Protest held as VP Sara meets with supporters in HK

 

Protesters say Duterte should face her impeachment trial instead of traveling abroad

Militant migrant workers held a lightning rally outside the Philippine Consulate in Admiralty on Sunday to protest a visit by Vice President Sara Duterte, and call for her impeachment.

Speakers at the rally said not all migrant workers were happy to welcome Duterte to Hong Kong, and told her that she should stop spending public funds on her frequent trips abroad.

The protesters led by Bayan HK and Macau, also said Duterte should instead face the Senate impeachment court, where she is charged with unexplained wealth, failing to provide an accurate statement of her assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) and prohibited business interests.

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While the protest was ongoing, Duterte was meeting with her supporters from the Filipino migrant community.

At a gathering attended by more than 100 people at an events venue in Kwun Tong, she thanked her supporters for giving her a warm welcome on her fourth meeting with them, with the first one being held when her father, Rodrigo R. Duterte, was still the country’s president.

“Next year, dapat mas malaki pero kailangan natin ng one-year preparation,” (Next year should be bigger, but we need to prepare for it a year in advance), she said, apparently alluding to a plan to hold another mass event in Hong Kong to kick-start her campaign for the presidency in 2028.

Duterte was in Hong Kong from Friday, Nov. 6 to Sunday, Nov. 8, which her office said was a private visit that was to be funded entirely out of pocket.

VP Sara tells her supporters they should prepare for a bigger gathering next year

Before leaving the country, she had to secure a travel authority from the Office of the President and the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, where a case for grave threats against her is pending.

The charges relate to alleged threats she made during an online press briefing against President Ferdinand Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Alluding to the charge, Duterte told her supporters that Tagalog-speaking Filipinos do not seem to understand the sense of humor of those from the Visayan region.

In a statement, Dolores Balladares of Unifil-Migrante HK asked why Duterte chose to fly to  Hong Kong when she should instead be traveling to the Senate which is just nearby, to respond to the impeachment charges against her.

“Tigilan na niya ang kababyahe. Harapin niya ang kaso ng pagwawaldas ng pera ng bayan at ipaliwanag ang natuklasang undeclared assets at bilyong halaga ng mga bank transactions niya at kanyang asawa,” said Balladares.

(She should stop her travels. She should answer charges of plundering public funds and explain the undeclared assets and billions of pesos worth of bank transactions in her name and that of her husband).

A forensic expert told the Senate impeachment court that Duterte had undisclosed assets of between Php817 million and Php1.5 billion based on the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Duterte’s lawyers are due to start presenting her defense to the charges before the impeachment court today, Monday.

 

 

 

Alex Eala loses HK Tennis Open Final to Claire Liu in straight sets

 

Claire Liu and Alex Eala are all smiles as they show off their trophies (Photo)

Exhaustion and injury finally caught up with the Philippines' Alexandra Eala tonight as she succumbed to the steady pressure from American Claire Liu, who won the championship of the Hong Kong Tennis Open at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

Liu who was ranked 102 going into the match, lifted a crystal trophy made by Lalique, while Eala ranked no 17 and second seed in the tournament, got the smaller green trophy as runner-up.

What started as a test of each other’s ability, scoring 3-3 at the beginning of the first set, deteriorated after Eala called a medical timeout with her behind at 3-4.

A medic added another bandage to Eala's sore knee early on in the first set

A physiotherapist sprayed a pain killer on her right thigh, and then wrapped it up in tape. Eala decided to go right back to the match afterwards.

Her leg problem apparently began during her game with Tereza Valentova whom she beat 6-4, 7-6 (7) in her first win over the Czech after two defeats, to advance into the quarterfinals.

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After rejoining the game after the medical time-out, Eala never scored a point again as Liu wrapped up the set, 6-3.

At the start of the second set, the two players traded deuces more than 10 times, before Liu scored the first point. After that, the set turned into a rout, ending at 6-0, with Eala unable to run after balls that she could normally return.

The game statistics were starkly one-sided: Liu had six aces to Eala's one, Liu had 33 winners against 16, Liu had 66 total points won against 52. Eala committed four double faults against Liu's one, while Eala had 17 unforced errors against Liu's 19.

The battle ended in one hour and 33 minutes.

Eala was teary-eyed after the match, saying the past year was life-changing for her

“This season has … changed my life for the better,” Eala said as she shed tears during the awarding ceremony. “I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve put in this year and we’re the only ones who really know what it took to arrive to this point in our journey. This is only the beginning and this one, like all of them, is ours.”

She added later: “I’ve been playing since I was four, but I feel like there’s a long, long road ahead of me. I’m so excited about the journey with my team, and I’m very grateful for everything we do together.”

Eala had hoped to add to her historic win in the WTA 500 final Washington DC in August, which made her the first Filipina to achieve the mark. That victory helped push her ranking from No 50 at the start of 2026 to No 17 going into the HK Open.

Liu, who was the 2017 junior Wimbledon champion but took a year off tennis last year,  said: “This week has been really fun, but also really mentally tough…  I was just trying to take it one day at a time, and I found myself in the final.”

In the doubles final held earlier at Victoria Park, Japan's Miyu Kato and Chinese Taipei's Chan Hao-Hing took the title, beating Talia Gibson and Maddison Inglis of Australia, 6-4, 6-4.

Temperatures to drop from Monday

 

The hot and humid days of the past week will turn much cooler from tomorrow

Hong Kong is forecast to experience a sudden drop in temperatures starting tomorrow, Monday,  as a cold front crosses the South China coast.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, temperatures will drop from a minimum of 24 degrees today, to 20 degrees on Monday morning, then further down to between 17 and 19 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

DETAILS HERE

It will be one or two degrees lower in the New Territories.

From Thursday the temperatures will begin to gradually rise again, hovering between 22 and 25 degrees in the mornings until Sunday.

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The days will be mostly sunny and dry, with a few showers from Thursday until Sunday.

Today’s weather forecast is for a mainly cloudy day, with one or two rain patches in the morning and at night.

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There will be sunny periods during the day, with temperatures ranging between 24 and 28 degrees.

Eala barges into Hong Kong finals after beating Sakkari in 3 sets

 

Alex Eala dishes up one of her powerful serves

Alex Eala subdued Maria Sakkari of Greece Saturday night, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in a match interrupted eight times by rain, to barge into the finals of the Hong Kong Open Tennis tournament at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

Eala will face American Claire Liu, who earlier defeated Alexandra Shubladze of Russia, in tomorrow's championship round.

DETAILS HERE

Their match wil be preceded by the doubles championship between Australians Talia Gibson and Maddison Inglis against Miyu Kato of Japan and Chan Hau Ching of Taiwan.

Asked what she would bring to her match with Liu, Eala said: “I think, you know, the ability and the conscious choice to stay there and be positive. Also a really big point of my match today is my mentality so I bring that from not just Washington but everything that I’ve learned this year to try to cap it all with a good match, win or lose. I’m really happy so I’m gonna try to be positive going into the final.”

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Describing her match with Sakkari, a former World Number Three, Eala said: “The match was incredibly challenging.”

The match began with Eala wrapping up three easy points but Sakkari came back to level at 3-3, scoring with an ace at one point.

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They battled to 4-4 and 5-5, before Eala went ahead and scored the two set-winning points,

Sakkari unleashed her strong serves in the second set, scoring easily to 3-0, and despite Eala’s efforts, rolled to take the set, 6-3.

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In the third set, Eala racked up scores to lead, 4-1, but Sakkari recovered fast to level it back to 4-4.

Just when the game appeared to be developing into another tie-break, Eala made full use of her service to score an unchallenged fifth point to regain the lead at 5-4.

With Sakkarin serving, Eala racked up scores as her opponent piled up errors. Eala wrapped up the set, 6-4, to win the match, and earn her place in Sunday's finals.

VP Sara to meet with Filipino supporters in HK tomorrow

 

Poster for tomorrow's event

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is set to meet with Filipino supporters starting at 2pm tomorrow, Nov. 8, at The Wave, an events place in Kwun Tong.

The gathering is organized by Unity Across Borders, a Duterte-support group founded in Hong Kong. Pre-registration is required for admission.

DETAILS HERE

Also expected to grace the event is Jesus “Jayvee” Hinlo, a lawyer and deputy secretary-general for Visayas of PDP-Laban (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino- Lakas ng Bayan) a political party affiliated with the Dutertes.

Another guest is lawyer Rowena "Bing" Guanzon, a known pro-Duterte blogger and supporter who has declared her desire to run as senator in the 2028 elections.

Reports from Manila said VP Duterte flew into Hong Kong from Manila on Friday, Nov. 6, and will stay only until Nov. 8. The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has confirmed the VP's arrival.

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A statement released by the Office of the Vice President said Duterte will “attend engagements and participate in various activities, including an event organized by the Filipino community.”

Duterte will return to Manila a day before her lawyers are due to present evidence in the ongoing impeachment trial against her.

Event organizers from Unity Across Borders pose during a recent meeting

The OVP added that Duterte was granted permission to travel abroad by the Office of the President and by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, where she is facing a case for grave threats filed by the Department of Justice.

The case stemmed from her online press briefing in November 2024, in which she claimed to have hired someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez, in the event that she is killed first.

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The OVP also assured that Duterte will use personal funds to cover the cost of her travel.

“No government money, resources or facilities shall be used in connection with her travel,” it said.

The last public event attended by VP Duterte in Hong Kong was when she accompanied her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte for a private vacation and political rally in March 2025.

The former president was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on his return from Hong Kong, and whisked off to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, to face multiple charges of crimes against humanity through murder and attempted murder.

Eala beats Ruzic, enters semifinals of HK Open

 

Alex Eala's service

Alexandra Eala had to fight through a tiebreak in the first set and multiple deuces on every other point before subduing Croatian Antonia Ruzic, 7-6 (7), 7-5, to reach the semifinals of the Hong Kong Tennis Open at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

“It was rollercoaster for sure and an incredible battle,” Eala said in an on-court interview.after the match.

"I don't know what inspired me or kept me to continue digging deeper, but Antonia played a really amazing match, and I'm blessed to be able to play another round here," she added.

DETAILS HERE

Eala is scheduled to face Greece's Maria Sakkari -- who earlier defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovic, 6-2, 6-3 – on Saturday for a spot in the finals.

The other finals slot wil be disputed between Alexandra Shubladze who defeated top seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania, 6-2, 6-3; and Claire Liu of the United States who defeated Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, 6-1, 6-4.

Eala and Ruzic opened the game exchanging leads to 4-4, before they began a battle of deuces until they reached 6-6.

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In the tiebreak. Eala raced to a 5-0 lead before Ruzic scored the first point.

The Croatian fought back to level at 6-6 and then 7-7.

But Eala found a burst of strength and finished the tiebreak at 9-7.

The second set was no less hard-fought, starting with the first point that required six deuces to settle at 1-0 with Ruzic leading.

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Alex served for the next point and easily scored the equalizer.

The two players battled through more deuces to level at 5-5.

Eala broke Ruzic’s service to grab the lead, 6-5, before finishing off the match on her turn to serve, 7-5.

The game was suspended when it showered, but resumed after the rain stopped and ths court was wiped dry by a team of volunteers.

Filipina jailed 5 months for indecent assault on 12-year-old girl

 

The case was heard at the Kowloon City Magistracy

A Filipina domestic helper was sentenced Friday to five months in jail for three counts of indecent assault against her former employer’s 12-year-old daughter in the family flat in Kwun Tong.

She was acquitted of a fourth count of the same charge involving the victim’s 10-year-old girl at the end of her trial last month.

Jay Santos Flores, 45, sobbed occasionally during the hearing at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court but offered no mitigation.

DETAILS HERE

Magistrate Claudia Ng Cheuk-wa cited the complainant’s young age and the breach of trust involved as aggravating factors in the case.

The magistrate said she found the girls to be honest and credible witnesses, while Flores’ statements could not be relied upon.

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At the trial, the 12-year-old girl said that the helper had touched her genitals on several occasions between May and June last year.

The girl and the helper, who had been working for the family for six months, slept in the same room. 

The girl’s younger sister also testified, saying that Flores had stroked her buttocks and anus several times in the morning of June 11, 2025, when the helper tried to wake her up for school.

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The younger girl told her sister what had happened and they realized they had been subjected to the same treatment.

The girls then told their mother, but she decided not to take action. But staff at the school attended by the older girl called police after she told them about the incidents.

In convicting Flores, the magistrate ruled that the physical contact between the helper and the older girl was intentional and indecent.

However, she acquitted the helper on the same charge involving the younger sister, saying the touching could have been accidental and happened in the course of getting the girl roused from bed.

Ng also noted that the older girl had declined a trauma assessment by healthcare professionals for an impact report.

Eala ends Czech jinx, advances to HK Tennis Open quarterfinals

 

Alex Eala draws from deep within to beat Czech Tereza Valentova

Alexandra Eala tonight eked out a hard-fought victory over Tereza Valentova, 6-4, 7-6 (7), her first win over the Czech after two defeats, to advance into the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Tennis Open at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

“Kinabahan (got nervous),” the 21-year-old Eala exclaimed in Filipino when asked during the court interview after the game what was on her mind.

“I had to fight. It was really, really tough. I think Tereza played incredibly and we were able to bring the match to a really high level. And I think that was reflected in the scores,” added the tournament’s second seed and 17^th in world rankings.

She will next face Croatia's Antonia Ružić, ranked 81 in the world, who defeated Wang Xinyu, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in another game today.

DETAILS HERE

Valentova won both their previous encounters in straight sets -- in the first round in Osaka last year and at the same stage in Doha this year, according to the Women’s Tennis Association.

This is also Eala's first career tour-level win over a Czech opponent in 11 attempts. She had lost all 10 previous matches, including four this season -- to Linda Noskova in Indian Wells and Berlin, Karolina Muchova in Miami and Valentova in Doha. 

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The game began with an easy first few points, opening with an ace and then dominating with powerful ground strokes to lead, 3-1. She even scored three aces and capped the point with a short game to score, 4-1.

But Valentova clawed back three points to come abreast, 4-4.

From then on, each point was hard-fought, with Eala appearing to nurse her bandaged right leg. Both players battled to five deuces before Eala claimed her fifth point.

Eala scored her sixth point after Valentova double faulted, hit the ball outside on her return and Eala hit a net ball that flopped into Valentova’s court.

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The two battled toe to toe in the second set, 2-2, before Valentova unleashed two aces -- one at 182 kph and the other at 181 kph – and shot a 183kph serve that had Eala outpositioned, to take the score to 5-3.

They battled to a 6-6 tie. In the tie-break, Eala raced to a lead of 5-1.

Valentova pulled level at 7-7, before Eala recovered with back-to-back points to seal the match in close to two hours.

DMW says Filipinos who take part in scams must be held accountable

 

Repatriation last January of Filipinos rescued from scam hubs in Cambodia 

The Department of Migrant Workers has said that Filipinos who knowingly participate in scams and other illegal activities must be held accountable under the law.

"Hindi natin kukunsintihin ang sinumang Pilipinong sadyang nakikilahok sa mga ilegal na scam operation. Dapat managot sa batas ang mga mapapatunayang sangkot dito,”said DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac in a statement.

(We will not tolerate any Filipino who knowingly participates in any scam operation. Everyone who is found to have participated in the illegal operations must answer to the law).

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He made his statement as news from Cambodia revealed that 28 Filipinos have been detained in Sihanoukville and charged with felonies for their alleged involvement in organized crime, which is penalized with imprisonment for between 5 to 10 years.

Another 23 Filipinos linked to scam operations were detained in Battambang to face misdemeanor charges which carry possible prison terms of two to five years.

MWO officials and Cambodia lawyers tapped to help the detained Filipinos

At the same time, Cacdac said it is important to determine and protect those who were defrauded, tricked or trafficked, and forced to participate in the illegal activities.

“Sisiguruhin nating igagalang ang karapatan ng bawat isa sa due process, at sisiguruhin ang non-punishment principle kung ang Filipino ay isang biktima ng trafficking.”

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(We will respect the right to due process of everyone, and ensure that the no-punishment principle is upheld for victims of trafficking).

The report on the arrests and detention of the 51 Filipinos across Cambodia were presented by Undersecretary Darlene Pajarito to Secretary Cacdac and other senior DMW officials.

The report also stated that the Migrant Workers Office in Cambodia and its legal retainer, HBS Law Firm had ensured that the detainees were subjected to pre-trial proceedings.

A Cambodian court is expected to decide on Dec.6 whether to proceed to trial or dismiss the charges.

 

Pinay jailed 4 months for stealing $40K

 

The theft took place in one of the flats here (Google Maps photo)

Another domestic helper has been jailed for stealing from her employer.

Ma. Geralyn Frias, 42 years old, admitted stealing HK$40,000 in cash when she appeared on Wednesday (November 4) before Magistrate Gary Chu at Eastern Court.

Magistrate Chu formally convicted her of theft, contrary to section 9 of the Theft Ordinance. He also said the case is serious, as it involved a breach of trust, and pointed out that the money taken was eight times more than Frias' $5,000 monthly salary.

He chose a starting point of six months imprisonment, and deducted one third for Frias’ guilty plea.     

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Frias had been charged with stealing the cash, owned by her employer Danny Fong, between May and September this year at their flat at Mei Wah Court, South Horizons.

The cash was kept in a cabinet inside the master bedroom. Her employer discovered the loss when he checked. When confronted about the loss, she admitted stealing the money.

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Her lawyer said she spent the money on food, clothing and support for an extended family in the Philppines.

When the employer asked for compensation, the lawyer said Frias could not pay back but could only apologize for what she did.

Free consultation on Phl and HK laws to be held anew on Nov 29

 

The deadline for the registration to the event is on Nov 25

The Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong will again hold a free legal consultation for Filipinos in Hong Kong on November 29, Sunday, from 10am to 4:30pm at the OFW Global Center on the 18^th floor of United Centre Building in Admiralty.

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Those with questions or concerns relating to Philippine and Hong Kong laws are welcome to attend the consultation but they need to sign up for the available slots.

The Consulate will accept only 40 participants – 20 in the morning session and another 20 in the afternoon session.

Schedule of the day-long legal consultation

The second edition of this year’s “Idulog mo kay Atorni” series will be held in cooperation with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines CALMANA Chapter which will advise on Philippine law-related concerns  and Pro Bono Hong Kong, which will respond to queries on Hong Kong laws.

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Those who wish to take part may register until Nov. 25 via this link: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdspZ12rz7AAO.../viewform

Former DH jailed 21 months for money laundering

 

A former domestic helper whose bank account was used to launder an initially estimated $5.1 million, one of the biggest sums involving a Filipino, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison after she pleaded guilty at the District Court.

District Judge Isaac Tam convicted Jereza Baylon, 45 years old and unemployed, of conspiring to deal with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, and sections 159A and 159C of the Crimes Ordinance.

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The District Court charge filed by the Justice Department did not specify the amount involved, referring only to “property, namely money deposited or to be deposited in Standard Chartered Bank (Hong grounds Leto Kong) Limited….”

The charge placed the conspiracy between July 1 and October 25, 2023.

When the complaint was filed originally by Tai Po police last year at Fanling Court, it was alleged that Baylon handled $5,144,271:3 in her account with Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited.

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It said she let the transactions in her bank account took place “knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that property… in whole or in part directly or indirectly represented any person's proceeds of an indictable offence.”

When the case was elevated to the District Court, the charge was amended to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Buhay is laid to rest

 

A moving funeral mass was said for Buhay at St John's by two pastors who knew her well
(photo from Eman Villanueva)

Migrant rights advocate Esther “Buhay” Bangcawayan was laid to rest Monday morning, after a moving funeral mass held at St John’s Cathedral in Central, with Rev Canon Dwight dela Torre and Rev Dr Philip Wickeri officiating.

About 100 mourners from the Filipino community, non-government organizations and other sectors attended the mass, which was followed by the cremation of her remains at Cape Collinson in Chai Wan.

Buhay passed on October 14, aged 66, after a long battle with colon cancer.

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In his homily, Rev Wickeri extolled Buhay’s tireless service to the migrant community for more than 40 years, and quoted extensively from a posted tribute from her friend and fellow migrant rights activist Eman Villanueva.

Eman said Buhay’s advocacy began when she became a founding member and leader of the Asian Domestic Workers Union, composed of domestic workers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India.

Later she organized migrant workers in South Korea and Macau as part of her work with the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Workers, and those in Hong Kong through the Filipino Migrant Workers Union chapter on Chater Road which she co-founded.

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Apart from her organizing work, she was also a case officer at the Mission for Migrant Workers and a full-time staff member of the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, where she assisted distressed migrant workers.

“For many of us, Buhay was a migrant leader, an organizer, a case officer, and a trainer all rolled into one — a true migrant activist and internationalist who dedicated most of her life to the service of others, irrespective of nationality,” said Eman.

Fr Dwight delivering a eulogy for Buhay at the funeral parlor

Earlier, a wake for Buhay was held over two days at the Universal Funeral Parlor in Hung Hom, where various friends and fellow activists joined her family in paying tribute to her lifelong service to the migrant community in Hong Kong.

Cynthia Tellez, general manager of the Mission, spoke of why she would never forget Buhay and her passion for helping the distressed and the disadvantaged

“I remember you, Buhay, when you cried with a client over a lost case. I remember when you hesitated climbing up the stairs of Bethune House, hating on a case of ill-treatment. I remember you spending long hours speaking to a client…I remember you, Buhay.”

Fellow activists say final goodbye to Buhay before her cremation

Speaking on behalf of Buhay’s family was her niece, who poignantly pointed out that her aunt’s Hong Kong friends knew more about her as she spent more than half of her life overseas.

“I envy you because you stayed with her and you knew her better than us,” she said. But she added that her family was pleased to hear of her aunt being described as a “lifeline to others,” as this indicated that like other migrant advocates abroad, Buhay was willing to sacrifice her personal happiness to be of service to others.

People closest to Buhay, including her family members, gather post-cremation

Several Bethune House clients who developed a more personal relationship with Buhay as she lived with them in the shelter, including a survivor of the massive Tai Po fire last year, were beside themselves with grief in talking about how she had given them comfort and strength, even as she faced her own devastating battle with cancer.