Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

8
SULYAPINOY is accepting cash donations for its monthly printing expenses. (Acct. Name: Marcelino M./ Acct.#-1002-640334730/Woori Bank, Hyehwa-dong Branch). INSIDE THIS ISSUE Editorial FAQWill there be Contract Extension? 2 Feature 3 Literary 4 EPS Corner 5 OWWA News 6 Sari-sari 7 Volume 3 Issue 1 January 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org NOT FOR SALE The Official Publication of Filipino EPS Workers Association-South Korea (FEWA) 필리핀 EPS (외국인 고용허가제) 근로자 협회 공식 발행 한민국 The Ministry of Employment and Labor decided to confirm the mini- mum wage per hour at 4,320 won for the year 2011 and plans to promulgate it as of August 3, 2010. This is after the Minimum Wage Commission concluded to raise the minimum wage per hour by 5.1% from 4,110 won this year to 4,320 won on July 3, 2010 (refer to Labor Today No. 704) and the Ministry made the rate public for ten days from July 9 to gather different opin- ions but didn’t receive any objec- tion from the labor and manage- ment sides. The rate will apply to all the busi- ness and workplaces across the nation from January 1 st to Decem- ber 31 st , 2011 without any regional and occupational difference. How- ever, it doesn’t apply to family busi- ness hiring only family members, housework employees, and seamen and ship owners. Payapang Bagong Taon sa lahat... The Voice of the Modern Living Heroes As the rate is set at 4,320 won per hour, daily minimum wage is 34,560 won (8-hour work), monthly minimum wage is 902,880 won and 976,320 won under 40-hour workweek and 44 -hour workweek respectively. The minimum wage only includes basic pay and fixed allowances which are paid regularly, but overtime pay, annual and monthly leave allowance, hous- ing allowance, meal allowance, etc. are not included. On the other hand, the minimum wage can cut down to 90% of the normal level for a probationary worker. It can further go down to 80% for workers of surveillance or intermittent job such as a security guard, janitor, facility man- ager, etc. after their em- ployer obtained an approval from the Minister of Em- ployment and Labor. Minimum wage in 2011 is KRW 4,320/hr The rate will apply to all business and workplaces across the nation for one year from January 1 st , 2011. Photo by Marco Barboza

description

Official Newsletter of FEWA - Filipino EPS Workers Association, South Korea

Transcript of Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

Page 1: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

SULYAPINOY is accepting cash donations for its monthly printing expenses. (Acct. Name: Marcelino M./ Acct.#-1002-640—334730/Woori Bank, Hyehwa-dong Branch).

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Editorial

FAQ—Will there be

Contract Extension? 2

Feature 3

Literary 4

EPS Corner 5

OWWA News 6

Sari-sari 7

Volume 3 Issue 1 January 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org NOT FOR SALE

The Official Publication of Filipino EPS Workers Association -South Korea (FEWA)

필리핀 EPS (외국인 고용허가제) 근로자 협회 공식 발행 – 대 한민국

The Ministry of Employment and

Labor decided to confirm the mini-mum wage per hour at 4,320 won

for the year 2011 and plans to

promulgate it as of August 3, 2010.

This is after the Minimum Wage Commission concluded to raise the

minimum wage per hour by 5.1% from 4,110 won this year to 4,320

won on July 3, 2010 (refer to Labor

Today No. 704) and the Ministry made the rate public for ten days

from July 9 to gather different opin-ions but didn’t receive any objec-

tion from the labor and manage-

ment sides.

The rate will apply to all the busi-ness and workplaces across the

nation from January 1st to Decem-ber 31st, 2011 without any regional

and occupational difference. How-

ever, it doesn’t apply to family busi-ness hiring only family members,

housework employees, and seamen and ship owners.

Payapang Bagong Taon sa lahat...

The Voice of the Modern Living Heroes

As the rate is set at 4,320 won per hour, daily minimum wage is

34,560 won (8-hour work),

monthly minimum wage is 902,880 won and 976,320 won

under 40-hour workweek and 44-hour workweek respectively.

The minimum wage only includes basic pay and fixed allowances

which are paid regularly, but

overtime pay, annual and monthly leave allowance, hous-

ing allowance, meal allowance, etc. are not included.

On the other hand, the minimum wage can cut

down to 90% of the normal level for a probationary

worker. It can further go down to 80% for workers of

surveillance or intermittent

job such as a security guard, janitor, facility man-

ager, etc. after their em-ployer obtained an approval

from the Minister of Em-

ployment and Labor.

Minimum wage in 2011 is KRW 4,320/hr

The rate will apply to all business and workplaces across the nation for one

year from January 1st, 2011.

Photo by Marco Barboza

Page 2: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

January 2011 2

For Comments, Suggestions, Contributions

& Advertisements

e-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

SULYAPINOY observes the Philippine Press Code of

Ethics. We reserve the right to refuse any submission

we deem does not meet our policies and guidelines.

D I S C L A I M E R

Different opinions are encourage to stimulate

member input and involvement.

SULYAPINOY’s role is to provide information that

permits FEWA members to develop informed

opinions on subjects that will affect their status

as migrant workers and, in some instances, their

personal lives. FEWA does not hold itself respon-

sible for statements made by any contributor.

Statements or opinions expressed in SULYAPINOY

reflect the views of the author(s) and not the

official policy of FEWA unless so stated.

www.sulyapinoy.org

the latest gossip on your current work-mate. How is this more different from making yourself more aware of infor-mation that can make you better with your personal affairs? It is high time for migrant workers to take charge, to create public opinion, advocate and lobby for their desired contract exten-sion. Who will work on this issue if not

the migrant workers themselves?

And it also entails solidarity, networking and cooperation with other stake-holders such as the academe, the church, civil society or NGO groups, the labor unions, the businessmen (their sajangnims), among others. Migrant workers should not wait for their gov-ernments to address this issue. If there is no push from below coming from the very own sector, most likely it will not be noticed and it won’t be addressed.

A labor policy is not only the business and task of the Korean government. It is high time that the voice and perspec-tive of migrant workers be considered. Migrant workers can craft their own policy agenda, particularly on the con-tract extension they want. They have all the responsibility to protect the gains and further develop initiatives of those pioneering leaders’ mostly un-documented migrant workers who risked their lives, sacrificed and suf-fered deportation just to have a better

law that EPS workers are now benefit-ing from. (Cont. on page 3)

Pete Rahon

Editor-in-chief/Layout (January Issue)

Corinna Bianca Estarija

Feature/Managing Editor

Raechelle Montalbo

Lay-out Editor

Rodel Arias, Lito Libunao,

Alwyin Casino

Circulation Managers

Cathy Rose Garcia

Adviser

EDITORIAL STAFF BOARD OF PUBLICATION

SULYAPINOY Office Address: 115-9 Songbuk-gu, Songbuk 1 dong, Songbuk Villa, Seoul, Korea 136-020

FEWA Office & SULYAPINOY Distribution Center: Inside WOORI BANK, Hyehwa-dong Branch, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Chairman : Noel Joseph Alvarez

Vice Chairman: Julius Caesar Ocampo

Secretary: Jenn Betacura

Printing & Distribution: Benjie Del Mundo

Budget & Finance: Theo Camo

Outreach & Religious Programs: Ma. Lourdes Espinola

Website Dev't. and Maintenance: Christian Robles

Sponsorship & Promotion: Annabelle Lopez,

Aquilino Juanites Jr., Sofonias Paragsa, & Rodel Arias

Training & Workshop: Noel Joseph Alvarez

Consultants : Fr. Alvin B. Parantar, MSP

Prof. Emely Dicolen-Abagat

Ma. Regina P. Arquiza

Pete Rahon

Editor-in-chief/Layout (January Issue)

Corinna Bianca Estarija

Feature/Managing Editor

Raechelle Montalbo

Lay-out Editor

Rodel Arias, Lito Libunao,

Alwyin Casino

Circulation Managers

Cathy Rose Garcia

Adviser

EDITORIAL STAFF BOARD OF PUBLICATION

SULYAPINOY Office Address: 115-9 Songbuk-gu, Songbuk 1 dong, Songbuk Villa, Seoul, Korea 136-020

FEWA Office & SULYAPINOY Distribution Center: Inside WOORI BANK, Hyehwa-dong Branch, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Chairman : Noel Joseph Alvarez

Vice Chairman: Julius Caesar Ocampo

Secretary: Jenn Betacura

Printing & Distribution: Benjie Del Mundo

Budget & Finance: Theo Camo

Outreach & Religious Programs: Ma. Lourdes Espinola

Website Dev't. and Maintenance: Christian Robles

Sponsorship & Promotion: Annabelle Lopez,

Aquilino Juanites Jr., Sofonias Paragsa, & Rodel Arias

Training & Workshop: Noel Joseph Alvarez

Consultants : Fr. Alvin B. Parantar, MSP

Prof. Emely Dicolen-Abagat

Ma. Regina P. Arquiza

Among EPS workers who will finish their contract this year the frequently asked question (FAQ) is: Will there be a contract extension? The most challenging reply would be: What are you doing and what should be done to have a contract exten-sion? It is a tough question that needs a good answer or a better solution. For 2011, EPS (Employment Permit System) workers are up for a collective challenge that needs to be addressed decisively and promptly.

There were rumors spreading from the Hyehwa community that contract exten-sions are now being processed for ap-proval and issuance. The staff of Sulyapi-noy would more than welcome to have this as the news headline. But only until this information has been verified and a memo or announcement is received from both Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor as well as the Philippine Embassy will it become official. Until then, contract exten-sions remain a topic of interest.

What is the likely scenario?

The first batch of those who worked and were absorbed under the EPS law in 2005 will finish their allowed maximum stay of 5-6 years this year. Most of them are now familiar with the Korean culture and lan-guage. Many of them are well-adjusted with their jobs and are trusted by their employers. Most of these migrant workers are in their late 30s and some in their early or mid-40s, which is beyond the age limit allowed for employment. Some of them

are considering to stay and to work illegally since they would want to maxi-mize the available jobs here and con-sidering, too, their age of productivity.

And of the Filipinos asked about the likelihood of those opting to become undocumented after their contract ex-pire, it is projected that at least 70% of them might end up staying here ille-gally. This data is unverified; it is based from unscientific “ramdam survey (gut-feel/pulse)”. But should this be the case among Filipino migrant workers alone, what would be the cumulative impact if other EPS workers of other nationalities have the same tendency? If this is the case, then Korea will face a bigger concern from its already prob-lematic case of undocumented migrant workers. So do we foresee more violent crackdowns, which seem to be the way this issue is being addressed?

What ought to be done?

For EPS workers to say they are too busy with work is a plausible excuse but not a good one. A Filipino adage says, “Kung ayaw may dahilan, kung gusto may paraan”. If there’s a will there’s a way. One finds time to surf around the internet looking at pictures and information walls of people in so-cial networking sites, answering and chatting with their relatives and friends through video or through typing more than 140 characters per instance, or going round the workplace trying to get

Page 3: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

3 www.sulyapinoy.org January 2011

I still remember arriving in Seoul

on a very cold winter day in Feb-ruary 2005, and now, six years later,

I'm packing my stuff and getting ready to leave.

It's been a learning experience for

me, to move to Korea without know-ing a single person here or even

speaking a word of Korean. As any Filipino knows, it's also extremely

difficult and challenging.

Most people might think I had an

easier time because I was a reporter

for an English newspaper. I admit I always thought discrimination was

something that happened to "other" people and not me, but I was wrong.

Discrimination can happen to any-

one, and it's not a very nice feeling to be discriminated just because of

one's skin color, nationality and gen-der. It was very disappointing to

meet narrow-minded people who looked down on me simply because I

was a Filipino and a woman.

This only served to motivate me to

make me work even harder, proving to them that Filipinos are hard-

working, honest and professional employees.

But just because some Koreans treat

Filipinos badly does not mean all Ko-reans are like that. I've been lucky to

have met many Koreans who have helped me a lot, and have become

really good friends.

Despite all the difficulties (trying to

learn the language, adjusting to the

long hours at work, eating super spicy food and homesickness), I've

had a lot of fun in Korea and I’ve even come to love this country. I

have to admit there were times when

I cried a lot and I wanted to jump on the next plane home, but I can’t be-

lieve I managed to stay for six years.

Some people ask me “why” when I

say I'm leaving, when life is so "good" here ~ the salary is better,

public transportation is so conven-

ient, and there's a lot of excitement. But there's really no place like home.

I'm sad to leave crazy, fast-paced Seoul, and all my friends here. I know I'll miss it a lot, but it really is time to move on.

by Cathy Rose A. Garcia

(Cont. from page 2)

Will there be contract extension?

It is up to migrant workers to keep this as FAQ, as such, a constantly burning question. But it is hoped that like any FAQs there are reasonable answers and practical solutions to them. EPS work-ers should assert their own answers to this question by collectively crafting a policy agenda for contract extension. To find not only the time to complain and speak of them to one another in whispers, but to consider finding the

time to actually render both ideal ob-jectives that can push concrete actions for better but realistic conditions by which everyone can work with.

These graphs are based from the result

of the survey with the first 100 respon-

dents. A majority supports contract ex-

tension. There’s a trend indicating pos-

sibility of OFWs becoming undocu-

mented should there be no contract ex-

tension. Other information are still being

processed.

Page 4: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

January 2011 www.sulyapinoy.org 4

Pangarap at OFW ni Ehd Villarta

Sa bawat sulok ng mundo palaging

may pinoy na nakadestino

legal man ang papel, o sa immigra-

tion ay nagtatago

di maikubli ang mga dinanas nilang

hirap at sakripisyo

ngunit nanaisin pa rin kahit ito ay

isang kalbaryo

Mahirap nga naman ang buhay

sa pinas yan ang dahilan

kung malaki ang halaga ng

dolyar bakit piso'y pagtitiyagaan

di natin sila masisisi lahat ay

may sariling dahilan lahat ay

pwedeng gawin makaahon lang

sa kahirapan

Ilang taon na ring nawalay sa

asawa't mga anak

pinipilit mabuhay kahit lang sim-

ple at payak

ginugol ang oras sa trabaho

upang makaipon ng sapat

konting tiis na lang at matutu-

pad na rin ang minimithing pan-

garap

Pangarap na mapagtapos ang

mga anak sa kolehiyo

sariling lupa at magandang ba-

hay ang nais ipatayo

sapat na puhunan kahit maliit

lang na negosyo

o simpleng sasakyan na nais

ipagmaneho

Anu pa man ang mga pangarap

natin sa buhay

ito ang magdadala sa atin tungo

sa tagumpay

basta sa bawat hakbang na at-

ing gagawin

huwag nating kalimutan sa

Panginoon ay dumalangin...

Page 5: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

www.sulyapinoy.org 5 January 2011

SALARY COMPUTATION FOR HOLIDAY WORK by: Dondave Jabay

1. Legal holidays and contractual holidays

○ Holidays include weekly holidays and Labor Day considered legal public holidays. The anniversary of the establishment of the company are

contractual holidays autonomously determined by labor and management.

○ Whether to set down agreed holidays as paid holidays or unpaid holidays depends on an agreement between labor and management. There-

fore, it is a general rule to treat it as contractual holidays and unpaid holidays unless such holidays are specified as paid holidays in the rule of

employment or collective agreements.

2. Extended work allowance and Holiday work allowance

○ Article 56 of the Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay by adding no less than 50/100 of ordinary wages for extended work, night

work or holiday work.

3. Calculation of wages for holiday work

○ Work on a holiday requires a payment by adding 50 percent to wages as a holiday work added allowance:

※ When a salaried worker works on Sunday, the employer is required to pay in addition by 150% only for such work on Sunday as weekly holi-

days (mostly Sundays) are included in monthly contractual working hours (226 hours in cases of 44-hour workweek system and 209 hours in

cases of 40-hour workweek system) and the monthly wages include weekly holiday allowances.

※ Holidays and no workdays

Both terms mean "days on which no obligation to render labor exists in origin." While holidays are enforced by law, etc, no workdays are not

enforced by law but are implemented under an autonomous agreement between labor and management. When a worker works on Saturday,

such worker is eligible to a holiday work allowance if Saturday in question is treated as a holiday, while, if the said Saturday is treated as a no

workday, the worker is eligible not to a holiday work allowance but to an extended work allowance. The amended Labor Standards Act provides

that an extra by a rate of 25 percent shall apply to the first 4 hours of extended work per week for the duration of the first 3 years from the date

the said Act enters into force.

4. Legal nature of Saturday, and relevant wages

- In cases when legal working hours are reduced to 40 hours per week making Saturdays as days for taking a rest, it is a general rule, if any

separate agreement between labor and management provides otherwise, to treat them as no workdays with no pay originally on which no obliga-

tion to work exists.

○ Accordingly, in cases when labor is rendered on Saturday, no holiday work allowance occurs but an extended work allowance (25 percent or 50

percent) occurs if 40 hours per week has been exceeded.

○ The amended Labor Standards Act prescribes that an amount by a rate of 50 percent shall be added to wages for payment for extended work.

However, in cases of workplaces adopting a 40-hour work per week system, an amount by a rate of 25 percent to ordinary wages shall be paid

for the first 4 hours of overtime work for the limited period of the first 3 years after the enforcement of the said amended Act.

5. Calculation of wages for work on holidays and no workdays

No workdays with no pay

eg) Cases in which a worker who is paid 5,000 won an hour and for whom Saturday is a no workday with no pay (day off) works 40 hours

from Monday through Friday and 6 hours of daytime work on Saturday :

․ Wages for the relevant Saturday work : wages (6 hours x 5,000 won) + extended work allowances (first 4 hours x 5,000 won x 25 percent) +

balance extended work allowances (2 hours x 5,000 won x 50 percent) = 40,000 won

(Cont. on page 6)

Division No labor offered Labor offered

No workdays with no pay

0% 100% of wage for actual working hours+ extended work allowance (extra 25% or 50%)

Unpaid holidays

0% 100% of wage for actual working hours+ holiday work allowance (extra 50%)

Paid holidays

100% of paid holiday allow-

ance

100% of paid holiday allowance + 100% of wage for actual working hours + holiday work

allowance (extra 50%) + extended work allowance (extra 50%)

Page 6: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

www.sulyapinoy.org 6 January 2011

(Cont. from page 5)

Unpaid holidays

e.g) Cases in which a worker who is paid

5,000 won an hour and for whom Saturday is

an unpaid holiday works 40 hours from Mon-

day through Friday and 6 hours of daytime

work on Saturday: Wages for the relevant

Saturday work : wages (6 hours x 5,000 won)

x holiday work allowances (6 hours x 5,000

won x 50 percent) = 45,000 won

Paid holidays

e.g.) Cases of working 40 hours who is paid

5,000 won an hour and from Monday through

Friday and 6 hours of daytime work on Satur-

day on condition that Saturdays are holidays

setting down 4 hours as paid hours and 2

hours as unpaid hours: Wages for the rele-

vant Saturday work : Paid holiday allowances

(4 x 5,000 won) x wages (6 hours x 5,000

won) x holiday work added allowances (6 x

5,000 won x 50 percent) = 65,000 won

6. As counseling based on the Internet

having no authority to investigate the

relating parties allows counseling in gen-

eral, please visit the local labor office

controlling the workplace bringing your

detailed monthly paychecks for further

counseling.

Source: NLCC (National Labor Consultation Cen-

ter) http://www.moel.go.kr/english/main.jsp call

031-345-5000.

company concerned to adopt a 6-day work week, or 5-day work week, or 4-day work week, as far as the legal work hours do not exceed 40 hours per week. In addition, an agreement between labor and management on the new 40 work-hour system can provide a grace period for the first 3 years allowing up to 16 hours overtime per week and then up to 12 hours after 3 years of the grace period. With the introduction of the 40-hour work week system, the paid monthly leave will be abolished and the paid menstruation leave will be changed to the unpaid one. The annual paid leave under the 44-hour work week sys-tem starts from 10 days with the completion of one year service and 1 additional day annually in accordance with the continuous service. However, the 40-hour work week system be-gins with 15 days of paid annual leave upon the completion of one year service, and 1 day addition to 15 days after the completion of two consecutive years in service. The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has geared up the introduction of the 40-hour work week system since 2004 phase by phase in accordance with the size of the

Starting from July 1, 2011, the application of a 40-hour work week system will be expanded to the workplaces with the employees of be-tween 5 to 19. The cabinet meeting on De-cember 21 agreed and decided the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Stan-dards Act which included the change of the legal weekly work hour application expansion. When the 40-hour work week system is ap-plied to the workplaces with less than 20 em-ployees, the system which was introduced first to the workplaces with 1,000 employees or more from July 1, 2004 comes to the final phase. The number of workplaces with 5 to 19 employees reaches almost 300,000 and the total number of the employees is nearly 2,000,000. The workplaces with less than 5 employees are exempted from the application of work-hour and leave related legal provisions enshrined in the Enforcement Decree. The application of the 40-hour work week system does not necessarily regulate a 5-day work week system. It is possible for a

40-hour work week system expanded workplaces, and has provided the 'work-hour reduction subsidy' to the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who introduced the new work hour system 6 months before or earlier than the legally regulated time sched-ule. However, due to the expanded 40-hour work week system to the SMEs, the subsidy to the SMEs will be terminated by the end of 2010. In the meantime, the MOEL anticipates that the application of the 40-hour work week system to the SMEs will cause some difficul-ties in the introduction process at the work-places, as the SMEs are yet to familiarize themselves with the labor related laws con-cerning the employment types, employment provisions, employment contracts, leaves and etc. Accordingly, the MOEL plans to carry out circular education and internet education programs for the SMEs concerned, and establish the counselling centers which will provide telephone, internet and face-to-face service to respond to the requested inquiries and questions which may appear in the process of the expansion of the system. (Source: KOILAF)

Broader coverage for retirement benefits (Source: KOILAF)

The related enforcement ordinance is amended at the cabinet meeting on September 14th to

cover additional 1.52 million workers of workplaces with four or fewer employees.

The Korean workers in

workplaces with four or

fewer employees will be

eligible to retirement

benefit system starting

from December 1st,

2010. To be eligible for

the retirement benefit,

a worker must work

continuously more than

one year at the same

workplace, the real date for the actual implementation of the system will be from December 1,

2011.

The government passed the motion for the amendment of the ‘ Enforcement Ordinance on

Workers’ Retirement Benefits Guarantee Act’ at the cabinet meeting held on September 14.

Accordingly, it became institutionally possible that approximately 1,526,000 workers of small

businesses with four or fewer employees will additionally benefit the system and be able to

accumulate future income resources. (Cont. to page 7)

Photo by Marco Barboza

Page 7: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY

www.sulyapinoy.org 7 January 2011

JOHN ENRILE Area Manager

Philippine Airlines KOREA GSA

SAEHOON AIR TRAVEL CO., LTD 101, Sin-a Building, 39-1, Seosomun-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul City 100-752, South Korea Mobile – 010-7940-5215 Email – [email protected] (or contact – Rodel Arias – 010-8070-2419)

(Cont. from page 6)

However, in consideration of burden by employ-ers of small sized businesses for premium for retirement benefits (retirement pay or retirement pension), they will pay 50% of the premium that employers of workplaces with five or more em-ployees pay only from December 1st, 2010 to December 31, 2012 and 100% of the premium will be charged from 2013. In addition, to encourage adoption of retirement pension system at as many workplaces as possi-ble at the initial stage of the implementation of the system, the amended enforcement ordi-nance had designated Korea Workers’ Compen-sation Welfare Service as a retirement pension service provider for businesses with four or fewer employees so that the small businesses can use the retirement pension service at low commissions. In 1961 when the retirement pay system was first adopted under the revised Labor Standards Act, the system was to apply to companies with 30 employees or more. In the following years, the coverage had been extended steadily, until it came to include workplaces with five or more employees in 1989. In January 2005, Workers’ Retirement Benefits Guarantee Act was legis-lated, and the Act specifies that the retirement benefit system (retirement pay or retirement pension) should be implemented for workplaces with four or fewer employees by the end of 2010. The revision of the enforcement ordinance this time is in accordance with the provision.

Congratulations to the FILIPOS for coming up with this Photobook showcasing some of the creative works of Filipinos in South Korea. As the first formally recognized organiza-tion of Filipino photographers in South Korea, the FILIPOS has already implemented numerous successful activities only a few months since its establishment. From work-shops to photo contests, the organization has become another important venue for over-seas Filipinos to discover, develop and expand their interests and skills beyond the work-place or academe. - H.E. Amb. Luis T. Cruz

The birth of the association of Filipino Photographers in South Korea (FILIPOS), some months ago, was a pleasant news of another creative venture that many Filipinos would eagerly welcome. My sincere appreciation goes to those who came up with the bright idea of founding the FILIPOS. Keep up the inspiration and the good intention as you strive to realize your noble objectives of developing and using your God-given talent for the community. To all the members, thank you for the unique contribution to the com-munity.Through this photobook, FILIPOS may continue to inspire more Filipinos abroad to reach out to others in a language that is most universally understood, the language of pictures and symbols, the language of the heart. - Fr Alvin Parantar, MSP, HFCC

Page 8: Jan 2011 SULYAPINOY