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| Buhay spent more than half of her life fighting for migrants rights |
Some of the biggest migrant support organizations in Hong Kong have heaped thanks and praises to Esther “Buhay” Bangcawayan, a case worker for the Mission for Migrant Workers and Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, who passed on from colon cancer on Wednesday, Oct 14.
Buhay, as she was known
in the Filipino community in Hong Kong, is remembered for her lifelong commitment
to fighting for the rights and welfare of migrant workers, not just in Hong
Kong, but in other parts of the world.
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| DETAILS HERE |
Below are some of
the published tributes to Buhay from various organizations and Filipino community
leaders, extolling her for her service and dedication to advancing the cause of
migrant workers.
(Details of the funeral rites
for Buhay have yet to be announced.)
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| A proud activist |
From Eman Villanueva, chairperson of Bayan
Hong Kong and Macau:
We give our highest salute to Esther "Buhay" Bangcawayan, our dearest comrade, fellow activist, and dedicated servant of the people and of the migrant workers in Hong Kong. She passed away today after a long battle with colon cancer at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
Buhay spent more than four decades of her life organizing and helping distressed migrants, mostly women. She was a founding member and leader of the Asian Domestic Workers Union (ADWU), composed of Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, and Indian domestic workers.
As a Cordilleran
herself, she was deeply immersed in the Cordilleran migrants’ community in Hong
Kong. She is known to her peers in BIBAK Hong Kong, Cordillera Consultative
Council (CCC) and later with Cordillera Alliance (CORALL). Buhay was a key
figure in organising the first ever Cordillera Day in Hong Kong which became an
annual commemoration of the bravery and heroism of Macli-ing Dulag and to carry
forward the struggle for land, life and resources of the Cordilleran people.
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| Speaking at a Cordillera event |
Years later, she
helped organize migrant workers in Korea and Macau as part of her work with the
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM). Buhay was also instrumental in
setting up the Filipino Migrant Workers' Union (FMWU) chapter on Chater Road,
Hong Kong.
Between her organizing
work, Buhay served as a regular volunteer case officer at the Mission For
Migrant Workers (MFMW) and as a full-time staff member of the Bethune House
Migrant Women's Refuge.
Known for her fierce
and relentless pursuit of justice for victims of abuse and exploitation, Buhay
has personally accompanied and empowered countless distressed migrants in
engaging with officials of the Philippine, Indonesian and Hong Kong
governments.
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| At a dialogue with Consulate officials and victims of illegal recruitment |
As one of the senior case officers, she not only assisted migrant workers in their legal battles, but also trained migrant domestic workers to become welfare officers of their own organizations and mentored student interns at the MFMW to become volunteer case officers like herself.
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| Buhay happy to dance with fellow women and migrant rights activists Daisy Mandap, Cynthia Tellez and Edwina Antonio |
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.
As we bid goodbye to
you, our dear Buhay, let us honor your legacy by following your example and
committing ourselves to serve the people until our very last breath.
Farewell, kasama… rest
in power. You will stay
forever in our hearts. You will be missed but will never be forgotten.
Long live the memory
of Buhay!
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| With her APMM family (Eman is at rightmost, with clenched fist) |
From the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants:
You have led a life of
service, dedication and love for grassroots migrants and this is proven by the
flooding of beautiful, heartfelt messages for you from so many migrants and
friends whose lives you have touched.
We would like to add
to these messages for you because long before you joined the Asia Pacific
Mission for Migrants (APMM) in the late 1990s, you have always been there
organising, building solidarity and standing side by side migrants.
In the early 1990s,
you were one of the founding members and leaders of the Asian Domestic Workers
Union (ADWU), a Hong Kong-based union of Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, Sri
Lankan, Nepalese and Indian domestic workers. A few years after, you helped in
forming the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, also a Hong Kong-based network of
migrant worker organisations of different nationalities (Filipinos,
Indonesians, Thais, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, and Indians).
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| Buhay (leftmost) celebrates a court victory with victims of illegal recruitment |
When you joined the
APMM, you became our Welfare Program and Women’s Program Officer. During this
time, you supported Filipino migrant workers in South Korea in forming
KASAMMAKO, one of the largest, longest-existing alliances of Filipino migrant
worker organisations there. When you became Coordinator of APMM’s programs in
Macau, you supported the formation of migrant workers organisations there.
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| Buhay and other Bethune House case workers get service award from MFMW Board |
After your stint with APMM, you did not stop in organising and supporting migrants’ causes. You went on to serve migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong as part of the Mission For Migrant Workers and the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge.
You never wavered in
your dedication. You never for once declined to assist a migrant in distress.
You were always there for them, offering a hand to help, breaking a smile to
brighten their day, and shedding a tear with them.
Your name, Buhay, is
Tagalog for life. And your name indeed describes you and your life – committed
to serving migrants and the people, working towards achieving justice, and
making this world a better place for all.
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| In support of Mary Jane Veloso, an OFW originally sentenced to life for drug trafficking |
You will be missed,
Buhay. Your name is etched not only in our hearts, but in the history of APMM
and in the migrant movement.
Highest honor and
salute, Buhay, our sister in struggle!
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| As panelist in campaign to stop violence against MDWs like Kartika from Indonesia |
PASASALAMAT at
PAGPUPUGAY
KAY ESTHER
"BUHAY" BANGCAWAYAN
Mula sa United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE), ang aming taus-pusong pakikiramay sa mga naulilang pamilya, kamag-anak, kaibigan at mga kasama ni Esther “Buhay” Bangcawayan!
Buong-puso at
pinakamataas na paggalang at pagpupugay ang ipinapaabot ng buong kasapian ng
UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK kay “Buhay” sa apat na dekada ng kanyang walang pag-iimbot
na paglilingkod sa mga migranteng manggagawa di lamang sa mga Pilipino kundi
maging sa ibang lahi sa Hong Kong.
Sa loob ng mahigit
apat na dekada, pinatunayan niya ang kahulugan ng kaniyang pangalan—isang buhay
na inialay para sa kapakanan ng iba. Bilang case officer ng Mission for Migrant
Workers, marami siyang hinawakan na mga kaso ng mga migrante at sa kabila ng
mga limitasyon hindi ito naging sagabal kay Buhay para tiyakin na mabigyan ng
hustisya ang mga biktima ng pang-aabuso, pagsasamantala at diskriminasyon na
kinaharap ng mga migrante. Nanatili siyang matatag na takbuhan at nagsilbing
inspirasyon at lakas ng paglaban.
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| Celebrating her birthday in 2024 with her MFMW and Bethune House sisters |
Gumampan din si Buhay
ng gawaing solidarity sa ilalim ng Asian Domestic Wokers Union at Asian
Migrants Coordinating Body. Nagsilbi bilang haligi sa union at alyansa upang
ipaglaban ang pagtaas ng sahod, two-week rule, regulasyon sa oras ng trabaho,
malalang dikriminasyon at makataong pagtrato sa mga dayuhang manggagawa sa Hong
Kong hanggang sa antas polisya at batas.
Nag-iwan si Buhay ng
ehemplo ng walang katulad na tapang laban sa mapang-aping sistema, kaalinsabay
ng isang mapagkalingang puso para sa mga nangungulila at nasasaktan. Ang
kaniyang laging sinasambit na "Sulong, Padayon!" ay patuloy na
umaalingawngaw sa puso ng bawat migranteng natuto sa kaniyang prinsipyo.
Ang kaniyang pisikal
na paglisan ay nag-iiwan ng malaking puwang, ngunit ang kaniyang dakilang
legasiya ay mananatiling buhay.
MABUHAY KA, BUHAY!
Rest in Power and Peace!
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| Grateful MFMW clients visit her in hospital |
From Joanna Concepcion, Migrante International
Chairperson
Ate Bu Esther C Bangcawayan
Ito na ang huling litrato natin. Nag aayos kami ni Ate
Carnay
Janette ng mga ayuda para sa mga Taipo fire victims at napadaan ka.
Ang taas ng energy mo nung araw na yun, hindi ako makahabol Ang dami pa nating
mga biruan at tuwang tuwa ako na makita kang masigla sa gitna ng paglaban mo sa
kanser. Ikaw ang nagsabing magpapicture tayo, at ng pinakita ko sayo, laking
ngiti mong sinabi "ang ganda ganda ko dito!". Tama ka te, you were
truly a beautiful soul. Ayun, sa huli pinaalala ko sayo mga pagkain na dapat
iwasan mo pero dahil stubborn ka nga, nag give in na ako haha alam kong munting
kasiyahan mo yun.
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| Joanna (left) and Buhay share a happy moment with Bethune's Janette Carnay |
Maraming maraming salamat at nakilala ka, for our
friendship and for your unwavering committment to serve migrants in Hong Kong.
Kulitin mo kami nina Vicky Casia
Sunny Winter
Flowers Nida
sa panaginip namin.
Paalam Ate Bu.
Mahal kita. Mahal ka namin
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