UK restricts recruitment of Filipino nurses

My son, Rolando Jr., excitedly phoned me from Dublin, Republic of Ireland over the weekend and reported the story of the United Kingdom’s restricting the recruitment of nurses from the Philippines.

Jun-Jun, a head nurse in a Dublin hospital, told me that the rumors reaching them in Dublin blamed alleged shenanigans by the Philippines’ Professional Regulation Commission.

He asked me to verify that report, pointing out that the canard going around was that other European Union countries might follow suit.

"That’s a disservice to Filipino nurses, most of whom are respectable and service-oriented," Jun-Jun complained.

My Junior expressed concern that he asked me to relay the information to the government so that it can take remedial measures to dismantle suspicions about the training of Pinoy nurses.

"That could mean millions of dollars Filipino nurses can earn," was his final word.

Well, that report is reproduced here for the attention of top government officials. The government should not just brush aside those rumors. If they disturb Filipinos working as nurses in as far as Ireland, then there must be some truth to the reports.

Cavite incident stirs Bacolod mediamen

Members of the Negros Press Club and other media organizations reacted with chagrin to the reported assassination of another broadcaster in Digos City Tuesday.

The fatality was Armando Pace, 51, a blocktimer. He was reportedly shot by two motorcycle-riding gunmen along Rizal Avenue of Digos City. The assassins reportedly fired several more shots at Pace.

Negros Press Club president Amado Villacarlos called for a meeting of the board of directors. So with the Press Freedom Council, which is made up of members of various media organizations here.

Digos police chief Cesar Cabuhat was quoted by press reports as having aired suspicions that the murder was work-related.

The slaying of the Digos broadcaster occurred just as the local media reported the denial of Maragondon Vice Mayor Nolioto Magallanes of having ordered the mauling of RMN broadcaster Serge Santillan in Cavite town Sunday.

This, as Santillan said he is firm on filing criminal and administrative charges against Magallanes who allegedly ordered his security guards to punch him.

Magallanes disclaimed that he had bodyguards. The people of his town, he added, could attest to this.

Santillan, however, claimed to have heard Magallanes order his bodyguards to punch him. Even the vice mayor allegedly tried to do it himself but was prevented by his security men.

One of the bodyguards, however, reportedly punched Santillan twice on the abdomen. This prompted the broadcaster to flee the scene and board a tricycle to a mall in a nearby town.

The broadcaster also said he overheard Magallanes berating Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue of Bacolod.

Batapa-Sigue headed a team of mostly local mediamen who went to Maragondon to seek help on the whereabouts of a 15-year-old girl and other Bacolod minors they were out to rescue from a Laguna bar.

Magallanes said he was reluctant to hand over the minor to Jocelle since he is from Bacolod and might have connections with the recruiter of the girl, who is also from Bacolod.

The Maragondon vice mayor stressed that he was the one who spent for the rescue of the minor from a Cabuyao (Laguna) bar last Holy Week.

Batapa-Sigue was not able to immediately present her papers to the vice mayor. She had left them in the van and asked for one of her companions to bring them.

Magallanes said he released the minor to the Bacolod woman councilor when the documents were brought to the police station by someone from the social services department. He even asked that the signature in the affidavit be verified as that of the minor’s mother.

Magallanes said he apologized to the Bacolod councilor and even invited her to stay for dinner.

The local KBP will hold a meeting on the matter later today. Ralph Belzunce, KYVS station manager, said he is encouraging the individuals concerned to file a complaint about the incident.

Meanwhile, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who helped settle the issue when called by Batapa-Sigue, said the incident should discourage potential recruiters from trying to woo local girls to supposedly well-paying jobs in Metro Manila and elsewhere in Luzon only to end up in bars or prostitution houses.

In a television interview yesterday, Leonardia stressed that the Cavite incident should remind all would-be recruiters that Bacolod is hell-bent on preventing adventurists from recruiting local girls, especially minors.

In short, there’s a positive side to an ugly incident.

Bad news for Iloilo City

I was stunned by a report by Panay News that three call centers have signified their desire to pull out from Iloilo City because of the high cost and unreliability of the power supply in that city.

This reportedly prompted Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas to blame the Panay Electric Company for the investors’ intended pullout.

The investors, however, are reportedly ready to transfer to Bacolod City. In short, Bacolod has been picked as their alternative investment site.

Treñas said this development is bad because his administration is focused on encouraging investors to put up businesses in his city.

"We need to have a sustainable energy source on Panay Island, especially Iloilo City," Treñas said.

Mirant Global has reportedly assured Treñas that it would help solve the power supply problem.

Treñas was also contemplating the possibility of putting up a coal-powered plant to solve the power shortage. But environmentalists are opposing this.

The mayor criticized PECO for delaying its interconnection with the National Power Corp. Napocor reportedly requires the power firm to deposit P3 million for the interconnection. But PECO is reportedly reluctant to spend the amount.

Mirant Global Philippines, which owns the Panay Power Corp., assured Treñas that they will try to solve the problem before it creates a backlash that will drive investors away from Iloilo City.

Bacolod, meanwhile, has three call centers ready to start operation.

ADDENDUM: The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. (CONFED) Negros-Panay Chapter president Luis Tongoy yesterday called for a boycott of Kraft products Tang and Kool-Aid because the multinational firm intends to challenge the presidential Executive Order imposing a 38 percent tariff on products with more than 65 percent sugar content. Tongoy said Kraft has transferred its plants to Thailand and does not contribute a bit to domestic sugar consumption. He also said the executive order was signed by the President only after a public hearing and that the recommendations were submitted to the Cabinet for approval before the presidential edict was issued. All other competing firms have been paying the tariff religiously. The Philippine Sugar Alliance is reportedly meeting today to hammer out a common stand on the Kraft issue.