ITUC Secretary-General: Qatar Among Leading Gulf Countries in Advancing Workers' Interests

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Secretary-General of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Sharan Burrow praised the efforts made by the State of Qatar in the field of labor care and the continuous progress in the development of legislation, aimed at achieving the objectives of this important group of society.

At a press conference held on Monday at the International Labor Organization (ILO) office in Doha, Sharan said that the ILO office, since its establishment in Qatar, has been monitoring the developments and reforms that have been implemented by the State of Qatar and the significant positive development witnessed in the areas related to workers. She stressed that the State of Qatar has become one of the leading countries in the Gulf to promote workers' interests and provide their needs, calling on other Gulf states to follow suit.

She added that the new laws enacted by the State of Qatar define the relationship between workers and employers, pointing out that it is positive move to provide a copy to the government bodies, a copy to the employer and a copy to the worker, to ensure that there are no differences on workers' rights and duties, and to resort to the law to resolve any differences.

Sharan Burrow praised the important step taken by the State of Qatar to open offices in the labor-exporting countries, describing it as an important initiative that would limit the illegal practices of some employment offices. She also noted the cancelation of exit permits, which will be implemented in the coming period.

She stressed the importance of the step taken by the Qatari government to set a minimum wage of QR 750 for any worker in Qatar, not including the housing and traveling allowances, noting that there is also an obligation to improve the conditions of domestic workers.

Sharan Burrow added that ITUC is very satisfied with the reforms that have been made and knows that their implementation will take time. She expressed support to the Ministry Of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs' decisions to respect labor contracts and impose fines in case of violation of laws and non-compliance. She pointed out that the Government is working to monitor the implementation of the procedures and mechanisms that it had developed and is cooperating in this regard with ILO.

She thanked the Government of the State of Qatar for its support to the workers and the relentless pursuit of continuous improvement of their lives, pointing out that there are many positive steps, including the law of permanent residence, which she described as a good decision and development. She called on other states to issue laws granting permanent residence to residents on their territory who met the conditions imposed. (QNA)

Be Fully Informed About Earthquakes

Wazzup Pilipinas!

It's a grim reality: tremors of magnitude no less than 2.0 happen each day all over the world. A considerable lot of these are not by any means recognizable. The core of our planet is indeed hyper-active.

Big scale quakes of magnitude 7.0 and more happen at least once a month.The number of big-scale earthquakes has been on a steady rise.

How do Earthquakes Occur?

It happens when there is movement in the earth’s crust. When the tectonic plates collide or diverge along a fault line, explosive energy is released causing tremors that reach the earth’s surface.

Can an Earthquake Be Predicted?

At the moment no scientific calculations or machine intelligence can pinpoint the time and date that an earthquake can strike. Scientists can only make theoretical predictions of ‘where’ and ‘how’ by analyzing past data.

What Makes Earthquakes Dangerous?

It is the fact that we are always caught unawares. But again, the damage and injuries from the fall of buildings and collapse of infrastructure add to the danger. Earthquakes cause gas leaks, fires, and landslides. Victims can also catch infectious diseases when sewers burst open and fresh water is contaminated.

Tips to Stay Safe during an Earthquake

Don’t expect an evacuation call before an earthquake strikes. If you live in a region where tremors occur frequently, you should always stay ready.

When the tremor hits, get down fast and get cover. Hold on to something sturdy as you stay under a table or bed. That will help to protect you from falling debris.

Don’t be tempted to run outside– it is much worse out there where buildings may fall on you. Don’t stand in the doorway either. You might get thrown out by the force of the tremor. Also, a preparation measure would be to bolster your doors and secure your beds and tables with fasteners. That is if you live in parts of the world that directly sit on fault lines. These include Tokyo, Los Angeles, Jakarta, and Manila among others.

Significant earthquakes in the last decade

The biggest shocks in the past decade include the 7.9 magnitude quake of Sichuan Province in China, 2008. 87,000 people perished. A 7.5 magnitude shake in 2008 also hit Sumatra in Indonesia. However, the Haiti quake of 2010, with a 7.0 magnitude was more disastrous, taking with it 300,000 lives.

Christchurch in New Zealand saw its share of peril when a magnitude 6.3 hit in 2011. In the same year, North Eastern Japan sustained a hit from 9.0 magnitude earthquake. 2013 was Pakistani where magnitude 7.7 shake claimed 828 lives in Baluchistan province.

700 people lost their life in China 2014 when a 6.2 magnitude struck Yunnan province. In 2015 the same disaster struck in Nepal, affecting 8 million lives. The tremor started an avalanche from Mt Everest that claimed at least a dozen lives.

In 2016, Ecuador got hit with a 7.8 magnitude quake. In the same year, a magnitude 6.3 claimed 300 lives in Rome. In 2017, Central Mexico suffered a magnitude 7.1 quake that claimed 300 lives.

How to get involved to help victims?

Work with UNICEF or Red Cross either as a donor or volunteer. This is an organization that helps in emergency responses. They provide water, food, sanitation and medical aid to victims of catastrophes.

You can also donate blood.

You never know where or when earthquakes happen. Today is them tomorrow if it could be us. Stay safe, and lend a hand when humanity calls upon you.

DOE Statement on the Continued Rise in Fuel Costs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Hindi po kayo nag-iisa. The Department of Energy (DOE) and your entire energy family are united in taking steps to ease the effects of rising prices, particularly of oil and other petroleum products.

The rise in petroleum prices is due to the current global situation where international political and economic factors are at play:

• US exit from the Iran nuclear deal was accompanied by its re-imposition of economic sanctions on Iran, including those related to oil;

• Political and economic instability in Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and is considered one of the largest oil exporters in the West; and

• A lack of clear commitment from oil producing countries for an actual production increase to replace expected supply constraints.

Global oil prices also tend to go up in the winter months (October-March), as demand for heating is at its highest.

Magtulungan po tayo. Even before the onset of the spike in world petroleum prices, the energy family has been relentless in working out ways to help our most vulnerable sectors such as transport groups. Public utility vehicles are able to avail of fuel discounts through the continued expanding partnership of the DOE with various oil companies.

Likewise, we have asked the Philippine National Oil Company – Exploration Corporation, one of our attached agencies, to look into importing low-cost diesel to augment supply and offer a more affordable fuel option to our public transportation sector.

We are also part of the inter-agency Pantawid Pasada program being led by the Department of Transportation, where fuel subsidy cards are being distributed to qualified franchise holders of public utility jeepneys.

Your full cooperation is needed in facing the challenges ahead.  Now more than ever, we are appealing for each and every one of us to adopt simple yet far-reaching changes in the energy choices we make, with efficiency at its core. 

Using fuel wisely is one easy way for us to immediately cope with current fuel costs. We have launched a strengthened information campaign on fuel saving tips. These helpful suggestions and strategies on maximizing fuel efficiency would save us time, money and help our environment. For example, planning one errand day for the entire family is a creative way, which allows us to spend more time with our loved ones, while decreasing the number of trips we need to make.

Pagbabagong isinasabuhay. A mindset on energy efficiency is key to living an energy efficient lifestyle. Helping bring down the overall energy demand of our country is hinged upon our energy habits. We already have the energy ability. Let us hone it by being smart about our energy choices may it be on fuel or power. Simple tasks such as turning off appliances that are not in use become second nature when done repeatedly. In addition, switching to LED lighting and inverter technology significantly reduces our power consumption, which means lower electricity bills.

We launched E-Power Mo in 2017 initially as a campaign to empower consumers with crucial information that would help them make informed energy decisions. Today, E-Power Mo has transformed into a movement of Filipinos becoming more adept at energy-related issues and adopting an energy efficient way of life.

We are encouraging everyone to follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/doe.gov.phand visit our official website https://www.doe.gov.ph/ to learn more about energy efficiency and fuel savings tips.

Patuloy na paninilbihan. Together with our country’s economic management team, the DOE and your entire energy family remain unyielding in finding ways to manage the situation at hand.  We will not rest from pushing vital industry reforms, including the crafting of policies that promote the exploration and development of our indigenous energy resources, the expansion of our renewable energy capabilities, uphold the integrity of safety and resiliency standards, and bring power to unserved and underserved areas in the Philippines.