Note: If you are against the 'Authenticated Invitation Letter' policy, you can support an online petition HERE.

Absent of any easily searchable memo or guidelines pertaining to getting an authenticated invitation letter, many Pinoys here in Singapore are left scratching their heads out of frustration as this new rule is making its way through. As many of you know by now, Pinoys traveling abroad (from the Philippines) as tourists are now being required to produce this ‘authenticated’ invitation letter.

For those of you who are not aware, it is a piece of document that basically states the traveler’s name and his/her sponsor’s details (the one ‘inviting’ the traveler). This document is ‘authenticated’ by the Philippine Embassy in the country of destination (in our case, Singapore) and must be sent to the traveler in the Philippines in its original form (no scan, photocopy, fax, etc). This is what he/she will then show to the Philippine Immigration officers before he/she is allowed to leave the country. (read related article)

Now the problem with this new rule is that apparently, it is not being consistently implemented. Sometimes, they look for this and sometimes, they don’t. What?! Yes, onli in da pilipins. Sad thing is if they looked for it and you don’t have it, you can bid goodbye to your fun-filled weekend at Universal Studios Singapore along with your hard earned cash that you used to buy your airline ticket as most of the time, it is not refundable.

Ok, so you decided to just get this ‘authenticated’ invitation letter (even if you think it is a total nonsense) just to avoid any possible hassle and ask your friend in Singapore the favor of going to the embassy, paying $42.50 fee for the document, traveling from the embassy to Lucky Plaza to have it couriered and paying another $15 for LBC (coz you need to have the original), what does this document actually say? It helps to know so you and your friend will not run afoul with the law.

There is a template available at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and it helps to have this information ready as it will save you time and will make your visit smoother (or less stressful, depends on how you look at it). Here's how it reads:

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A major shift in foreign worker policy has been announced recently by the Ministry of Manpower. The new assessment criteria will take effect on January 2012. It is expected that many foreigners looking for a job in Singapore will be significantly impacted with this latest development.

From next January, young foreigners who want to apply for the Q1 Employment Pass (EP) in Singapore will need to earn at least $3,000.

Older applicants will have to command an even higher salary to qualify for the same pass.

Highlights of the Employment Pass (EP) changes are:


Q1 Pass: We will tighten the educational qualifications requirements so that only those from good quality institutions will be eligible. We will also move away from the single qualifying salary of $2,800 today. Instead, the applicant will have to earn a salary of at least $3,000, with the requirements depending on his qualifications and experience:

a) Young graduates from good institutions could qualify if they earn at least $3,000

b) Older applicants would have to command higher salaries to qualify, commensurate with the work experience and quality they are expected to bring


P2 Pass: The qualifying salary will be raised from $4,000 to $4,500.

P1 Pass: There will be no change in the qualifying salary for P1 Pass which remains at $8,000.

You can read the complete Press Release detail from Ministry of Manpower Here.

Interviews are often the most dreaded part of the job-hunting process. Many people are afraid, if not anxious, to undergo an interview process because of so many reasons. However, interview is an integral part of the hiring process. In fact, it is often said that your resume gets you the interview, while the interview gets you the job.

So if you happen to get an interview, be glad as you are a step closer to getting that job you’re aiming for. If you are feeling anxious about the interview process or if you’ve never been to any interview before, here are the Top 10 interview questions that Employers often ask. Take them to heart. Prepare for them. And Get that job that you really really want.

10. Can you tell me something about yourself? This is a very common opening question in most interviews. The reason being, the interviewer wants to hear you speak while he/she browse thru your resume. Second, it gives the interviewer an idea how you speak. Best way to respond to this is by breaking the ice. If you can, start with a light humor like stating your full name and a funny nickname if you have. Very briefly, highlight your educational attainment and the jobs you handled in the past. Just say the position and industry that you worked for. If you worked for a very popular company in the past, it will help if you mention them but don’t be too detailed, lest there will be nothing to talk to anymore during the course of the interview. Your objective should be just to break the ice and endear yourself to the interviewer.

9. How did you learn about this job? They want to know how you learned about the job. Make sure you know this before you go for an interview. You don’t want to make things up as it will ruin your image right off the bat. It’s understandable that an applicant submits many applications to different companies but when you got an interview; make sure you know all the circumstances for that application. If you learned about it on a job site (Internet), say so then add what you know about the job requirements. This gives an impression that you are really serious about the job you’re applying for.

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This is the latest news from AsiaOne.

SINGAPORE - In a move to allay job concerns among white-collar Singaporeans and boost their employment prospects, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced changes to qualifying salary for employment passes in his annual National Day Rally.

The qualifying salary levels for foreigners holding Employment Passes (EP) will be raised while educational qualifications for applicants will be made more stringent, said the Prime Minister on Sunday night.

Foreign professionals will soon face stiffer criteria to qualify for an employment pass, the Ministry of Manpower will give more details on the new measures at a later date.

Read the full story at AsiaOne Here.

Note: We make way for some 'patalastas' sent in by one of our readers.

Changing the face of American stand-up comedy, Rex is one of the hardest working comedians today. A household name in Filipino American homes. Rex’s routines have evolved through the use of non-fictional and fictional characters, many of whom are struggling underdogs. His portrayals included his Uncle Boy and Maritess the domestic worker, each giving him the voice to air his humorous thoughts on issues and touch on many funny things that people from all ethnicities can relate to.

Navarrete gathers all of his material from what he calls “real Rex moments,” reality and shared life experiences. “I think everything has humor; you will always find humor. I don’t always make stuff up. Even though most of my material is geared for a Filipino audience, if you’re smart enough you’ll understand the universality of it. Look at the comedy traditions of Jewish and African American comics, which are now the mainstream through Seinfeld, Bruce, Allen, Rock, Pryor and Murphy. Our struggles become our comedy.

He travels throughout America and the world, performing his unique brand of comedy and has performed alongside national headliners such as George Lopez, DL Hughley and Paul Mooney.

Click "Read more" for complete details:

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This is the latest news from Channel News Asia.

SINGAPORE: Foreign maids are generally satisfied with working in Singapore, according to a recent study by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Nine in 10 maids said they were satisfied, and 7 in 10 intend to continue working here after their contracts expire. Of these, almost 9 in 10 would like to continue working for their current employer.

Employers surveyed were also satisfied with their current maids.

Read the full story at Channel News Asia Here.

Credits: Repro

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