MWO raises verification fee for new employment contracts to HK$320

 

The new fee schedule

From Sunday, March 1, the verification fee for all new employment contracts processed through the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong will shoot up to HK$320.

For new individual contracts, whether for single or multiple hirings, this will result to a four-fold increase from the current HK$80.

For all other contracts, processed either through job orders, recruitment agreement or master employment contract, the current fee of HK$240 will also be adjusted by a third, to HK$320.

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The same fee will apply to all contracts covering sea-based workers, which are currently being processed. From HK$240 the processing fee will be adjusted to HK$320.

The MWO said in its advisory that the new fee should be paid, as before, either by the employer or the recruitment or manning agency that deployed the overseas Filipino worker (OFW).

It also said all old contracts, meaning those being renewed with the same employer, or are transferred to a new employer, will not be affected; which means they will still be processed at the current fee of HK$80.

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The announcement of the new fee which was apparently made without prior consultation with stakeholders, was met with disappointment by some employment agency operators.

HKUEA president Thomas Chan says the new fee is too steep

Thomas Chan, president of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said the new verification fee is too steep compared with the current fee, especially for employers processing individual contracts.

“Any increase in cost will not be welcomed by anyone,” said Chan, who pointed out that the increase is  way above the cost of inflation.

Also, he said that “though in theory the worker can reimburse the cost from their employer, in reality some workers would be the ones who would shoulder such cost.”

The MWO advisory gave no reason for the hefty increase, but said the new verification fees are in line with Joint Circular 2024-1.

The new fees will apply for all relevant contracts submitted on or after the cut-off date of March 1, 2026.

 

Flu resurgence prompts call for people to vaccinate

A rebound last week of influenza activity has prompted the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) to again urge the public to receive seasonal influenza vaccinations.

"The CHP's latest surveillance data shows that the percentage of respiratory specimens tested positive for seasonal influenza viruses last week (February 15 to 21) was 2.29 per cent, up from 1.96 per cent recorded in the previous week,” CHP Controller Dr Edwin Tsui said.

“During the same period, the influenza admission rate in public hospitals was 0.13 cases per 10,000 population, which is higher than the 0.10 cases per 10 000 population recorded in the previous week,” he added.

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The proportion of influenza B among positive respiratory specimens has gradually increased from around 6 per cent in late January to over 21 per cent last week. Meanwhile, the proportion of influenza A (H3) virus strains has decreased from 91 to 71 per cent.

“Outside Hong Kong, seasonal influenza activity remains high in Japan and Korea, with the predominant circulating viruses having shifted from influenza A (H3) to influenza B. Japan is experiencing another winter peak driven by influenza B. Influenza B proportions have also increased in many parts of the world recently, including the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan and North America," Dr, Tsui, said.

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He said that based on past experience, Hong Kong's winter influenza season typically occurs in the first quarter. ‘Given the persistently cold weather, combined with factors such as individuals returning from outbound travel after the long holidays and the shift in circulating virus strains, it cannot be ruled out that influenza activity will continue to increase and Hong Kong may enter the winter influenza season.” he said.

The CHP will continue to monitor the situation.

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Scientific research indicates that this season's seasonal influenza vaccine provides protection against influenza A and influenza B viruses.

“As it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body for sufficient protection against the virus, I appeal again to all individuals aged 6 months or older, except those with known contraindications, to receive the SIV if they have not yet done so,” Dr. Tsui said.

HK Labor Sec says FDH retraining is on, but will focus on elderly care

 

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun has sought to allay concerns that a plan to expand the services of the Employees Retraining Board to include elderly care training by foreign domestic workers will not divert funds meant for the local workforce.

Some lawmakers have expressed concern that local workers could be put at a disadvantage if funds from the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) would be used for retraining FDHs.

Secretary Sun said in interviews on Tuesday that the ERB’s focus will “undoubtedly remain on the local workforce.”

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But he said the planned expansion of ERB’s services is necessary, amid Hong Kong’s rapidly ageing population and the growing demand from locals for FDHs to receive elderly-care training.

With tens of thousands of FDHs already providing elderly care, the current program run by the Social Welfare Department that provides them training is no longer adequate, said Sun.

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His assurance comes in the wake of the Labour and Welfare Bureau’s announcement that it plans to amend the law to allow the ERB to expand its services.

In a recent interview, ERB Executive Director Byron Ng said that following the Board’s relocation to new headquarters in Kowloon Bay, it will enhance support in career planning, skills training and employment assistance.

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The board also plans to turn certain courses into shorter, more flexible “micro courses” to conform to trainees’ needs.

Ng said the board’s financial position remains stable, and that it will continue to be prudent in handling its resources.

 

With HK harborfront completed, gov’t turns attention to Kowloon

 

View of Kowloon from the West Cultural District (Google Maps photo)

With the completion of the harborfront promenade in Hong Kong Island, the government is studying the development of Kowloon’s promenade to create a combined 34 kilometers of walkway on both sides of Victoria Harbor by 2028, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said today.

Answering a question in Legislative Council by Legislator Yang Wing-kit, Ms. Linn said the Development Bureau has been working closely with the Harborfront Commission to promote various initiatives to enhance the Victoria Harborfront.

The aim, she said, is to create “a diversified, vibrant, accessible and inclusive harborfront space for the public.”

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“With the approximately 18 kilometers of harborfront promenades already opened on Hong Kong Island as well as in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing in the New Territories, the total length of promenades on both sides of Victoria Harbor will be extended to approximately 34 kilometers by 2028,” she said.

The promenades in Kowloon will extend to about 15 kilometers upon completion of the following projects this year: the pedestrian walkway connecting the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) to Tai Kok Tsui, the waterfront promenade next to the Kai Tak New Acute Hospital and the event space and public open space at the former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard Pier site.

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The length will be further increased to 16 kilometers by 2028. This expansion will come from new projects that are under study, such as the gas offtake station off Grand Waterfront, the vicinity of the Fishtail Rock in Hoi Sham Park, and the private section of the Green Island Cement Pier.

The Kowloon harbourfront is home to a number of landmarks attracting many visitors, including the Kai Tak Sports Park, the museum cluster in Tsim Sha Tsui, the West Kowloon Cultural District and others.

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The waterfront sites to be opened this year include the former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard Pier site  which offers visitors with panoramic views of Victoria Harbor and the skyline of Hong Kong Island.

“… we plan to develop the sites around Hung Hom Station and waterfront areas into a new waterfront landmark combining tourism, entertainment and leisure elements, as well as to construct yacht berthing facilities and provide water-based leisure facilities etc., enhancing the appeal of Victoria Harbour for visitors,” Ms. Linn said.

ICC starts hearing if Duterte should be tried for crimes against humanity

 

Videos shown by prosecutors to support case against Duterte

Videos showing detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declaring he wanted drug lords and other criminals killed were played at the International Criminal Court, as prosecutors argued why he should be put on trial for the three charges of crimes against humanity filed against him.

Duterte waived his right to attend the pre-trial hearings, telling the judges in a letter that he did not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and that he is “old, tired and frail.” He also applied to skip the annual hearing on his detention set for Friday.

The former strongman who ruled the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 faces three counts of crimes against humanity for murder and attempted murder, covering 49 incidents and at least 76 victims during his tenure as Davao City mayor and later as president.

Nicholls (with glasses) presents evidence against Duterte

After the prosecution, the defense and the victims’ lawyers made their opening statements, Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls detailed evidence which he said established that Duterte founded the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and used this so-called Davao model to carry out killings during his term as president.

Nicholls said the model uses a chain of command with Duterte on top and extends to co-perpetrators, DDS handlers, and down to a number of members of carried out the killings.

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“Mr. Duterte created liquidation squads, death squads made up of both Davao City police officers as well as non-police officers who essentially hired hitmen and hired killers," Nicholls said. 

This, he argued, was contrary to what lead defence counsel Nicholas Kaufman had claimed in his opening statement that Duterte was bent on using hyperbole in his statements, and that he only declared a war on crime in a legal way.

"The Davao Model was murder, not being tough on crime legally as my friend (Kaufman) said," Nicholls added.

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To establish the prosecution’s case, Nicholls referred to a number of witness statements from self-proclaimed DDS members as well as a number of videos showing Duterte admitting the existence of the group, and repeatedly saying he did not only order the killings but even did some of it himself.

One of the videos showed Duterte saying in an ambush interview in December 2015 that a human rights group was wrong in saying he had killed 700 people in Davao City when he was mayor. Duterte said the group had undercounted because the actual number was 1,700.

"Not only did Mr. Duterte clearly intend his criminality, he openly bragged about it. Right up until his arrest, he bragged about it. He thrives on a tough guy persona or image that he's tried to create for himself," Nicholls said.

The ICC judges presiding over the confirmation hearing

In November 2015, while campaigning for the presidency, he told a press conference that he would cite Davao as “exhibit A” if asked for his credentials. He then added, “Either I get what I want, or you perish. Let’s be straightforward. What does that mean? That means killings.”

Four other clips from Duterte’s presidential campaign also showed him vowing to get criminals killed. In one of them, he said in his weekly talk show that if elected president he would kill anyone who makes the lives of Filipinos miserable.

Among the witness statements he presented was one executed by a former DDS member who said the group was formed in 1988 during a dinner meeting in Davao City where Duterte was present.

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“He openly told new members of the death squad he was forming that their job was to kill criminals,” Nicholls said.

Another witness said Duterte never mentioned self-defence as a ground for shooting suspected criminals, and even personally armed new DDS members with handguns and ammunitions which were in a basket that was passed around during the party.

The prosecution also presented a slide showing five individuals named in the charge sheet as Duterte’s co-perpetrators in his bloody anti-crime drive in Davao City, including incumbent Senators Ronald "Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go.

The others were identified as former Davao City police chief Vicente Danao, former National Bureau of Investigation chief in Davao Dante Gierran, and former Secretar of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Kaufman, as lead counsel for Duterte, said in his opening statement that the tough-talking leader was fond of using hyperbole and had exaggerated his public promises of killings to scare criminals.

He accused the prosecution of “cherry picking” speeches to show Duterte in a bad light, and ignored his more temperate pronouncements.

Kaufman echoed claims from Duterte supporters that the charges against the former leader were politically motivated, and even went as far as directly accusing President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr of engineering his predecessor’s arrest.

The president said through his spokesperson that the arrest was lawful, and that the complaint with the ICC was filed in 2017 when Duterte was still president.

The hearings will continue until Feb 27, and a decision is expected within two months. If the charges are confirmed, the case will proceed to trial which, judging from previous ICC cases, would not likely start until after five years.

 

 

Pinay bound for District Court on theft, fraud charges

 

Pinay went shopping here (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina waitress is bound for District Court after appearing today at Eastern Court on charges of theft and fraud after she allegedly stole a bag containing a credit card which she then used to buy a bag and a pair of shoes.

R. R. Sunga, 39 years old, was also set free by Magistrate Kestrel Lam on bail of $500 on the promise that she would show up in the next hearing at District Court on March 12.

DETAILS HERE

The first charge -- theft, contrary to section 9 of the Theft Ordinance -- arose after Sunga allegedly stole a card holder containing an American Express credit card, an Octopus card, a Hong Kong Identity Card, a student card, a driving license, a Home Visit Permit and a debit card, all belonging to Poon Wai-hon, Nathan.

The alleged theft took place on Sept, 13, 2025, in Hong Kong, according to a complaint by the Wanchai Police.

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The second charge of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, says that after the theft Sunga went shopping, using Poon’s American Express credit card on the same day.

Sunga allegedly went to the Ground Floor and 1st Floo of Shiu Fung Commercial Building, Nos. 51-53 Johnston Road, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, “falsely representing to a salesperson of Wan Kee Sports Company Limited” that she was the genuine credit card holder.

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“… with intent to defraud, (she) induced the salesperson of the Shop to part with one bag and one pair of shoes which resulted in benefit to the said Sunga Rachell Rivas and/or resulting in prejudice or a substantial risk of prejudice to the Shop and/or American Express International Incorporation and/or the said Poon Wai-hon Nathan,” the complaint added.

Airport’s Terminal 2 to open May 27

 

The new coach terminal; above it are the check-in facilities

Filipinos going home for vacations may be taking their flights from the new Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport starting May 27.

Some 15 airlines serving cities in the region -- such as Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines – and those operating short-haul routes are expected to operate from the new terminal.

Officials postponed the terminal’s opening to make way for comprehensive testing of facilities such as baggage systems and smart check-in.

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Airport Authority Chairman Fred Lam said the opening was also timed for the expected summer travel peak.

The new terminal aims to relieve pressure on Terminal 1, freeing up space for more long-haul and premium flights, as well as position Hong Kong to remain the world’s busiest airport for the 15th year. 

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan reported that the airport handled 61 million passengers last year, up 15 percent from the previous year.

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The airport targets 70 million passengers this year, and T2 could handle about 15 million passengers using the facility by year-end; a full-year operation could bring its output to 20-30 million.

Support facilities are already in place, such as the new coach terminal at Terminal 2, which began operations on September 23, 2025. It offers 41 parking bays for tour buses, cross-boundary coaches, private cars, crew buses and resident buses, plus cross-boundary ticketing counters serving over 110 destinations in the Greater Bay Area.

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The commissioning of the third runway has expanded air links, prompting the government to sign aviation agreements with nine new partners, including Chile, Ecuador and Poland, last year, with plans to add 10 more in regions such as South America, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa next year.

'Blood moon' lunar eclipse visible in HK on Mar 3

 

This is how the 'blood moon' will look like to billions of people all over the world

Weather permitting, Hong Kong residents (and billions of people around the world) will again be able to see with the naked eye the red “blood moon,” indicating a total lunar eclipse, on Tuesday, Mar. 3.

The rare phenomenon will start at 4:43pm but can only be seen in Hong Kong before the moonrise at 6:22pm, when part of the moon is already in the earth’s umbra or shadow. This can be viewed about 83 degrees toward the east.

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The moon will be completely engulfed by the umbra at 7:04pm and remain covered until 8:03pm, when it begins to move away from the earth’s shadow.

The total eclipse will last for 59 minutes, leaving the moon glowing in deep red during this period.

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Astronomists say this is the effect of the blue light from the sun being scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere and the remaining red light being refracted onto the lunar surface.

Details of this total lunar eclipse are as follows:

Date	Time	Phenomenon	Elevation	Direction (Azimuth)
March 3 (Tuesday)	4.43pm	Moon enters penumbra	Below the horizon	Not visible in Hong Kong
	5.50pm	Moon enters umbra	Below the horizon	Not visible in Hong Kong
	6.22pm	Moonrise	-1 degree	East (83 degrees)
	7.04pm	Total eclipse begins	9 degrees	East (87 degrees)
	7.34pm	Maximum eclipse	15 degrees	East (90 degrees)
	8.03pm	Total eclipse ends	22 degrees	East (93 degrees)
	9.18pm	Moon exits umbra	38 degrees	East (101 degrees)
	10.25pm	Moon exits penumbra	53 degrees	East-southeast (112 degrees)

The whole process can be viewed by all via a webcast webpage, jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Hong Kong Space Museum and three other groups.

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For the latest weather conditions and the astronomical observation conditions on March 3, please refer to the Hong Kong Observatory's 9-day weather forecast webpage and the Weather Information for Astronomical Observation webpage.

The next lunar eclipse that can be seen with a naked eye in Hong Kong will be a penumbral lunar eclipse on Feb. 21, 2027. The next total lunar eclipse is expected in the latter part of 2028.

 

 

DMW forges global alliance to protect OFWs from scams

 

Hanley and Cacdac (1st and 2nd from left) at signing of MOU

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) as part of its continuing effort to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families from online scams and digital fraud.

The agreement was signed in Bonifacio Global City earlier today, Feb. 19, by DMW Secretary Hans  J. Cacdac and GASA Director for Asia Pacific Brian Hanley.

Through this initiative both parties aim to strengthen digital safety initiatives, improve cross-border intelligence sharing, and expand access to tools and resources that will assist migrant workers in detecting and avoiding fraudulent schemes.

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OFWs are often targeted by scammers, given their vulnerability due to long hours of work, preventing easy access to reliable information; and their improved financial capacity.

In Hong Kong, for example, OFWs are often preyed upon by money launderers who offer them cash tokens in exchange for surrendering control over their bank accounts, which are then used as conduits for money derived from crimes.

Cacdac said the partnership is not merely a campaign for awareness.

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“We entered this agreement not only to campaign against scams, but to address the underlying causes - whether it's a lack of jobs or opportunities — and to respond with real solutions. By boosting our information efforts and connecting victims to employment options, we aim to take both preventive and corrective measures,” he said.

For his part, Hanley stressed the importance of collective action to combat a global menace.

“This is the time for the public sector and private entities to come together, because scams are no longer just a government concern — they are now recognized as a global concern and as a cybercrime,” he said.

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The partnership will cover expanded public awareness campaigns, digital literacy programs, joint training sessions, and research initiatives aimed at equipping OFWs and their families with the knowledge and tools to recognize and avoid scams.

It is hoped that the collaboration will enhance the Philippines’ role in the global effort against cybercrimes.

GASA is a global coalition dedicated to protecting consumers worldwide. It consists of leading technology and financial institutions, including Globe Telecom, Gogolook, Meta, Google, and Mastercard.