After extensive discussions and negotiations with the government of Norway and various agencies in the Philippines, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment have announced the lifting of the ban on the deployment of au pairs bound for Norway. The order will take effect immediately. Norway is the only other country in Europe (the other is Switzerland) where the ban has been lifted.

Both agencies expressed satisfaction that the conditions prevailing in Norway warrant sufficient safety nets to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the au pairs in this country. The Norwegian government has also exercised flexibility and accommodation of the Philippine government’s requirements to provide safety nets to provide health insurance for au pairs as well as cover their repatriation in case of death or when they are no longer able to fulfil their contracts due to terminal illness and other similar reasons. According to the Norwegian authorities, the au pair contract has already been amended to reflect such provisions and will be effective in June 2010.

The POEA will be announcing the appropriate guidelines in implementing the order. Au pair contracts will now have to be submitted to the Philippine Embassy in Oslo for authentication. The contract will then have to be submitted to the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) to obtain the necessary permit and for the applicants to undergo pre-departure orientation seminars to prepare them for their new life in Norway. The au pair will, of course, have to obtain the requisite visa from the Norwegian Embassy in Manila, The contract, the passport with the requisite visa and the POEA permit will be presented to the Bureau of Immigration upon departure.

The Embassy and the POEA have also developed a DVD to be used in the pre-departure orientation of future au pairs to acquaint them with their new life in Norway.

The Philippine Embassy reiterates its warning to au pairs not to give any amount to any party or middlemen to facilitate their departure. Any attempt to obtain money from au pairs, outside the official fees duly acknowledged with official receipts, should be reported immediately to the Philippine Embassy or the Department of Labor and Employment for appropriate action.

The Embassy is also in the final stages of negotiations with Denmark so that the ban could also be lifted on au pairs bound for this country. The Minister of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs, Birthe Røhn Hornbech has indicated her positive response to the proposals of the Philippine Embassy on the matter.

With the lifting of the ban , the two countries have now aligned their otherwise divergent policies on the matter, and should, hopefully reduce or eliminate the factors leading to the exploitation of the system. Au pairs will now be given an opportunity to learn about Norway and in turn be able to help their host families.

This lifting ban doesn’t mean that the aupair problems will stop but will surely will increase but reading the Guidelines or a memorandum of Agreement between the two countries at least the aupairs will have the security in case they become sick or die during their au pair stay then they host family will shoulder their repatriation. (Will discuss it further next post)

The aspiring Filipino aupairs should always be reminded that the AUPAIR is not a DOMESTIC HELPER, know their aupair rights and of course speak up if you think you are being abused and don’t pay anything to middle men/illegal agents/agencies.

Wow that’s a good news but that doesn’t mean that the exploitation form the host families and illegal agents will stop. When you search in the net even the reporters like one I read in the Philippine stars keeps on mentioning Domestic helpers . Hello aupairs is not domestic helpers. There’s abig difference work wise and compensation wise. Basically au pair allowance  is around 400 euros for maximum of 30 hours/week and domestic helper or house help salary is usually from 750 euros working more than 8 hours/day  that’s what I heard from friends in Spain.

Would be au pairs applicants should know what they are entering into search and search in the net and now the POEA has standard contract and verification process they should also orient the applicants of their rights and be assertive and I  know their reproductive rights because that are the common problems we/ I encounter everyday. We can not complain that the host are exploiting the au pairs when they themselves allow them on the first place they or the agents are telling the applicants that will do everything because of they are former household helpers in Singapore and in Hongkong.

Our ambassador Her Excellency Elizabeth Buensuceso made an appeal to the Danish government and the Norwegian government for memorandum agreement meaning that they sit down and mutually agree to the terms of of the Philippine Government to protect the rights and welfare of the aupairs. She announced that Philippine government and the Norwegian counterpart were already finalizing the draft during Babaylan Denmark’s Au Pair Congress last November 2009 in Oslo but still no official lifting of the ban. What I know is that the Philippine government wanted an insurance besides the health insurance as you are automatically member if you have a permit to stay and repatriation in case something happens to the aupair like we experienced her in Denmark a couple of times

Hurrah no more escort fee at the airpor said some of the comments in this site’s facebook page. Well, that’s true whenever there’s an issue about au pair exploitation the press always focus more on the corruptions of officials in the airport and that makes you feel angry. Now that the Day care institution is deteriorating due to cost saving and long waiting time for the child to be accepted in the institution, the au pair system is a better options so I think that’s the reason why the au pair is becoming popular nowadays. Majority of Filipinos who worked as an au pair made their life better and experienced another cultur and able to go to places you will never imagine you will visit when you are in the Philippines so this is good news.

But there are also those who were not lucky and their life become a messed up instead of good memories so applicants check what is an au pair before applying http://www.filipinaaupair.net/index.php/what-is-an-au-pair/.

Catholic Church

Oslo

St. Olav’s Cathedral
Every Sunday English Masses at 1800H

Address: Akersveien 1, 0177 Oslo
Contact Person: Rev. Fr. Amando Bergantino Alfaro Jr. and Ms. Elizabeth Helland (Church Secretary)

Contact No.: +47 2321 9573, +47 2298 2165 and + 47 9940 5608 (Mobile)

St. Joseph’s Church
Every Sunday English Masses at 0930H Every 4th Sunday of the Month: 1400H (Tagalog Mass)
Every Friday: 1800H (Tagalog Mass)

Address: Akersveien 4, 0177 Oslo
Contact Person: Rev. Fr. Redentor M. Molina
Contact No.: +47 9986 4952

Copenhagen:

Skt. Annæ’s Church
Saturday and Sunday English Masses at 1700H

Address: Skt. Elizabeth’s Allé 2, 2300 Kbh. , Denmark

Contact Person: Fr. Benny Mathew,C.Ss.R
Contact No.: +45 – 2193 4215 (Mobile)
e-Mail: bennycssr@hotmail.com
Chaplain for the Filipino Community: Fr. Joe Toms, C.Ss.R.
Contact No.: +45 5322 5232 (mobile)
e-Mail: joetoms77@ymail.com

How to get there: take 5 A from the city and get down in Tycho Brahes Alle note is already Zone 3 so it’s better stand up in Englandsvej busstop which is still zone 1 and walk around 100 meters ahead or take 3500S and go down in Englandsvej)

Sakramentskirken
Wednesday English Mass& Novena at 1700H

Address: Nørrebrogade 27C, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
Contact Person 1: Fr.Reinhold Sahner
Contact No.:+45 3535 6825 (fastnet)
e-Mail: sakramentskirken@mail-telia.dk
How to get there: Take bus no. 5A and go down in Ravnsborgade Busstop.

Sunday English Mass 1800H

Contact Person 2: Fr. Carroll Parker, Omi
Contact No.: +45 3125 5996 (Mobile)
e-Mail: carroll.parker@mail.dk

Vor Frue Kirken in Herlev
Thursday English Mass at 0930H and Sunday English Mass at 1130H

Address: Herlevgårdsvej 14, 2730 Herlev
Contact Person: Fr. Carroll Parker, Omi
Contact No.: +45 3125 5996 (Mobile)
e-Mail: carroll.parker@mail.dk

St. Knud Lavard’s Church
Sunday English Mass at 1300H

Address: Lyngbygårdsvej 1A, 2800 Lyngby
Contact Person: Fr. Alren Soosaipillai, OMI
Office tel nr: 45 87 08 88
Contact No: 50 15 52 26
e-Mail: alrenomi@gmail.com

Jesus is Lord

Oslo

Jesus is Lord Norway
Every Sunday: 1530H – 1800H
Every Thursday: 1800H – 2100H

Address: American Lutheran Church, Fritznersgate 15, 0264 Oslo
Contact Person: Pastor Gilbert Palmero
Contact No.: +47 9528-2491
e-Mail: jilnorwaychapter@hotmail.com

Copenhagen

Jesus is Lord Copenhagen
Every Sunday: 1445H – 1700H

Address: Allehelgens Kirke 43, Ungarnsgade 2300, Kbh S
Contact Person: Pastor Precy Soltes-Ofori
Contact No.: +45 3123 9778 and +45 3646 3113
website: www.jesusislordchurch.dk

Living World Bible Center

Living World Bible Cente

Every Sunday: 1500H – 1730H

Address: Geitmyrsveien 7D 0107 Oslo
Contact Person: Pastor Vic del Valle and Sis. Ana del Valle
Contact No.: + 47 4023 0603 and + 47 4024 9524
e-Mail: livingwordbiblecenter@yahoo.com

Filipino Christian Church

Oslo

Filipino Christian Church Norway
Every Sunday: 1400H – 1700H

Address: Filadelfia Center St. Olavsgate
Contact Person: Pastor John Angeles
Contact No.: +47 6084 3667
e-Mail: jpa4569@yahoo.com

Copenhagen:

Filipino Christian Church Copenhagen
Every Sunday: 1730H – 2030H

Address: Culture Hall/Kultur Sal, Drejervej 15-21,2400 Copenhagen NV
Contact Person: Pastor Raymond Osias
Contact No.: +45 2692 9314
Website: www.fcccommunities.com

Iglesia ni Cristo 1

Copenhagen:

Filipino Christian Church Copenhagen
Every Sunday: 1730H – 2030H

Iglesia ni Cristo
Every Thursday: 1900Hpm-2000H ;Every Sunday: 1000H – 1100H

Address: Brønshøjvej 12, 2700 København
Contact Person: Rossal Kiilerich
Contact No.: +45 41233679
e-mail: divinekiilerich@yahoo.com

Workship services are both conducted in English

Copenhagen Community Church (CCC)

Copenhagen:

Copenhagen Community Church
Sundays: 1100H – 1300H

Norre Farimagsgade 45
1364 Copenhagen K

This Site is NOT a AUPAIR ‘s MATCHING AGENCY

but A NON PROFIT Aupair Awareness Site nor intended to misuse an agency’s site for further clarifications check my post this-is-only-information-hub-for-filipino-au-pairs-not-a-recruitment-agency

if you are looking for help to find you a host you are on the wrong site

But nevertheless it doesn’t hurt if you know your Rights as an Aupair. You can browse the categories which is appears above or at the sidebar. This site is intended to provide information to au pairs specifically to Filipinos. Or you can also use the search box on the right side for particular topic. Below is the description on what’s the content of the categories.

• Au Pair Information- Information gathered from embassy’s and Immigration Service Website
• Au Pair News- Relevant news from article contributor or from different news media
• Au Pair Stories – Life stories FilipinaAu pairs
• Blogs- random blogs about anything related to au pair or OFW life
• General- formerly labeled uncategorized means that all that is not categorized will fall here.

Note that I do this on my free time so there’s still needs a lot of basic information from other countries that hire au pairs. But I will try to post more in my free time otherwise I will accepts any contribution relevant to this site just post a comment or write to me at filipinaaupair(at) gmail (dot) com

Thank you

Ana Lindenhann – administrator