ABBA ANNOUNCES HUNDREDS OF VACANCIES
Abba comes out with an advertisement (click) on the June 27 issue of the Sunday Bulletin showing at least 90 vacancies from among its 20 current clients.
The advertisement calls for various applicants, in Nursing, Allied Medical and Non - Medical positions.
Abba prescreens all its applicants before referring them to clients. The vacancies are for Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Qatar and Oman.
NUMBER OF NCLEX TAKERS CONTINUE TO DECLINE
The number of first time Internationally Educated takers in the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) continue to decline, registering a 21.9% decrease in the first quarter of 2010, compared with the last 3 months of 2009.
There were 4, 424 exam - takers from January to March 2010 among RN graduates who finished their course outside the U.S. It is lower than the 5, 023 taker in October - December 2009.
The decline is more staggering when the January - March 2010 figures (4, 424 takers) are compared to 4th quarter of 2007, (record high of 9.393 takers), or a 52.9% decrease. The 2010 figures, the latest released by the NCSBN (National Council of State Board of Nursing), are the lowest ever number of takers since the first quarter of 2006.
The NCLEX, now administered in many cities including Manila, is the final requirement before one can be an RN in the U.S. The ongoing visa retrogression in the U.S., for the EB3 or immigrant visa, could be the primary cause of the decreasing number of NCLEX takers.
Among those who have recently taken the NCLEX, still leading the pack are Filipino nurses. Out of 4, 425 takers in January to March 2010, there were 3.024 Filipinos, or 68.4% of the total. In 2009, Filipino takers were 71.8% of total. From 2006 to 2010, it has always been the case that out of 10 NCLEX takers, 7 are likely to be Filipinos.
There were also exam takers, but not as many as the Filipinos, from South Korea, India, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
ABBA RECEIVES POEA'S "TOP PERFORMER AWARD", ITS 3RD STRAIGHT
Abba Personnel Services received its Top Performer Award in ceremonies at the PICC Convention Hall last April 29. It is the 3rd consecutive award for Abba: it previously received the same award in 2002, and 2005. For this decade, the POEA has given out the Award three times.
There were 8 other receipients of the 2010 awards (for complete listing of the agency-awardees, please click here.)
Nestor Flores, President of Abba, delivered the Response on behalf of all the land-based awardees.
ABBA VISITS SAUDI CLIENTS
Abba finished its first leg of its annual journey to Saudi Arabia, concluding visits to clients and prospects in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Nestor Flores, President, and JL Macalintal, Sr. Recruitment Specialist, visited clients in Saudi Arabia’s two major cities, starting March 26 and ending April 04. From April 05 onwards, they both go to the Eastern province (Dhahran, Al Khobar, and Dammam) of the Kingdom
The annual trip is meant to reestablish ties with the clients in Saudi Arabia, to examine possible areas of improvement in Abba’s work, and to look at other opportunities for cooperation. This year’s trip in particular afforded Abba the chance to look at the housing facilities of its newly deployed workers to its newest client in Saudi Arabia. Photos below show JL and the recently arrived workers in their accommodation.
Nestor and JL with clients...
Nestor and JL with newly deployed Male Nurses in their housing...
NOVEMBER 2009 NURSE BOARD EXAMS SETS NEW RECORDS
The November 2009 Philippines’ Nursing Licensure Exams (NLE) has established many records of sorts, as follows:
- It has the most number of takers, 94,462 of them, in the history of the NLE. The next highest number of takers was in the NLE of December 2008, when 88,649 took the twice a year exams.
- It has the lowest percentage of passing, with only 39.73% of takers passing (37,527) the exams, which makes it the “most difficult “NLE so far. The second lowest was the NLE of June 2009, when the passing rate was only 42.13% ( 32,617 passed, out of 77, 901 takers).
- It has the most number of people passing the exams, with 56, 935 passers. Because of the sheer number of takers , 90, 000 plus, the NLE of November 2009 has correspondingly the most number of RN’s who will be sworn in, on two dates, March 08 and March 09, at two sessions on each date.
Above records include results of first timers and repeaters. The next NLE is scheduled on July 03 and 04, 2010, and will be administered in 11 cities all over the country.
For a complete listing of the NLE results in the last 13 years, please click here.
February 16, 2010
ABBA CELEBRATES 12th ANNIVERSARY
Abba celebrated its 12th founding anniversary on June 04, with a thank you party to its employees, ex-employees and friends. In its visual tradition of giving awards to its employees, Abba cited 3 persons for their contribution to the company, namely Bonna Magno, Marc Dupaya and Tonnie Angeles.
INTERESTED IN A NURSING JOB IN AN ABU DHABI HOSPITAL? HERE'S HOW
The requirements have changed for Abu Dhabi-bound Filipino nurses.
If you're a registered nurse, with at least 3 years work experience, and looking for a job opportunity in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, you'll now have to meet the added prerequisite of passing an online exam.
The online exam is the HAAD (Health Authority of Abu Dhabi) Exam offered by Pearson Vue Testing Center. The PVE is done at the Trident Tower , 312 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, during office hours from Monday to Friday. Nurses can apply online, choose his/her exam date, and pay the exam fee of $90. The test results can be obtained within a few hours after taking the exam.
After getting the results, the nurse can attach the results as part of his application for employment in any hospital in Abu Dhabi.
The better method of course, from the standpoint of the Filipino nurse, is to take the exam ONLY after having had an employment offer, or perhaps after employment interview. What use is the PVE anyway if no employment offer will come?
Among Abba's clients in Abu Dhabi, almost all will require nurses to have taken and passed the exams. There are plans at present that calls for a recruitment trip from the Abu Dhabi hospital, for the visiting hospital representatives to conduct interviews, and for those who pass the interviews to take the PVE. An ideal scenario? Yes, but for now just a dream.
Until that scenario is achieved, a nurse will have to take the PVE first , before she can be considered for a nursing job in Abu Dhabi. For questions about nursing jobs in UAE , or the PVE, call Jen of Abba , at (02) 687-3668.
SAUDI IS STILL TOP OFW DESTINATION
Saudi Arabia is still the top destination for Filipino workers in 2008. There were 275, 933 workers both new hires and rehires, who were deployed to the Kingdom last year.
Saudi Arabia is followed by UAE, which also registered the highest incerease in 2008, compared with the previous year.
Total deployments for 2008 was 974, 399, up 20.1% from 2007. For details on top destination, click here.
SAUDIS GET TOUGH ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
The government of Saudi Arabia, thru its Cabinet, approved a set of regulations that will further promote human rights of migrant workers and penalize human trafficking. The prominent features of the regulations, recommended by the Shoura Council, include penalties against coercion, threats, misuse of position or influence, taking advantage of the workers’ weakness, coercive service, practices similar to slavery.
A committee has been formed to monitor known victims of human trafficking and human rights violations. It will ensure that victims are not harmed again, and will coordinate with the authorities concerned to repatriate foreign victims if they so request, or pursue complaints against the offending parties.
KSA BOUND WORKERS TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND
FINGERPRINTED
Saudi Arabia is introducing fingerprinting and full-faced
digital photographs for visa applicants. sometime the year 2010,
as part of its effort to strengthen security.
There will be a network of service
center that will receive visa applications, and take fingerprints
and digital photo of those people wanting to visit or work in
Saudi Arabia.
The measure is also expected to
enable this Mideast country to enforce its rules against workers
who were not able to finish their employment contract or who do
not have no-objection certificates.
SAUDI ARABIA HAS NEW AGE LIMITS FOR OFW's
Saudi Arabia has new minimum age requirements for incoming foreign workers. The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the Philippines annouced that effective immediately, the age requirements for these occupation are as follows:
Domestic helper ......................................21 years
Nurse and Flight Attendant ...................... 21 years
Dressmaker ...........................................30 years
Salesman for Textile and Ladies wear .......40 years
Barber ...................................................35 years
Physical Therapist ...................................35 years
Family Driver ..........................................21 years
Male Worker ...........................................21 years
TAGALOG SPEAKERS ARE HIGHEST SCORERS IN IELTS
If your first language is Tagalog, it is very likely that you'll have the highest score among the IELTS takers all over the world.
That's what the statistics show for the Test Takers Performance of IELTS in the year 2007. The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an exam required by English speaking countries (like the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, Australia), to measure English proficiency of the examinee in 4 areas: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
A large number of examinees are Filipino RN's who take the exams as a requirement for work - entry to the English speaking countries.
Statistics show that examinees with Tagalog as first language fared better, with an overall band score of 6.57, compared to those whose first language is Spanish (6.54), Malay (6.44), Tamil (6.21), Hindi (6.21). For the complete figures, please click here.
The Tagalog speakers were highest in Listening, Writing, and Speaking.
NURSING IS STILL HOTTEST CAREER IN THE U.S.
The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has stated that healthcare is still the largest and fastest growing industry in the U.S. today, with nurses comprising the largest field employing 2.4 million people, and still growing rapidly.
BLS figures show that within a span of half a decade, healthcare costs rose from US$1.9 trillion in 2004 to an estimated US$4.0 trillion in 2008. The BLS attributes the growth to the U.S.‘s aging population and advancing technology. Both result in longer life expectancy, a larger more complex health system, and invariably, more nurses.
PHILIPPINE NURSE LICENSES NOW RECOGNIZED BY ASEAN COUNTRIES
The nursing licenses from the Philippines are now recognized by all ASEAN countries, and will thus enable Filipino nurses to practice their professions in Malaysia, Myanmar, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia , Laos and Vietnam.
This development came after the signing of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Nursing Services . Under the MRA, licensed Filipino Nurses will be recognized by the host country and will be allowed to practice their profession , without having to take the the national licensure exams of the other ASEAN members. A minimum work experience of 3 years is required for all the nurses.
The Philippines will be the biggest beneficiary of the MRA, having the most number of licensed nurses in the ASEAN.
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