The Catholic Churches in the Middle East: CHRISMASTIDE SCHEDULE 2012-2013

2012 Christmas_New Year 2013 Church Programme for Catholic Churches in the Middle East are available now. Please click the link (church's name) to download a copy.

Parishioners are highly requested to be patient, calm and be at peace to one another at all times during the special mass service. Additional info are posted per Parish Church and everyone is requested to abide the rules to have a peaceful service during this event.

St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi
You are requested to park your cars near lady’s park just across the road to avoid traffic conjunction in front of the Church gate.

Take note of the additional Christmas mass timing on Christmas Eve due to the ongoing church construction inside the church compound to accommodate the volume of parishioners / attendees. Everyone is encourage to make use of the Christmas Eve' mass schedule available at your convenience.

St. Mary's Catholic Church Dubai

St. Mary's Catholic Church Al Ain

St. Francis of Assisi of Catholic Church, Jebel Ali, Dubai

St. Michael's Catholic Church, Sharjah
Request all parishioners to abide by the Sharjah Municipality notification regarding using the services of illegal car washers. Kindly cooperate with the authorities by not allowing your cars to be washed around the Church premises.

Sacred Heart Church, Manama, Bahrain

GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR OUTGOING FILIPINOS IN THE PHILS.

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): DOJ/BI' Latest Memo: Departure Formalities for Tou...: GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL-BOUND PASSENGERS IN ALL AIRPORTS AND SEAPORTS IN THE COUNTRY DOJ Manila Memorandum d...

A Guide for Non-Muslims: THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Though this year, 2012, expected to begin on July 21 and end August 18. The Islamic year has twelve lunar months, totalling 355 days. Each month starts on a new moon. This means that Ramadan begins about 10 days earlier each year. The Islamic New Year also advances by 10 days per year (compared with the Gregorian Calendar used in the West).

What happens during Ramadan?

Muslims mark Ramadan by fasting each day from sunrise to sunset. This is a strict fast - no food and no drink of any sort, not even water. It is hard for smokers, because that too is disallowed. The faithful rise early in the morning and take a meal, Suhoor, before dawn and first prayers. Their next meal is called Iftar and is taken after the sunset prayer. Within the faith, exceptions are made for the old and infirm, young children and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Throughout Ramadan, families get together to share food and company in the evenings and night-time, and the emphasis is always on reflection, prayer and charity. Ramadan is not a commercialised festival.

If you live in an Islamic country
Ramadan is enshrined in law; it is not simply a religious option. You are not obliged to fast, but you are required to respect the traditions. Here are some tips to avoid accidental offence:
•Take a good breakfast in the privacy of your apartment before venturing out for the day. If you must have lunch, take a packed lunch and find a private place to eat it. Better still, try to do without. Most of us carry a few extra pounds anyway.

•Don't snack - avoid coffees, sweets, gum, etc. during the day. Most of this is habit, rather than necessity, so it's a good discipline. You'll want to drink water. Try to find a private place.

•Try not to smoke. If you really must, find a private place, but also consider why you must!

•Be careful on the roads! Driving standards are low in the Gulf States at the best of times. Around sunset, the roads are full of people rushing home to break their day-long fast with their families. Many are dehydrated and very tired. Seriously - be careful!

UAE LABOUR LAW: GRATUITY / SEVERANCE PAY

Labour Law in the UAE  - Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 regulating labour relations as amended by Federal Laws Nos. 24 of 1981, 15 of 1985 and 12 of 1986 (the "Law").


According to Article 3 of the Law, the Law applies to all staff and employees working in the United Arab Emirates, whether UAE national or expatriate. However certain categories are exempted from its applicability:

1. Staff and workers employed by the federal government, government departments of the member-emirates, the municipalities, public bodies, federal and local public institutions and those staff and workers employed in federal and local governmental projects are exempt.
2. Members of the armed forces, police and security units.
3. Domestic servants and their like.
4. Agricultural workers and persons engaged in grazing (this exemption does not include persons who are employed in corporations which process agricultural products and or those who are permanently engaged in the operation of/or repair of machines required for agriculture.

GRATUITY / SEVERANCE PAY
 Section II, Article 132-141

Employee entitlement at the termination of the employment contract
The employee at the termination of the employment contract will be entitled for to the following:

1. A notice period, or any amount due in lieu of the notice period, in the case of an unlimited contract.
2. Compensation for the unreasonable dismissal if the contract was terminated by the employer for unreasonable cause, in the case of an unlimited contract.
3. In the case of a limited contract, compensation equivalent to the period until the end of the contract, or three month's salary whichever is greater.
4. Payments equivalent to the balance of unutilized leave or any part thereof.
5. Payments for overtime or any balance of wages due and not yet paid.
6. End of service gratuity calculated on the duration of the employment.
7. Repatriation expense as per the law or the contact.

End of service gratuity in terms of compensation
An employee who completes one year or more in continuous service shall be entitled to gratuity at the end of the service. The gratuity shall be calculated as follows:

1. 21 day's wages for each year of the first five years.
2. 30 day's wages for each additional year on condition that the total of the gratuity shall not exceed the wages of two years.

Gratuity Calculation
Gratuity is calculated on an annual basis if the employee has actually completed one year of employment with the employer or more. The day of absence from work without pay shall not be included in calculating the length of service. However, if the employee completed a year in service he will be entitled to a gratuity for the fraction of the year proportional for the part of the year he spent in work provided that he has completed one year in continuous service.

DOJ/BI' Latest Memo: Departure Formalities for Tourist Travellers

GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL-BOUND PASSENGERS IN ALL AIRPORTS AND SEAPORTS IN THE COUNTRY

DOJ Manila Memorandum dated 03 January 2012

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9208, otherwise known as the “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, Republic Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the “Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995”, as amended by Republic Act No. 10022 and other related laws, the following guidelines, providing for definite parameters in the strict enforcement of immigration departure formalities intended for the prevention of trafficking in persons, illegal recruitment, and other related offenses, are hereby promulgated for strict implementation/compliance by all concerned:   

TOURIST TRAVELERS

A traveler intending to go abroad with a tourist/temporary visitor’s visa shall be subjected to:

1. Primary Inspection

During primary inspection, the following documents shall be required from a traveler:

• a) Passport
• b) Visa when required
• c) Roundtrip Ticket

2. Secondary Inspection

Reminder for Balik Manggawa: OFW ADVISORIES / OEC CERTIFICATE

SAMAHANG PINOY KAWANGGAWA (Pinoy Charity Society): OFW ADVISORIES / OEC CERTIFICATE: OFW ADVISORY FROM POEA OFW VERIFICATION BALIK-MANGGAGAWA THROUGH POEA, PHILS. PHIL EMBASSY / POLO ABU DHABI LOCATION MAP...

ABU DHABI: FR. TROY'S 42nd SACERDOTAL ANNIVERSARY

St. Joseph's Church Abu Dhabi's Fr. Troy will be celebrating his 42nd Sacerdotal Anniversary on Tuesday, 30 August 2011 at St. Joseph's Cathedral 8pm.

We are encouraging all the Catholics to attend the service / mass celebration.

~ Samahang Pinoy Kawanggawa

www.isabelsaguinsin2.blogspot.com

SAUDI ARABIA: COMPUTER COURSES FOR FILIPINOS

RIYADH: Filipino expatriates in the Kingdom who want to enhance their technical skills now have the opportunity to enroll in computer cluster courses.

The courses are offered by the Computer Society of Filipinos International, Inc. (COMSOFIL-CENTRAL), a Riyadh-based professional organization composed of volunteer IT experts.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipino expatriates, active and inactive members who are currently working and residing in the Kingdom who wants to enhance their technical knowledge and improve their level of  expertises and professional career, may now have the opportunity to enroll  and choose any of the computer cluster courses offered by the Computer Society of Filipinos International, Inc. (COMSOFIL-CENTRAL).

As part of the organization’s lofty mission-vision to professionalized OFWs in the Kingdom and to prepare them for their eventual  return to the country, the Computer Society of Filipinos International, Inc.,(a Riyadh-based professional organizations composed of Volunteer professional IT experts and specialists in the Kingdom, will conduct a 3-month in-house intensive cluster seminars on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) starting September 23, 2011 to December 9, 2011.

GRATUITY / SEVERANCE PAY CALCULATION AS PER UAE LABOUR LAW

The UAE labour law covers many of your rights as an employee including employment contracts, records of employees, salaries, working hours, national holidays, annual leave, health and safety of employees, disciplinary codes of conduct, termination of appointment, repatriation and gratuity or end of service benefits.  The Ministry of Labour has introduced a compulsory electronic salary transfer system, to guarantee prompt salaries of all employees.




Calculation of Gratuity/Severance Pay

According to Article 132 of the UAE Labour Law, a worker who has completed one or more years of continuous service shall be entitled to severance pay at the end of his employment. The severance pay shall be calculated as follows:

21 days’ wage for each of the first five years of service

30 days’ wage for each additional year of service provided always that the aggregate amount of severance pay should not exceed two year’s wage.

OFW ADVISORIES / OEC CERTIFICATE

  

MARCH 2011 - OFW ADVISORY FROM POEA
OFW VERIFICATION
BALIK-MANGGAGAWA THROUGH POEA, PHILS.
PHIL EMBASSY / POLO ABU DHABI LOCATION MAP
OFW INFOSHEET FOR OEC APPLICATION
PAG-IBIG / HDMF MEMBERSHIP FORM

Schedule of Services

Philippine Embassy / Consulate, UAE

• Passport renewal:Sunday to Thursday ( 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00 to 3:30pm)
• Notarial Services: Sunday to Thursday ( 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00 to 3:30pm)
• Visa Application: Sunday to Thursday ( 9:00am to 12:00pm)

BALIK-MANGGAGAWA PROCESSING IN THE UAE

New POLO-OWWA Office - location map

This refers to the various email received by POLO and being circulated inquiring the new requirements of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) for our departing OFWs here in the UAE for their vacation leave to the Philippines.


Please take note that our requirements for OFWs who are applying for Balik-Manggagawa/OWWA and Pag-Ibig are as follows:

WHAT TO DO DURING RAMADAN WHILE IN THE MIDDLE EAST (BY NON-MUSLIMS)

Ramadan is a Muslim holiday that is observed in the ninth lunar month each year and last about 30 days. The time is used for reflection, cleansing of the body and soul and surrendering to God and Islam. Muslim's all over the world use this time to renew their family ties and to abstain from the pleasure of food, drink and physical desires. If traveling to a Middle Eastern country a non-Muslim can get in trouble and even thrown into jail for unknowingly disregarding the laws of Ramadan while in the Middle East.

Step 1 Drink inside only. If you are caught outside drinking (including in your car) during Ramadan you may be arrested. In some countries that are more Western, like Dubai there will be some restaurants open who keep the doors shut; others such as in Kuwait will all stay closed throughout the day until dusk.

Step 2 Eat inside only as instructed above. If you are staying in a hotel during Ramadan most will allow you to eat within the hotel. If you are not staying in a hotel as a guest in most countries you cannot go there to eat....