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Laptop specifications.

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Quick portfolio guide

Each entry on this blog is classified under their specific category:

THE FOURTH (#tinmacthefourth) - Expect pieces from a class-run website that operated from August to December 2017 for our IT in the Newsroom (JRN 205) course.

INTERNSHIP (#tinmacinterns) - Expect articles from the time I underwent my Journalism practicum with INQUIRER.net for 200 hours. Highlights include getting published on broadsheet despite the online nature of the news organization I interned with, and having my own byline!

RESEARCH ASST. (#tinmacworks) - Expect posts from when I was a research assistant for the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education (UST-RCSSED) from May 2019 to August 2020. These are mainly embedded Facebook posts as I was in charge of texts posts for the CHED-funded research project, “Connection of Learning and Employability Assessment Report (CLEAR)”.

CONTRIBUTOR (#tinmaccontribs) - Expect my writings as a contributor/freelance news writer as a mentee of former UST Journalism Program Coordinator Mr. Jeremaiah Opiniano.

OTHERS (#tinmacunclassified) - Expect pieces that cannot be classified under the above categories to be placed here.

ABOUT (#tinmacabout) - Expect short posts about me or this blog here.

If you have questions, you may press the Got some Qs? category on the menu.

Thanks!

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OPENING REMARKS OF COMM. DR. ALDRIN A. DARILAG, CHRP, RMT, RN TO THE EASTERN VISAYAS HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS - FLEXIBLE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONSORTIUM

“Launching of Students On-Boarding Program” 

 August 14, 2020  |  9:00 AM - 11:00 AM 

TCB Team Lead: Southern Leyte State University TCB Co-Team Lead: Visayas State University

To Dr. George M. Colorado, the CHED Regional Office 8 Director; to the esteemed leaders of the ten schools composing the Eastern Visayas Higher Education Institutions-Flexible Learning Management System Consortium: Dr. Canezo, Dr. Campoto, Dr. Aguirre, Dr. Duarte, Dr. Pecayo, Dr. Olavides, Dr. Cardoso, Dr. Yepes, Dr. Ultra, and Dr. Tulin; to our webinar resource speaker, Mr. Jonathan Allen Yabut; to all the members of EVHEIs-FLMSC; to the teachers, guests, and to the students, our future leaders: I greet each one a peaceful and blessed morning.

To start, I would like to congratulate the EVHEIs-FLMS Consortium for the insightful webinar series that they organized in response to the adoption of flexible learning modalities given the learning climate we now have to live with following the advent of the Covid-19 health crisis. The truth, as we all know by now, is that life will not stop for us, thus we will have to soldier on and cope. 

A great deal of life is learning, and it is a never-ending process for every individual, for the young and the seasoned minds alike. As higher education institutions push through with academic year 2020-2021, we have to make sure that students are presented with a diversity of various learning options so that they can continue achieving their goals. While the road we will take this incoming school year seems incomparable to the ones we have already traversed, know that the Commission is steadfast to continue teachers, learners, parents, and the wider community to learn as one. 

Given the relatively new modes of teaching and learning, we implore teachers and students to meet halfway and collaborate with each other. The Commission is here to support teachers in their pursuit to adapt to flexible means of teaching; and to support our students in their desire to access more learning goals. May we learn from and rely on each other as we brave the challenges that we will face as education partners. 

 As another academic year starts, bear in mind that you are neither learning nor teaching for yourself, but for the betterment of the Filipino nation. 

 Let us elevate as one people through tertiary education. 

 Again, congratulations on your successful webinar series, and thank you for allowing me to speak before you. May God continue to show us His Mercy. 

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UK remittances declining

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have long been heralded as “modern-day heroes” for their hard work abroad to support their families. These remittances are highly significant, not only to family economics, but to the Philippine economy as a whole. But as impact of Covid-19 has hit, official numbers make for grim reading.

In April this year (the most recent month of data), remittances from UK-based Filipinos slumped to $89 million – the lowest monthly tally for Filipinos in the UK since 2010. In the first four months of 2020, the decline of these cash earnings from Filipinos in the UK was $94.9 million less than during the same time in 2019 – a fall of almost a fifth.

The period of these falls includes the UK’s lockdown. The data is slightly later than usual due to the impact of Philippine lockdowns on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Exchange rate data from the BSP also reveals the plunge of the British pound against the Philippine peso. It fell from an average of P65.84 in February to P62.99 in April. The British pound has experienced considerable falls in recent years. Last March it went below $1.15 for the first time since the 1980s.

And this money is vital. Personal remittances include not just cash remittances but also in-kind remittances and household-to-household transfers between naturalised Filipinos abroad to families in the Philippines. Plus there are capital transfers between transnational Filipino households – like money for house construction.

This gloomy financial picture compounds a tough period for many Filipinos in the UK – hit by the deaths of healthcare front-liners, as well as the precarious situation facing irregular or undocumented Filipino migrant workers.

Worldwide impacts

The UK is not the only country where Filipinos working and living abroad have wired less money home.

Major destination countries in the Middle East, Europe and Asia saw Filipinos there sending home lesser amounts, and the four-month global total of $9.44 billion is some three percent less than the same period a year ago.

Filipino economists like academic Alvin Ang and congressman Joey Salceda have also warned about the impact of this global slowdown of remittances.

The World Bank also forecasts painful falls to low and middle-income countries (LMICs), this year, including the Philippines, of almost 20%: “the sharpest decline of remittances in recent history.”

The massive reduction in remittances puts strain on both rich and the poor countries. But it is especially true for the latter – described by the World Bank as “lifelines” for LMCIs, including the Philippines.

Remittances help alleviate poverty as they are used for education and health necessities. It can potentially also diminish child labor – and some are now forecasting a resurgence in that as remittances decline.

Alvin Ang estimated up to 400,000 overseas Filipinos will be affected by the pandemic, one way or another. The causes include job displacements, salary deductions, lower incomes and repatriations.

The last is significant. Repatriated Filipino migrant workers from around the world reached more than 90,000 in July this year, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported. Almost 50,000 repatriated workers are land-based while just over 40,000 are seafarers, mostly working in cruise ships.

It is unclear how many of them will have a job to return to.

Solutions to ease remittance woes

So what can be done? The International Monetary Fund recommends the re-hiring of foreign workers wherever possible when the pandemic eases. Alvin Ang recommends “appropriate re-tooling” to increase workers’ skills and get them ready for returns.

Meanwhile, the British and Swiss governments have called for lower remittance transfer fees to sustain the flow of money back home.

Remittances should be treated as “essential” says economist Dilip Ratha of the World Bank, while “making them (also) more accessible to migrants.”

The deaths of Filipinos in the UK have rightly received the most scrutiny. However, finances are also significant.

The impact of Covid-19 on the economic situation of many Filipinos, and the Philippines, is likely to be painful – potentially for years to come.

Published August 7, 2020 on Tinig-UK

LINK: https://tinig-uk.com/uk-remittances-declining/

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Pandemic is pulling down Philippine remittances

MANILA and ADELAIDE — Remittances from overseas Filipinos expectedly dipped during the first four months of 2020, including the first full month of a pandemic’s havoc on the incomes of the world’s migrant workers.

“Cash remittances” from overseas Filipinos amounted to US$9.448 billion, which is three percent less than the US$9.739 billion over the same four-month in 2019, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (the Philippines’ central bank) show.

Over the same four-month period year-on-year, cash remittances from land-based overseas Filipinos plunged by some 3.5 percent (US$7.334 versus US$7.597 billion); those remittances from seafarers also declined by 1.3 percent (US$2.113 versus US$2.142 billion).

The decline in four-month remittances year-on-year comes as the Philippine government announced last July 16 the “largest single mass repatriation flight in Philippine history:” 410 OFWs were repatriated last July 12 from Lebanon via a Qatar Airways flight.

Declining remittances as well as repatriations, job displacements and health issues will all hit overseas Filipinos in this pandemic year.

Multilateral institutions and Filipino economists had predicted declines in remittances to developing countries and to the Philippines, respectively, because of COVID-19. (The Philippines received US$30.133 billion of cash remittances in 2019.)

The World Bank estimated 20 percent declines in remittances to all countries (from US$714 billion in 2019 to US$572 billion this year) and to developing countries (from US$554 billion in 2019 to US$445 billion this year).

As for Philippine remittances, Congressman Joey Salceda of Albay province predicted last April a US$5 billion decline year-on-year for these cash remittances. Also last April, Economist Alvin Ang of Ateneo de Manila University projected a base estimate of US3 billion and a worst estimate of US$6 billion of lesser remittances for 2020.

Many countries began their lockdowns and quarantine measures mid-March, as local and foreign workers started being retrenched late March to April. Some host countries gave stimulus packages to displaced workers and businesses, on top of unemployment insurance for those migrants who are already permanent residents.

But overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) or temporary migrant workers felt the wrath of the health impacts and economic disruptions brought about by the pandemic. Around 8,915 temporary and permanent overseas Filipinos from 64 countries have or had contracted SARS-CoV-2, says the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as of July 15.

About 82,057 OFWs had been repatriated, DFA said in a July 13 update. The number covers some 43,749 land-based OFWs and 38,308 seafarers, the latter mostly working in cruise ships.

There have also been reports of some nine seafarers who had committed suicides while on quarantine or waiting to be repatriated home by their shipping companies.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) projected more OFWs to be repatriated in the coming months. DOLE had also provided P10,000 (or US$200) in cash assistance to majority of the 224,756 OFWs who had lost their jobs, whether they were repatriated or who are still in host countries.

As for returned migrant workers, many of them were being driven away by residents in Philippine rural communities even if they had registered negative tests results for COVID-19.

The April remittance figures from BSP registered historic lows for monthly declines in not just “cash remittances” but also in “personal remittances.” Personal remittances not just include the cash remittances but also in-kind remittances, household-to-household transfers between naturalized Filipinos abroad to families in the Philippines, and “capital transfers” between these transnational Filipino households (like money for house constructions).

The 3.0 percent decline year-on-year of overseas Filipinos’ cash remittances as of this April covers the cumulative totals of cash remittances.

However, on a month-on-month basis, both “personal��� and “cash” remittances declined by 16 percent —being historic lows.

“Personal remittances” amounted to US$10.494 billion as of April 2020.

Since the central bank adopted a sixth edition of a reporting tool to record the Balance of Payments (a summary of country’s transactions with the rest of the world) in June 2012, BSP is recording both “personal” and “cash” remittances from the year 2010.

According to the major destination countries of Filipinos for work and permanent settlement, those countries whose Filipino migrants sent lower monies year-on-year were: Canada (-15.5%), Hong Kong (-0.5%), Malaysia (-30.2%), Australia (-34.2%), New Zealand (-59.1%), Germany (-32.3%), Italy (-9.7), the United Kingdom (-17.8%), Kuwait (-24.6%), Saudi Arabia (-23.2%) and the United Arab Emirates (-17.8%).

However, remittances from Filipinos working and living in the United States (7.1%), Singapore (4.7%), Taiwan (11.3%), Oman (54.7%), Japan (9.0%), and Qatar (5,.6%) were still on positive territory year-on-year as of April.  

The Philippines has an estimated 10.3 million overseas Filipinos in some 200 countries and territories.

As of July 14, the Philippines has 57,545 COVID-19 cases (including 1,603 deaths), says the Department of Health.

Freelance journalist Kristine Anne Macasiray is a 2019 product of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Journalism program. Jeremaiah Opiniano teaches journalism at the same university.

Written with and edited by Mr. Jeremaiah Opiniano.

Published July 17, 2020 on The Filipino Connection

LINK: https://thefilipinoconnection.net/pandemic-is-pulling-down-philippine-remittances/

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Repatriated OFWs resist pandemic’s stresses through family bonds

MANILA — Wilfredo Pamposa’s wallet subdued him yet again, for a fifth straight year. Unpaid salaries and benefits from two bankrupt Saudi Arabian construction firms had long emptied Pamposa’s wallet, almost draining his resilience.

COVID-19 came to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia mid-March. Pamposa’s iqama (the Kingdom’s permit for employment visa holders) expired. Since 2019 Pamposa and fellow Filipino workers had been economically immobile: “I was on standby for a year, remitting nothing to my family.”

Raising funds through whatever means necessary, Pamposa miraculously paid the penalty for his expired iqama and his exit visa fees. With the help of Philippine diplomatic and labor personnel in Riyadh, Pamposa got repatriated last May.

Pamposa’s eyes and his voice’s tone got hushed as he narrated this story during a webinar on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During a nine-day quarantine sortie at a small motel in Quezon City, he finally slept on Philippine soil, roused that years of overseas financial agony will finally end.

And when the negative swab test result came out, wife Grace sobbed in glee. What’s important, Grace narrates, “is that he’s back home safe —even without money.” The return trip from the motel in Cubao, Quezon City to the rented apartment in Antipolo City had ceased Pamposa’s years of wallowing in financial despair, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Familial love not only saved this breadwinner and his family. I tended to an ihaw-ihaw (grilled street food) stall here, Grace said. Two of their three children stopped schooling since 2019 and they earn from tutoring elementary school children who are their neighbors.

A pandemic pushed OFWs, both with unstable and stable jobs, to the limits. Repatriation saved them, even if quarantine routines and rapid tests back home suspended their excitement to be relieved from the physical, financial and mental stresses of overseas migrant work.

However, the all-enduring Filipino safety net during crises —the family— soldiered migrant breadwinners to confront uncertain economic futures together, with love.

“We’re happy even ‘without money. At least he’s back home [Masaya po kami kahit walang pera. At least nakauwi na],” a teary-eyed Grace Pamposa uttered. “We can earn money once again. What’s important is he’s safe [Iyung pera naman, mapagkikitaan uli iyan. Ang importante, ligtas siya].”

This Filipino safety net calmed the emotions and stresses of some 55,859 repatriated land- and sea-based OFWs who bore the brunt of massive overseas job layoffs. The repatriations continue, possibly reaching 300,000 repatriated OFWs by August, government authorities estimate.

In March, seafarer Archie Arce saw his cruise ship grounded just a month from his return to active duty, with COVID-19 hitting passengers and crew of many luxury cruises. Nobody expected this pandemic to happen, Arce said, “so I wasn’t ready, honestly [hindi ako naging ready, sa totohanan lang].”

Docked for five weeks by required quarantine measures, Arce —now back home— got stomped also by what Caloocan City residents are doing now to survive this pandemic. “I still can’t think of a business until now because many, many people here are now doing business online [Wala kaming maisip na puwedeng business. Dami na kasing nago-online].” Wife Regine (a church volunteer) and a 16-year-old daughter comforted their “sad” father with smiles upon his stepping foot in their humble abode. “Finally [Sa wakas],” Regine said gleefully, “You’re here! We’ll take care of you.” (“Until the financial support comes back,” Grace said their only daughter will skip school this year.)

These tales by the Pamposa and Arce breadwinners reveal a “grieving process” that these returned OFWs have to go through,” veteran OFW counselor Fr. Nilo Tanalega, S.J. of the UGAT Foundation said.

“A job and a dream were both lost,” Tanalega told the OFW couples during a July 10 webinar organized by the Catholic-run nonprofit Scalabrini Migration Center.

Tanalega recommends constant communication for the returned migrant worker and the spouse in these moments of reintegrating back to the country beside quarantines and movement restrictions. This approach, he adds, is a “process that will take time for them to adjust and adapt to family life again.”

Remember, Tanalega explained, “the OFW is accustomed to living alone. Then he or she went back abruptly.”

The pandemic and the resulting quarantines OFWs faced saw them teeter from mental health problems. Recent reports of suicides by Filipino seafarers for example “are serious matters,” Tanalega said.

And now that COVID-19 had grounded Filipino families and livelihoods, Tanalega proffered couples with repatriated OFW breadwinners to ask themselves how they and their families should soldier on.

“It is easy to say that you are now with your families and you should support each other,” Tanalega said. “But they should execute such forms of family support, especially the families’ emotional and relationship needs, at this time.” Economically, for example, Tanalega prodded OFW couples to ask themselves during this pandemic: “How will we know if what we have is enough for us [Paano natin malalaman na sapat na iyan para sa inyo]?”

And with Filipinos still perplexed at the uncertainties their immediate futures hold, 28-year seafarer Teodoro Rosello worries about his next work. Will we get rehired, Rosello asked, “if our companies recover from this pandemic?” But the return home, the Rosello patriarch said, “is freedom from work” for seafarers like him.

Going home to Bacoor City, Cavite is “the happiest part,” and wife Charity made Teodoro’s return happier with a tight hug.

The family’s whole again. I’m seeing my three boys again, Teodoro said. Yet the unseen enemy, COVID-19, pushed the Teodoros mostly inside home even if Cavite’s now on general community quarantine. All plans for out-of-town leisure got cancelled.

But in handling boredom, the family’s up and about to spend happy times. They cook and grill together, singing to their hearts delight, Charity narrates.

Something else held the Teodoros tight in these times. It’s prayer, Charity said. “During this time that we do not know what happens next, we need to cling to prayers. If before we had trust in the Lord, now all the more we need to stick to Him.”

Oops, Charity reminded her hubby: “We have programmed our house chores. Get the broom. Clean the car!” Daily loud serenades by the singing Teodoros pacify the stresses a pandemic continues to bring, and an overseas worker’s fears about the future.

Freelance journalist Kristine Anne Macasiray is a 2019 product of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) journalism program.

Published on The Filipino Connection, Philstar.com, and Tinig-UK.

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Photos and words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Drawing of the Connection on Learning and Employability Assessment Report (CLEAR) raffle winners. Program flow and script were prepared by myself. Hosted and captioned by me as well.

Video shared on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Words mine.

Was assigned to assist the representatives form Doctor Yanga’s College Incorportated (DYCI) during their benchmarking session.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Photos and words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Photos and words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

[tin-mac]

Photos and words mine.

Published on the UST Research Center for Social Sciences & Education - UST-RCSSEd Facebook page

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Facebook post on cops hailed for helping family goes viral

By Kristine Macasiray

A photo of Officer Villar. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

Superheroes do not always wear capes and put the safety of people before theirs. Some are uniformed men who help out in changing tires — on the road, during a rainy day. 

Kelvin Pacelo and his family were on their way to a wedding in Quezon City on a rainy Sunday when one of their tires went flat. “It’s very unfortunate for my family since it was raining hard, I had fever, and obviously we were in wedding attires,” Pacelo wrote on his Facebook post. “With God’s grace, two police officers pulled over and assisted us,” he continued. 

Villar assisting Pacelo’s father change the tire. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

One of the policemen, who is a former vulcanizer, helped Pacelo’s father in changing the tire, while the other helped control the traffic flow. “Without them, it would [have been] impossible for us to change the flat tire since my dad’s jack was jammed (check your tools),” he wrote. 

“Yep! They lent us their hands and jack. We all got soaking wet thereafter,” Pacelo added. 

In awe of the policemen’s kind gesture, a passer-by tried handing the men P500 since he found the scene heartwarming, but they declined. 

“The guy was insisting but the police officers rejected his offer, because according to them, they’re just trying to help us,” Pacelo said.

“Of course, my family and the people caught in traffic, who noticed this unfortunate event-turned-heartwarming experience – were in deep awe, since we [have] never heard of or seen police officers fixing flat tires,” he added. 

Villar’s partner who took charge of the traffic flow. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

A realization that there are still good policemen dawned on them after the incident since what is seen by many, more often than not, are the ugly parts of the profession, he wrote. 

“You couldn’t blame us for that realization, because most of us see only the negative sides of police officers on media: Them being fired because of sleeping when in duty, them being jailed because of being corrupt, them being ‘kotong cops,’ them being the target of Human Rights Violations, etc,” Pacelo expounded. 

He said that he shared the stories to give light to the good sides of the men in uniform, and said that the next time they encounter policemen they would not be wary of being reprimanded.

“Instead, we would smile and remember how these police officers helped us without asking anything in return,” Pacelo said. 

“From my whole family, we thank you for your simple act of kindness. Snappy salute to Officer (Michael) Villar and his partner. Sana po makaabot sa inyo ang aming pasasalamat,” he added. (I hope this gratitude will reach you.) 

Pacelo poses with the newlyweds after arriving safely to the event. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

He explained that he failed to get the name of the other policeman because aside from the fact that it was raining heavily, he was far from the cop who took charge of the traffic. In a Facebook chat, Pacelo said he did not post the story to make  it viral, but when it did anyway, he felt delighted for the police officers.

As of Friday, the post was shared 5,700 times and gained 12,000 reactions since July 22. 

“Because as you can see on the comments section, people aren’t used to hearing good stories about them,” he said. 

It may be recalled that on Wednesday afternoon, a viral video of SPO1 Edmar Costo, who slapped a bus driver in Baclaran, Pasay City also went viral. Costo was relieved from his post on Thursday, according to the Southern Police District and the National Capital Region Police Office.

READ: NCRPO relieves cop who slapped bus driver LINK: https://technology.inquirer.net/77897/facebook-post-cops-hailed-helping-family-goes-viral#ixzz6XT7ZBs6B

Note: This article remains dear to me to this day since this was my first-ever byline. All the articles I wrote during my practicum merited me a tagline, but this one was different. This one, I can claim, is mine.

[tin-mac]

Passengers involved in a fistfight inside MRT-3 could face charges

Two passengers involved in a brawl inside Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) are facing possible charges.

The passengers — identified as Joselito Nilo and Ronel Valdez — got into a fistfight while inside a Southbound train of MRT around 6:35 pm on Thursday.

The two were immediately brought a station police post in Ayala station where they agreed for a settlement.

“However, the MRT-3 management is further investigating the incident and looking into the possibility of filing charges against the said passengers for disturbing peace and order during train operations,” the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a statement on Friday.

The agency also apologized to the public for the incident.

“The Department of Transportation – Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (DOTr MRT-3) would like to apologize for any inconvenience the incident may have caused to the passengers of the train,” it said.

According to the report of the MRT-3 Safety and Security Unit, the altercation started when Nilo allegedly touched the private part of Valdez. The confrontation led to a brawl which caused a ruckus inside the running train.

This incident prompted the MRT3 management to appeal to the riding public to adhere to rules and regulations and to report to the authority “any malicious or inappropriate behavior” within MRT-3 premises.

“The DOTr, on the other hand, expresses full support to MRT-3 in its continued efforts to ensure that the railway is being operated safely while providing service to hundreds of thousands of passengers daily,” it further said.  —Kristine Macasiray/INQUIRER.net Intern /vvp

Published July 27, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1014996/passengers-involved-in-a-fistfight-inside-mrt-3-could-face-charges#ixzz6XT5aVRc5