aaaManila, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has advised overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be cautious in selecting accredited cargo forwarders as they prepare their balikbayan boxes for shipment during the holiday season.
BOC spokesperson Vincent Maronilla emphasized the importance of checking the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) website for a list of accredited consolidators who handle balikbayan box shipments.
Maronilla suggested exercising "extraordinary diligence" in choosing a consolidator or forwarder with a reputable ...
aaaManila, Philippines - Travelers should be prepared for an increase in the cost of plane tickets in September after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has raised fuel surcharge rates.
The CAB maintained the surcharge at Level 4 for the past three months, but with the rising prices of jet fuel, it has now decided to adjust it to Level 6.
Due to the higher jet fuel prices, which currently range from P36 to P39 per liter, the fuel surcharge for both domestic and international flights will be increased. Passengers can expect to pay a surcharge ...
aaaManila, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has recently ordered the dismissal of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) acting General Manager Cesar Chiong and acting Assistant General Manager Irene Montalbo.
The two officials were put under preventive suspension in May and have now been found guilty of grave misconduct, abuse of authority or oppression, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
According to the Ombudsman's decision, Chiong reassigned nearly 300 employees within his first month as acting M...
aaaManila, Philippines - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned that danger level heat index will continue in certain areas in Luzon.
Marcelino Villafuerte II, the chief of PAGASA's Climate Impact Assessment and Application Climatology, stated in a public briefing on Tuesday that most areas in Metro Manila, Northern and Central Luzon will still experience danger level heat index.
The bureau recorded a 60°C heat index in Casiguran, Aurora on Monday, which falls under the extreme d...
aaaManila, Philippines -Vaccination certificates for inbound travelers will no longer have to be presented upon entry in the country.
This was the announcement made by the Department of Transportation (DOTR) on Saturday (August 12) based on a Department of Health circular.
The DOH-Bureau of Quarantine Memorandum Circular 2023-06 states that the order covers inbound travelers in airports and seaports.
"All arriving international travelers are accepted regardless of their vaccination status," according to the DOH.
In an FB post, DOTr Sec...
aaaManila, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is calling for the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in Libya.
This is despite improvements in the political and security situation in the country.
Previously, different alert levels were imposed, with certain areas under mandatory repatriation and others under restricted phase. However, the DFA has updated the crisis alert level and placed Libya under voluntary repatriation.
The DFA explained that while the political and security conditions in Libya are still fragile, the...
Manila, Philippines - Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is ranked as the eighth worst airport in Asia for queueing times, according to a study conducted by Casago, an international vacation rental company.
The study analyzed passenger reviews from airlinequality.com, where travelers could rate the queueing times on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.
The airports included in the study were those that had at least 20 passenger reviews. The rankings were ba...
aaaManila, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning to Filipinos who plan to work overseas about the abusive situations faced by Filipino trafficking victims in Asian countries.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco stated that these victims are essentially enslaved, with limited phone access and long working hours. He specifically referenced a recent case involving a 30-year-old Filipino trafficking victim who was repatriated from Myanmar.
aaaManila, Philippines - Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Myanmar may now go home to the Philippines for a vacation without worrying about their jobs, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
This was after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has lowered the crisis alert level imposed in Myanmar from Alert Level 4 (evacuation) to Alert Level 2 (restricted phase).
They would also be allowed to go back to the said country to resume their overseas employment after properly registering with DMW.
However the DMW clarified in a stat...
aaaManila, Philippines - The Interagency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) said victims have filed multiple charges against a woman accused of trafficking five female passengers who were recently intercepted by immigration authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
In a statement, IACAT said that on July 30, six female passengers (including the suspect De Leon) were travelling to Malaysia (4 bound for Malaysia, 2 for Singapore) as tourists were intercepted at NAIA-3.
Five of these females were identified as hu...
