Ylagan’s absence stalls magistracy hearing of jobs scam case

Ylagan giving her side to The SUN
in June last year

The first hearing on Jan. 20 of the labour cases involving the alleged recruitment of hundreds of Filipinas for non-existent jobs in Britain and Canada had to be called off after the accused, employment agency owner Ester P. Ylagan, failed to appear in court.

Ylagan faces 21 cases of  “receiving payment other than the prescribed commission” for allegedly charging applicants $10,000 to $15,000 for purported jobs in the two countries between January and July last year.

The cases were filed by the Employment Agency Administration after interviewing dozens of Filipino migrant workers who brought their complaints against Ylagan to the Consulate, which in turn endorsed them to the HK Labour Department.

Two Labour prosecutors were present in Eastern court for the hearing, listed down as “for mention” of the cases against Ylagan.

The 21 claimants were just a tiny fraction of the more than 500  people who are believed to have given their trust and money to Ylagan, who for years, had run Emry’s Employment Agency, the biggest recruiter of Filipino domestic workers into Hong Kong.

When she recruited for the fake jobs, however, Ylagan used Mike’s Secretarial Services, a company listed solely in her name.

More than 100 of the claimants have sought help from the Small Claims Tribunal for a refund of their money, and most of the cases are still pending.

Ylagan has not attended a single hearing of the cases, and a representative has repeatedly told the court that the defendant was in the Philippines for medical consultations.

The officer in charge of the cases has given an ultimatum for Ylagan to appear at the next hearing, or risk losing the right to repudiate the claims.

At Eastern court, Ylagan was again nowhere in sight when the court clerk called out the names of the parties in cases due for hearing before Magistrate Arthur Lam.

Her case was reserved for last, but the Labour prosecutors decided to leave before the penultimate case could be heard after seeing no signs of the defendant.

When the clerk of court called out the number of the first case against Ylagan, she was surprised to find that nobody was in the gallery, not even the prosecutors.

The magistrate stood up and walked back into his chamber.

“The defendant didn’t come,” the clerk of court said when asked what happened.

When asked what the court would do with the case, she simply said: “Adjournment.”

The SUN tried to contact EAA investigation officer Pang Wah-sang to inquire about what the Labour Department would do after Ylagan’s failure to show up, but got no immediate reply. – Vir B. Lumicao

Nagselfie lang, nasisante agad

Pagkatapos bilinan si Joy na bantayan maigi ang alaga habang nag-aaral lumangoy sa swimming pool na kanilang pinupuntahan ay agad-agad siyang nagselfie at nag-upload sa facebook pagtalikod ng amo.

Hindi niya tuloy namalayan nang hilahin ng kanyang alaga sa ilalim ng pool ang kaklase na anak ng kaibigan ng kanyang amo. Hindi natuwa yung batang hinila sa ilalim ng pool kaya nagsumbong sa Mommy niya pag-uwi nila.

Sinabi nitong nagse-selfie kasi ang yaya ng kaibigan niya kaya nahila siya nang hindi nito namamalayan.

Agad namang ipinaalam nung nanay ang buong pangyayari sa amo ni kabayang nagselfie kaya hindi ito nagdalawang isip na sisantihin siya. Walang nagawa si Joy nang sabihan siya na tinatapos na ng amo ang kanilang kontrata dahil hindi naman niya ginagawa ang trabaho. Mas inuuna pa raw kasi niya ang pagse-selfie kaysa bantayan ang kanyang alaga.

Binilinan na nga siya ng husto pero nanaig ang buyo ng pagse-selfie sa ganda ng pool na kanyang kinatatayuan. Hiyang hiya at sising sisi si Joy sa nangyari sanhi ng pagka-adik niya sa selfie. Nangako man siyang hindi na mauulit ang pangyayari ay huli na. – Marites Palma 

2,000 new passports arrive in HK, release back to normal

By Vir B. Lumicao

Passport issuance in HK was delayed by up to more than a month

The release of new passports to Filipinos in Hong Kong has returned to normal following the arrival of 2,000 pieces of the travel document from Manila on Monday, Jan 16, according to a Consulate official.

The delivery has eased concerns over passport delays which Consulate officials said were due to the backlog in Manila over the long Christmas and New Year holidays.

Vice Consul Fatima Quintin, head of the passport section, told The SUN in an interview on Jan 19 that the owners of the passports that had been delayed for at least a week had already been notified.

“As we had promised the applicants, if their passports don’t arrive on the scheduled date, we’ll text them; when the passports arrive, we also text them,” said Quintin.

This was confirmed by a Filipina worker who rushed to the Consulate at 4:45pm on Jan 19 to pick up her passport, as she was going home on Jan 22 due to a family emergency.

“Tinawagan ako dahil dumating na raw ang passport ko, hihintayin daw nila ako hanggang 5:30pm,” the helper told The SUN inside the lift.

The counters at the public hall were already closed when she got there, but, true enough a staff waited for her in the passport section and reopened the releasing window when she knocked on the door. 

Delay in the processing of applications happened in Manila

Shipments of new passports from Manila arrive every Monday, so the Consulate is expecting the delivery of just about the same number, or 2,000, on Jan 23, Quintin said. On rare occasions a small number arrive in special pouches which cost more.

Quintin said processing time was back to normal this past week. She said when the shipment arrived on Monday night, her staff worked double time sorting them and contacting the owners.

Processing varies from three weeks to three months, depending on the correctness of the entries.

The official urged OFWs to apply for renewal of their passports at least eight months before the travel documents expire so there would be an allowance for delays. Or as early as possible if they want their new visas stamped on their new passports.

Meanwhile, Quintin warned OFWs against using their passports as collateral for loans, as they would definitely have a hard time getting a replacement.

“We are very strict on that,” she said, adding that many have been doing that and the Consulate is keeping an eye on the malpractice.

She said the Consulate’s policy today is to require each applicant to declare if he has used his passport as collateral. If he said no but was found to have done so, he would be subject to clearance from DFA and would have a bad record.

“Please warn them that it is against the law,” Quintin said.

PAHK promises ‘exciting year’ for Filipinos in HK

Members of the 2017 Board of Directors of the Philippine Association of Hong Kong are offered a toast by Consul-General Bernardita Catalla after inducting them into office in rites held at the Consulate. Photo by Frederick Suarez

By Daisy CL Mandap

From monthly pep talks over lunch to reviving old traditions like Family Day, the new leadership of the Philippine Association of Hong Kong is promising an exciting year for Filipinos in Hong Kong.
Shortly after taking his oath as PAHK chair before Consul General Bernardita Catalla on Jan 11, journalist Rex Aguado unveiled a long list of activities aimed at reaching out to more members of the community, particularly the young and the old-timers.
The new projects include a monthly brown bag lunch where professionals, both Filipinos and non-Filipinos, will be invited to speak on such topics as career and family issues. The meet-ups, dubbed BYOBB (for Bring Your Own Bag and Brain) will be open even to non-members.
“ We will be inviting Filipino corporates to send their staff to these events,” said Aguado.
Young members of the community will also be provided with activities such as hiking and networking sessions to help them kick-start their careers or enhance their job opportunities.
Alongside these are two Family Day events being planned for the spring and autumn, which are primarily aimed at orienting newly arrived Filipino families about life in Hong Kong.
PAHK used to hold family-oriented gatherings in the past, including one that featured friendly sport competitions and another over Christmas, but the practice has long been abandoned. Aguado said the Family Days under his term will also feature sport activities.
Long-term residents are also on the radar of PAHK this year, with plans to reach out and involve them in the activities being planned.
The previous practice of organizing monthly cocktails to allow members to expand their contacts in the business and professional communities will also be revived this year. Aguado said his team looks forward to getting the support of big companies to make these monthly networking sessions successful.
Already in the works is a plan to use social media to reach out to more Filipinos, and get them involved in community activities. In line with this, PAHK has created Facebook pages called PAHK Life, PAHK Business & Events, and PAHK Classifieds. As their names suggest, each page is dedicated to sharing information among members about the various aspects of living and working in Hong Kong.
“I can foresee that it’s going to be an energized board this year,” said Aguado.
But along with the new activities, traditional events like the Philippine Independence Day  Ball and the Sunday community event on Chater Road will continue to be held.
It will be a year packed with activities, but Aguado is confident his new board of directors will deliver.
“Please help us in this journey, it’s going to be an exciting one,” he promised.
He said the “reveal” for all the activities will be held at a general assembly for PAHK members set for Feb. 17.
Congen Catalla for her part unveiled the Consulate’s own plans for the year, including the staging of Kadayawan Festival in this year’s Chinese New Year parade on Jan. 28, and its first ever official participation in Hong Kong’s Flower Festival from March 10-19.
She also hinted at other projects for the year, to be staged in cooperation with the Hong Kong government.
“We need your assistance to make these big projects successful,” she told the PAHK members.
The other PAHK officers who took their oath with Aguado were: Louise Vas, vice-chairman; Euvi Regis-Kay, secretary; Steven Co, assistant secretary; Edna Hui, treasurer; Senen Glinoga, asst. treasurer; Fred Valencia, auditor; Gary Flores and Tom Magno,  PRO; Joel Almeda, Mark Yabut, Richard del Valle, Emilie Veringa-Tobias and Jaerey Velasco, committee members.

MFMW to hold annual fund-raising raffle

The Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW) Limited (Mission for Migrant Workers) will hold a charity raffle draw on Sunday, Feb 12 to help finance its programs and services for foreign migrant workers for the year.

The charity organization, which provides basic services and facilities for migrant workers in need, is selling tickets for the raffle at $10 each unit, and a booklet for $100. All groups and individuals who would like to support the Mission’s main advocacy of providing help and relief for migrant workers are enjoined to purchase the tickets for the raffle.

Donations are also welcome from those who cannot sell tickets.
A donation of $100 or more is tax deductible.

Established in 1981, MFMW is the leading and trusted service provider of charitable basic services and facilities for the relief of migrant workers in Hong Kong. It is a pioneering ecumenical non-governmental welfare institution and a committed advocate in building a caring and inclusive Hong Kong society.    

For further details, please call 2522 8264 or 9711 1673 (Esther).  
You can also send your donation directly to the MFMW bank account:
Account Name: MFMW Limited
Name of Bank: Hang Seng Bank
Address of Bank: 83 Des Voeux Road, Central, HK
Bank Account No.:         210-116448-883
Swift Code:       HASEHKHH
Bank Code: 024

On matters of visa validation

By Cynthia Tellez

The Mission recently handled quite a number of cases related to visa validity. This should not be too problematic if understood correctly and/or handled properly.There are different cases but all are related to the validity of the visa issued by the Immigration Department.

Allow us to discuss one by one for easy understanding of the readers of The SUN.

1. Visa validity in relation to passport validity. Upon arrival in Hong Kong for a new contract with an entry visa for employment, the first thing that an immigration officer does is to check the validity of the passport. A two-year visa is issued to foreign domestic workers (FDW) for a two-year contract if the passport is valid for at least 25 months. That is a month longer than two years. For those processing the renewal of their contract in Hong Kong and those allowed to change employers without leaving Hong Kong, once the contract reaches the Immigration Department for the issuance of working visa, the validity of the passport is also checked. If the validity is still more than two years, the initial one-year visa for the two-year contract will be issued and the FDWwill be required to exit Hong Kong before issuing the last year of the two-year visa to complete the two-year employment contract.

But there are instances when the passport validity is less than two years or even less than one year. The usual action of the Immigration Department will be to issue a visa that is a month shorter than the passport’s validity. Meaning, the expected one-year visa will not be issued and instead, the Immigration gives only seven months if the passport is only valid for eight more months.

This is the actual process and practice that relates to the validity of visa in relation to your passport. Do not think that you will automatically be given a visa that is good for one year or two years, as the case may be. The visa validity will also depend on the expiration date of the passport. Everyone must always check on this matter to ensure that their working visa remains valid, and immediately inform the employer about it. This way, you can immediately agree on the date on which you should apply for a new passport and afterwards, the extension of your visa.

Check also with the Consulate how long it takes for a new passport to be processed so you are sure to have your new passport ready before your visa expires.

There are also instances when the employer confiscates the passport, which is illegal. In case you are in such situation and you cannot immediately insist on getting your passport back, at least take note of the expiration date of your visa. You should remind your employer about this, and insist that your passport must be returned to you for the renewal of your visa, also for your own safekeeping. If your employer still refuses to give back your passport, you should inform the police about it. Use the report card from the police to immediately inform the Immigration Department of the situation. Ask for police assistance to retrieve your passport. Immigration may extend some leniency on this case. However, retrieving your passport should not take long. If your employer continues to refuse to hand it back to you, get the help of police immediately.

If the passport is declared lost, immediately report to the police and get a report card. Show the police report card to the Philippine Consulate in applying for a new passport.

The collection notice from the Philippine Consulate must be shown to the Immigration Department to inform them about the situation.

All the above steps are preventive measures to avoid being charged with breach of condition of stay by the Immigration Department. Remember that staying beyond the allowed date of permit to stay in Hong Kong is punishable by law.

2.  Another case pertains to the two-week rule of the Immigration Department. The Rule says that if the employment contract is terminated prematurely, meaning before the expiration of the visa, then an FDW can only stay up to 14 days after termination. The visa is automatically shortened to just two weeks after termination, even if the previous validity is longer than this.

But, say, the visa is only valid for just one (1) week. In this case, the automatic validity of the visa is not two weeks, but only one week. There is no such thing as automatic extension for two weeks if the contract is terminated prematurely with a visa that has less than two week’ validity.

In any case, it is best is for the FDW to report immediately to the Immigration Department upon termination of the contract. There is nothing to lose here. In fact, you can even verify when your permit to stay ends.

If you are in a situation wherein the passport is with the lending company or with a person, please be reminded that, again, this is illegal. Demand the person or establishment or agency holding your passport to give back the passport to you immediately and clearly tell them that your visa is expiring soon and that you need to report to the relevant authorities. If they refuse, seek the assistance of the police in retrieving your passport. As much as possible, bring with you two friends who are willing to witness what is happening.

If the person or establishment or agency refuses to give back the passport in the presence of the police and denies that the passport is with them and you are stuck, ask for police report on lost passport. Apply then for a new passport at the Philippine Consulate General with the Police Report.
Remember to always photocopy your personal documents such as passport, HK identification card, SSS cards, Philhealth, etc and keep them for possible future use.

As a reminder, always be conscious and knowledgeable of the important documents you need especially while working overseas. File and keep them safely. Keep photocopies of them as well.
If you still have some matters you want to clarify, please contact the Mission at 2522 8264.

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This is the monthly column from the Mission for Migrant Workers, an institution that has been serving the needs of migrant workers in Hong Kong for over 31 years. The Mission, headed by its general manager, Cynthia Tellez, assists migrant workers who are in distress, and  focuses its efforts on crisis intervention and prevention through migrant empowerment. Mission has its offices at St John’s Cathedral on Garden Road, Central, and may be reached through tel. no. 2522 8264.

Immigration still accepts green employment contracts signed before Jan 1

The new blue contract should be used
if signed after Jan 1, 2017

By Vir B. Lumicao

Green standard employment contracts will still be accepted by the Immigration Department if they were signed by both the employer and the domestic worker before Jan. 1 and are received by Department before Jan 27.

This was made clear by the department in response to an inquiry by The SUN amid confusion over the effective date of the blue revised standard contract that includes safety guidelines on helpers’ window-cleaning duties.

Domestic workers who are confused over the implementing date of the new form have lambasted the Consulate and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office for allegedly telling them the green contract forms are still accepted by Immigration.

To the helpers’ dismay, immigration officers have rejected several green work contracts submitted for processing, telling the workers to use the blue forms instead.

“Hindi na nga ina-accept ung green na form sa immigration. Bakit ba ang kulit ng Consulate,” a visitor to the POLO Hong Kong website commented. 

The Immigration spokeswoman said the Labour Department guidelines on implementing the revised employment contract clearly stated that the blue form is required only for all contracts signed from Jan 1, 2017, onwards.

“So if the contract was signed before Jan 1, 2017, it will still be accepted by the Immigration as long as it is received on or before the Jan 27 deadline,” the spokeswoman said.

The window-cleaning restriction 

The helpers were incensed further when allegedly told by Consulate and POLO staff at the counters following the rejection that they would have to reprocess their contracts using the blue form – but would have to pay the fee of nearly $500 again.

Another worker who aired her complaint on Facebook turned out she misunderstood the instructions. She said her green contract, signed by her employer on Dec 30, 2016, was cleared by a staff on Jan 11.

Her document was still valid, but she listened to another Filipina helper who said that contract would be rejected as had happened to many others who had been told to use the blue forms. 

When told about the contract rejections, Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre said POLO’s cut-off date for using the green contracts was Jan 18, so that there was a seven-working-day time to submit them to Immigration before Jan 27.

He said it should be easy to fix the problem as the affected workers could just go to POLO and have the signing dates changed to pre-Jan 1, 2017. But he was not specific on whether the workers would have to pay a fee again.

The Labour Department revised the standard employment contract in November last year to include a clause that prohibits helpers from climbing out of a window to clean its exterior. The department enforced the new policy starting on Jan 1, 2017.

Maiiwasan ang paggamit ng ahensiya

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Noong Enero 4, umuwi ang kasambahay na si Lenie matapos sapilitang bumaba noong Disyembre sa bahay ng amo na ang gusto ay magpatuloy siya sa paglilingkod kahit nakatapos na siya ng dalawang-taong kontrata at suko na sa masamang trato sa kanya.

Taliwas sa karaniwang karanasan ng mga dayuhang kasambahay dito, nakakuha ng bagong amo at nakapag-proseso ng bagong kontrata si Lenie nang hindi dumaan sa isang ahensiya. Dahil doon ay nakatipid ng malaki ang dalaga.

Noong Nob 26 pa nakumpleto ni Lenie ang kontrata niya sa unang among Intsik, matapos tiisin ang matulog sa kusina, walang hintong pagtatrabaho mula ika-6 ng umaga hanggang ika-11 ng gabi, kalahating araw na day off sa isang linggo, pagkain ng kakaunti at tira-tira, at madalas na pag-alipusta ng among babae.

Kahit nagpaalam na ay hindi siya pinayagang makaalis nang maaga, bagkus ay ikinuha siya ng amo ng isang buwang visa extension sa pag-aaakalang makukumbinsi pa ang Pilipina na muling pumirma ng kontrata.

Palaban si Lenie, at noong Dis 10 ay nagpasiya siyang bumaba ng bahay sa katwirang tapos na ang kanyang kontrata kaya malaya na siyang makakaalis. Nagmatigas din ang amo at nagbantang gagawan siya ng kaso.

Ngunit kumampi kay Lenie ang may-ari ng ahensiya at dinala ang Pinay sa shelter nito.

Kaya pala, ang ahensiyang nag-deploy kay Lenie dito sa Hong Kong ay walang pahintulot mula sa ating Konsulado na mangalap ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, at nagpatatak lamang ng kontrata sa ibang ahensiya. Agad-agad nitong sinalo si Lenie upang hindi mabisto ang katiwaliang iyon. Ang ahensiya na rin ang kumumbinsi sa amo na dapat ibigay sa katulong ang karampatang bayad sa kanya.

Para kay Lenie, hindi biro ang gagastahin kapag mag-ahensiya siya sa paghahanap ng amo, kaya siya mismo ang naghanap sa internet at nakakuha naman siya di katagalan.

Siya lang mag-isa ang naglakad ng mga dokumento sa iba’t ibang tanggapan ng gobyerno ng Hong Kong at Konsulado. Naayos niya ang lahat hanggang sa nakuha niya ang kanyang working visa sa Immigration noong Enero 3.

Sa sariling lakad, naiwasan ni Lenie ang magbayad ng $2,000 hanggang $8,000 sa mga ahensiya rito na walang takot na sumisingil ng mahigit sa 10% ng unang buwanang sahod ng isang katulong, na siyang legal na singil. Sa karaniwang sahod na $4,300 isang buwan, dapat ay hindi lalampas sa $430 ang maari lang singilin sa isang kasambahay.

Sa kabilang dako, isang kaibigan ni Lenie ang nagpahanap ng bagong amo sa isang ahensiya sa Central. Siya ay sinisingil ng $8,000, na kakaltasin sa kanyang buwanang sahod sa halagang $2,000 bawat buwan.

Ipinakikita ng ehemplo ni Lenie na para sa mga katulong na nakatapos ng kontrata, makakakuha sila ng bagong amo at makakapagproseso ng mga dokumento nang hindi kailangang dumaan sa isang ahensiya.

Ang dahilan ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas na idaan sa mga ahensiya ang pagkuha ng amo sa ibang bansa ay para maprotektahan ang kapakanan ng manggagawa. Ngunit taliwas dito ang nangyayari. Ang mga ahensiya mismo ang kadalasang pumipiga sa manggagawa at nakikipagsabwatan sa amo upang gipitin siya.

Halos lahat ng mga bagong-dating ay nagsasabing siningil sila ng mga ahensiya dito nang higit na malaki kaysa sa 10% itinatadhana ng batas ng Hong Kong, at pinalalabas ng mga ahensiya na ang sinisingil nila ay mga personal na utang ng mga katulong.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit maraming katulong ang nababaon sa utang kahit bagong-dating lang. Pagdating dito ay dinadala na sila sa bahay-utangan upang pumirma sa kasunduan sa pautang na hindi naman sa kanila napupunta kundi sa mga ahensiya.

At upang matiyak na magbabayad ang katulong ay hahawakan ng ahensiya ang kanilang pasaporte, kahit ang gawaing ito ay ibinabawal din ng gobyerno.

Samakatwid, kung finished contract na ang isang katulong, maari na niyang lakarin mag-isa ang kanyang mga dokumento dahil sa paraang ito ay makakaiwas siya sa di makatwiran at ilegal na singil ng mga gahamang ahensiya.    

Ylagan gets ultimatum to appear in court

Ylagan 

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Small Claims Tribunal has given employment agency owner Ester P Ylagan an ultimatum to appear in court personally at the next hearing on March 30, or it would start resolving the claims against her.

Adjudicator Anthony Chow was in a good mood on Jan 12 when he tackled the complaints filed by 37 claimants, the third batch chasing Ylagan for money they had allegedly paid her for promised jobs in Britain and Canada.

The adjudicator asked Ylagan’s representative, a certain Miss Leung, why the defendant was not in court but the woman replied that she had  only been sent the documents.

Chow said that showed Leung had no communication with Ylagan, the reason why he disallowed her from representing the defendant in the previous hearing on Dec 8.

The adjudicator said despite requiring Ylagan to show proof she was too ill to attend court and that she was in the Philippines, he had not got any evidence confirming these. He said there was no reason to consolidate the cases.

As for the Ylagan camp’s bid to transfer the cases to District Court, Chow said all he was asking her was to show a letter of confirmation of engagement from a solicitors’ firm.

“All the claimants have to do now is to prove their case,” the adjudicator said.

“I give the defendant one last chance to confirm all these within the next 28 days.”

He said Ylagan must confirm that she is in the Philippines, that she is too ill to attend the hearings and, on the next hearing date of March 30, present a solicitor firm’s confirmation of engagement letter.

He said if Ylagan still failed to comply with his requirements, he would start acting on the claims.
“I want the defendant to confirm or give proof that the case needed to be transferred, but I won’t be transferring the cases to District Court,” Chow said, before telling the claimants: “But that doesn’t mean you have already won your case.”

The adjudicator told the claimants each one of them must make a witness statement within the next 28 days and prepare all evidence to support their claims.

These would  include audio and video recordings, which they must submit in MP3 and DVD formats and accompany with transcripts.

They should also get their witnesses ready.

The claimants must also prepare a written chronological account of when, where, why and how the case started and who they had dealt with as these would be needed in determining whether the case should be transferred to the District Court or remain in the tribunal.

“Everything depends on whether the defendant and her representative can do all the requirements, then I will try to consider whether the case will be heard in District Court,” Chow said.
Chow adjourned the hearing to March 30.

Early in the hearing, Chow dismissed five cases because the claimants failed to show up and threw out a sixth one because the claimant’s authorization letter appointing a representative did not reach the tribunal on time.

The adjudicator also stressed that he asked the Mission’s Edwina Santoyo to represent all the claimants so he would speak to only one representative.

On Feb 2, another big group of claimants will appear for the second time in the Tribunal for the hearing of their claims against Ylagan.

No easy way out for those who hock passports for loans

Vice Consul Alex Vallespin

By Vir B. Lumicao

Stories of Filipino domestic workers who ask for new passports either because they have lost their previous one or these were being kept by a loan shark have become so common that it’s now difficult to believe them, according to a Consulate official.

For this reason, the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) section has taken a more cautious approach in granting requests for passport replacements.

In the first working week of the year alone, ATN received two complaints of passports being held by lenders who charge astronomical rates. According to the passport applicants, their debts had so ballooned that it had become impossible to repay them.

Then in the second week of January more cases were reported, this time, of borrowers seeking help to regain their passports from so-called runners or conduits of the loan sharks, running to ATN for help to recover their travel documents.

Time and again, the Consulate has warned OFWs not to hock their passports as these belong to Philippine government, but the problem of workers losing their travel documents to debtors has persisted.

Such cases have stretched the patience of Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, ATN head, who said the section had heard so many such tales that it had now become cautious.

“Medyo ano na kami sa mga ganyan eh, marami na kami kasing istoryang naririnig,” Vallespin said in an interview on Jan 9.

The SUN had just called his attention then to a pregnant OFW outside his door who claimed she lost her passport in Worldwide House after she renewed her work contact some time back.

The woman was worried because she wanted to fly out soon as she was six months pregnant, but ATN was allegedly suspecting she had hocked her passport. She said she had reported the loss to the police and had gone to ATN to apply for a new one.

In a show of pique, Vallespin said, “Buntis ba talaga siya? Baka siya yung kausap naming noong August. Kasi may nag-declare dito na buntis siya, nagsangla siya, tapos pagtingin namin ay flat na flat ang tiyan eh.”

Because of such cases of OFWs resorting to lies to cover up giving up their passports in exchange for a loan, Vallespin said his staff had become more meticulous in handling passport replacements.

On the flipside are the belligerent debt runners who are accusing the section of protecting the debt defaulters, said Vallespin.

But he said that first, there would be no issue if the illegal money lenders asked for other things as collateral, and not passports.

 “Secondly, what is their visa here? Why are they bellicose?” Vallespin said of the runners.

He warned the Consulate could report the debt fences to Immigration authorities because they had already made so much money out of illegal lending.

Third, he said that if their employers were the financiers, these employers would be hit because they were in money lending without licenses.

And, fourth, if the employers were the financiers, they were making money in Hong Kong without paying taxes.

Vallespin said the practice of using passports as collateral persisted because it was lucrative for the borrower to hock the travel document, then just declare it as lost so she can apply for a new one. By just paying for a new passport, the OFWs could effectively run away from their debt obligations.

DH strikes back at employer, agency after China ordeal

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic worker filed a case on Jan 11 at the Labour Tribunal to claim payment in lieu of notice and other compensation from her former employer she had accused earlier of trafficking her to China.

The Tribunal had calendared the hearing for Feb 8, said Consulate officer Danny Baldon, who is handling the case of Chona (not her real name), the alleged victim.

Baldon said Chona elevated the case to the Tribunal after the employer, Cheung Lailing, snubbed a scheduled meeting at the Labour Relations Office on Jan 5.

He said Cheung’s lawyer sent a letter stating that the employer had no accountability in relation to the Filipina’s case.

Last month, the woman filed complaints of breach of contract and human trafficking against the employer for allegedly taking her across the border to work for her in China.

Chona lodged a separate complaint with the Employment Agencies Administration against Blessings Forever Employment Agency for allegedly charging her $16,000 as placement fee, of which she had advanced $10,000.

The Hong Kong government prohibits placement fees and allows agencies to charge just 10% of a helper’s first monthly salary as commission.

It was learned that Blessings was not accredited by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.

Chona alleged that the contracts with her first and second employers were only stamped by two accredited local agencies so they could be processed by POLO.

The maid filed the human trafficking complaint with the Immigration Department on Dec 7 and went to the EAA a week later to complain against Blessings charging her an excessive placement fee.

Both cases were being investigated by the two agencies, said Baldon.

Chona, a nursing board passer, told The SUN in a recent interview that she met Cheung at Blessings shortly after her first would-be boss backed out two days after hiring allegedly because she did not see the helper on CCTV.

Cheung was purportedly an executive of Shenzhen Expressway Petroleum Co. Ltd.

Blessings, owned by Alice Tang Shuk-wai, successfully placed Chona with Cheung, who interviewed her on July 2 before she returned to Manila. Blessings had her contract stamped by Kingdom & Power Employment Services, or KNP.

Cheung allegedly told her during the job interview she would work in her Mid-Levels flat doing such duties as cleaning the house, making juice, and other easy chores.

“Ang sabi niya, palagi raw siyang out of town kaya wala raw akong gagawin kundi maglinis ng bahay. Maganda naman ang offer, kaya tinanggap ko,”Chona said.

But as soon as Tang delivered her to Cheung’s house on Oct 24, the employer ordered Chona to start working, first by giving her a body massage then making her a juice and cleaning up the house. That night, she slept at 3am.

“Noong nandito na ako sa Hong Kong, bigla na siyang nagbago. Sinabi na rin niya dadalhin daw niya ako sa China at doon ako magtatrabaho,” the maid said.

Cheung asked her driver to apply for a China visa for Chona on Oct 26, but it was denied. The employer had to return to Hong Kong from Shenzhen to get the maid a visa.

In Shenzhen, she allegedly worked from 8am to 10am in Cheung’s house and was taken to the boss’ office at 11am where she cleaned up the place and did other chores until 9pm. For all her labor, she was allegedly given leftovers for meals.

Cheung was said to be fussy about the maid’s performance. On Nov 11, she allegedly punched the helper’s left arm for not straining her soup properly.

“Wala akong magawa, wala naman akong matawagan. Tapos inambahan niya uli ako ng suntok,” Chona said.

On Nov 14, Cheung allegedly ordered Chona to work nonstop all day without food until her body trembled from hunger and fatigue. The next day, the boss told her: “Pack up your things, everything, even not dry” and told the driver to take her to the bus station.

Back in Hong Kong Chona stayed in her mother’s flat after informing her agent, Tang, about her termination. Tang asked Cheung why but the boss said she sent the maid back to Hong Kong to rest as she was sick, and that everything would be settled on Nov 20.

That meeting at Pacific Place between Chona and her mother and Cheung on Nov 20 was not about settlement, the maid said. Cheung gave her instead a one-month termination notice effective Dec 16 with her release on Nov 30 “because I don’t want her to stay in my flat alone”.

The employer took Chona back to her flat then left for China the next morning. On Nov 27, Cheung ordered Chona to return to Shenzhen but the Filipina refused. The employer returned to Hong Kong and said the maid won’t leave the house on Nov 30 unless she paid $2,940 for the remaining days to Dec 16.

Cheung and Tang allegedly forced Chona to sign a quitclaim saying she was leaving on an emergency and won’t file any complaint against the boss. Tang booked her on a Dec 1 flight to Manila without baggage allowance but charged her $1,800 for it.

Sensing she was being shipped out soon so she could not complain to the authorities, Chona paid $500 to rebook her ticket then sought help from the Consulate.

Employer fined $3k for assault on helper, gets blacklisted

By Vir B. Lumicao

Rimas shortly after the assault
 in April last year

A Chinese housewife got away on Jan 16 with just a $3,000 fine for physically assaulting her Filipina domestic worker last year, but she and her husband can no longer hire a maid from the Philippines.

Zhang Qi, 39, who was originally from mainland China, pleaded guilty to common assault on G. Rimas, 42, before Eastern Court Magistrate Jacky Ip, who proceeded to convict her of the offense.

Rimas expressed disappointment over the sentence, saying it was too light for the wrong done to her. The view was shared by Edwina Antonio of the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, who has been assisting her in the case.

"Hindi lang dapat ganun ang parusa sa ginawa niya sa biktima," Antonio said after the sentencing. "Pero mabuti na rin iyon at may criminal record na siya, hindi tulad ng bindover na wala siyang magiging record.”

She said Zhang’s lawyer had approached them before the hearing with an offer of $5,000 in compensation for the helper, “maybe more”. But she should support Zhang’s plea for a bindover – a promise not to reoffend within a specified period with a certain sum for surety.

After the court hearing, Rimas and Antonio proceeded to the Consulate to have

Jubilant after her employer's sentencing

Zhang and her husband Simon J. Eckersley blacklisted so they can no longer hire Filipino helpers.

In sentencing, magistrate Ip chided Zhang for her “serious crime”, saying Hong Kong courts protect domestic helpers who had left their families to come here and work.

“No matter the issue, there’s no reason for you to use violence against the domestic helper. Hong Kong is a civilized society and does not tolerate any violence against a domestic helper,” Ip said.

“It has an impact that embarrasses Hong Kong,” he said.

Rimas was visibly relieved after the sentencing. She immediately called her farmer husband to tell the news. The couple has three children aged 19-24, and a one-year-old grandson.

About half an hour earlier, she burst out crying when she saw Zhang arrive for the trial with her private lawyers.

But she was consoled and massaged by Antonio and a fellow client at the shelter who accompanied her to court.

In mitigation, the defense counsel described Zhang as a former mainland businesswoman who came to Hong Kong with her husband to ‘take motherhood seriously” raising her three-year-old son and six-year-old daughter.

The lawyer said his client “is very embarrassed to be here today” because of the case and had been seeing a clinical psychologist regularly since the incident.

Seeking the most lenient sentence, he said Zhang had a bad day on Apr 18 because one of her three maids ran away at 2pm and the victim wanted to follow suit in the evening.

The court was told that the incident started when Zhang asked to see Rimas’ passport but was told she did not have the travel document because it was with somebody else in Wanchai.

Rimas allegedly tried to leave through the backdoor of the Repulse Bay home at around 6pm but Zhang prevented her.

When the maid reached the lift, Zhang grabbed her right arm and tried to drag her out. They struggled until the lift opened in the car park lobby and the Filipina called for help from the guards. He said it was during the struggle that she sustained injuries.

Court records show Rimas had a small laceration over her left eyebrow, small red scratch marks on her right wrist, a bruise on the third knuckle of her left hand, and a red mark on her left hand.

The helper told The SUN she started working for Zhang and her family on Dec 23, 2015. She said Zhang’s first assaulted her on Apr 4, 2016, when she pushed her forcefully from the dining room to the maid’s room while verbally abusing her.

On Apr 18, after a maid named Jailine fled, Zhang vented her ire on Rimas “because she (Zhang) knew I encouraged her to escape from the maltreatment we were suffering”.

“I was overcome by fear that she’d hurt me again so I also decided to flee,” she said.

Antonio said Rimas is considering an appeal against Zhang’s sentence, and could also file a separate civil claim for damages against the employer.

Charo at Lav, nominado sa 11th Asian Film Awards

By Johna Acompanado

Nakakuha ng tatlong nominasyon ang pelikulang “ Ang Babaeng Humayo” para sa 11th Asian Film Awards na gaganapin sa Hong Kong Cultural Centre sa March 21. Nominado si Lav Diaz para ito sa best screenplay at best director, at si Charo Santos bilang best actress. Ang naturang pelikula ay nauna nang nanalo sa 73rd Venice Film Festival noong nakaraang taon, nang makuha nito ang pinakamataas na parangal na Golden Lion Award, at naging nominado rin bilang best actress si Charo. Tinalo nito ang ilang malalaking pelikula, kabilang na ang Hollywood film na La La Land na nanalong best film (comedy or musical) sa katatapos na Golden Globe awards.

Ang mga nominado:
Best Film - The Wailing (South Korea), The Age of Shadows (South Korea), Harmonium (Japan), Godspeed (Taiwan), I Am Not Madame Bovary (China)
Best Director- Lav Diaz (“Ang Babaeng Humayo”), Na Hong-jin (“The Wailing”),
Koji Fukada (“Harmonium”), Derek Tsang (“Soul Mate”), Feng Xiaogang (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”)
Best Actor- Michael Hui (“Godspeed”), Gong Yoo (“Train to Busan”), Asano Tadanobu (‘Harmonium”), Fan Wei, Mr. (“No Problem”), Richie Jen (“Trivisa”)
Best Actress - Charo Santos (“Ang Babaeng Humayo”), Son Ye-jin (“The Last Princess”)
Fan Bingbing (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”), Haru Kuroki, (“A Bride for Rip Van Winkle”), Kara Wai (“Happiness”)
Best Supporting Actor- Jun Kunimura (“The Wailing”), Ma Dong-seok (“Train to Busan”), Ayano Go (“Rage”), Dong Chengpeng/Da Peng (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”)
Lam Suet (“Trivisa”)
Best Supporting Actress - Elaine Jin (“Mad World”), Moon So-ri (“The Handmaiden”)
Maeda Atsuko (“The Mohican Comes Home”), Shabana Azmi (“Neerja”), Lynn Xiong (“See You Tomorrow”)
Best Newcomer - Kim Tae-ri (“The Handmaiden”), Takara Sakumoto (“Rage”), Firdaus Rahman (“Apprentice”), Wu Tsz-tung (“Weeds on Fire”), Lin Yun (“The Mermaid”)
Best Screenplay - The Salesman, Ang Babaeng Humayo, Your Name, The Handmaiden,
Trivisa
Best Editing - The Handmaiden, Rage, Train to Busan, Apprentice, Operation Mekong
Best Cinematography - After the Storm, The Age of Shadows, I Am Not Madame Bovary, Mr. No Problem, The Wasted Times
Best Original Music - Soul Mate, The Age of Shadows, Three, Godspeed, Rage
Best Costume Design - The Wasted Times, The Handmaiden, The Sanada Ten Braves,
Train to Busan, See You Tomorrow,
Best Production Design - The Handmaiden, Pandora, A Bride for Rip Van Winkle, See You Tomorrow, Railroad Tigers
Best Visual Effects - Train to Busan, Shin Godzilla, Railroad Tigers, See You Tomorrow
Best Sound - The Wailing, Crosscurrent, Shin Godzilla, Cold War 2

Ang mga hurado ay pamumunuan ng Chinese director na si Jia Zhangke. Ang Hong Kong actress na si Karena Lam ay isa sa mga hurado.

CAMILLE, IKINASAL NA

Ikinasal na ang Kapuso actress/host na si Camille Prats sa non-showbiz fiancé niyang si VJ Yambao noong January 7. Ginanap ang garden wedding sa Nayomi Sanctuary Resort sa Balete, Batangas, na pag-aari ng pamilya Prats.

Kabilang sa mga bridesmaids ay ang mga showbiz friends ni Camille na sina Kaye Abad- Castillo, Pauleen Luna-Sotto, Sherilyn Reyes- Tan, Yayo Aguila at ang kanyang hipag na si Isabel Oli-Prats, asawa ng kuya niyang si John.  Gaya ng ipinangako kay Camille, dumating si Ogie Alcasid upang awitin ang “ Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka” sa kanyang kasal.

Ilan pa sa mga celebrities na dumalo, ay sina Sam Milby, kasama ang girlfriend na si Mari Jasmine, Diana Zubiri, kasama ang asawang si Andi Smith, Nikki Valdez at kanyang boyfriend, Sheena Halili, at ang engaged couple na sina Rochelle Pangilinan at Arthur Solinap. Naroon din sina Sarah Jane Abad at asawang si Jay Contreras, Paul Jake Castillo, asawa ni Kaye at ang komedyanteng si Pooh.
Sina VJ at Camille ay dating magkaklase noong mga bata pa sila, at muling nagkatagpo ang landas noong 2013.

Ito ang pangalawang pagpapakasal ng aktres. Ikinasal siya sa nasirang si Anthony Linsangan noong 2008, sa isang civil wedding sa Amerika, at sinundan ng engrandeng kasal sa Santuario de San Jose sa Forbes Park noong noong March, 2010. Nagkaroon sila ng anak, si Nathaniel Cesar, na ngayon ay walong taong gulang na, bago pumanaw si Anthony sa sakit na nasopharyngeal cancer noong 2011.

CARLA, PABORITONG AKTRES SA VIETNAM
Tinanghal na “Most Favourite Foreign Actress” ang Kapuso star na si Carla Abellana sa Vietnam sa katatapos na Today TV’s Face of the Year Awards noong January 7.

Pinasalamatan ni Carla ang kanyang mga Pilipino at Vietnamese fans na sumusuporta sa kanya at bumoto sa kanya online kaya daw siya nanalo.

Tatlong TV series na pinagbidahan ni Carla ang naipalabas na sa Today TV sa Vietnam:
“Kung Aagawin Mo Ang Langit”, “My Husband’s Lover” at “My Destiny” kaya nagiging paborito na siya ng mga manonood.

Malapit na ring mapanood ang isa pa niyang tv series, ang “Because Of You”  sa naturan ding TV station.

Masaya ang lovelife ni Carla sa piling ng kanyang boyfriend na si Tom Rodriguez.

Kapag may oras ay nagta-travel sila, kaya marami na rin silang napuntahan. Nitong nakaraang buwan ay sumunod si Carla sa Amerika kay Tom upang doon mag-new year. Nagbakasyon si Tom doon upang makasama ang kanyang pamilya at mabisita ang kanyang 76 year old na ama, na nagpapagaling sa sakit na cancer.

SHARON, SUBSOB SA TRABAHO SA 2017

Binigyan ng magandang tribute ng ASAP si Sharon Cuneta noong Lingggo, January 8, para sa kanyang birthday celebration. Kinanta ng mga sikat na Kapamilya singers, tulad nina Martin Nievera, Sarah Geronimo, Angeline Quinto, Yeng Constantino, Toni Gonzaga, at marami pang iba, kasama rin si Ogie Alcasid, ang mga awiting pinasikat ni Sharon. Inawit din ng mga anak ni Sharon na sina Frankie at Miel ang awiting “I-Swing Mo Ako”.

Sa taong ito, sasabak ng husto sa trabaho si Sharon. Sa ngayon ay kinaaliwan na ng manonood ang show na “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids “. Malapit na ring simulan ang new season ng The Voice.
Balik din siya sa pag-arte sa mga nakalinyang pelikulang gagawin niya, una na rito ang reunion movie niya sa dating ka-loveteam, at dating asawang si Gabby Concepcion.

Bukod pa sa kanyang mga TV at film projects, babalikan na rin ng Megastar ang pag-record ng mga bagong awitin. Inihahanda na ang kanyang unang album sa ilalim ng Star Music.

Kabilang dito ang awiting “ Hanggang Dulo” na inawit niya sa ASAP noong  Linggo, bilang finale sa kanyang birthday celebration.

Pinasalamatan ni Sharon ang ASAP family sa Facebook, na may kasamang “unedited, unretouched” niyang larawan, kung saan ay makikita na ang mas sexier at slimmer niyang katawan, na matagal na panahon din niyang inasam.

PANGANAY NI OGIE, BALIK-PILIPINAS
Dumating sa Pilipinas noong January 11 si Leila Alcasid, 19, ang panganay na anak nina Ogie Alcasid at Michelle Van Eimeren.

Plano nitong tumira ng isang taon sa Pilipinas at marami raw siyang gustong subukang gawin. Nakatapos na ng kolehiyo ang dalaga, at sa ngayon ay may inumpisahan ng blog upang maibahagi ang kanyang “adventures”.

Nakatira siya ngayon sa bahay nina Regine Velasquez at ng kanyang ama, kasama ang anak nilang dalawa na si Nate.

Lumaki at nag-aral si Leila sa Australia, kasama ang kanyang ina at kapatid na si Sarah.
Pero kahit nagkahiwalay ang kanyang mga magulang at may iba nang asawa, ay nanatiling magkaibigan ang mga ito, kaya magkasundo ang kani-kanilang pamilya. Kapag nagbabakasyon sa Australia sina Regine, Ogie at Nate ay sa bahay ni Michelle sila tumitira, at kapag ang pamilya naman nito ang nagbabakasyon sa Pilipinas ay sa bahay nila Regine at Ogie sila tumutuloy.
Hindi pa malinaw kung balak ding pumasok si Leila sa showbiz, bagama’t maganda rin ito, na hindi kataka-taka, dahil dating beauty queen ang kanyang ina (Miss Australia). Baka rin naman namana nito ang musicality ng kanyang ama, na isang mahusay na singer at composer,  bukod pa sa magaling na komedyante, host at industry leader.

Dating presidente ng Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) si Ogie.

Chinese Horoscope (covers the period Jan 16-31)

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92
Maswerte ka sa trabaho ngayon. Kung may natatagong talento na hindi pa nabubunyag, ito na ang tamang panahon na magamit ito. Kailangan mo ng exercise upang makakilos ng maayos. Iwasang gumastos ng higit pa sa kinikita. Mahirap makipagkasundo kung paiiralin mo ang tigas ng ulo. Kailangang kumilos ka upang maiwasang lumaki ang alitan na maaring mauwi sa hiwalayan. Lucky numbers: 12, 23, 37 at 40.

TANDANG Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93
Marami kang kayang gawin at makamit sa linggong ito. Masaya ang love life kaya mas panatag ka rin ngayon. Magkakaroon ng tensyon ang pagkakaibigan. Mag-ingat, hindi ito ang tamang panahon na bumili o magbenta ng bahay o lupa. Dobleng ingat din sa mga nakakahawang sakit. Maiibsan ang maraming dalahin sa pagpasok ng bagong taon sa katapusan ng buwan dahil taon mo ngayon. Magdiwang! Lucky numbers: 9, 17, 35 at 41.

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94
Malaki ang tsansa na gumanda ang pananalapi, pero hindi magiging matatag ang relasyon; magtiis ka lang muna. Huwag sungitan ang malapit na kamag-anak dahil delikado ito. Isusubsob mo ang sarili sa trabaho at magiging mahusay ka sa pakikisama sa mga katrabaho, kaya ang pag-asenso ay hindi nalalayo. Lucky numbers: 5,6,13 at 32.
.
BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95
Marami kang alalahanin at pangamba sa panahong ito, sa kabila nito, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa dahil naririyan ang mga kaibigan na handang tumulong. May mga problema sa relasyon: away, selos at hindi pagiging tapat. Huwag matakot sa pagbabago lalo na sa trabaho, hindi man madali sa umpisa, pero mas makabubuti ito sa iyo. Lucky numbers: 7, 11, 25 at 46.

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96 
Huwag ipangalandakan ang pagiging liberal dahil baka dumating ang oras na mag-isa ka na lang laban sa lahat. Kung may sisimulang negosyo ngayon, malaki ang pag-asa na magtatagumpay ito. Umiwas sa insomnia; agahan ang pagkain ng hapunan, palitan ang red meat ng white meat at kumain ng mga berdeng gulay at dairy products. Away ang resulta kung pipilitin mong dominahan ang asawa. Lucky numbers: 16, 22, 29 at 31.

BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97 
Huwag mangarap ng gising, maging realistiko. Ipagpaliban muna ang paggawa ng malalaking desisyon. Sa pag-ibig, malapit nang matupad ang minimithi. Kailangan nang mag-diyeta bago mahuli ang lahat. Dahil sa pagiging prangka at masasakit na salita, magiging mahirap ang relasyon sa mga malalapit sa iyo. Bawasan ang talas ng dila upang mapanatili ang magandang pagsasama. Lucky numbers: 13, 26, 35 at 40.
.
TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98 
Malaki ang tsansa na mapaganda ang lagay ng tirahan, pero huwag masyadong maging mapaghanap. Sa trabaho, pagtuunan ng atensyon ang maliliit na bagay. Marami kang makikilalang bagong kaibigan sa panahong ito, kaya gusto mong lumipat sa mas magarang tahanan, pero bago ituloy ito, pag-isipang mabuti kung kakayanin mo ang gastos. Lucky numbers: 2, 15, 33 at 45.

 KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87 
Maraming mahalagang bagay ang magaganap na magpapabago sa iyong buhay. Maliliit man ang problema sa pera ay kailangan mo pa ring maging maingat sa paggastos. Lumabas ka sa iyong lungga at makipag-kaibigan! Lahat ng inaasam sa trabaho ay unti-unting matutupad dahil sa iyong determinasyon at sipag. Lucky numbers: 6, 11, 37 at 42.

 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88 
Huwag madaliin na makuha agad ang gusto dahil marami pang balakid; hayaang panahon ang magpasya. Hindi kailangang ipagyabang ang iyong mga katangian at mga nakamit, mas makikilala ang iyong halaga kung mananatili kang tahimik. Kulang ka sa tiwala sa sarili kaya gusto mong laging may kakampi; iwasang maging mapaghanap upang hindi ka layuan ng malalapit sa iyo. Lucky numbers: 21, 33, 38 at 46.

AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89 
Maglaan ng oras na pag-aralan at baguhin ang iyong pagba-budget. Sa pag-ibig, mas mabuting magpakita ng kabaitan, sa kabila ng mga panlilinlang sa iyong paligid. Maganda ang takbo ng trabaho at marami kang dapat gawin kaysa dati, kaya kailangang i-organisa ang lahat at planuhin ang gawain ng iyong mga kasamahan. Lucky numbers: 17, 24, 39 at 44.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90
May tsansa kang mabago ang pamumuhay. Lalabas din ang totoo na kung sino pa ang malapit sa iyo, ay sila pang susubok na sirain ang iyong pamilya. Huwag hayaang mangyari ito. Malaki ang tensyon sa pagsasama, at pareho kayong may kasalanan, pero mababawasan ito kung makakapag-usap ng maayos at magbibigay-daan ang bawat isa. Lucky numbers: 15, 19, 36 at 38.

KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79 at 91 
Huwag gaanong maging gahaman sa pera dahil pagsisimulan yan ng mga problema. Mag-ingat sa away tungkol sa edukasyon ng mga anak, piliting magkasundo sa desisyon. May malaking pagbabago na makakaapekto sa dating bisyo, huwag labanan ito at piliting umunlad ang sarili. Mag-ingat na mahulog, mapilayan o malasing. Samantalahin ang dumarating na magandang pagkakataon. Lucky numbers: 6, 17, 36 at 44.

Long holiday delays new passports

Long lines of people claiming their new passports.

By Vir B. Lumicao

The long Christmas holiday season has resulted in a backlog in the release of new passports.

More than a week since the holidays ended, long queues formed at the passport counters at the Consulate, and Vice Consul Fatima Quintin, the officer in charge, had to lend a hand in attending to applicants.

Still, some applicants who had waited for months for their documents in vain were unable to contain their anger.

One of them was  Lorielyn R. who went ballistic at the releasing counter upon learning that the new passport she had applied for in October last year and was due for pick up on Dec 6 had not yet arrived from Manila.

“Apat na beses na akong pinabalik-balik doon pero hanggang ngayon wala pa,” the domestic worker angrily told The SUN who chanced upon her at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office where she was processing her new work contract.

She was doubly irritated when, arriving at POLO, she found out that there was also a long line for OFWs renewing their work contracts.

Lorielyn said five others who were in the same situation as hers also ran out of patience and berated staff at the Consulate for their undelivered passports.

Vice Consul Quintin confirmed that that passport shipments were delayed mainly because of the intervening holidays both here in Hong Kong and in the Philippines.

She admitted being aware of the complaints about the delays, but said that these were mainly due to snags in Manila. To appease those affected, she said the Consulate had been extending gratis the validity extension of their existing documents.

Quintin said passport processing normally takes three months, but sometimes there are a few who receive their new travel documents in just a few weeks.

She added that the speed at which applications are processed could also depend on the accuracy of the data entered by the applicants. There are times that incomplete or incorrect documents are submitted, and these have to be returned to the applicants to fix.

Another reason could be because the applicant’s name is on the DFA lookout list, Quintin said.
She explained that this could be due to issues in the applicant’s personal details, such as fictitious names, altered dates, data errors, criminal and other court cases.

It could also be because the applicant has the same name as someone in the lookout list.

Inoperahan dahil sa lockjaw

Isang kasambahay na taga Iloilo ang nagpapagaling ngayon matapos maoperahan ng dalawang beses sa Queen Mary Hospital noong Disyembre dahil hindi maibuka ang bibig sanhi ng lockjaw.

Kasalukuyang nagpapa-hinga sa Pilipinas si Kezha Lopez matapos ang maselang operasyon na isinagawa sa kanya. Una itong isinagawa noong Dis 7, at inabot ang operasyon ng walong oras. Ang pangalawa ay isinagawa noong Dis 15 na umabot naman sa apat na oras.

Ayon kay Lopez, may “bone tumor osteoma” siya sa kaliwang panga kaya nag lockjaw siya.  Malaki na daw kasi yung tumor nang madiskubre.

Sinabi daw ng mga doktor na “stress” ang pinaka-ugat ng kanyang kakaibang kundisyon.

Una siyang kumunsulta sa Iloilo Doctors Hospital dahil sa paninigas ng kanyang panga.

Isinailalim siya sa CT scan ngunit hindi naging malinaw ang resulta kaya nagpatingin siyang muli sa Pamela Youde Nethersole Hospital sa Chaiwan, at doon nakita yung tumor sa kanyang panga na kasing laki na ng itlog ng pugo sa laki.

Una siyang ni-refer sa Prince Philip Hospital sa Sai Ying Pun bago dinala sa Queen Mary kung saan agad siyang isinailalim sa biopsy noong Agosto 11. Nang lumala ang kanyang kundisyon dahil nag lockjaw na siya ay sumailalim siya sa operasyon. Nilagyan ng titanium plates yung panga niya para maibuka niya ang bibig niya.

Matapos ang operasyon ay nilagnat siya dahil sa impeksiyon mula sa dugong namuo sa kanyang leeg dahil hindi lahat natanggal, kaya kinailangang operahan ulit noong Dis 15. Nilagyan siya ng tubo sa leeg para matanggal ang impeksiyon sa kanyang leeg.

Pinasaya naman si Lopez sa ospital ng mga kababayan na dumalaw sa kanya, bago siya nagdesisyong umuwi para makapagpahinga.

Sa isang mensahe na ipinadala niya sa The SUN, sinabi ni Lopez na hirap pa rin siyang magsalita nguni’t maayos na ang kanyang kalagayan.

Nakatakda siyang bumalik sa kanyang mga amo sa Hong Kong na siyam na taon na niyang pinagsisilbihan ngayong Enero 23. – may ulat ni Merly Bunda

Illegal recruiters to face problems renewing their passports, Congen warns

Congen Catalla

By Daisy CL Mandap

They could avoid being made to fully account for duping Filipino workers into shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for fake jobs abroad, but they could still end up losing their passports.
This warning was made by Consul General Bernardita Catalla, when asked what steps are being taken by the Consulate against those who face charges of victimizing their fellow Filipinos through massive recruitment scams.

Congen Catalla cited the example of a notorious recruiter who was arrested by Hong Kong police several years back on her return from Macau where she made about two dozen Filipino job applicants to wait for flights to Cyprus that never came.

The recruiter, who remains out on police bail, has reportedly applied to renew her Philippine passport, saying she needed to travel back home to visit her ailing father, but was spurned.
She then tried to appeal her case directly with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, but was also unsuccessful.

Congen Catalla said, “the case was referred back to us, so of course we stood by our decision”.
She said that the same fate could await Ester Ylagan, who faces multiple complaints at the Small Claims Tribunal for allegedly luring up to 500 Filipinos to pay between $10,000 and $15,000 for fake jobs in Canada and Britain.

“We could also reject her application for passport renewal if we find sufficient basis for it,” she said.
Authorities in the Philippines have reportedly been alerted about charges that Ylagan had extended her recruitment for the non-existent jobs to Filipinos living there, although the complainants are mainly based in Hong Kong, with a few in Macau.

If proven true, she could be indicted for human trafficking and massive illegal recruitment, which are both serious offences in the Philippines.

Ylagan has not been seen in public since the complaints against her started mounting in late June last year.

A representative she sent to attend tribunal hearings on her behalf has told the court that Ylagan had gone home to Manila to have eye surgery. More recently, she was reportedly seeking psychiatric consultation.

Consulate sources say Hong Kong authorities have confirmed that Ylagan left the territory sometime in August, but her exact whereabouts now are unknown.

OEC online sign-up stretches beyond holidays

Queueing up to get into POLO for OEC online registration

By The SUN team

The queue to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office for online registration for the overseas employment certificate (OEC) has remained long, weeks after the Christmas holiday rush.

And among those who have come back from their holidays, several have complained about being held up at airports in the Philippines because of problems with the OEC exemption that they got back home.

Weekday applicants for OEC exemption average 300 a day, double this figure on Sundsya

Merly Bunda, a longtime correspondent of Bombo Radyo in the Philippines, said that on her way back from Iloilo on Jan. 4, she met a fellow OFW who was barred from taking the flight back to Hong Kong because of problems with her OEC exemption slip. The OFW reportedly said she obtained the certificate from POEA Iloilo.

Another OFW from Capiz reportedly complained about having made to pay P300 at a computer shop just to access her records and have her slip printed. She said she had to stay long at the shop because the internet signal in their area was weak.

The same experience has been shared online by OFWs who complained about the proliferation of shops around POEA offices and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila that take advantage of the OEC requirement by offering online and printing services for a high fee.

Earlier, hiccups were also reported by those who were held up at the Cebu International Airport because the temporary exemption slip issued them by POLO were not being honored at the immigration counters.

One of them, Novie Maglasang, got so incensed on being told that her slip was of no use that an airport official ended up helping her register online so she could board her flight back to Hong Kong.

“Mabuti na lang nagpunta ako sa aiport nang maaga kaya nakaalis ako,” she told The SUN.

There were at least two other Hong Kong-bound OFWs who were unable to board their flights ahead of her, she said.

On Jan. 10, another OFW, Joan Ibayan Bruce, posted a complaint on the wall of Assistant Labor Henry Tianero about her online records not being found.

“Pati sa immigration NOT FOUND kaya bumalik aq ng POEA sa airport, muntik na aq maiwan ng eroplano sa manila.”

Joan posted a screenshot of the stage where her online registration stalled.

In reply, Tianero said, “If no record has been found click ‘CLICK HERE’ to continue and complete your BM account registration and for appointment with POLO or POEA anywhere at your convenience to get your OEC.”

“In your case, this is an incomplete registration which requires to be fully accomplished to make an appointment and for your OEC,” he added.

Meanwhile, the long wait at POLO Hong Kong for the registration with the Balik Manggagawa Online (BMOnline) system has continued.

On weekdays POLO is still besieged daily by about 300 people waiting to get their registration completed so they are enabled to get the OEC exemption that they need when they go back to the Philippines for a vacation.

On Sundays the number doubles. Given these figures, the online registration of the estimated 187,000 OFWs in Hong Kong should continue well into the next year’s peak periods.

As of mid-December last year, only 38,000 OFWs have registered with the online system. Of this number, some may even have to re-register if they transfer to another employer.

The need to register online to enable POEA to build up its data base continues to meet resistance from older OFWs.

“Ang hirap naman mag-register sa online,” one middle-aged OFW in the queue to POLO in Admiralty Centre said recently, as she tinkered with her cell phone as the registration’s closing time neared.

Each of the 40 or so people who were also lined up was trying to create an online account using their phones with help from volunteers and fellow registrants.

Under the new system for the queue, applicants must have already created an online account, and have set an appointment so validators in POLO can finalize their registration.

Those with appointments on the same day are listed batch by batch on a pink elevator access form by NOPT volunteers who marshal the crowd.

“Ayaw na ninyo ang pumila para sa OEC, iyan na ang kasagutan sa hiniling ninyo. Minsan lang ang online registration na ito at pagkatapos ay wala na. Diyan na lang kayo magkuha ng exemption sa mga phone ninyo,” Tianero told those waiting to get in.

He was shuttling between the POLO offices on the 11^th and 16^th floors and visiting the applicants on the bridge leading to the building.

POLO expects the crunch to ease up a bit after requiring accredited employment agencies in Hong Kong to register their new recruits from the Philippines. By mid-December, Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre also made it mandatory for all those processing a new contract to register with BMOnline.

But the full impact of these new arrangements has yet to be felt.

Tribunal throws out $150k claim as DH disappears

After her initial victory at the Labour Tribunal, a Filipina domestic helper has apparently abandoned her claim for more than $150,000 as compensation from her employer.

Gemma Farro failed to show up at the Tribunal on Dec 15 for the continuation of the hearing of her claim for compensation for alleged illegal termination and unpaid wages.

Her employer Ng Fung-ping and her husband waited in the court, as did the Tagalog interpreter. But there was no sign of Farro.

Presiding Officer David Chan had ordered the maid to submit to the court on Dec 1 a complete medical report from the supervising doctor of the surgeons at Queen Elizabeth Hospital who operated on her brain tumor in August.

That report is crucial to Farro’s case, as it could confirm or belie a medical report issued by a doctor in the hospital saying a test on her blood had traces of the illegal drug “ice”.

Chan said this could be ground for Farro’s immediate dismissal from her job and criminal prosecution.

At noon, when the claimant did not appear, the court dismissed the interpreter. That signaled the end of Farro’s claim.

Except for the possible implications of the new medical report, Farro was already a winner in the first hearing on Nov 1, as Chan got Ng to pay her $7,702 including salary in lieu of one month’s notice, unpaid leave and air ticket to Manila.

Ng told the Tribunal she did not fire Farro but the maid insisted on staying in a friend’s house after leaving hospital following the surgery.

Farro allegedly resigned after being told she could stay out but without pay.

Her main claim of $150,000 for illegal termination would have been decided on by Chan in the Dec 15 hearing. – Vir B. Lumicao

Statutory Holidays in HK for 2017

The 12 statutory holidays for 2017 in Hong Kong are:

1) The first day of January (1 January)
2) Lunar New Year’s Day (28 January)
3) The third day of Lunar New Year (30 January)
4) The fourth day of Lunar New Year (31 January)
5) Ching Ming Festival (4 April)
6) Labour Day (1 May)
7) Tuen Ng Festival (30 May)
8) Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (1 July)
9) National Day (1 October)
10) The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (5 October)
11) Chung Yeung Festival (28 October)
12) Chinese Winter Solstice Festival (22 December) OR Christmas Day (25 December) (at the option of the employer)

Please note: 
I. According to the Employment Ordinance, when either Lunar New Year’s Day, the second day of the Lunar New Year or the third day of the Lunar New Year falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution; and in the event that the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival falls on a Sunday, the day thereafter (i.e. the 17th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar) is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution.  As the second day of Lunar New Year of 2017 falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of Lunar New Year will be designated as a statutory holiday.

II. All employees are entitled to the above statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months is entitled to the holiday pay which is equivalent to the daily average wages earned by the employee in the 12-month period preceding the holiday.