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| Congen Raly Tejada with Card HK's officers and trainors |
Consul General Raly Tejada has given the go-ahead for the
Philippine Consulate to serve as the venue for the free financial literacy
seminars given to Filipino domestic workers by Card HK Foundation.
His assurance came as Card HK held its first financial
education seminar at the Consulate on Sept 22, with 47 Filipino household workers
taking part.
Before the start of the seminar, Congen Tejada met with a
delegation from Card HK who briefed him on what the foundation has been doing
to help migrants plan for their future and avoid the debt trap, the biggest
bane of Filipinos who go abroad to work.
Tejada acknowledged the big problem faced by the community
in weaning Filipino workers away from high-risk loans, and enthusiastically
agreed to provide the venue for Card’s future fin-lit seminars.
The group from Card HK was made up of founder Edna Aquino,
Board member Leo Deocadiz, lead trainor Victoria Munar, trainor Marites Palma
and Card, Inc. area manager Jireh Duhina, who came to observe the training
process.
Aquino said more than 3,000 OFWs in Hong Kong have undergone
Card HK’s fin-lit training since it began nine years ago.
What’s unique about the program, she said, is that migrant
workers who had undergone the training are now conducting it themselves, like
Munar and Palma
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| CG Tejada addressed the fin-lit participants |
Aside from the fin-lit program, Card HK also conducts
entrepreneurship and livelihood trainings for OFWs.
Deocadiz noted Card HK’s tie-up with its mother
organization, the Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning micro enterprise Card MRI in
the Philippines
He said that an exposure trip to the community work done by
Card MRI, especially with family members of Hong Kong-based OFWs, was what
convinced him to join the foundation.
Aquino cited Munar as an example of those who have been
helped, saying her two daughters had been recruited to work with Card in the Philippines
Duhina, who has been following up on HK-based trainees, said
that of the 3,040 OFWs who have joined the fin-lit program, Card MRI has
managed to visit the families of 2,248.
Of these, 1,1621 families have joined Card’s programs, which
include savings, loans for business, health care and insurance.
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| CG Tejada with Card officers pose with participants |
Card HK Foundation was founded by Card MRI in April 2010, on
the belief that through its educational and training programs, Filipinos in Hong Kong can be helped in building their capacities
toward financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Its website adds: “The goal is to support them in realizing
their aspirations to have a better future for themselves and their families
back home, and to eventually promote harmony between Filipino employees and
their employers here in Hong Kong, thereby ultimately benefiting the entire
city.”
Those interested to join Card HK’s future trainings can
visit its Facebook page, Card Hong Kong Foundation, to sign up and get more
information.
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