Dollar Remittance Tops 7.9 Billion USD January to May 2011

Photo by ronrag at Flickr.com

Remittances from overseas Filipinos rose 6.2 per cent to 7.9 billion dollars in the first five months of 2011, the Central Bank of the Philippines said Friday. In the month of May alone, remittances totaled 1.69 billion dollars, up 6.9 per cent from 1.58 billion dollars in the same month last year.

The major sources of remittances in the period were the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Germany.

Read more at Monster and Critics

69 gay Filipino workers arrested in Riyadh

AT least 69 Filipinos were imprisoned in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after holding a gay show in celebration of Philippine Independence Day, June 12. However, they were later released after their sponsors paid fees for their release but are not allowed to leave Saudi Arabia as they have to face the case to be filed against them in court.

Why on earth will you do that in a country that defines its law under the strict tennets of their Islam faith? Click here for the full story under PinoyOverseas.net.