OFW Bank fulfilled by President Duterte

A Successful Transition from

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed last Sep-
tember 28th the EO No.44 - the creation of OFW
bank that is expected to cater with the growing
remittance and other baking needs of overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs). This is in fulfillment
of President Duterte’s promise almost a year ago
in front of the OFWs in Tokyo, Japan.
According to Dole Secretary Silvestre Bello III,
“The creation of the OFW Bank is one of our
initiatives to benefit our migrant workers. This
bank is dedicated to the needs of our OFWs and
will be partly owned by them.” With an author-
ized capital of P3 billion and subscribed capital
of P2 billion, the OFW Bank will open P1 billion
of its capital to OFWs for subscription and to
become part owners.
The creation of the bank is part of government
efforts to enhance services and programs for the
benefit of Filipinos working abroad. It also
includes the development and issuance of the
OFW Identification Card, which will allow
easy transactions with government and private
agencies. “Using the OFW ID, they can easily
access their government records electronically,
without the need to go to concerned government
offices,” he said.
The Identification (ID) card can also be used as a
debit card and an automated teller machine
(ATM) card for OFW banks, as well as a Beep
card for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro
Rail Transit (MRT).
Bello also announced that the labor department
and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administra-
E-9 TO E-7-4 Visa of
Mr. Wilfredo Rosal, Jr.
By: Ma. Luz Talento
(Philippine Overseas Labor Office Korea)
An Employment Permit System (EPS)
worker’s ultimate dream is to change his or her
status of work visa to a certain category that will
not limit his period of stay in Korea. Such dream
finally came true to Mr. Wilfredo Rosal, Jr. He is
now a proud E-7-4 (skilled worker) visa holder.
Mr. Rosal hails from Bicol. He graduated
with a degree in BS Agriculture Major in Animal
Science from the Central Bicol State University
tion (Owwa) will extend micro-financing loans of Agriculture in 2004, a far cry from his current
worth P50,000 to P300,000 to repatriated OFWs, job. Two days after his graduation, he started to
to help them re-establish sustainable living for
work with Farmers Edge, a company that distrib-
their families. “As one of the directives of Presi-
dent Duterte, Dole, together with OWWA, shall utes and sells feeds. He has seven siblings. His
ensure the reintegration of our repatriated OFWs father passed away when he was still young. His
by helping them and their families through vari- mother Beatriz P. Rosal single-handedly raised
ous livelihood opportunities and other income- her brood of seven. She did this by selling balut, a
generating means,” Bello said. (PNA). trade she inherited from her family. She was able
to raise and supported all their needs and was able
The OFW bank will be managed by nine board to send them all to school. Her children all graduat-
members from the Land Bank of the Philippines ed in their chosen courses. Three of them are sea-
(LBP), Department of Labor and Employment farers. At one time, Fred as his friends and family
(DOLE), and from the private sector representing calls him, contemplated to join...
the Oversees Filipino Workers (OFWs) as mem-
ber. ■ To be continued on page 2...
Source: Sunstar
[ANNOUNCEMENT]
 The Philippine passport 10 years validity will
take effect on 01 January 2018.
 The ten-year passport will cost PHP 950.00,
which is the current price of a five-year pass-
port.
 Ensuring passport production and security,
technological advances and world standards,
additional fees may be imposed in the future
for the enhanced features.
Source: Text taken from DFA Official Website

2017 Minimum Wage (January - December 2017) in KRW unit

시간수당 Hourly Rate 6,470
Flu Immunity: why notfor a lifetime? ................. Page 2 연장수당 Overtime Rate (6,470*1.5) 9,705
Make good use of your time ............................... Page 3
Literary .............................................................. Page 4 야간수당 Night Differential (6,470*0.5) 3,235
EPS Corner ......................................................... Page 5 하루수당 Daily Rate (6,470*8) 51,760
Sari-sari .............................................................. Page 6
주간수당 Weekly Wage (6,470*40) 258,800
Sponsors……………………………………….Page 7,8
Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving Holiday
and an Interview with Pastor 월급수당 Monthly Wage (5 workers and above, 40hrs a week) (6,470*209) 1,352,230
Park Ock Soo………………………………….....Page 8
월급수당 Monthly Wage (below 5 workers, 44hrs a week) (6,470*226) 1,462,220

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 10 October 2017 NOT FOR SALE

...Continued from page 1
...them but his educational background made it
difficult for him.
In 2006 while watching Julius Babao on TV,
he got interested in the EPS labor program of the
South Korean government. He researched the
program and started working towards qualifying
for the program. He prepared by studying Korean
language at Technical Education and Skills De-
velopment Authority (TESDA). Fred arrived in
Korea as an EPS worker on July 12, 2007. He
first worked at Hangkok Kua Company in
Chanwon City and moved to Won St Company; a
maker of machine parts. He has been working for
the same company as of writing (October 2017)
to which his long years of working at the same
company affirms the saying that goes, “It pays to
be loyal.” Asked about his immediate plans, Fred
wants to further improve his Korean language
proficiency. He is currently a Level 3 passer and
he intends to hurdle the examination for the Level
4. He aims to achieve the highest level of Korean
language proficiency. He humbly admitted that he
had classmates who are way better than him in the
mastery of the Korean language but was very per-
sistent and focused, the reasons that made him
succeed to achieve his goals.
Mr. Rosal shared the struggles of the Filipino
workers in his company. They were not at par with
their Korean counterparts in terms of work condi-
tions. He is thankful to his mentor, an officer in the
same company, because Filipinos now can enjoy
the same work-related conditions equal to Koreans.
Understandably, upward mobility was not possible
in the previous status of Fred. But with the change
in his visa status, there is hope. The Filipinos have
come a long way.
For those aspiring to increase their chance of
changing their visa status, learn from Fred’s jour-
ney. It pays to persevere. One should also have the
backing of his employer. Without this, he/she can-
not successfully move to a higher level of employ-
sor saw him, she waved him in and gave priority
ment. The employer must back you in the necessary knowing he was without sleep. Everything con-
document requirements. From Fred’s own account,
spired to make his application acceptable and with
he had to go to the Immigration Office for three merit. A big chunk of course can be credited to
times before he completed the documentary require- Fred’s determination and persistence. He did not
ments. He never faltered even if he had to go to the give up. He got a high 76% score in the cumulative
Immigration office after a night shift. He had to areas of consideration.
forgo sleep to be able to file his application. Luck
was with him, however. He was assisted by a pro- Mabuhay ka, Fred! ■
cessor who was sympathetic. As soon as the proces-

Flu immunity: why not for a lifetime?

By: Judee Grace E. Nemeño

The flu season is on its way. Are we ready for the
battle? Why are we very susceptible to diseases
when the weather changes? These are just few of
the questions that most Filipinos ask when the cold
season is on its way.
Why do we need to have the flu vaccine every
year?
Unlike other diseases; the virus that causes Influen-
za, otherwise known as Flu, regularly mutates so
that every year its strain is different. Therefore, the
flu vaccine does not offer a lifetime immunity. The
vaccines that we get every year are also made from
the previously discovered strains of the virus. It is
very vital to get the flu shot before or on the early
onset of the cold season so that your body can
produce the antibodies before we can be infected
by the potent virus.
Are we really exposed to the virus through the
vaccine?
Some people may have the misconception that
getting an immunization made them sick because
the microbe was injected
to them. It’s true, the
vaccine contains the
virus but it is the attenu-
ated or dead form that
will stimulate the anti-
body production in your
body. So it is normal
that you will feel weak
or you will have fever
after the injection be-
cause the body recogniz-
es the virus and then
activate your immune
system to form the anti-
bodies.
When you get infected with the live virus, you
suffer the signs and symptoms of flu. But if you get
vaccinated, you are exposed to the dead virus so
that you don’t have to suffer from its signs and
symptoms because you already have the antibodies.
The symptoms include sore throat, runny nose,
congestion, and cough. Flu symptoms are similar,
but include fever, headache and muscle soreness.
What else can we do to protect ourselves from flu?
Aside from immunization, here are some of health
tips you need to consider:
a. Maintain a healthy diet –eating the right food
will boost your immunity and thereby reduce the
possibility of being infected by the virus or other
microbes easily.
b. Exercise – physical activity does not only help
you allow you to obtain a desired body weight but
also can maintain normal body functions and help
you excrete toxins from your body. During the cold
season, we are often lazy to be physical but we
need to be determined to keep a healthy lifestyle.
c. Keep your environment clean – the cleaner
your place, the lesser carriers of diseases and the
heathier you will be.
d. Wash your hands - It will prevent the spread of
the virus from person to person.
e. Cover your cough and try to avoid those who
are ill - at least by staying more than 3 to 4 feet
away, to decrease transmission. Also, when you are
exposed to the rain, you need to cover your nose
rather than just protect your head or body from
getting wet. Why? It’s because it is the microbe
that you inhale from the air when the rain pours
that makes you sick.
f. Stay home when ill to protect your love ones -
This is critical, since we don't know where these
germs could spread next -- to an aged grandparent,
baby or even a person on chemotherapy who could
have devastating consequences from flu.
g. See a doctor if you're extremely ill, and poten-
tially be treated with an antiviral medication
that fights flu - These medications are usually
most effective when given early in disease and can
decrease the symptoms, duration and infectivity of
the virus.
It is never easy to get sick especially for us mi-
grants because we are away from home. So why
wait to be infected? Why not get yourself protect-
ed? Get a flu shot the soonest possible. The amount
of money you spend preventive measures and for
the vaccination is less than the amount it would
cost if you get infected and become unable to go
for work.
Be wise. Be healthy all the time! ■

2 October 2017 NOT FOR SALE

 Make good use of your time, it flies fast – Ovid
By: Kia Areeya Lintag
After more than four years of living here in South Korea, I only have about
a month left and it’s finally time for me to say goodbye. Living here for
quite a long period of time has brought a lot of challenges in me. From the
language barrier, huge cultural differences, facing a period of isolation and
so on, but as what Michelle Obama said “You should never view your
challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you to under-
stand that your experience facing and
overcoming adversity is actually one of
your biggest advantage.”
My life here became easier over time. The
culture that I didn’t understand before is
now something that I love. I embraced it
including the values it represents. There is
so much beauty that I have been so blind
before because I was afraid and not ready,
so I chose to stay inside my own bubble,
neglecting what Korea has to offer. But
when I decided to open my eyes, every-
thing changed.
I started to have an interest about learning
the language and it really helped me es-
tablish deep connections, have insights
about the culture and made me make
friends rather easier.
One key to enjoy Korea is to meet people who are actually living in the
country. Meeting new unique people with awe-inspiring stories broadened
what I believe. It helped me open up to different ways of viewing the world
and divergent ways of going through life. You never know which person
you might share the right story that may dramatically alter the rest of your
life. So go ahead, put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to reach out
others. Meet new people, explore, go for an adventure and learn something
from it.
I am really filled with gratitude and very grateful about everything Korea
has taught me. Living in another country helped me cultivate my global
perspective and outlook. I commenced to see the world and life itself
through the lens of another value system and culture. There are times that I
even discover and fathom that I was entirely wrong about some of my
viewpoints in life. I encountered profound level of personal growth and I
even learned that I can handle more discom-
fort than I expected. There have been ups
and downs during my stay here and it was
definitely like a crazy roller coaster ride. But
I’m glad that I chose to enjoy the ride rather
than to just scream the whole time. I gained
invaluable experiences, and all the hardships
that I faced were also equivalent to the un-
dercurrent consistent growth that I encoun-
tered and that is something I’ll bring with
me forever.
Now, the clock is ticking. It’s almost time
for me to go back to my motherland, the
Philippines. I’m having mixed emotions of
excitement, happiness and sadness. Excited
and happy because I can finally be able to
spend more time with my family and
friends, eat Filipino food as much as I want
and just do everything that I miss doing in my hometown. Sad because I
already considered South Korea as my home, I may soon be physically
living in the Philippines but Korea will always have a space in my heart. I
will surely come back whenever I can.
One month to go for me and it’s going to be…….
“Goodbye South Korea, Hello Philippines!” ■

...Continued from page 8

JB: How did you come up with Thanksgiving Festival for for eigner s?
Pastor: People have the same hear t. Ever yone misses his/her family,
hometown and friends, especially in this kind of season. Foreigners who are stay-
ing in Korea meet different people from around globe; some are good and some
bad. And they are afraid of what these not so good people will do to them. So, I
decided to organize this kind of event for them to enjoy. I am happy to see them
happy. So, I especially made this event for foreign workers and students.
Moreover, when I visited the Philippines last year, I had the opportunity to meet
and mentor 60,000 teachers. I also had the chance to meet the president of the Phil-
ippines. I held the same event and he was very happy of the results. This year, there
will be an ASEAN Jamboree. We will help them together with the Tagum City
government. It will probably be held this November. Korea and the Philippines
have good relations. And I personally think that the Philippines is a very good
country. I am hoping that Filipinos living and working here in South Korea would
feel worthy of their stay and I hope that this day will be a significant day for them.
This event is one of the best ways and avenues to start a good relationship. It is an
event to listen and extend our care especially to those who are in need and are less
fortunate. We try to help and guide them. When we visited the Philippines, Filipi-
nos did the same to us. They treated us well and helped us. We felt so important,
special and comfortable. Whenever I read and share the good news in the Bible, I
use mind education. Through this, I am educating the youth good values to instill in
their corrupted minds and guide them away from their wrong mind sets, not only in
the Philippines but around the world. We are planning to make it bigger every year
for a better and greater future.
JB: Do you have any plans for the 40,000 Filipinos wor king her e in South
Korea?
Pastor: I am planning to make this event bigger . I want to make each and
everyone connected with each other and I want to help them. I would like to make
this country to not to treat foreigners as outsiders, but foreigners feel Korea as their
own hometown. I want them to live comfortably and I am planning more for them.
Thank you. ■

NOT FOR SALE October 2017 3

 Linggo
Ni: Sugary Osia Balitucha
Binuksan ko ang bintana
Sikat ng araw ang bumulaga
Magandang umaga ang dala
Nawa’y bawat isa ipagpapala.
Napakaganda ng ulap sa langit
Ako ay napatingin saglit
O Diyos makapangyarihan
Kami ay laging tulungan.
Linggo araw ng pagsimba
Ang bahay ng Diyos ating binibisita
Sa misa ating pinakikinggan
Sinusunod lahat ng kautusan.
Maligaya linggo ng umaga
Basta’t kasama ang pamilya
Sama- sama sa pagdarasal
Bawat isa ay may mabuting asal. ■
4 October 2017
Urong Sulong
Ni: Reynier John Romero
Sige sa paghakbang Wag ipagsiksikan
Patungo sa kaunlaran Kung ayaw talaga
Nitong damdaming Hindi ka na masaya
Laging pinagdadamutan Mukha ka pang tanga.
Tadhana'y nagbiro
Puso'y pinaglaruan Bawi na lang sa sunod
Sa una'y masaya Kung puso'y titibok pa
Pero iiwan kang luhaan. Sa pagkakamali
Sana'y natuto ka
Paurong ang lakad Alam na dapat ang tama
Kapag nalampasan At mali'y itigil na
Ang puso'y nagdugo Sa tamang panahon
At ngayo'y natakpan Darating din siya.
Natatakot umibig
Baka muling masaktan Siya'y pinagtitibay
Pero kahit anong pilit Ng pagsubok ng panahon
Di kayang iwasan. Sa inyo'ng pagtatagpo'y
Marami na siyang baon
Patuloy na nagmamahal Para sa mga problema'y
Kasi doon ka masaya Marami na siyang sulosyon
At iiyak na lang Hintayin mo lang
Kapag hindi na kaya Darating din yun.
Ang masaktan muli'y
Wag na sanang maulit pa Maaaring nakita mo na
Urong sulong sa pagmamahal Hindi mo lang pansin
Nakakatanga. Nag-alok ng pag-ibig
Na ayaw mong tanggapin
Laban lang ng laban Tinanggihan ang alok
Kung kaya pa At sa iba ka tumingin
At bitaw na lang Muling kikilos ang tadhana
Kung hindi na kaya Kayo'y pagtatapatin. ■
NOT FOR SALE
 EPS Worker of the Month
October 2017
Marlon Miranda
Workplace: Siheung-si
Location: Seoul, ROK
CBT: 1 | Hobby: basketball
Motto: The distance between your
dreams and reality is called action.
NOT FOR SALE
Computing and Claiming Your Severance Pay
(Twejikkeum. 퇴직금)
By: Shirge Fulgencio
Twejikkeum (퇴직금), or Severance Pay in
English, is one of the benefits that a migrant work-
er in Korea can claim after his or her sojourn in
South Korea. It is a lump sum amount paid by the
employer for the number of years that a worker
has served the company. Those who were able to
work in one company for a minimum of one year
or more are qualified to receive the severance pay.
COMPUTATION
One month before the date of departure, the com-
pany or the migrant worker will contact the insur-
ance company for the computation of your Depar-
ture Guarantee Insurance. The insurance company
will then provide the receipt where it shows the
computation of your twejikkeum. The following
explains the computation of the amount.
1. Add your last 3 months salary.
Example:
January : 1,800, 000 Won
February: 1,900,000 Won
March: 2,000,000 Won
Last 3 months salary = 1.8M won + 1.9M won +
2M won = 5.7M won
2. Compute for the number of days.
Example:
January : 31 days
February : 28 days
March : 31 days
Total number of days of last 3 months= 31+28+31
= 90 days
3. Get the average pay per day. Add the sum of
your salary for the last 3 months (as shown in Step
1) and divide it by the total number of days of last
3 months (as shown in Step 2).
Average Pay Per Day = 5.7M won ÷ 90 days =
63,333.33 Won/Day
4. Compute the average salary in one month. Mul-
tiply the average pay per day (as shown in Step 3)
by 30 days.
Average Pay Per Month = 63,333.33 x 30 =
1,900,000 Won
5. Compute for twejikkeum. Multiply the result to
the number of years of service.
To compute the exact number of years, this is the
formula:
Number of years = Total Number of years +
[Total Number of Months x (1 year/12 months)]
(For example, worker has finished 4 years and 10
months of work):
Number of years = 4 years + [10 months x (1
year/12 months)]
Number of years = 4 years + 0.83
Number of years = 4.83
Twejikkeum = KRW 1,900,000 x 4.83 years
Twejikkeum = KRW 9,177,000 KRW
October 2017
CLAIMING
Now that we have computed the amount of our
twejikkeum, the following is the process on how
to claim it!
Your boss should pay you that amount the mo-
ment you leave the company. Basically, they have
been paying for your severance pay already via
the Departure Guarantee Insurance. However, as
they are only paying 8.3 percent of your monthly
salary, your boss should pay you upfront for the
remaining amount.
For example, your boss deposited a total of accu-
mulatively 6,000,000 won in your departure guar-
antee insurance. The remainder from the comput-
ed total amount of your claim should be paid by
your employer, such that, KRW 9,177,000 KRW
–KRW 6,000,000, gives a balance of KRW
3,177,000. The prior amount, which is the bal-
ance, should be deposited along with your last
month’s salary in your payroll back account or
another bank account the worker chooses to or
nominated to use.
How about the 6,000,000 won? Where should
you claim it?
You should claim it at the airport. Your boss will
let you fill out and sign a form where you can
nominate a bank to which you want to claim the
remaining amount of your departure guarantee
insurance. Once you completed the form, all you
need to do is wait for your date of departure and
claim it at the airport.
CLAIMING TWEJIKKEUM AT THE AIR-
PORT
When claiming twejikkeum at the airport, you
must go to the bank you nominated at the third
floor of Incheon International Airport. Usually,
the banks are located near the boarding gates of
the airport. You can ask around or look it up your-
self. They are not difficult to find.
Once you’re at the foreign exchange center of the
bank of your choice, they will simply ask you for
passport and Alien Registration Card (ARC). The
tellers of the bank were oriented to process this
claim by migrant workers. A migrant worker
claiming for his twejikkeum at the bank, therefore,
should not experience any difficulties.
The amount computed in Korean Won will be
converted to US Dollar currency. After verifica-
tion, the teller will give you a receipt of the con-
version of your money. You must present this
receipt at the bank after passing through the immi-
gration. Only at this point that you are able to
receive your cash. Do not worry as the tellers will
provide instructions and which gate the bank is
located. All you need to do is pass the immigra-
tion and proceed to the gate as instructed.
That’s it! It’s not really that complicated. If you
know how to follow instructions, you can get your
twejikkeum without a fuss. ■
5
 Mga sintomas ng gallstones o bato sa apdo, at
paano ito maiiwasan
Source: Text from GMA News Portal

Pabalik-balik ba ang pananakit ng tiyan

mo o likod? Pakiramdam mo ba ay acidic
ka o may ulcer? Baka may bato ka na sa
apdo o gallstones. Anu-ano nga ba ang
palatandaan nito at paano ito maiiwasan?

Maliban sa alta-presyon, mataas na cho-

lesterol at sakit sa puso, ang hindi tamang
pagkain ng mga maaalat at matatabang
pagkain ay maaari ring maging sanhi ng
pagkakaroon ng bato sa apdo, o ang tina-
tawag na gallstones.

Sa isang episode ng programang "Pinoy

MD," ibinahagi ni Josephine Rose, su-
mailalim sa operasyon dahil sa gall-
stones, ang mga naramdaman niya bago
natuklasan na may bato na pala sa kani-
yang apdo.

Dahil sa paulit-ulit na pananakit ng tiyan

at likod sa loob ng dalawang taon, doon
lang siya nagpasyang magpasuri at
natuklasan ang bato sa kaniyang apdo.

"Ang akala ko talaga bumalik yung kidney stone kasi halos pareho lang din (sintomas), masakit yung
likod ganun. Parang lagi akong acidic, akala ko nalilipasan ako ng gutom, akala ko ano ulcer,"
kuwento niya.

Ayon sa programa, mataas ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng gallstones kung ang tao ay obese, diabet-
ic, umiinom ng gamot na pampababa ng cholesterol, at biglaang nangangayayat. Malaki rin umano
ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng gallstone ang mga taong may malapit na kaanak na nagkaroon nito.

Para makaiwas sa operasyon na tinatawag na cholecystectomy para alisin ang apdo, kailangan hinay-
hinay lang sa pagkain ng karne at kumain ng masustansiyang pagkain. ■

Cartoonist: Jason Sigred Seril

Column Writers: Rodney Queman, Maria Mimay,

Peter Corocoto, J.R. Adriatico, Leila Esguerra,
Areeya Lintag, Eng’r. Lorenzo Moron, Gennie Kim,
Reynier John Romero, and Sugary Balitucha

6 October 2017 NOT FOR SALE

NOT FOR SALE October 2017 7
 Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving Holiday and an Interview with
Pastor Park Ock Soo
By Joel Badulis
The Korean Thanks- the church service and listened to
giving Day is one of the message of Pastor Park Ock
the major national Soo, happened to be the founder
holidays Korean peo- of the International Youth Fellow-
ple wait for. Foreign- ship (IYF). This organization has
ers alike are excited presence in more than 80 coun-
for this holiday as tries. Admittedly, I was touched
this not only means and amazed by his message, say-
to celebrate with Ko- ing, “We should not condemn our
reans but also a ra- youth. Don’t punish or get angry
ther long break from at them. Plant good words in their
work. heart and we can see change grad-
Last October 2, ually.” After the service, I ask my
2017, I was invited friend if I could make an inter-
by a Korean who was view with the pastor and with no
born in Korea but grew up and studied in the Philippines. I was amazed hesitation, in spite of his full-day
by the way he speaks Filipino. I decided to respond to his invitation to activities, he granted my request.
primarily observe and have something to write in our Sulyapinoy News- The following is the text of our
letter. conversation.
The event started with cultural performances and games. I also attended To be continued on page 3...

8 October 2017 NOT FOR SALE