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| PAHK officials led by Scylla Kwong (4th from left) join Congen Romulo Israel, Jr (beige barong) and other PCG officials in cutting the ribbon to start the Ball |
Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. has called on members of the business and professional group, the Philippine Association of Hong Kong, to help fight disinformation that disrupts society and threaten to warp the country’s history.
Congen Israel made his call at the annual Philippine
Independence Day Ball hosted by the PAHK and held this year on June 14 at the
Conrad.
According to Congen, the task of nation-building has become more difficult because of “modern threats” brought about by the digital age, such as fake news, cyber attacks and other manipulations of truth aimed at manipulating public discourse.
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| Disinformation could rewrite the country's history, says Congen in his speech |
“Truth, which is the backbone of freedom and democracy, is often the first victim of sophisticated info wars, algorithm-driven social media that fuels fear, anger and hatred,” he said.
As opinion leaders, he said members of the PAHK occupy a position of immense influence in helping the Filipino community overcome these modern challenges by leveraging their networks, resources and global expertise to become a “frontline defense of truth.”
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
With the country being beset by natural calamities and
inefficiency, he said Filipino business leaders in Hong Kong could help in the
recovery effort by harnessing the city ‘s status as a global hub for finance
and technology to bring in investors and generate industries.
Nearer to home, Congen said the Consulate is grateful
to the PAHK for collaborating on various projects that benefit the community,
including the traditional gathering on Chater Road the next day to celebrate
not just Philippine Independence but also Global Migrants Day.
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| Kwong says PAHK's partnership with the Consulate remains strong |
PAHK chair Scylla Kwong in turn said working with the
Consulate has also been beneficial to her group as the sponsors they approached
for the two-day celebration were happy with the exposure that they got,
particularly on Chater Road, where thousands gathered for a whole-day of
festivities.
In her opening speech, Kwong traced PAHK’s history
which dates back to 1961. She related how the group was formed, initially as a
venue for socialization, and but later became more involved in community
affairs, especially when Filipino migrant workers started coming in droves.
Apart from the Ball and the Chater festivities, the
PAHK is also set to co-host a post-Independence Day OFW Ball at Mira Hotel on
Sunday, June 21.
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| Amba Vicky (with wine glass) among fellow alumni of the University of the Philippines |
A surprise guest at the Ball was Ambassador Victoria
Bataclan (ret) who led the Filipino community in Hong Kong through the time of
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003, one of the darkest days in
the city’s history.
Ambassador Bataclan also pulled out all the stops in
opposing a substantial cut in domestic workers’salary in the form of a levy
during her term. With her support, a legal challenge to the new government policy
was brought all the way to the Court of Appeal, albeit to no avail.
