Pinay DH gets 24 months in jail for $2.5m money laundering

 

File photo

A Filipina domestic  helper was jailed today for 24 months after she pleaded guilty fo three counts of money laundering, in which her three bank accounts were used as depositories of a total of almost $2.5 million derived from crime.

Reamae Davila, 40 years old, was meted the sentence by Acting Principal Magistrate Daniel Tang in a hearing at Tuen Mun Court. It's normally the highest prison term that a magistrate can impose for a single offence.

Her penalty is actually a summary of three sentences: 12 months imprisonment for the first charge, 24 months for the second and six months for the third. Since Magistrate Tang ordered that the three sentences run at the same time, the longest term of 24 months became the final sentence.

DETAILS HERE

In all three cases, Davila  was charged with dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, which is contrary to sections 25 (1) and 25 (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

In the first charge, Davila was accused of dealing wth $934,596.60 in her account with Bank Of China between 13 and 28 of May 2024 “… knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that property.., in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represented any person's proceeds of an indictable offence,” accordng to the complaint filed by the Police Technology and Financial Crime Squad 1.

In the second charge, she was accused of dealing with $1,487,144.73 in her account with Mox Bank Limited between April 8 and June 29,2024.

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In the third case, Davila was charged with dealing in $73,429 between 13and 16 of May 2024 through her account with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.

 

PCG HK undergoes major facelift; temporary offices set

 

Renovation work at the PCG is expected to last for a year

The Philippine Consulate General office on the 14^th floor of United Centre building in Admiralty will be shut temporarily to the general public until an unspecified date, to pave way for much-needed renovation.

It will be the first time that the office occupying the entire floor of the building will undergo a facelift since the PCG began occupying it in the early 2000s, after entering into a lease-purchase agreement with the vendor-landlord.

DETAILS HERE

Starting today, Nov. 16, the PCG will transfer all its offices providing consular services to either the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor of United Centre, or the 26^th or the 29^th floor of the same building, which currently houses the Migrant Workers Office.

According to one officer, the much-needed renovation is expected to last an entire year, leaving the offices under the PCG scattered on different floors of the building.

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The move-out actually began last October 26, when the assistance to nationals and the overseas voting registration offices were moved to the 26^th floor.

From this Sunday, the following offices will also be moved to the 26^th floor: Visa Services and the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre (PTIC) Hong Kong.

To be moved to the OFW Global Center on the 18^th floor are the civil registry, notarial and passport services.

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Sharing the MWO office on the 29^th floor starting today are PAG-Ibig Hong Kong and the Social Security Services (SSS) Hong Kong.

For details, contact the PCG main line at 2823 8500/ 8501 or its hotline: 9155 4023. 

20 suspected illegal workers and 6 employers arrested

 

A suspected illegal worker is taken away along with his bicycle

A total of 26 people have been arrested in a week-long operation to flush out illegal workers carried out jointly by operatives of the Immigration Department, along with the HK Police, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. 

Those arrested comprised 20 suspected illegal workers and six employers, who were rounded up in a series of raids carried out from November 7 to 13.

DETAILS HERE

Targeted during the operation were restaurants, flats being renovated, warehouses and massage parlours among others.

The suspected illegal workers comprised 12 men and eight women, aged 29 to 62. Among them, a man and a woman were found in possession of Hong Kong identity cards which they are suspected to have used to gain employment.

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Four men and two women, aged 38 to 57, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested.

Immigration said in a statement that an investigation into the suspected employers is continuing, and have not ruled out further arrests.

8 women were among those arrested in the latest raids

Anyone found to have worked without permission from Immigration such as tourists, domestic helpers and imported workers are liable to prosecution and imprisonment. They will be charged with violating their visa conditions and could be jailed for up to two years and fined a maximum of $50,000.

The maximum jail term rises to three years if the offender is an overstayer, an illegal immigrant, or subject to a removal or deportation order.

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Employers of illegal workers could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a maximum of $500,000.

To report illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Biggest 'Lamma Fun Day' set for Saturday

 

Nearly 50 bands will play at four different locations

Hong Kong’s longest-running, free music festival, Lamma Fun Day returns for its 22^nd year this coming Saturday, Nov. 15.

The day-long festival includes a charity bazaar, fun run, live music across four locations and tasty food from top Yung Shue Wan restaurant.

DETAILS HERE

Through these various activities, Lamma Fun Day aims to raise money for notable charities. In 2024, the festival raised $250,000 for CWS projects in Nepal, including anti-human trafficking initiatives such as prevention and rehabilitation targeting children and young women.

Organizers say this year’s even is their biggest ever, with almost 50 musical acts from all over Hong Kong keeping partygoers entertained from four different states.

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The famous Lamma Fun Day charity auction is back this year, with a wide selection of items including dining vouchers, festival passes, holidays and hotel stays and original artworks from Lamma’s resident artists Harry Harrison and Liz Fry Design. Visit the charity auction page for full details on all the lots and how and when to bid for them.

The bazaar is a good place for Christmas gift-hunting 

Those who are looking for some unique items to give away this Christmas season should check out the market stalls at the famous Lamma Fun Day bazaar. Shopping has always been an essential part of making the event a success.

Basahin ang detalye!

Also on this day, the Lamma8 charity run is making a comeback, with two races, one for 8km and another for 14 km. Those who are interested to join may sign up through this link.

The charity run is alwasy something to look forward to 

For more details, visit: https://pangyao.org/lamma-fun-day/

 

 

OFWs take to stage for Talent Showcase

 

After attending lectures by seasoned theater artists from Bootstrap Theatre Hong Kong and taking part in a workshop that lasted five weeks, the first batch of overseas Filipino workers who trained with "Teatro Bayanihan Tayo" is ready to take to the stage to show off their talent.

DETAILS HERE

The free showcase will happen this coming Sunday, November 16, at the Grand Assembly Hall on the 4^th floor of the YMCA on Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Audience registration will start at 1:30 pm while the show itself will start at 2pm. 

Bootstrap founder and playwright-director William Elvin Manzano said the OFWs will do more than just act in the show.

William Elvin lectures on acting to the OFW-talents

“We focused on rehearsing their original monologues, some of which were written by the workshoppers themselves. They memorized their chosen monologues and rehearsed them for five weeks after our acting lectures,” said Manzano

The result is something that makes Bootstrap happy and proud of the workshoppers, he added.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

“Happy to have shared the art of theatre and storytelling to them, and excited with what more we can do moving forward.”

Future plans include featuring the OFW talents in the video segments that will be shown alongside the live performance of Bootstrap’s next production, “JOB: Fateful Fever Dream” which will be staged in July next year.

A film project that will feature the new OFW performers along with veteran actors is also in the offing.

Basahin ang detalye!

“We aim to further hone their craft by letting them work with professional actors,” said Manzano.

Those who want to watch the free show should send a message to Teatro Bayanihan Tayo at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578706853112 or by downloading the app of

to Prime Gems by Prime Credit and ConnecTies at (https://pgems.info/app).

 The free workshop and talent show is sponsored by Prime Gems by Prime Credit and ConnecTies.

 

Pinay denies possession of someone else’s HKID

 

Kowloon City Court

A Filipina who holds a recognizance form to serve as her identity document, denied on Wednesday a charge at Kowloon City Court that she unlawfully had in her possession a Hong Kong identity card that was in someone elses’ name.

With Irealle Gay Salazar, 38 years old, pleading not guilty, Magistrate Tsang Chung-yiu, scheduled a trial for Christmas eve -- on Dec. 24. He also placed her in jail custody while the case is pending.

DETAILS HERE

Police had said Salazar was arrested on July 28, 2025, outside 59 Woosung Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, for possession “without lawful authority or reasonable excuse” of a HKID in the name of Thapa Magar. Kamal.

The police complaint accused Salazar, who has a pending non-refoulement claim seeking to prevent Hong Kong from forcibly sending her back to the Philippines,  of violating section 7A(1A) of the Registration of Persons Ordinance, which states:

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 “Any person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse uses or has in his custody or possession an identity card or other document issued under this Ordinance which relates to another person commits an offence and is liable—

“(a) on conviction on indictment to a fine at level 6 ($100,000) and to imprisonment for 10 years; and

“(b) on summary conviction to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and to imprisonment for 2 years. (Added 56 of 1989 s. 4).”

Filipino DH held for alleged $520k theft

 

The alleged theft happened at this luxurious residential complex

A 39-year-old Filipino domestic helper has been arrested on suspicion of stealing around $520,000 in cash from her employer at a luxury flat in Happy Valley.

Police said on Wednesday that the employer, a 59-year-old Mainland woman living at The Leighton Hill on Broadwood Road, called up at around 9:30am that day to report the loss of $500,000 and RMB17,000 cash, and suspected her helper had stolen it.

DETAILS HERE

No other details of the alleged theft, including when the money was stolen, was immediately available. But it was reported that the Filipina had worked for the employer since June.

According to reports, the Filipina used to clean the employer's room evert morning, and was suspected to have taken the cash during one of those times.

Officers who went to investigate the report subsequently arrested the Filipina helper on suspicion of theft.

Basahin ang detalye!

She is still being held for further questioning by Wan Chai district investigation team.

 

DMW set to look for bigger, more ‘caring’ shelter for distressed OFWs in Hong Kong

 

Secretary Cacdac (left) led Philippine officials in welcoming HK Labor Secretary Chris Sun
(in blue suit) to the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has disclosed plans to set up a new and bigger shelter for Filipino migrant workers in distress  in Hong Kong early next year, saying the current halfway-home in Kennedy Town has outlived its usefulness.

Secretary Cacdac bared the plan during a meeting with Filipino community leaders at Shangri-la Hotel on Sunday, and again during a one-on-one interview with The SUN on Monday.

“We want to move out from the existing one and provide one that can be a vibrant and dynamic place for our OFW shelter-stayers,” said Cacdac.

DETAILS HERE

The current shelter which used to be run by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (precursor of the current Migrant Workers Office) is a 652 sq.-foot, three-bedroom shelter with 10 beds located in a building on Belcher’s Street in Kennedy Town.

Before this, the Hong Kong government allowed POLO to operate as a shelter, a rent-free, a disused post office facility in Cheung Sha Wan which was four times the size of the Kennedy Town flat.

Cacdac said the DMW intends to raise the standard of accommodation at the new shelter – “not ostentatious, but something that is clean, up to standard, spacious, and can house a whole array of activities and events” for the OFWs who are staying there.

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He said he found out that tenants at the shelter are made to go the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty if they needed to undergo training. This will no longer be necessary if a bigger place is found for them, he added.

Asked if he had a time frame in mind for setting up the new shelter, Cacdac said it should be done by the first quarter of next year.

He also said funding could be easily made available for this purpose, since the DMW is earning enough from contract verifications. This means that the department will not have to depend on an additional budget allocation from the national government or Congress to get this done.

Secretary Sun wrote in his blog how impressed he was with the OFW Global Centre

Cacdac also expressed satisfaction with the way things are being run at the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty which he said impressed even Hong Kong Labor Secretary Chris Sun when he paid a visit to the place last Sunday.

Despite the high cost of renting the unit which occupies the entire 18^th floor of United Centre building, Cacdac said it was money well spent, and assured that the DMW will be able to sustain the cost of maintaining it for many years.

Pinay gets 3 months in jail for 6-year overstay

Eastern Court

 A Filipina who overstayed for six years after arriving in Hong Kong as a tourist in 2018, was jailed today for three months after pleading guilty at Eastern Court.

Marlyn Dagondon, 41 years old, was convicted by Magistrate Ko Wai-hung after admitting that she remained in Hong Kong without a valid visa from Nov. 8, 2018 until her arrest on August 13, 2024, in violation of section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance.

Visitors are allowed to remain in Hong Kong for 14 days, after which they are liable for breach of condition of stay unless they secure an extension of their visa. 

DETAILS HERE

According to the complaint filed by police on Sept. 11, 2024, Dagondon was found to have overstayed her visa while being investigated at the Western Police Station on Des Voeux Road west on Aug 13,

Meanwhile, in another case at Eastern Court, Filipina domestic helper Aileen Apigo, 46 years old, was left to answer three charges of selling unsafe consumer products while her Pakistani co-defendant was cleared of four charges as part of a bind-over agreement.

Apio and Shah Syed Saheer Mehmood, 46 years old, were arrested after they were found to be selling  at Shah’s store 96 pieces of Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene, Avocado & Aloevera; 157 pieces of Goree Day and Night Beauty Cream Oil Free and 99 pieces of Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream.

Basahin ang detalye!

Shah agreed to be bound over for 24 months and was charged $500 for court costs. In turn, the Customs and Excise Department agreed to withdraw charges against him of supplying unsafe consumer goods, supplying goods that did not comply with the requirement that they have bilingual warning, possessing for sale unsafe consumer goods, and possessing for sale consumer goods that did not comply with bilingual warning and caution requirement.

Apigo pleaded not guilty to two charges of selling the unsafe products, and an additional charge of breach of condition of stay for allegedly working as a sales lady in Shah’s store, which is prohibited for one who holds a domestic worker’s visa.

Magistrate Ko released her on bail of $5,000 until the next hearing on Dec. 12, but reserved a trial date of Jan. 14-15 next year.

No more OEC and in-person contract verification, says DMW Sec Cacdac

 

Red carpet, not red tape for OFWs, vows DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac

In line with the Philippine government’s thrust of providing “red-carpet” treatment to overseas Filipino workers, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac announced on Saturday a series of measures meant to ease their burden in dealing with government agencies.

“Hindi red tape kundi red carpet ang dapat ibigay sa mga OFWs,” Cacdac said at the formal launching of the Alagang OWWA Serbisyo Caravan” in Hong Kong.

DETAILS HERE

In line with his thrust, he said the overseas employment certificate (OEC), the exit pass needed by all OFWs departing the Philippines, has already been integrated into the eTravel pass, which is required of all Filipinos leaving the country.

All that an OFW needs to do to secure the OFW Travel Pass is to log on to the eGovPH app and look for the Department of Migrant Workers page (under NGAs) and provide full personal and employment details.

“Kailangan pa rin ninyong magpalista sa DMW kasi kailangan pa rin naming malaman kung nasaan na kayo, kung ano ang kasalukuyang trabaho ninyo, sweldo, posisyon, etc. Pati location ninyo, kailangan din naming malaman,” he said.

(You still need to enlist with DMW because we need to know where you are, what your present job is, salary, position, etc. We also need to know your present location).

After enrolment with DMW and providing flight details, the OFW will be able to secure the OFW Pass.

A good number of OFWs attended the Saturday event

Cacdac also said that starting January next year, all contract verifications with the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong will be conducted online, eliminating the current practice of presenting the contract personally, and sometimes lining up for hours to get it verified.

He said online verification was pilot-tested recently in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and the result was some Php22 million saved by OFWs there so far. This was based on an estimate of about Php2,000 spent on travel, food and other expenses by each OFW who submits a contract in person at the MWO.

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“Starting in January next year, ia-appl na ito sa Hong Kong and we expect foot traffic to be cut by 60%,” Cacdac said.

That will mean that the MWO could be used more for providing entertainment, training and other services for OFWs, he added.

Cacdac also said that the government is also bent on improving the welfare and protection of OFWs by providing them with legal, medical and financial assistance, whatever their visa status is.

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“Documented or undocumented, basta OFW tutulungan namin (as long as they are OFWs we will help them),” he promised.

Such medical help is extended even to their immediate family members who can avail of free treatment at the OFW Hospital in Pampanga and medical services at the OWWA clinic in Pasay City.

“Basta sabihin ninyo kung kailangan ninyo ng medical help.” (Just tell us if you need medical help).

Cacdac also spoke of upskilling programs for OFWs, like the plan by Tesda (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) to continue providing them with free online technical and vocational training, and by Ched (Commission on Higher Education) to give credit to their work experience towards earning a college degree.

Cacdac is in Hong Kong for two days, during which he is scheduled to meet with Labor Secretary Chris Sun and leaders of the Filipino community.

Rep Bryan Revilla is introduced by OWWA Admin PY Caunan

Also present at the launch to give support to DMW and OWWA were Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr., Administrator PY Caunan, and Agimat Rep. Bryan Revilla (eldest son of former Senator Bong Revilla and head of the House Committee on Migrant Workers) and Rep. Johanne Bautista.

 

 

Gov’t agencies offer services in OWWA Caravan in HK

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac and OWWA Administrator PY Caunan
lead balloon-popping to launch the 'Alagang OWWA' service caravan

The Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration today launched its “Alagang OWWA Serbisyong may Puso Wellness and Membership Caravan” in Hong Kong with a balloon-popping opening ceremony at its OFW Global Center at Admiralty.

At the heart of the activity is the effort of the Department of Migrant Workers to offer under one roof, the services of various Philippine government agencies.

“It is important for DMW that we bring to you not red tape but red carpet,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said at the opening ceremonies.

DETAILS HERE

Hong Kong is the 12th place where the Caravan was held. And although it was officially launched here today, it was the actually the second time for it to be held in the city. The first was in June, when the OFW Global Centre was officially opened.

OWWA administrator P.Y. Cuanan said the services include the OWWA E-card enrollment, whose staff will continue to be augmented so that they could issue E-cards to 800 OWWA members daily until the end of the year.

PINDUTIN DITO

The E-cards entitle OWWA members to discounts from 30 partner estblishments such as airlines, clinics, drug stores, cafes, remittance centers, and door-to-door companies.

In addition, health checkups will be held, and a discounted products and services will be displayed by E-card partner establishments.

.

“All these services are for you,” Caunan said.

Among the other agencies providing their services in the caravan are:

Department of Migrant Workers for contract verification and other services

Department of Foregn Affairs for passport renewal and other consular services.

Social Security System for membership services.

Pag-IBIG Fund for membership services.

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Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for membership services.

Department of Social Welfare and Development for OFWs’ concerns over their families back home.

Professional Regulation Commission, to licensing of teachers and other professionals.

Public Attorney’s Office, for legal assistance.

OFBank (Overseas Filipino Bank) for opening of accounts in the Philippines' first digital-only, branchless government bank.

Philippine Statistics Authority for birth certificate and other documents.

Land Transportation Office for driving license renewal.

The Caravan will continue until tomorrow, Sunday, though the eCard enrollment will last until the end of the month.

Pag-IBIG Fund Member Services Officer Raymond Ramos and managers Albert Falgui
and Carina Ramirez personally attend to Pag-IBIG members