Representative Jasmine Lee, the first Filipina and naturalized Korean to become a ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker, is urging her fellow lawmakers to pass a bill that will safeguard the fundamental rights of undocumented foreign children in South Korea. The bill, which she plans to submit before June, will give unregistered foreign children the right to a public education and govenment health services. As of today, unregistered children are allowed to attend primary and secondary schools, but they cannot avail of national health insurance. Hwang Pil-gyu, a human rights lawyer, also suggested that the children be given exemption from compulsory deportation and be permitted to live with their family in Korea.
All Filipino women married to Koreans are invited to participate in the Filipino Women’s Study spearheaded by Sookmyung Women’s University Food and Nutrition Department. Those who are divorced or separated from their Korean husband may also join. The study aims to to evaluate the health status of Filipino women married to Korean men, as well as their children. Results from this work will be presented in a scientific journal and the mainstream press. Information gathered will help shape health guidelines for Filipino women and their children living in Korea and other countries.
The study will be conducted on March 16, March 23 and April 13, from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at Hanyang University Guri Hospital.
If you would like to participate, you may choose the most convenient date and time for you to come. You only need to attend one Sunday and you don’t have to be in the venue the whole day.
The process will take around 2 hours, so you can go home as soon as you are done. There will be blood sampling, BP and over all check up on your nutritional health status.
For those coming by subway, get off at Guri Station (color teal, Jungang line), exit 3; take the yellow town bus (마을 버스) no. 6. The hospital is very near. Just to make sure, ask the driver if the bus is going to Hanyangdae Guri Byeongwon. After you get off, you will see Hanyang University Guri Hospital right away. Walk straight a little further and you will find the hospital’s entrance. Proceed to the 12th floor, second conference room.
For enquiries, please contact GRACE P. ABRIS at 010-4780-6590 or Sherlyn Mae Provido at 010-2372-1029.
Important Instructions for those who will participate
Preparation for blood collection:
1. Blood will be collected after 12 hours of fasting. Please don’t eat or drink tea, coffee and other beverages 12 hours before you have your blood collected. Also, avoid smoking. Reasonable amount of water intake is permitted.
2. Alcohol intake is not permitted 2 days before sampling.
Preparation for the interview:
1. Please bring your identification card such as your alien card or your Korean citizen ID card, but if you have none, it’s all right.
2. For those who have children, please bring the vaccination record of your children if you still have them.
3. For those women who have kept their prenatal test results, please bring them all.
4. For those who are taking supplements or medication please bring the container/bottle of the supplement or medicine, but if you can’t bring it, it’s all right.
Participants will be given a special gift, either cash or cosmetics.
From Korea with Love 