in their entry and departure at airports all over the world.

The Philippine MRP has security features which make it very difficult to forge or tamper. The new passport is printed on security paper woven with UV threads and microscopic texts. It also has a super-thin laminate embedded with holographic images, laser perforated pages, and other optical features.

The Consulate informs Philippine passport holders that the processing of the MRP will now take a minimum of six weeks, for both first-time issuances and renewal of passports, because the production of the passport is done at a central facility in Manila.

After August 1, the Consulate will cease to issue same-day or next-day issuances of renewed passports.

An important requirement of the new MRP procedure is the applicant’s personal appearance at the Consulate. The applicant must confirm the correct entry of personal data and the taking of fingerprints and signature is a delicate and precise process. The only applicants exempt from making a personal appearance are applicants less than 8 years old or more than 65 years old.

The other requirements and fees for acquiring the MRP basically remain the same as the manually-scripted green passport. However, passport photographs are required to have a royal blue background. There are guidelines and specifications for passport photographs, which are outlined at the Consulate’s website at www.philippineconsulate.com.au

The Consulate will only receive passport applications and requirements and forward the applications to Manila for passport production. The processed passports are returned to the Consulate, for release to the applicant. The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney will process passports applications only from applicants within New South Wales.

Filipino citizens are strongly advised to keep their passport current and to renew their passport at least two months before it is needed. In view of the six-week processing time, the Consulate will no longer be able to address requests for the early release of passports, such as by those who neglected to check the validity of their passports before purchasing an airline ticket.

Detailed information about MRP requirements is available at the Consulate’s website at www.philippineconsulate.com.au.

In his covering letter, Atty Yunon wrote: “Every year I get the luck of going to the Philippines, and whenever I get there I always make it a point to find something beautiful and it has never been difficult to realize my objective. True I see and experience many things less admirable and less beautiful but those that I find impressive make up for those misgivings.”

“Today without being actually in the Philippines to experience my usual high, lo and behold before my very eyes the latest highway, the SUBIC CLARK TARLAC EXPRESSWAY. Feast your eyes, my friend, as I did myself.

“No, you are not looking at sections of M7 going to Liverpool or of M5 going to Canberra or of F3 going to Queensland. It is definitely Southwest Subic, Olongapo, Zambales, passing thru Clark Pampanga, terminating in Amucao,Tarlac City, Tarlac.”

“I am always proud of the Philippines but these pictures make me prouder today,” concluded Atty Yunon.

So are we, Atty Yunon. We have posted the photos at emanila’s Photogallery for everyone to view.

Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway

The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) is a 94-kilometer highway north of Manila. The expressway starts in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales passing through the interchange with the North Luzon Expressway near the Clark Special Economic Zone in Angeles City, Pampanga and ends at the Central Techno Park in Tarlac City, Tarlac.

When the expressway is finished, it will provide shorter travel time leading to faster transportation of goods between the two economic zones.

Based on reports, SCTEX will have similar features with the recently rehabilitated North Luzon Expressway. Phase 1 of the SCTEx construction started on April 21, 2005, and completed on December 2007. Phase 2 was scheduled to be done by March 2008.

Last March, President Gloria Arroyo-Macapagal opened the expressway’s first 50 kilometers.

Philippine Government sources have reported that SCTEX was built at a cost of P27 billion, of which P23.06 billion was funded through a loan grant from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) and the rest shouldered by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA). #