By Vir B. Lumicao
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| Migrante and allied organizations handed the award to Labatt Jolly a few days before he leaves HK for good. From left: Ester Bangcawayan, Edwina Antonio, Dolores Balladares Pelaex, Labatt Jolly, Sheila Tebia and Cynthia Tellez |
Militant migrant workers bestowed a “Gawad Tanggol Migrante”
award to outgoing Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre on Friday, Jul 26, for his
exemplary and dedicated service to the Filipino workers in Hong
Kong .
The rare tribute was held in a brief and simple ceremony at
the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in YE Life Tower
Unifil-Migrante HK chairperson Dolores Balladares-Pelaez led
the ceremony assisted by Gabriela Hong Kong & Macau chairperson Sheila
Tebia. Eman C. Villanueva, Unifil-Migrante secretary-general, was not able to
attend.
Guests at the event were Mission for Migrant Workers general
manager Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, director Edwina Antonio (who is also executive director
of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge) and case officer Ester Bangcawayan.
A plaque handed by the group to Labatt Jolly cited him for
his “loyal service and protection of the rights and interest” of Filipino
migrants in Hong Kong who are mostly
vulnerable female domestic workers.
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| Labatt Jolly is cited for his honest service, and for protecting the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants in HK |
“(Ang) Gawad Tanggol Migrante ay ipinagkakaloob kay Atty.
Jalilo dela Torre bilang pagkilala sa kanyang matapat na paglilingkod at
pagtatanggol sa mga karapatan at interes ng mga migranteng Pilipino sa Hong Kong ,” Unifil-Migrante said.
“Ipinagkaloob ang pagkilalang ito sa okasyon ng ika-34 Taong
Anibersaryo ng United Filipinos in Hong Kong
ngayong ika-24 ng Hulyo, taong 2019 sa Central, Hong Kong SAR.”
It was signed by by Balladares-Pelaez and Villanueva.
The plaque was originally scheduled to be given to Labatt
Jolly at the anniversary program of Unifil-Migrante at Chater Garden
Labatt Jolly is one of a very few public servants who have
endeared himself to Filipino migrants in Hong Kong ,
including the left-leaning ones.
As Balladares-Pelaez pointed out at the Filcom farewell
party for him on Jul 7, her group even went to the extent of joining a protest
against his untimely recall early last year, the very first time they did so
for a government official.
“Ibig sabihin lang po, siya ay isang huwaran, isang mahusay
na kawani ng gobyerno si Labatt na magandang tularan ng iba pang mga nagseserbisyo
sa gobyerno,” she said in her speech.
She also noted that Labatt dela Torre was always ready to
help rescue distressed OFWs at all times of the day, and even held a dialogue
with them while sick.
Villanueva said militant migrant workers in Hong Kong were drawn close to Labatt Jolly because he
exemplified the activist slogan “serve the people”.
“Kaming mga aktibista kasi, meron kaming motto, yung ‘Serve
the people’, yung ‘paglingkuran ang sambayanan’. Siguro iyon ang naglapit sa
amin kay Labatt Jolly dahil sa panahong inilagi niya rito, nakita namin na ang
kanyang tapat na paglilingkod sa OFW,” Villanueva said.
Otherwise, if Labatt Jolly was a bad labor attaché,
Villanueva said, “baka nakita nyo kaming nagpuprotesta para palayasin siya.”
