Note: This article discusses a historical event and may contain sensitive themes.

In the early morning of 14 July 1966 in Chicago, Illinois, 23-year-old Corazon Amurao became the lone survivor of Richard Speck, America’s first mass murderer. The Filipino exchange nurse survived by crawling and hiding under a double decker bed while Speck was distracted with his other victims.

Hours later, Amurao gingerly emerged from her hiding spot and realized her eight housemates were gone.

Among them were two Filipino nurses, Valentina Pasion and Merlita Gargullo. They and Amurao had only been in the US for several weeks.

Gloria Davy, Patricia Matusek, Nina Jo Schmale, Pamela Wilkening, Suzanne Farris, and Mary Ann Jordan also fell victim to Speck that night. They were all in their 20s and were just starting their careers as nurses.

Amurao, Pasion, and Gargullo were three young Filipinos who worked as exchange nurses at the South Chicago Community Hospital. All three lived in what would later become the scene of the crime: 2319 East 100th Street.

Amurao, a Far Eastern University alumna and native of San Luis, Batangas, was known for her adaptability and her grace under pressure. These would come in handy on the night of the crime and in the months leading up to Speck’s arrest and conviction.

In the Philippines, 23-year-old Pasion had graduated in the top 10 of her class in Manila Central University. A lawyer’s daughter, she earned a reputation among colleagues as a great cook.Before the crime, Pasion had written her parents and promised to send some money to fix their home in Isabela.

The daughter of a doctor in Mindoro, 23-year-old Gargullo graduated from Arellano University. Her fellow nurses remembered her beautiful singing voice and the delicious adobo and pancit she would cook for them.

The murder of Pasion, Gargullo, and their roommates shocked the world with its senselessness.

Explaining why he committed what was dubbed as America’s crime of the century, Speck merely said, “It just wasn’t their night.”

But luck was on one nurse’s side. Another Filipino who would have been Speck’s 10th victim had she not gone home that night.

Just hours before Speck arrived, Filipino exchange nurse Luisa Silverio and her colleague and friend Pasion were doing each other’s nails at Townhouse 2319.

While they talked about homesickness, Pasion planned to cook pancit for dinner and invited Silverio to stay the night.

Silverio then walked back to her nearby apartment to write home and pack for the sleepover. While she was there, the community hospital phoned and requested her for a shift the next morning.

With work changing her plans, Silverio walked back to Townhouse 2319 to personally back out of the sleepover.

She rang the front doorbell. No answer.

She tried the back doorbell. Silence.

When no one got the door, Silverio rang the front doorbell one last time. Nothing.

Assuming no one was home, Silverio returned to her apartment.

In court records, Amurao would recall hearing a doorbell, going downstairs with Speck and another housemate to respond, and seeing no one at the door. Silverio had likely gone to the back to ring the second doorbell when Speck opened the front door.

After her first doorbell, Speck ignored the succeeding two rings until Silverio finally went home.

“[She] inadvertently courted death three times and escaped unscathed,” wrote Silverio’s grandniece Ysabel Vitangcol for Vice.

Unlike Silverio, Mary Ann Jordan was not as lucky. She slept over at Townhouse 2319 that night. 

Unsure if speaking out would affect her nursing career and her dream of moving to the United States, Silverio would not share her story with the public for over 50 years.

Years later, she said the crime and the loss of her friends and colleagues broke her heart too.

Silverio said to Vitangcol, “I was traumatised. It was devastating. All my fellow nurses and I did was cry.”

This was not what she, Pasion, Gargullo, Amurao and their fellow Filipino nurses had imagined for themselves when they left the Philippines to work as nurses in the US.

“After the U.S. colonized the Philippines in the late 19th century, the country has relied on Filipino health care workers to mend the staffing gaps in America’s patchwork health care system, especially in times of medical crisis,” wrote Paulina Cachero in an article for Time.

With the exception of colonial and missionary-run hospitals, there were few medical facilities who could care for American soldiers suffering from sickness and infection at the start of the American colonial period in the Philippines.

Thus, the US set up schools and hospitals to produce more healthcare workers in the archipelago.

Among the Filipino nurses the colonial government trained, a select few travelled to the US to hone their skills, eventually replacing their American bosses in schools and hospitals when they returned to the Philippines.

To many Filipinos at that time, nursing was the career path to respectability and financial stability.

Then with nursing shortages after World War 2, the US Exchange Visitor Program opened its doors to more Filipino nurses in 1948. The program allowed foreign-trained nurses to gain experience and work in America for two years.

By the 1960s a second door opened for Filipino nurses.

The Immigration and Nationality Act created a path for visiting Filipino nurses to become permanent residents in the US at a time when American hospitals were struggling to care for the many patients availing healthcare via Medicare and Medicaid.

Meanwhile, the 1960s Filipino government under then president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. pushed for Filipinos to work abroad and send money to the Philippines as a way to bolster the national economy.

It was during this time that Amurao, Pasion, Gargullo, and Silverio entered the US as exchange nurses.

And it was in this decade that Amurao would become the key witness who would put Speck in prison and bring justice to her friends.

“Perhaps never in the history of the Chicago police has the key to a murder rested more on the one slender thread of a girl’s memory of a night of horror,” wrote Noble DeSalvi for The Daily Calumet barely two days after the crime.

Police had to hope Amurao could remember everything from that night—despite enduring what could cause anyone of a weaker temperament to fold.

At around 11 p.m. on 13 July 1966, just as she was about to call it a night, Amurao heard knocking at her bedroom door. She opened the door to the sight of Speck brandishing a gun and knife.

Amurao and her roommate then ran to another friend’s room and hid in a closet. But minutes later, a housemate coaxed them out of hiding, saying Speck would not hurt them.

He did.

Eight nurses died that night, each picked out by Speck from a single room where he had gathered all his scared victims. Only Amurao survived by inching her way under a double-decker bed, even though Speck had tied her hands and ankles with torn bedsheet strips.

She stayed hidden for five hours, witnessing Speck take her friends one by one.

At 5:30 a.m. the next day, almost three hours after Speck had left the scene, Amurao untied herself and crawled out of her hiding spot.

Horrified by the sight of her departed friends, Amurao went onto a window ledge and screamed for help.

Barely a day after witnessing the crime, Amurao spoke to Chicago police for two hours. She provided details for a police sketch of Speck that made rounds in the media. She also identified Speck from a photo line-up.

But among the biggest clues she gave the police was her memory of the “Born to Raise Hell” tattoo on Speck’s arm.

The press ran the story.

Quickly after, a doctor treating Speck for self-injury spotted the said tattoo and called the police.

And on 19 July, Amurao faced Speck in his hospital room and confirmed his identity to the police.

Less than a year later, she stepped down from the witness stand and pointed Speck out to a judge and jury in Peoria, Illinois on 6 April 1967.

She said, holding her index finger just inches from Speck’s face, “This is the man.”

The late William Martin, lead prosecutor in the case against Speck, said:

“Most witnesses would say, ‘He’s the man in the black suit, etc., or point to him from the witness stand. Cora—and this was to everyone’s amazement, mine more than anybody else—unlatched the door, stepped down from the witness stand, walked across the courtroom, went to the table where Speck was seated. Went right up to him and took her finger within two inches of his forehead, pointed at him and said, ‘This is the man.’ And pandemonium erupted briefly.”

“It was the most dramatic moment I’ve ever seen in a courtroom before or since,” he said.

Despite her trauma, Amurao spent hours on the stand recounting the crime and facing cross examination.

Twelve days later, the jury found Speck guilty of murder after only 49 minutes of deliberations.

He was sentenced to death in June 1967 but was resentenced to eight consecutive life terms in the 1970s following a US Supreme Court ruling. He spent the rest of his life in prison and died of a heart attack in 1991.

After the trial, Amurao returned to the Philippines with a fourth of the $10,000 reward for her part in convicting Speck.

She had a brief stint in local politics when she ran for councillor in San Luis, Batangas under the Liberal Party banner in 1967.

In 1969, Amurao married Alberto Atienza in the Philippines. The couple moved to the US in the 1970s.

There, Amurao maintained a private life and built a career as a critical care nurse in Washington, D.C. until her retirement in 2013.

While working as a nurse, Amurao raised two children, Abigail, who took up the same profession; and Christian, who became a certified public accountant.

Amurao is now a proud grandmother to six grandchildren, but she still bears scars from that fateful night.

“She showed the indomitability of her spirit by continuing her path as a nurse and dedicating her life to helping others and raising a family, but you can never get something like this out of your life,” said Martin to Rosemary Sobol of the Chicago Tribune in 2016, five decades after the crime.

Amurao said something similar in a 1991 interview with ABC 7 Chicago, one of her only interviews after the crime: “After that night, I’m always scared, you know. I’m not that kind of person, because I’m always a happy person. But then after that night it seems like he [took] some of my happiness.”

Years later, Sobol reported Amurao still has nightmares about Speck coming for her.

But Amurao has held on to her faith.

According to Sobol, Amurao emailed former prosecutor Martin, saying, “”I think there was somebody up there who was hiding me from [Speck]. God was so nice.”

It was an echo of something she told ABC 7 Chicago in 1991: “I think [God] spared me so that I can do more things.”

And more things she did.

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With a membership to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, overseas Filipino workers can avail of OWWA benefits and programs that will help them from the time they begin their journey abroad to the moment they come back home to start a new chapter in the Philippines.

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In the unfortunate event that an OWWA member passes away or goes to prison, the Education and Livelihood Assistance Program helps their child stay in school or gives their dependent some money to get by.

A child who qualifies for the ELAP will receive OWWA’s financial assistance from kinder to college amounting to

• ₱5,000 a year from kinder to Grade 6
• ₱8,000 a year from Grades 7 to 12
• ₱10,000 a year for college

An OWWA member’s dependent may also apply for a ₱15,000 grant from the ELAP program to support a small business that keeps the family going.

Active OWWA members and their dependents have access to this insurance program that provides

Active OWWA members and their dependents have access to this insurance program that provides

• Financial assistance for the OFW’s family in case of their death
• Financial assistance to pay for the OFW’s burial
• Financial assistance in case an OFW is injured

In case an active OWWA member passes away from natural causes, their family can receive up to PHP 100,000 through this benefits program. For accidental deaths, the OWWA member’s family can receive ₱200,000.

For funeral costs, the program provides ₱20,000 to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, OWWA members who become disabled after an accident may also apply for ₱2,500 to ₱25,000 in partial disability benefits or ₱50,000 to ₱100,000 in total or permanent disability benefits.

Active OWWA members who are also members of PhilHealth can apply for OWWA‘s Supplemental Medical Assistance Program or MEDPlus in the event they fall ill because of

• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Lung disease
• Cancer

They can get up to ₱50,000 in financial assistance whether they get sick while on the job abroad or while they are home in the Philippines.

OWWA‘s Welfare Assistance Program or WAP offers OFWs with financial assistance in case they experience hardships but are unable to apply for OWWA‘s other social benefits programs.

These hardships include

• Typhoons, floods, and earthquakes
• Political unrest
• The death of an OWWA member by causes not covered by OWWA’s Death and Disability Benefit
• Disabilities that are not covered by OWWA’s Death and Disability Benefit
• Financial assistance for OFWs with illnesses not covered by MEDPlus
• Financial assistance for OFWs who lose their jobs or homes from crises (e.g., losing their job because of political issues in their host country)

OFWs can apply for this program whether or not they are active OWWA members. Their family members may also apply for WAP in their place.

There are three OWWA benefits programs OFWs or their dependents can try to add to their skillset and make them stand out in the job market:

• Skills-for Employment Scholarship Program – provides financial assistance of up to ₱14,500 for OFWs or their dependents to complete a six-month to two-year government-funded training program, including lessons conducted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Maritime Industry Authority
• Seafarers’ Upgrading Program – provides financial assistance of up to ₱7,500 for seafarers to get the training they need to comply with the International Maritime Organisation’s skills requirements
• Information Technology Program – improves OFWs’ or their dependents’ computer skills by teaching them how to use the internet and important software, like Microsoft Word or Excel

From January to June 2017, the OWWA also provided financial assistance of up to PHP 7,500 for seafarers who were active OWWA members and were working on becoming certified Masters, Chief Mates, Chief Engineers, and 2nd Engineers via the Updating Management Level Courses program.

Another of OWWA’s benefits programs is the OFW Enterprise Development and Loan Program, which helps returning OFWs get the financial assistance they need to start their own businesses within three years of coming home to the Philippines. They can also join this program if they already have a business before filing their applications.

After undergoing OWWA’s Enhanced Enterprise Development Training, an OFW can approach the Land Bank of the Philippines or the Development Bank of the Philippines to apply for a loan of up to ₱2 million for a solopreneurs and ₱5 million for group businesses.

It’s important to note that this is a loan, meaning the OFW must pay back the money within the time set by the bank.

This OWWA benefits program is for OFWs who have lost their jobs, experienced violence or abuse abroad, were forced to change host countries, or were affected by crises in their host countries.

The Balik-Pinas! Balik-Hanapbuhay! Program provides OFWs with at most ₱20,000 in financial assistance to help them start a small business or get the training or connections they need to restart their lives in the Philippines.

Most importantly, BPBH is accessible to both active and inactive OWWA members.

The OWWA’s Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar is the first step of the OFW process.

Before starting their journey abroad, a prospective OFW must first learn about their host countries, the challenges of OFW life, the expectations of their foreign employers, the documents they need to travel and work outside the Philippines, the steps they can take to stay safe and healthy abroad, and the OWWA programs and services they can avail to help them along the way.

This is a special seminar domestic workers must take before they leave for their host countries.

Conducted within at most six days, the Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program for Household Service Workers or CDPEP teaches Filipino domestic workers about

• Their host countries’ cultures
• Basic words and sentences in their host countries’ languages
• How to deal with the stress of working abroad in healthy and mindful ways

Whether an OFW is an active or inactive member, the OWWA can help them come home if they are sick or if they are caught in a natural or human-caused crisis in their host country.

Included in the OWWA’s repatriation assistance program are these benefits:

• A free ticket home
• Help at the airport
• A place to stay before you fly home
• Medical assistance
• Counselling
• A ride home

While some OWWA programs and services are available for both active and inactive members, it would still help to check if your OWWA membership and contributions are up to date. That way, you can enjoy more benefits from the organisation.

You can view your membership status via the OWWA app on Android or iOS.

If you have more questions about OWWA benefits, consult your nearest Philippine Overseas Labor Office.

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With more celebrations gearing up with the summer sun, we at Kabayan Remit have prepared the top 12 festival safety tips you need to know before your well-deserved day (and night) out.

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Just like the vibe, event security varies among different festivals. For example, according to Stage Hoppers, the TRNSMT Fest in Glasgow, Scotland tallied 60 crimes in five years, making it one of the safest festivals in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the Creamfields Festival in Cheshire, England experienced more than 1,000 crimes in five years.

Knowing what kind of festival you’re headed to will help you secure your personal safety, so do your research before you go.

According to Festival Safe—an online event security guide supported by the Royal Society for Public Health, Vision, Voice and Practice—good festivals should have these facilities:

• Toilets – This is a must!
• Safe drinking water and washing water – You’ll need these to stay energized and clean.
• Information points – Sometimes we need to ask for directions or need more information about festival events.
• Shops and food options – Get your merch and meals here.
• A medical team – If you or someone you know is feeling ill, find the nearest first aid area.
• A welfare team – Festivals can be stressful or scary! Welfare teams are there to help you without judgement.
• Security and stewards – Help and safety are musts in large events like festivals.

Before the big day, festivals already share a map of their layout on their official websites.

Get a copy of their map and remember where the nearest toilets, medical and welfare stations, security hubs, and exits are. You can also save this guide on your phone or print it out.

This information will come in handy in case of an emergency.

You can also use a festival map to plan meeting points in case you and your group get separated.

You’ll likely have your phone with you when attending a festival; but according to Get Licensed, you’ll also a go-bag with need these 10 important items to ensure your personal safety:

• Portable charger or power bank – Keep your phone charged even when you’re far from the nearest power outlet.
• Water – There may be an array of drinks at a festival, but you’ll still need water to power you through the day. Be eco-friendly and use a flask or insulated bottle to carry your water around.
• Sunscreen – Avoid sunburn while you’re having fun outdoors, and protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses too.
• Earplugs – Take care of your ears and use earplugs when spending a long day around loud music.
• Hand sanitiser – Avoid catching a bug by keeping your hands clean even while you’re out and about.
• Waterproof bags – The day could start sunny but take a turn for the worse. Keep your valuables safe from rain and mud by putting them in a waterproof or water-resistant bag.
• Snacks – While festivals may offer food, sometimes you just need to nosh on a granola bar to tide you over before the next act or to revive a knackered friend who happens to be a picky eater. (Note: Check the festival’s rules before bringing outside food to their event grounds.)
• ID and cash – Some booths are cash only, so come prepared. And it’s always handy to have your ID with you, in case of emergencies.
• Small first aid kit – Knicks and sniffles are unavoidable. Always bring some plasters, analgesics, and antihistamines with you in case you or someone in your group feels poorly. And if you’re on any medication, bring those too!
• Emergency contacts list – Sometimes analogue still comes in handy! In case you run out of battery or lose your phone, bring a printed list of emergency numbers you can call if you ever need help or a ride home.

A festival day could start hot and sunny but end cold and rainy.

So, it’s good to wear light clothing, but our next festival safety tip is to bring your wellies and a raincoat just in case. Walking around soaked and shivering would definitely put a damper on your fun.

When the sun comes out, put on your hats and slap on some sunscreen to avoid getting sunburnt.

You may want to bring a tote bag to the festival; but for your personal safety, use a water-resistant bag that goes across your chest. Position it in front of you so you can always see it.

Not only will this prevent your belongings from falling over or getting soaked in the rain, but it will also deter pickpockets from stealing your valuables while you’re moving around crowded festival grounds.

Enjoying an outdoor festival requires a lot of energy. Before you know it, you may begin to feel tired and cranky before the day even ends.

To avoid festival fatigue, bring enough food and water to sustain you throughout the event.

If the festival you’re attending does not allow outside food and drinks, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to rehydrate and eat between partying.

Festivals make for awesome memories and adventures, but it will also entail some risks.

Next on our festival safety tips is: Attend these events with a trusted friend or friend group. This way, you can have each other’s backs in case someone feels ill or anxious or in case of an emergency.

Write each other’s numbers down and identify meeting points in case you ever get separated.

According to the National Health Service, “Measles is a viral infection that spreads very easily.”

And Festival Safe reported that festivals have recently recorded an increase in measles cases at music festivals.

Measles spread through aerosols, which are breathed out by someone who is infected by the measles virus. A person can breathe in these aerosols or touch surfaces where these aerosols have landed and transfer the virus from their hands to their face.

Before any spots appear on your body, you will feel as if you are coming down with a cold. By this time, you can quickly spread the measles to other people around you

To avoid catching the measles while attending a festival, follow these safety tips:

• Visit your doctor and ensure you are vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) before you attend a festival.
• Wash or sanitise your hands regularly.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid sharing clothes, sleeping bags, drinks, food, and the like.

Temperatures can rise when you’re partying in a crowded field or arena, and this may cause you to fall ill or feel fatigued. This could be heat exhaustion.

“It can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people – especially if they are doing strenuous exercise in high temperatures or have been drinking alcohol in the sun all day,” wrote Michelle Roberts for the BBC. “It can come on quickly, over minutes, or gradually, over hours.”

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Lots of sweating
• Cramps
• Dizziness and/or headaches
• Feeling ill
• Nausea or vomiting
• Paleness
• Heat rashes
• Extreme thirst
• Rapid breathing
• Body temperatures above 38ºC

If you or your friends experience these symptoms during a festival, it is important for your personal safety that you cool down as soon as possible. The NHS suggests doing the following:

• Go somewhere cool or shaded.
• Remove the clothes you don’t need, like jackets and socks.
• Spray yourself with water or place a cold compress or damp towel on your neck or underarms.
• Drink cool water or a chilled sports drink.

If someone’s condition doesn’t improve after 30 minutes, they may be experiencing heat stroke. Other signs of heat stroke include:

• Not sweating even if they feel hot
• Body temperatures above 40ºC
• Rapid breathing
• Confusion
• Seizures or loss of consciousness

If someone in your group is experiencing heat stroke, immediately contact the festival’s security and medical personnel.

You may also contact these emergency numbers:

• 111 – for heat exhaustion symptoms and first aid advice
• 999 – for heat stroke

Among the most common festival safety tips is to always stay aware of your surroundings by drinking in moderation.

Have some water between drinks to avoid dehydration, and never accept anything from strangers.

By ensuring your personal safety at festivals, you and your companions can continue having fun.

Always get a sense of the crowd’s vibe and movements.

According to Festival Safe, “If you start to feel a crowd surge from one side, don’t push back. Move away from the pressure.”

They likened a crowd surge to waves that flow and pause. During pauses, walk to the edges of the crowd for more room.

It will also help to look for the nearest exits around you so you can head to any of these points when you want to get away from the crowd.

Remember: Your personal safety is your top priority at festivals.

Take breaks between events to eat, rehydrate, or even nap. This will help you and your friends avoid heat exhaustion while ensuring you have enough energy to last throughout the entire festival.

You will also need just as much rest when you get home. Allot enough time to recover from your excursion before returning to work.

The last thing you want is to be too exhausted to function when you clock in!

And, as a last festival safety tip: Make it a rule that everyone in your group needs to update the group chat once they’ve made it home safely.

We’re still making the rounds across several Barrio Fiestas in the UK!

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Filipinos in the UK work hard to fulfil their dreams and support the people they love. So after all the hours rendered and key performance indicators reached, they deserve to unwind and be surrounded with people who remind them of home.

And with about 200,000 Pinoys in this European country, there are surely a multitude of ways to get together and celebrate.

Here are just some of the events that our community looks forward to in the United Kingdom.

A Catholic tradition celebrated every May, the Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan honour Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

The tradition, introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period, begins with Flores de Mayo and involves month-long prayers and mediations on the Virgin Mary. During this time, devotees present floral offerings to images of the Blessed Virgin.

The month of prayer ends with the Santacruza, a religious procession known for its celebratory Filipino flair and fashion. Organised annually, the precession commemorates St. Helena’s finding of the Holy Cross and assigns a young woman to walk as Reyna Elena, holding a small cross of her own. Walking along with her are other parishioners dressed as biblical figures.

Today, Filipinos in the UK have brought the tradition with them, particularly in Devon and Cornwall.

Since 2011, Filipino Catholics have celebrated Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan in these seaside counties, carrying out the tradition across the UK’s South West, including Plymouth, Dorchester, and Torquay.

In fact, Torquay’s local news site Torbay Today described these Filipino celebrations as a “colourful and ceremonial procession” and “one of the Philippines’ most cherished traditions.”

According to Tinig UK, “The Gloucester Filipino Heritage Day is an annual celebration that highlights the rich culture and traditions of the Filipino community in Gloucester.”

The Filipino Association of Gloucestershire held the very first Filipino Heritage Day in May 2024.

On its second year, the festival highlighted Filipino culinary traditions, musical talent, and our very own martial arts.

The Gloucester Pinoys also time this event with International Nurses Day, which falls on 12 May every year, to honour the Filipinos and other international health workers in the UK.

Filipino sociologist Dr. Gerald Abergos said Pinoys are excited by competitive pageants and sports not because they want to be “in” but because these events foster a sense of belonging, unity, and family.

So when there’s a reason to celebrate and band together, Filipinos will be there.

In the UK, Filipinos gather in these two well-known beauty pageants that take place in London every year.

According to their Facebook page, the pageant is an accredited partner of the Miss Universe Philippines franchise, and winners of Mister and Miss Filipinas Royaltys go on to compete in other pageants  in Europe and the Philippines.

Miss and Mr. Philippines UK is the longest running British Filipino beauty pageant in the UK. Their next big event is slated for October.

Celebrated on 12 June, Philippine Independence Day is a time-honoured tradition for Filipinos around the world.

For the 200,000 Filipinos in the UK, Independence Day celebrations include

• Get-togethers organized by the different Filipino organizations throughout the country – These events include games, music, and—most importantly—food.
• Performances – Filipinos in the UK perform traditional songs, add a modern twist to folk dances, or even invite Pinoy celebrities to commemorate this important date.
• Flags and parades – Where there are large Pinoy populations, like London and Manchester , Filipinos in the UK raise the Philippine flag and parade in cities wearing our traditional attire.
• Mass – On Independence Day, Filipinos in the UK pray for the Philippines and their compatriots.
• Online Independence Day – New technology has allowed Filipinos in the UK to participate in Independence Day celebrations in the Philippines and with their loved ones back home.

Wherever there’s a celebration in the UK, you will find Filipinos. Here is a short (and definitely not exhaustive) list of UK cultural festivals where you may get a taste of Filipino culture.

Held in July, the Pinoy Food Fest is an opportunity for Filipinos in the UK to gather and enjoy the hometown delicacies they miss. There are also opportunities to enjoy live music and to support Pinoy-owned businesses.

While there is no nationwide Filipino Heritage Month in the UK at the moment, Britain’s East and South East Asian Network organizes ESEA Heritage Month every September.

The group curates independently organized events that honour the ESEA community in the UK. For example, Mark Corbyn, co-founder of The Adobros Supper Club, honoured ESEA month 2023 by hosting a summer garden lunch in London that featured the Filipino dishes kinilaw and chicken inasal.

According to beasea.n, the celebration is “a chance to celebrate, acknowledge and learn about the incredible ways in which our communities have helped shape the UK.”

A youth-centered festival held in June, FiliFest gathers young Filipinos in the UK for a day of music, food, performances, and games.

According to the celebration’s official website, “From inception, FiliFest’s mission has always been to bring together youths from across the UK, bound together by their love for the Philippines and to promote Filipino culture.”

The festival also aims to highlight Filipino-owned businesses in the UK and to equip Filipino British youths with the work experience and connections to thrive in the professional world.

There are several Barrio Fiestas in the UK, but the biggest celebration is the London Barrio Fiesta held in July.

The outdoor festival gathers the best Filipino food, businesses, entertainers, and celebrities, making it one of the most important celebrations for Filipinos in the UK.

According to Halo Philippines, “More than just a festival, Barrio Fiesta is a homecoming for many Filipinos living abroad. It’s a chance to reconnect with our roots, share stories, and celebrate our unique culture with others who understand and appreciate it.”

Are you ready to celebrate? Because we are!

Kabayan Remit is a secure money transfer app for Filipinos in the UK, the United States, and Canada. It is available in English, French, and Italian.

Using bank-level security, our app lets Filipinos safely transfer funds from the UK to banks, e-wallets, and cash remittance centres in the Philippines.

With just your phone, you can send savings and love to

• Banco de Oro
• Bank of the Philippine Islands
• Metrobank
• Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
• And more!

Kabayan Remit also helps you transfer funds to e-wallets like:

• GCash
• Maya
• ShopeePay

Prefer quick cash? You can also use the Kabayan Remit app to send money to these Filipino cash remittance centres:

• Cebuana Lhuillier
• LBC Express
• Palawan Pawnshop

Visit our booth at various Barrio Fiesta across the UK to learn how you can use Kabayan Remit to send money to the Philippines, pay your Philippine government contributions, and even grow your investments.

To learn more about Kabayan Remit and try our exchange rate calculator, visit our official website here.

Have more questions? Consult our 24/7 bilingual support team here. We are also available at info@kabayanremit.com and 020 3474 0999.

While Mpox made headlines in the Philippines in August, this is not the first time the illness was part of the country’s news.

There are 14 active mpox cases in the Pearl of the Orient as of 9 September 2024, but the country’s health department has been reporting mpox in the Philippines since 2022—the same year the World Health Organisation declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

WHO removed the disease’s PHEIC status in May 2023 following a drop in reported cases; but with a new type of mpox reported this year and a recent uptick in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and nearby countries, the United Nations’ health agency again declared mpox a PHEIC in August 2024.

Considering recent international and Philippine events, Kabayan Remit has gathered pertinent information to keep you up to date on mpox, what it is, and what you can do to stay safe. Read on to learn more.

Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus.

According to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “This virus is part of the same family as the virus that causes smallpox.”

Though similarly named, mpox and chickenpox are not related.

According to WHO, mpox is part of the genus Orthopoxvirus in the Poxviridae family. It has two types:

• Clade I – This type of mpox, specifically the clade Ib strain, is what is being reported in cases from Central and East Africa and the reason for the WHO’s PHEIC declaration in August 2024. According to the CDC, records suggest that this clade is more severe than mpox clade II.
• Clade II – This, specifically clade IIb, was the cause of the WHO’s PHEIC declaration in 2022. Reported cases of this type of mpox usually come from West Africa, but the 2022 PHEIC recorded cases around the world.

While mpox may seem like a new disease, scientists have records of this illness dating back to the 20th century.

It was first recorded in a Danish lab in 1958, when scientists observed poxes on research monkeys. What caused these poxes remains undetermined.

Twelve years later, the DRC recorded the first case of mpox on a human; and in the decades that followed, doctors continued recording mpox cases from Central, West, and East Africa. Since 2005, the DRC has reported thousands of cases.

News of mpox reaching a different continent came in 2003, when the U.S. reported an mpox outbreak. According to the WHO, these cases were “linked to imported wild animals.”

More recent news reported mpox in Nigeria in 2017, followed by the PHEIC in 2022. That same year, the WHO changed the disease’s name to mpox to address the “racist and stigmatizing language online” that stemmed from using the old “monkeypox” name.

The WHO declared a second PHEIC in August 2024, following an outbreak of mpox clade Ib “in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries.” Other types of mpox continue to be reported in the DRC, countries in Africa, and in other parts of the world—including the Philippines.

Columbia University’s Pandemic Response Institute reported four ways mpox is transmitted among people, animals, and contaminated objects:

• Person-to-person transmission – A person touches someone or is close to someone with mpox. This type of transmission includes sexual contact, breathing, talking, hugging, or kissing. 
• Fomite transmission – A person touches something that has been exposed to someone with mpox.
• Animal-to-person transmission – A person handles or is wounded by a live animal carrying the virus. This is also when a person handles or ingests the uncooked meat of an animal with mpox.
• Health care setting transmission – A health professional is wounded by a contaminated needle or engages with an mpox patient without wearing the proper personal protective equipment.

According to the CDC, clade I is the more serious type of mpox, but deaths among patients with this clade have recently decreased to 1% to 3.3% from the previous rate of 10%.

“Infections from clade II mpox are generally less severe. More than 99.9% of people survive,” they said.

However, while people may recover from mpox, it is still important to take precautions against the disease—especially if you are among what the CDC identified as high-risk patients:

• Immunocompromised people
• Children under a year old
• People with a history of eczema
• Pregnant people and their foetuses or newborns

These four groups have a higher chance of experiencing complications if they contract mpox.

According to the WHO, people may begin experiencing mpox symptoms within a day to 3 weeks after exposure.

If you or someone you know may have mpox, look out for these signs:

• Rash
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Back pain
• Low energy
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Clogged nose
• Cough

Note that mpox rashes may resemble acne or blisters that hurt or itch and scab during the healing process. The rashes can appear all over the hands and feet and around the body, including the mouth, genitals, anus, and face.

According to the CDC, a person can transmit mpox when they begin showing symptoms, and they are only considered recovered when “the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.”

The Philippines recorded its first mpox case in July 2022. Since then, nine people have recovered, while 14 cases of mpox clade II remain active as of 9 Sept.

The country’s Department of Health said close contact, including sexual contact, was the usual mode of transmission for mpox cases in the Philippines.

“Anyone can get mpox, but it is clear that the mode of transmission here is close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact,” Philippine Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told Rappler.

Herbosa said that the number of mpox cases in the country has been increasing because more people are getting tested for the disease.

Yes, there are two vaccines for mpox:

• Jynneos by Bavarian Nordic
• LC16 by KM Biologics

The WHO recommends that these high-risk groups get vaccinated against mpox:

• Health professionals
• Household or community members of someone with mpox
• People with multiple sexual partners
• Sex workers of any gender and their clients

People who have been exposed to mpox can still get vaccinated up to three days after exposure or at most 14 days after exposure if they have not yet developed symptoms.

In the country, the DOH is getting 2,000 doses of Jynneos to address mpox in the Philippines.

People may also get tested for free at any government hospital, with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine releasing results in 48 to 78 hours. To reduce the time it takes for patients to see their test results, the DOH is training more labs in mpox testing.

In a recent memorandum the DOH reminded everyone in the country to follow these “standard minimum precautions” to prevent mpox:

• Wash and sanitise hands regularly.
• Avoid close contact with anyone exhibiting mpox symptoms or with anyone who has handled objects that may be contaminated with mpox.
• Wear PPEs, like gloves and a mask, if you are caring for someone with mpox.
• Thoroughly sanitise objects that have been exposed to someone with mpox.
• Be careful around animals—living, sick, or dead—that may be carrying the mpox virus.

If you think you or someone you know may have mpox, remember to:

• Call a health professional as soon as possible.
• Get tested.
• Wear a mask, especially when around others.
• Isolate at home for 21 days or until your mpox rashes are fully healed and symptoms have stopped.
• Do not touch mpox rashes with your bare hands.
• Do not scratch or pop mpox rashes.
• Do not shave body parts where mpox rashes are present.
• Cover mpox rashes, especially when around others.
• Keep your skin clean and dry.
• Use separate linens and utensils from the rest of your household.
• Keep your pets in a separate part of the house.

If you have more questions about mpox, you can also consult these links:

• DOH’s 2022 guidelines for mpox
• WHO’s answers to frequently asked questions
• A guide by the US CDC

While you may be far away from your loved ones right now, you can still do your part in preventing the spread of mpox in the Philippines by keeping your family informed. Share this article with the people you love and encourage them to continue staying up to date with the latest news on this viral disease.

In case of emergency, Kabayan Remit’s secure money transfer app is here to help you send money to major banks, e-wallets, and cash remittance centres in the Philippines.

To learn more about Kabayan Remit’s benefits and features, click here.

Following this year’s Olympics, six Filipino athletes are in Paris to go for gold at the 2024 Paralympics. This is the biggest contingent of Pinoy para-athletes to compete in the international games since 2012.

With the games already in progress, get to know the Pinoys competing in para swimming, para archery, para athletics, and para taekwondo on the global stage.

One of the country’s flag bearers, 56-year-old Agustina Maximo Bantiloc is the first Filipino para archer to make it to the Paralympics. The former powerlifter recently concluded her stint at the 2024 Paralympics with a season best of 618 points.

“I am happy with what I performed because I believe I did my best,” she told ABS-CBN following her match. She also promised to improve and likened her rising to challenges to how she put her three children through college.

Flag bearer Ernie Gawilan won the Philippines’ first gold medal in the Asian Para Games by being the fastest swimmer in the men’s 400m freestyle-S7 event in 2023. He is set to compete in the same event and in the 200m individual medley-SM7 in Paris.

The 2024 Paralympics will be Gawilan’s third time to compete among the world’s best para-athletes, having competed in the Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Games. In Tokyo, Gawilan swam close to a podium finish, ending in sixth place in men’s 400m freestyle-S7.

Angel Otom will be making her world debut in the 2024 Paralympics. Currently a sports science major in the University of the Philippines–Diliman, the university’s first varsity para swimmer won four gold medals at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games.

As a swimmer, Otom wants to inspire other people with disabilities and young athletes to believe in themselves and persevere. “The most important thing in sports is that you’re having fun with what you’re doing,” she said.

After missing the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics due to the coronavirus, Allain Keanu Ganapin will make his debut at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. He will be competing in the men’s K44 -80kg event.

The Marikina native turned to taekwondo to overcome bullying, using his martial arts skills to earn his peers’ respect and change how they viewed him. Ganapin eventually joined the Philippine taekwondo team in 2016.

As a national athlete, he won a bronze medal each from the 2017 Oceana Para Taekwondo Open in Auckland, New Zealand and the 2021 Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.

Long-time para-athlete Jerrold Pete Mangliwan qualified for the 2024 Paralympics following his breathtaking win at the 2023 Asian Para Games, when the six-time ASEAN Games gold medallist beat Ueyonabaru Hirota in the men’s 400-meter T52 finals after initially trailing behind the Japanese racer.

Mangliwan had competed in four Asian Para Games before winning his first gold in October last year.

As of 9:33 p.m. of 30 Aug. 2024, Mangliwan won fourth place in the men’s 400m T52 qualifying event and has made it to the finals.

The 2024 Paralympics will mark Cendy Asusano’s debut in the world games. Asusano has won four gold medals in the ASEAN Para Games and recently reached fourth place in women’s javelin throw-F54 at the World Para Athletics Championships.

Besides javelin throw, Asusano is also a formidable shot-put athlete, having won a gold medal in the said event at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games.

The Paralympics have been running for 76 years since 29 July 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttman held the Stoke Mandeville Games on the opening day of the 1948 London Olympics. Guttman had organised the games for World War 2 Royal Air Force veterans, providing 16 former pilots with spinal cord injuries a space to compete in archery and netball.

The Stoke Mandeville Games continued through the 1950s, eventually growing into an international event with hundreds of participants.

In 1960, the event gathered 400 para-athletes from 23 countries in Rome, Italy and became known as the quadrennial Paralympic Games. Organisers held their first winter para games in 1976.

Since 1988, the Paralympics have been held in the same city as the Olympics. That same year was also when the Philippines first joined the para games.

Since consistently joining the Paralympics in 2000, two Filipinos have won bronze medals:

• Adeline Dumapong – Dumapong won a bronze in women’s powerlifting in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
• Josephine Medina – The late table tennis athlete Josephine Medina won the country’s second bronze in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Support the Philippines’ para-athletes at the 2024 Paralympics by watching the games live on the Paralympic Games’ official YouTube channel. To make sure you’re watching at the right time, check out our athletes’ schedules here.

Don’t watch alone! Make the games even more memorable by setting up a virtual watch party with friends and family in the Philippines and sending love with Kabayan Remit.

Kabayan Remit is a secure money transfer app that lets overseas Filipino workers safely send money from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States to major banks, e-wallets, and cash remittance centres in the Philippines, including:

• Bank of the Philippine Islands
• Metrobank
• Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
• GCash
• Maya
• Cebuana Lhuillier 
• LBC
• Palawan Pawnshop

The app boasts bank-level security and encryption and is regulated in Canada and the UK by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and the Financial Conduct Authority, respectively.

You can even use the Kabayan Remit app to pay your bills and your SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG contributions.

To explore Kabayan Remit’s features and exchange rates today, click here.

Our 24/7 bilingual customer support team is also available to assist you here.

And before you send your first remittance, make sure to brush up on the latest online scams and online banking security measures.

When you’re ready to get started, open a free account on the Kabayan Remit app and start sending love to the Philippines. Your first remittance is free!

With the power of a mobile app, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) can download and use an OFW Pass as their exit clearance whenever they travel to and from the Philippines to their place of work.

This program under the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is still in its testing phase and can only be used in the top 10 locations flocked by OFWs. If you’d like to know if the OFW Pass is available in your host country and how you can download it, read on.

Launched in July 2023, the OFW Pass acts as an OFW’s digital identification or ID. It is equivalent to the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), which OFWs must present before they leave the Philippines to work in their host countries.

According to Rappler, “The OEC, also known as an exit clearance, certifies the regularity of recruitment of an OFW and is proof of his or her registration with the [DMW].”

Simply put, an OEC proves that an OFW is legally employed by a government-accredited agency or company, has an active employment contract, and is permitted to work in their host country.

Over time, and after some test runs, the OFW Pass will replace the OEC for OFWs working across the globe.

The OFW Pass and OEC share the same function: to serve as an exit clearance for registered OFWs. However, they differ in terms of their accessibility, convenience, validity, and cost.

Let’s break down these differences:

The OFW Pass acts as an exit clearance and proves you are an OFW registered with the DMW. While it also serves as an exit clearance, the OFW eCard proves an OFW is an active member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Read our blog on the OFW eCard to learn more about its uses and benefits.

Still in its pilot testing phase, the OFW Pass is only available to OFWs working in the following locations:

• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Qatar
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• Malaysia
• Oman
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom
• Japan

To get an OFW Pass, you must first download the DMW Mobile App. You’ll also need:

• Your passport
• A valid work visa from your host country 
• A clear photo of yourself

These items will come in handy once you open a DMW Mobile App account and process your exit clearance.

The DMW Mobile App is a convenient way for OFWs to process their OFW Pass, fulfill requirements, and avail of government services using their mobile phones. Free to use, the app is available in iOS and Android and runs on data or a secure internet connection.

OFWs with active employment contracts can use the DMW Mobile App if they are:

• Already working abroad (i.e., deployed)
• OFWs who are direct hires 
• OFWs who are employed through a recruitment agency or government-to-government placement 
• Part of the Balik Manggagawa program 
• Returning to the same employer
• On vacation or emergency leave but will be returning to the same employer

The DMW Mobile App is available to download in Google Play and Apple App Store.

Once you’ve downloaded the DMW Mobile App on your phone, follow these steps:

1. Open a free account on the app by typing in your email address.
2. DMW will send an email with your one-time password (OTP). Type the OTP into the app.
3. Make a strong password for your account. 
4. Enter your personal details on the form that will appear on your screen.
5. Upload a photo of yourself or grant the app access to your camera and take a selfie.
6. Tap “submit.”
7. Read, understand, and accept the app’s Data Privacy Policy.
8. You’re done!

There are also two other ways you can log in to the app:

• By using your mobile number – In the log-in page, simply unselect “Use Email.”
• By logging in with your e-registration account details – These are the same details you used in Step 1 of the OFW process.

Immediately after signing up for a DMW Mobile App account, a prompt to upload your passport’s data page will appear. You will need to follow the upload instructions before you can get your OFW Pass.

It is also possible to upload your passport later. When you’re ready, all you need to do is tap “OFW Pass” on the DMW Mobile App dashboard and an upload prompt will appear.

Verifying your passport is the first step to getting an OFW Pass on the DMW Mobile App. There are two ways to do this: (1) uploading a photo from your gallery; or (2) granting the app access to your mobile phone’s camera.

Let’s go through the steps of each process.

1. Allow the DMW Mobile App to access your file storage.
2. From your gallery, choose a clear photo of your passport data page.
3. Replace a blurry photo with a clearer one or proceed to the next step.
4. Type in your passport details.
5. Tap “Save.”

1. In the app, a prompt will appear to photograph your passport. Tap “Take a photo.”
2. Allow the DMW Mobile App to use your camera.
3. Before taking a photo, ensure your passport data page is inside the rectangular guide on your screen. 
4. Check if your photo is clear. You can retake the photo if needed.
5. Type in your passport details.
6. Tap “Save.”

With your passport saved, you can now use the DMW Mobile App to get an OFW Pass.

With the DMW Mobile App, you can get an OFW Pass in three easy steps:

1. Tap on “OFW Pass” in the app’s dashboard.
2. Give the app a few seconds to process your data.
3. Receive your OFW Pass with a lifetime e-registration number (ERN) and a QR Code.

And there you have it! You now have an OFW Pass.

Before you depart, please note these important reminders:

• You will need to upload a valid work visa from your host country before you can use the OFW Pass as an exit clearance.
• You will need to use the DMW Mobile App to generate a new exit clearance after using the OFW Pass to exit the Philippines.
• After 60 days, you will need to use the DMW Mobile App to generate a new exit clearance.
• OFWs in the Balik Manggagawa program may need to reconfirm their contract details before they can generate an OFW Pass.

Working abroad is both exciting and challenging. As you prepare for your journey, keep these five tips in mind:

1. Keep a binder with your important travel documents – Stay relaxed despite the long flight by ensuring your important papers are organized. Keep them within reach by storing your travel binder in your carry-on baggage.
2. Do some reading about your host country’s culture – Whether you’re going to the UK, Canada, or America, learn about etiquette, norms, and no-no’s in each country to avoid faux pas. Explore our cultural guides by clicking the links here or visiting our blog.
3. Familiarise yourself with the signs of culture shock – Enjoy the highs and learn how to spot the lows that come with adjusting to a new country. And remember: It’s OK to not be OK.
4. Pack some remembrances from home – One way of coping with homesickness is to bring mementos or flavours from the Philippines. Or, you can practise cooking your favourite Filipino food, so you can enjoy them wherever you are in the world.
5. Open an account in a trusted remittance app – When sending money to the Philippines, use a secure money transfer app like Kabayan Remit to keep your funds safe from online thieves. You’ll be working hard for your family and your goals, so make sure whatever you send reaches the right people in the right bank accounts, e-wallets, and cash collection centres.

To learn more about Kabayan Remit, our bank-level security features, and competitive exchange rates, click here.

Our 24/7 bilingual customer support team is also available to assist you here.

Reaching a record turnout of 500,000 guests last year, Taste of Manila 2024 promises to bring a bigger and better cultural experience to Filipinos in Canada and anyone who wants to enjoy the sights, sounds, and flavours of Pinoy culture in the Great White North.

Taste of Manila is a Filipino culinary and cultural festival held in Toronto’s Little Manila. Organised by the Society of Philippine Artists, Recreation, and Community, the festival aims to bring together the Filipino Canadian community while also shining a spotlight on Philippine traditions and Pinoy-owned businesses.

With the theme “A Festival for Everyone,” Taste of Manila 2024 has opened its doors to cuisines and creations from other countries. In the words of SPARC, the festival’s goal is not only to bring joy to Filipinos living in Canada but also to promote an atmosphere of “inclusivity and diversity” throughout the event.

This year’s festival also commemorates the 75th anniversary of Philippine-Canadian bilateral relations.

Thinking about going to Taste of Manila? Here are five reasons why you should attend the biggest Filipino street fair in Canada.

Taste of Manila 2024 will be a gustatory delight for foodies visiting the festival as this year’s vendors offer flavours not only from the Philippine islands but also from locations around the world.

“While rooted in Filipino culture, we welcome other cultures to showcase their food and traditions, making it a truly inclusive event,” said SPARC.

From tteokbokki to kwek-kwek, here are some brands to try on your visit:

• Marry Me Mochi – This Ontario-based dessert shop specialises in mochi donuts and was founded by five Vietnamese siblings.
• Kung Fu Tea – The popular Taiwanese fast-food chain will offer guests authentic milk tea experiences.
• Lola Liza Foods – Enjoy barbecue, lumpia, siomai, or red hotdogs with a cup of rice and a can of Coke—just like your carefree days in Manila.
• Hang-Outs – This family-owned restaurant and catering company serves traditional Filipino food, like adobo, kare-kare, and lechon—dishes that require time and love.

Filipinos love to celebrate. And what’s more festive than getting together to dance and play?

Taste of Manila 2024 has lined up a dazzling magic show with Doc Duran to entertain young and old alike. Meanwhile, those who want to get some steps in between plates of barbecue and adobo can join several Zumba sessions hosted by Pinoy dance groups i and i Powerdance Fitness, ZDance Marathon Production, Dance Life Socials, and The Unstoppables.

It isn’t a Filipino party until someone performs!

Taste of Manila 2024 has gathered a roster of multi-genre singers and dancers, including:

• Call In Sick – This indie pop rock band recently released a Filipino single titled “Panganib.”
• JDL Filipino Cultural Team – See traditional Filipino dances performed by the young talents of JDL Performing Arts.
• Rachelle Show – Of Filipino and Congolese descent, this Canadian singer-songwriter—and daughter of Congolese performer ShowDoMan—is known for her pop songs “Best is Yet to Come” and “For You.”  
• Reggie Tortugo – The balladeer is known for his competitive stint in Philippine singing competition Tawag ng Tanghalan.
• Steeles Squad – The Toronto-based hip-hop group opened for Pinoy vocalist Michael Pangilinan in 2023 and released an album online in the same year.

These celebrities from Sparkle GMA Artist Center will be gracing Taste of Manila 2024’s main stage for the festival’s Saturday Primetime show:

• Alden Richards – Dubbed as Asia’s Multimedia Star, the actor made waves in the 2010s as half of Eat Bulaga’s popular love team AlDub. He is currently starring in GMA’s historical drama Pulang Araw alongside top-billing actors Barbie Forteza, David Licauco, and Sanya Lopez.
• Isko Moreno – The actor got his start in the ‘90s as a performer in That’s Entertainment after being discovered by a talent scout in Tondo. Since then, Moreno has built a long portfolio both as a performer and as a public servant, having served as mayor of Manila from 2019 to 2022.
• Boobay – The comedian and television host was recently lauded for his acting chops when he was awarded Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 Saskatchewan International Film Festival.

To top it all off, actress, beauty queen, entrepreneur, and Kabayan Remit endorser Ruffa Gutierrez will also be making a special appearance at the biggest Filipino food and cultural festival in Canada.

Taste of Manila 2024 will not only be filled with good food and talent but also thriving businesses owned by fellow Filipinos.

Among the festivals guests are:

• Mabuhay Services – A consultancy for Filipinos planning to move to Canada
• Reyes Tax – An accountancy service helping Filipinos in Canada stay on top of their taxes
• Kabayan Remit – A Filipino-owned money remittance app helping OFWs in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States send money to the Philippines at competitive exchange rates.

Adding to the good food, dazzling entertainment, and thriving businesses at Taste of Manila 2024 are the prizes awaiting visitors to the Kabayan Remit booth.

For a chance to win prizes, including an opportunity to meet Ruffa Gutierrez, all guests need to do is:

1. Download Kabayan Remit’s secure money remittance app here .
2. Find Kabayan Remit at Taste of Manila 2024.
3. Complete their first Kabayan Remit transaction for free!

With Kabayan Remit, OFWs can safely send their hard-earned money from Canada, the UK, or the US to major banks, e-wallets, and cash collection centres in the Philippines.

To explore Kabayan Remit’s features and try their exchange rate calculator, click here.

For more information, the remittance app’s 24/7 bilingual support team is available to assist you here.

Taste of Manila 2024 will be held from 17 to 18 Aug. in Toronto’s Little Manila at the corner of Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue. Entrance is free.

With the 2024 Paris Olympics happening from 26 July to 11 August, all eyes are on the Philippine team to replicate their Tokyo 2020 performance and bring home the gold.

Team 2020 saw weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz win the country’s first gold medal, while boxers Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam, and Nesthy Petecio brought home bronze and silver medals for the Philippines.

This year, the Philippines returns to Paris—where the country debuted as the world’s first Southeast Asian Olympic participant a century ago—to surpass their previous record and cement their place as a team to beat.

As the Olympics draws nearer, let’s get to know the 22 high-calibre Filipino athletes making their way to the City of Lights.

Ranking second in the world for men’s pole vault, EJ Obiena made his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, where he finished in 11th place.

Obiena comes from a family of athletes; in fact, his father was his pole vault coach until he was 18. He made waves as a college athlete, breaking national records when he competed for the University of Santo Tomas.

As a professional athlete, Obiena became a Southeast Asian and Asian Games gold medallist and record breaker. Merely months before the 2024 Paris Olympics, he broke another record in February 2024 by clearing 5.93 metres and going beyond the previous Asian indoor pole vault record set in 1998.

In his second Olympic appearance, Obiena aims to make it to the podium and bring home a medal for the Philippines.

A Filipino from Spain, John Cabang Tolentino holds the Philippine national record for men’s 100-metre hurdles, having completed the feat at 13.37 seconds.

The 22-year-old has been running for the Philippines since 2022 and has since been going up the ranks in international competitions. He recently won the country a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

As of July 2024, the World Athletics Organisation ranks Tolentino in the world’s top 40 male athletes in 100m hurdles.

Filipino American Lauren Hoffman holds the national record for women’s 400m and 100m hurdles. Already a track athlete in Duke University, Hoffman joined the Philippine national team after learning her performance record qualified her to represent the country. She began running under the Philippine banner in 2023, breaking national hurdling records along the way.

“I have the potential to be something great,” she recently told Rappler. “I’m on track to do something great. And I would love to represent the Philippines while I’m competing professionally.”

Carlos Yulo made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he narrowly missed a podium finish for men’s vault by a few decimal points.

Artistic gymnastics enthusiasts are hoping Yulo will finally win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics despite entering the competition without a coach.

In 2023, Yulo amicably parted ways with his longtime trainer Munehiro Kugiyama. He was set to train with a new coach, Tomoharu Sano, that same year, but plans fell through after Sano was forced to bow out due to an injury.

Coachless, Yulo surprised the elite gymnastics community by failing to stick a landing in two routines at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. Yet despite a rocky start, he still managed to secure an Olympic spot by excelling at floor exercise.

His most recent accolades include a bronze medal from the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Baku, Azerbaijan and gold and silver medals in the same event’s Doha, Qatar leg.

CORRECTION: While he was initially coachless in the early days of his journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Yulo later found a coach in Aldrin Castañeda, who used to train the gymnast at the junior level.

Filipino American Aleah Finnegan began her gymnastics journey when she was just two years old, following in the footsteps of her three older sisters. In fact, her eldest sister Hannah was also part of the Philippine team and represented the country in the 2011 SEA Games.

Finnegan was already an elite gymnast in the United States and had even attempted to join the U.S. national team for the Tokyo 2020 Games. While she failed to qualify for Team USA, she did receive an invitation from the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines to join the country’s national team.

Finnegan bagged gold and silver medals in the 2021 SEA Games wearing Philippine colours. In 2023, she qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics by ranking 32nd in the women’s all-around event at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in Belgium.

The youngest athlete in the Philippines’ 2024 Olympic lineup, Levi Jung-Ruivivar has been garnering awards since she was 10 years old.

The 18-year-old Filipino American had been competing for the US until Philippine gymnastics coach Cliff Parks invited her to join the Pinoy national team. In April, she clinched a spot in the Olympics by winning silver in uneven bars at the 2024 FIG World Cup in Doha.

After her Olympic debut, Jung-Ruivivar will be joining the gymnastics team at Stanford University.

Emma Malabuyo already had a taste of the Olympics when she was an alternate for Team USA in Tokyo 2020, but she wanted more. By joining the Philippine gymnastics team, she traversed a journey of ups and downs to finally make it to Paris.

In 2023, she represented the Philippines in the Asian Games, where she bagged a silver medal for the floor event at the Asian Gymnastics Games. This was the highest award for a Filipina gymnast in the AGC.

However, Malabuyo endured two heartbreaks on the way to the Olympics: (1) her team at the University of California – Los Angeles lost the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s regional competition; and (2) she failed to secure an Olympic spot at the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha.

Unwilling to surrender, Malabuyo gave it one more shot at FIG’s Uzbekistan leg, where she won a bronze in the individual all-around event and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Boxing was the Philippines’ best sport at the previous Olympics, with three podium finishes in Tokyo 2020. For the Paris games, these three Olympic medallists will return to the international arena:

• Eumir Marcial – The middleweight fighter won a bronze medal in Tokyo and has revered boxer Manny Pacquiao’s blessing to compete for the country.
• Carlo Paalam – By winning his flyweight qualifying match last June, the Olympic silver medallist and former scrap metal scavenger returns to the Olympics as the Philippines’ flag bearer.
• Nesthy Petecio – Petecio will be joining Paalam as the country’s flag bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Competing in the women’s featherweight division, this may be the southpaw’s last Olympic bout. 

Along with Olympic medallists, these two formidable fighters will be making their Olympic debut in the Paris Games:

• Aira Villegas – From Tacloban, Leyte, this flyweight boxer will be competing for the Philippines and for her brother and mentor Rominick, who once dreamed of joining the national boxing team.
• Hergie Bacyadan – With a background in martial arts, Bacyadan is already known as the Philippines’ first vovinam world champion. In Paris, the nonbinary athlete will be competing as a boxer in the women’s middleweight division.

John Ceniza is the first Filipino male weightlifter to go to the Olympics in eight years. The former porter and parking attendant was inspired to take up the sport by his brother Evangelito and by mentor and former Olympic weightlifter Nestor Colonia.

Prior to his Olympic debut, Ceniza made a name for himself by becoming a two-time SEA Games silver medallist and by winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Weightlifting World Cup in Rome, Italy.

In April 2024, he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics by lifting a total of 300 kilograms at the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, Thailand.

Lifting a total 228 kg at the 2024 IWF World Cup, Elreen Ando bested Olympic gold medallist Hidilyn Diaz to secure a spot in the Philippine Olympic team. This will be Ando’s second time to compete in the Olympics, having joined Diaz in the Tokyo 2020 Games.

The Cebuana is already bemedalled, with a gold from the 2023 SEA Games and two silvers from the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, respectively. In Paris, she will be competing in the women’s 59 kg division, after going down a weight class to improve her performance and odds.

Seen as the next Hidilyn Diaz, Vanessa Sarno will be competing in the women’s 71 kg weight division at the 2024 Paris Olympics.  The 20-year-old and two-time SEA Games gold medallist lifted a total 245 kg at the IWF World Cup, securing her spot in the Philippine Olympic team.

According to the Daily Tribune, “Vannessa Sarno will be entering the Paris Olympics as one of the best weightlifters in Asia.”

Sam Catantan is the first Filipino fencer to compete in the Olympics since Walter Torres in 1992. The University of the East high school alum qualified for the Olympics just 10 months after surgery for an ACL injury that had forced her to relinquish her gold medal at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia.

Apart from being in the Philippine Olympic team, Catantan is also team captain of the Pennsylvania State University’s fencing team.

Athlete Joanie Delgaco switched from volleyball to rowing and moved from Bicol to Manila at 17 to become a national athlete and help her family out of poverty.

Despite being shorter than the national team’s 5’7 height requirement, Delgaco made it to the rowing team and became a formidable rower, bagging gold, silver, and bronze medals in three different SEA Games. Her Olympic-qualifying performance saw her reach fourth place in the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta in Korea.

As the first Filipina rower to compete in the Olympics, Delgaca will be taking her father on his first trip abroad.

In the year prior to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Bianca Pagdanganan made it to the top 10 in three different golf tournaments and reached runner-up status at the 2023 Ascendant LPGA Benefiting the Volunteers of America. Three years before that, Pagdanganan was named Rookie of the Year by the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Golfing has always been a part of Pagdanganan’s life. She got into the sport as a little girl in the Philippines, accompanying her father to weekend rounds of golf. When she moved to the U.S. for university, she took the love of the game with her and eventually found her way into playing for the University of Arizona’s varsity team. It was during her time that the university won the 2018 NCAA championship for women’s golf.

This will be Pagdanganan’s second time in the Olympics following her debut in Tokyo 2020.

Dottie Ardina would have competed in Rio 2016 had it not been for the Zika virus scare. Eight years after withdrawing from the competition, Ardina is finally making her Olympic debut.

The golfer has been in the sport since she was five. At just 12 years old in 2006, she was the youngest member of the Philippine contingent to the World Amateur Team Championships.

Ardina went pro in 2013, quickly winning her first international championship at the 2014 Thailand Singha-Sat LPGA Championship. She recently finished seventh at the Dana Open in Sylvania, Ohio—just weeks away from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Filipino-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe will be returning to the Olympics in a bid to redeem herself from her 2020 loss at the Tokyo Games, where she was the country’s flag bearer and the first Pinay judoka to compete at the Olympic level.

Watanabe currently ranks 92nd in the world. She is also a four-time SEA Games gold medallist and an Asian Games silver medallist.

Having grown up with her two Filipino parents in Toronto, Kayla Sanchez debuted in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the Canadian flag and won the Great White North a bronze and a silver medal in swimming. However, her Filipino roots and her desire to make a difference in the Philippines convinced her to join the country’s national team two years later

“Aside from how much I’ve grown and how good everything has been in Canada, I needed to make this really difficult decision for myself and my family to take this opportunity to represent the Philippines,” Sanchez said in a 2022 statement.  “I want to inspire people that are like me to swim and get into the sport.”

A year later, the International Olympic Committee approved her change of nationality, allowing her to represent the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Filipino American Jordan Hatch came out of retirement to swim under the Philippine flag in the 2024 Paris Olympics. A former varsity swimmer for UC Berkeley, Hatch had been competing for the Philippines since 2018 before he announced his early retirement in 2021.

He is a 2019 SEA Games silver medallist and holds the Philippine national records for the 500m butterfly and 100m butterfly events.

Kabayan Remit users all over the world can go online and watch the full livestream coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics using the Smart LiveStream App. Select competitions will also be streamed on social media via Smart Sports and Puso Pilipinas.

Want to take the excitement up a notch? How about hosting a virtual watch party with your loved ones in the Philippines? And to make it even better, treat them to their favourite TV snacks. Use Kabayan Remit to transfer funds safely and ensure the goodies make it home. Let’s make the 2024 Paris Olympics an unforgettable experience for the whole family!

An OWWA OFW eCard is a form of identification that proves an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is an active member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). Using this free ID, OFWs can easily enjoy the benefits that come with being an active OWWA member.

While eCard registrations are currently on hold, it will still help to know why you should get one, how to apply for one, and where to claim your eCard when it’s ready.

So, get your pens and notepads ready and read on to learn more about the newest ID for OFWs.

Still in its early stages, the OFW eCard is only available to OFWs under the Balik Manggagawa (returning worker) program.  These are Filipinos who have recently finished or are currently finishing their overseas employment contracts and are planning to work with the same employer. The Balik Manggagawa may return to the same host country or be assigned to a new one.

These same OFWs are also eligible for an OFW eCard if they meet the following criteria:

• They have an active OWWA membership for over 90 days from the day of their application.
• They have a valid Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), OFW Pass, or an OEC Exemption Number.
• They have a valid passport.

An OEC Exemption Number is proof that you are a Balik Manggagawa who will be resuming your work in the same host country after your trip to the Philippines.

While only the Balik Manggagawa can avail the OFW eCard today, the program’s second phase will eventually make the ID available to other active OWWA members. This includes new OFWs who have just started working abroad, direct hires, and OFWs hired through the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) Government Placement Bureau.

Having an OWWA OFW eCard helps you streamline the process of being a Filipino working abroad. Soon, you won’t need to sort through papers, folders, and binders when you visit the OWWA or travel to your job site.

With an OWWA OFW eCard you can look forward to these perks.

Using your eCard, you can register for these programs available to active OWWA members:

• Social Benefit Programs – for financial assistance in times of illness, loss, or injury
• Education and Training Programs – for opportunities to learn new skills and increase your competitiveness in the international job market
• Reintegration Programs – for OFWS who wish to come home and start a business in the Philippines
• Repatriation Programs – for OFWs fleeing countries in conflict or states of emergency

Your OWWA OFW eCard works as an exit clearance. With this in your pocket, there will be fewer steps to take as you prepare to work abroad.

Using OWWA’s Mobile App, you can access a digital version of your OFW eCard on your phone, so it will always be with you, and you’ll carry fewer things while you’re on the go.

Your OWWA OFW eCard acts as a government-issued ID with a unique membership number that will be assigned to you forever.

By now you’re probably interested in getting an OFW eCard; but before you rush to apply, review your OWWA membership. You may have forgotten to renew your membership while you were abroad, or it may be expiring in a few days. 

To check or renew your OWWA Membership status you can:

• Download the OWWA Mobile App – The app is available in iOS or Android. After you log in, tap on the app’s Information tab to view your membership status. You can also use the app to pay OWWA’s membership fee.
• Visit POLO-OWWA – If you are already abroad, visit the nearest Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) to review your membership status.
• Visit OWWA RWO – You don’t need to be in Manila to renew your OWWA membership. Visit your nearest OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO) to assess your membership.

This is the application process you had to follow before OWWA paused registrations:

While OWWA website improvements have put OFW eCard registrations on hold, it still helps to know what to expect once registrations open.

1. Visit the OFW eCard application website and fill out the online form.
2. Indicate which OWWA RWO is the most convenient location to pick up your OFW eCard.
3. Read and understand OWWA’s data privacy policy before clicking the “Agree” button.
4. Accomplish the form’s Captcha section. This proves that a human is filling out the application form.
5. Click the “Submit” button.

Eligible OFWs who submitted their application forms received a tracking number they could use to monitor the status of their OFW eCard.

Once their cards were ready, the OFWs retrieved their IDs at the OWWA RWO indicated in their application forms. They either picked it up themselves once they returned to the Philippines or had an authorised representative get it for them.

Authorised representatives had to be related to the OFW. They also needed to present an authorisation letter from the OFW with an attached copy of the OFW’s passport identification page.

It’s important to note that getting an OFW eCard is free; however, there may be corresponding fees should an OFW lose their ID.

If you ever lose your card, use this directory to contact your nearest OWWA RWO. They’ll fill you in on what you’ll need to do to get a new your eCard.

It may take some time until OFW eCard registrations reopen, but here are some things you can do while you wait:

• Monitor your OWWA membership status – The last thing you want is to be an inactive member when registrations reopen. Keep track of your renewal date and pay your dues on time.
• Download the OWWA Mobile App – One way to monitor our OWWA membership status wherever you are is by checking your phone. Use the OWWA Mobile App to track your membership, pay your fees, and avail of OWWA benefits.
• Register as a Balik Manggagawa – OFWs classified as Balik Manggagawa are eligible to apply for an OFW eCard. To sign up as a returning worker, log in to your profile in the DMW’s online services portal and fill out the Balik Manggagawa registration form.

There are bills to pay and memberships to renew. While you wait for a shot at applying for your OFW eCard, focus on doing well at your job abroad and set some funds aside for yourself and your loved ones.

While you may want to skip transaction fees when you send money home, there won’t be the same layer of protection you would have with more formal remittance channels.

According to our central bank, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), “Banks and other formal channels afford its customers due protection and recourse, which may not be the case for informal channels. Remittance transactions are also duly reported to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.”

Informal channels include bringing money with you when you come home or sending it to the Philippines though friends or relatives. These ways may seem easier for you, but the risks may be greater than the convenience and rewards. And when it comes to your savings, it’s better to play it safe.

A secure money transfer app like Kabayan Remit can conveniently send your remittances from your host country to these reputable banks in the Philippines:

• Banco de Oro (BDO)
• Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)
• Landbank
• Metrobank  
• Philippine National Bank (PNB)
• Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)

The app can also transfer funds to BSP-regulated e-wallets and pawnshops, including GCash, Maya, Cebuana Lhuillier, and Palawan Pawnshop—all while providing users a convenient way to pay their government contributions, bills, and investments from their phones or desktops.

Overseas, Kabayan Remit is monitored by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). It also works with the Community Federal Savings Bank (CFSB), which is registered with the United States’ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Ready to enjoy Kabayan Remit’s bank-level security features? Signing up is easy. Simply follow these three steps:

Behind the scenes, we monitor our program for suspicious transfers, making it a point to alert you if we think someone is trying take a cut out of your hard work.

1. Log in to the app or register for a free account here.
2. Add your beneficiary’s details, including their mobile number.
3. Tap “Send Money,” and you’re ready to go.

To learn more about Kabayan Remit and the different ways we help OFWs send money to the Philippines, click here or visit our FAQ page.

Should you have more questions, our 24/7 bilingual customer support team is also available to assist you here.