News from home: Saudi hiring 1M OFWs, Maharlika updates, goodbye 'Eat...Bulaga!'?

MANILA, Philippines — From Saudi Arabia looking to hire more Filipino workers, Congress greenlighting the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, to the sudden departure of main hosts from 'Eat...Bulaga!' — these were among our headlines and news stories from the past week we think you should know if you’re a Filipino based abroad. 

Overseas Filipinos

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wants to hire one million skilled Filipino workers over the next two years as the Gulf state addresses its “labor needs” in the hospitality, construction, and information and technology sectors.
  
  Saudi Arabia will be sending a technical team to the Philippines this month to discuss the program, while the Philippines looks for ways to enable opportunities without compromising the industries back home.
   
• European envoys have raised concern after a Senate version of the Magna Carta for Seafarers scrapped the escrow provision, which would protect seafarers and industry employers from predatory lawyers who practice “ambulance chasing” or when lawyers encourage seafarers even with minor injuries to file for large settlements. 
  
  Ambassadors warned that without the provision, the competitiveness of Filipino seafarers — who make up about 14% of the industry — may be threatened.
   
• Prosecutors have indicted eight people for running a human trafficking scheme in Pampanga, where authorities rescued more than a thousand victims duped into working in a cryptocurrency investment scam. More than 900 rescued are foreign nationals, while there were 465 Filipinos.
   
• Workers who wish to be deployed overseas have been warned against contracting fixers to get an expedited release of their Overseas Employment Certificates. The Bureau of Immigration last week intercepted a batch of aspiring overseas Filipino workers who paid P500 to P7,000 for the bogus document, warning that its database is connected with the Department of Migrant Workers’ and it will be easy to spot fakes.

Work and the economy

• Both chambers of Congress have approved a measure creating the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund, which is now awaiting the signature of the president. Senators greenlighted the bill in a nearly 12-hour-long session last week while the House readily adopted the Senate version.
  
  While the bill now prohibits state-run pension funds such as the SSS, GSIS, and the OWWA pension funds from investing in the sovereign wealth fund, groups still aired concern as this might become a new vehicle for corruption.
   
• A Social Weather Stations survey conducted from March 26 to 29 showed that only 29% of Filipino adults said their quality of life improved in the past year, while 25% noted their quality of life got worse as inflation woes continue to affect most adults.
  
  Almost half or 46% said that it has remained the same. A separate SWS poll, however, showed that 42% of Filipinos are hoping that their lives will improve in the next 12 months.

Politics and the nation

• One of the country’s top noontime shows 'Eat...Bulaga!' might no longer air on GMA Network after its main hosts Vic Sotto, his brother and former Sen. Tito Sotto, and Joey de Leon announced their departure from Television and Production Exponents Inc. 
  
  Following the three main hosts’ departure, other “Eat Bulaga!” hosts filed a mass resignation that included Paolo Ballesteros, Jose Manalo, Maine Mendoza, Ryzza Mae Dizon, Wally Bayola and Ryan Agoncillo, as well as all the hosts, writers, sales, production and cameramen.
   
• Another radio journalist was murdered. Cresenciano Bundoquin was shot by two unknown assailants as he was setting up shop early Wednesday last week in Oriental Mindoro. 
  
  He is the third journalist killed since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. took office and authorities have since offered a P50,000 bounty for whoever may point to the suspect of his killing.
  
  Groups have since called on the government to act on media killings. 
   
• Rainy season has officially begun back home, following the passage of Tropical Storm 'Betty' (international name: Mawar) and with the southwest monsoon bringing widespread rains to the western parts of Luzon and Visayas.

You can view last week’s rundown here or sign up for the newsletter here.