The SUN contributor and Filcom’s surrogate mom nominated for key award

By The SUN

Villar poses with a banner of her beloved DWC

They call her “Nanay,” the Tagalog word for mother, and today (July 7) the surrogate mom of tens of thousands of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong who make up the online group, Domestic Workers Corner, was jubilant.

Rodelia Pedro Villar said she shed tears of joy when her friend’s employer shared her today’s article in Hong Kong’s leading English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, about her being nominated for the Spirit of Hong Kong Award.

The annual award co-organized by the SCMP and property developer Sino Group was meant to “recognize remarkable people whose accomplishments may go unnoticed”.

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The feat was made even more remarkable by Villar becoming the first Filipino in Hong Kong to be nominated for the award.

It also came just weeks after she made it as a fellow of Resolve Foundation Hong Kong, a highly selective program that provides empowerment training to community leaders who come from various ethnic groups and fields.

“I was crying. I can’t describe how I felt, I was overwhelmed. All of a sudden, I realized that we have done so much in DWC,” Villar said in a telephone interview.

The SCMP article announcing Villar's nomination

She said she didn’t even realize the impact of what she and the group had been doing to help her fellow helpers because after one case was resolved, they’d move on to the next.

There is no respite to what DWC does, day in and day out, because of the many problems confronting Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong.

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Villar thanked the various groups that helped her find solutions to problems shared with her group by distressed migrants, including the Philippine Consulate and its attached agencies, as well as Hong Kong’s Equal Opportunities Commission.

DWC’s founder also extended gratitude for the support given her group by various non-government organizations like the Mission for Migrant Workers, Help for Domestic Helpers and PathFinders, which nominated her for the Spirit of HK award.

As well, she thanked The SUN, for which she had written about the plight of the countless migrant workers who had sought DWC’s  help, and had nominated her for the Resolve fellowship.

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But Villar reserved her biggest “thank you” to all her fellow “admins” and members of the DWC, who have been very supportive of the group that started out only as a means to share cooking tips with newly arrived migrants in Hong Kong.

Over time, DWC’s “It’s All About Food” morphed into several sub-groups, including “DWC Help” which tackles hard issues faced by workers; “DWC Learning and Social Group” which provides tutorials on various subjects, including accessing the Consulate’s online sites; and the more personal “DWC Lovely Corner”.

Villar, who says she was too shy to be known by her real name when she started DWC, used the name "Lovely" to introduce herself to the group, and the name, along with “Nanay”, has stuck.

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Villar, 42, and married, started DWC on Facebook in 2017 in her desire to connect instantly with her fellow Filipino domestic workers, especially newcomers who needed help adjusting to life in Hong Kong.

Coming from her native Antique province more than 17 years ago, Villar's own struggles coping with working and living in Hong Kong made her realize the importance of having a group where migrant workers could vent and ask for help, or even just sympathy.

In time, the mostly mothers who came to Hong Kong to earn a living scouring toilet bowls and putting up with insults, physical and sometimes sexual assaults from slave-driving employers, have found in DWC a refuge from their myriad of problems.

The helpers, homesick, burdened by their menial work, entangled in relationships they get into, menaced by debt, targeted by money launderers and mule-hunting drug cartels, have found a helping hand from fellow OFWs brought together by the group.

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Members have become so at home with DWC that the page content has turned into a mix of everything, from work issues to personal hobbies and matters of the heart, such that urgent issues get buried under layers of other mundane cares that members brought up.

For a domestic helper who is on call 15 to 18 hours day, six days a week, keeping the network together is a mighty task, especially when pockets of revolt resulting from a clash in personalities, emerge.

Villar’s advocacy, however, is not confined to the Internet.

 

ConGen Tejada is all praises for Villar for her initiative in helping passport applicants

Two years ago, she led her group in volunteering their only free day in the week to helping various service and livelihood activities at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, foremost of which was to help workers deal with the problematic registration for the overseas employment certificate.

Together with the then Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre and various NGO leaders, Villar also helped organize outreach sorties to far-flung districts of Hong Kong. Apart from seminars on such topics as worker and gender rights and coping with depression, the team also provided free basic health services such as blood pressure an glucose testing, as part of Dela Torre’s HealthWise project.

Most recently, she offered to help buy self-stamped envelopes for Filipino migrant workers applying for new passports and do not have time during regular days to sneak out to the post office to secure them. Consul General Raly Tejada met up with Villar to personally thank her for her volunteer work. 

At any time of day or night, when she’s not busy doing house work, Villar takes calls or messages from distressed workers who were thrown out the house or tormented to their wits’ end by employers. She then coordinates their rescue, if needed, with fellow DWC admins and other groups that can be activated readily to help.

On the very rare occasions that she is free from these extracurricular cares, Villar could be seen with some of her “daughters” hiking Hong Kong trails, picnicking on some country park, or taking a dip in the sea.

It will be a big day for all of them says Villar, if she wins the highly coveted Spirit of HK Award.

(The award will be decided partially through online voting. Watch this space or the DWC Help Facebook page on how you can help Nanay Villar win the award).

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Over 2k more Filipino DHs lose jobs in May

By Vir B. Lumicao

Nearly 7,000 Filipino DHs have been displaced since Covid-19 struck HK in February

A total of 2,106 Filipino helpers lost their jobs in Hong Kong last month, according to the latest Immigration Department data, in line with a general drop in foreign domestic helper population.

The latest job losses brought the total Filipino DH population down to 212,855, or a drop of 6,873 since February, when the coronavirus contagion hit the city.

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Indonesian domestic helpers, the second-biggest FDH group in Hong Kong, saw their ranks in May shrink by 2,370 month-on-month, bringing their total population down to 165,377.

Despite the significant decrease in the number of FDHs last month, the figures still did not reflect the actual situation, as many helpers fired by employers or who broke their contracts could stay up to a month or longer, in line with an Immigration directive meant to ease the effects of travel restrictions in many countries.

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The job losses in Hong Kong comes as the Philippines’ Department of Labor and Employment reported that nearly 100,000 OFWs displaced during the coronavirus crisis are stranded in various sites abroad.

The Dole command center in Manila recorded a total of 98,615 stranded workers as of May 29, based on reports from 40 Philippine labor posts abroad, including Hong Kong.

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Dole said the OFWs are either distressed workers seeking to be repatriated or those whose work contracts have expired but cannot return to the Philippines due to the absence of commercial flights.

Of the total stranded OFWs, Dole said 3,082 are in Asian countries while 83,483 are in the Middle East and 12,050 are in Europe and America.
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Officers of the Overseas Workers welfare Administration had said even before the coronavirus pandemic hit Hong Kong in late January that there was already an average of two terminations per day.

There could be more during the contagion crisis, according to the Mission for Migrant Workers, which based its estimate in April from an average of 2-3 terminations per day reported to them by walk-in clients seeking assistance.

The rate of terminations has visibly accelerated as more employers suffer business losses or unemployment as many companies reel from the economic impact of the Covid-19 contagion.

“The OFWs are either affected by lockdowns in their respective host countries — those distressed seeking to be repatriated or those whose work contracts have expired but cannot return to the Philippines due to the absence of commercial flights,” the Dole said in a statement.

Foreign domestic helper population in Hong Kong, 2020

As of end of Month/Year	Philippines	Indonesia	India	Other nationalities	Total -- all nationalities
Jan-20	219,728	170,898	4,838	4,657	400,121
Feb-20	217,654	171,291	4,857	4,619	398,421
Mar-20	218,002	170,318	4,818	4,594	397,732
Apr-20	215,061	167,747	4,723	4,493	392,024
May-20	212,855	165,377	4,664	4,446	387,342

Source: Immigration Department

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DH-pastor fails to get assurance of non-prosecution for performing same-sex marriages

By The SUN

Balaoro (left, in red robe) officiates at an LGBT wedding in Mar 2018 (From the LGBTS Facebook page)

A lesbian domestic worker who is also a church leader, has lost his bid to challenge the Director of Public Prosecution's decision not to give him an assurance that he won't be taken to court for performing same-sex marriages in future.

Marietta (who prefers to be called Marrz) S. Balaoro, founder and pastor of the LGBTS Christian Church HK, had sought leave for judicial review of the DPP's decision not to issue him with a Confirmation of Non-Criminality and No Risk of Prosecution.

But in his written judgment handed down on Mar 4, High Court Judge Anderson Chow rejected Balaoro’s application for lack of merit.

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“In my view, the intended application for judicial review is not reasonably arguable, and has no realistic prospect of success,” the judge said in his judgment.

Chow also said that he found no basis for allowing the applicant to amend a form that would allow him an extension for applying for leave.

Balaoro, described in the judgment as a “pre-operative trans-man” was previously arrested on Aug 24, 2017 on suspicion of breaching his condition of stay by taking up an unapproved employment when he “knowingly and willfully celebrated or pretended to celebrate a marriage, not being legally competent to do so.”

He was also accused of having misrepresented himself as a civil celebrant.

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He was allowed to post police bail until Dec 13, 2017, when he was told that he would not be prosecuted. This was affirmed in a letter to his solicitors by the Hong Kong Immigration Department two days later.

On Jan 8, 2018, Balaoro, who said he was also the founder and volunteer officer of the LGBT group, Filguys Association Hong Kong, said one of his parishioners asked him to perform a same-sex religious ceremony according to the rites of his church. Other members made similar requests afterwards. But because of his previous arrest, Balaoro said he turned them down for fear of prosecution.

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On May 2 of the same year, his solicitors from Vidler & Co wrote to the DPP asking for confirmation that (1) conducting or participating in same-sex marriages did not constitute a criminal offense and therefore (2) the applicant would not risk prosecution if he did the said acts.

Balaoro (left) at another LGBT wedding: Same-sex marriages are not recognized under HK laws

Balaoro, through his solicitors, said same-sex marriages do not violate sec 30 and 33 of the Marriage Ordinance because the law only covered marriages between a man and a woman.

Section 30 provides that “any minister or civil celebrant who “wilfully celebrates a marriage contrary to any other provision of this Ordinance, or knowing that any provision of this Ordinance has not been complied with”, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a fine at level 5 and imprisonment for 2 years.”

Section 33, on the other hand states that any person who “knowingly and willfully celebrates or pretends to celebrate a marriage, not being legally competent to do so”, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a fine at level 5 and imprisonment for 2 years.

As the Ordinance specifically allows marriage only between a man and a woman, the prohibition against lack of authority to solemnize the ceremony does not extend to same-sex marriages.

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Sec 4 of the Ordinance provides, “Marriages entered into in Hong Kong on or after [7 October 1971) shall imply the voluntary union for life of one man with one woman to the exclusion of all others and may be contracted only in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance.”

Government prosecutors did not contest this argument. But in his reply dated Jun 1, 2018, the DPP still declined to provide the requested confirmation.

“The common law in this regard is clear – no immunity or pardon can be granted in advance,” the Director said.

Judge Chow upheld the Director’s decision and said: “I am satisfied that the DPP is legally entitled not to provide the Confirmation of Non-Criminality and No Risk of Prosecution sought by the Applicant in the present case.”

The judge also declined to rule on a dispute between the parties on whether the applicant is a “minister” of a church for the purpose of the Ordinance. Since the word “minister” is not defined in the Ordinance, he said he would not rule on the issue and would “leave it open for future determination should it become necessary to do so.”

Judge Chow ordered Balaoro to pay the Secretary for Justice’s costs of the proceedings, to be taxed if not agreed. He said Balaoro’s own costs are to be taxed in accordance with legal aid regulations.

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Cautious customers shun restaurant across infected Wanchai bars

By Vir B. Lumicao

Cinta-J faces two of the virus-infested bars along Jaffe Rd in Wanchai

A popular Wanchai restaurant favored by Filipinos and their friends faces a tough time, after reports that the dreaded coronavirus disease had swept through two adjacent bars across the road.

Cinta-J, which has been in business for more than 30 years, finds itself at the receiving end of a fallout from the infection that swept through staff and performers at the now shuttered The Centre Stage and Dusk Till Dawn bars on Jaffe Road.

The two bars, along with Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong, Central, and All Night Long in Tsim Sha Tsui, have been identified as the sources of a cluster infection that has struck down 27 musicians and staff, along with 16 customers.

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On Friday, Mar 27 alone, 10 staff and a performer at Dusk and Insomnia were reported as having contracted Covid-19, along with nine patrons.

The reports appear to have spooked customers of Cinta-J, a restaurant-bar across the road that serves both Indonesian and Filipino food, and also provides live entertainment at night.

“Dati laging puno ng tao rito, kahit lunchtime, lalo na kapag araw ng Biyernes tulad ngayon,” said Jackie Flores, a 38-year-old waitress at Cinta-J, said.

 

Flores, left, and a fellow waitress, sit amid an empty Cinta-J restaurant

She said that before the contagion, the restaurant would normally have dozens of office workers lining up to eat or order take-out food for lunch.

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At night, the place would be even more crowded, with many people coming in to listen to their in-house band perform starting at 6pm.

But on this day, Flores, along with two other staff, were the only people in the eatery.

“Ngayon ay wala na sila, walang dumarating simula kanina,” she said referring to lunchtime. 

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She said customers would usually start arriving at around 3pm for some snacks and drinks. Many would stay on for the performances of their all-Filipino band that belts out a wide range of songs, from English and Tagalog ballads, to classic and modern rock.

Guests would pour in until late at night, especially for their favorite part, when band members would start accepting song requests, or invite members of the audience to sing along.

Sunday is usually the busiest day at Cinta-J because many Filipinos migrant workers hankering for food from home gather there to celebrate special occasions, or just to meet up, dance and sing.

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That, too, has changed since Hong Kong was hit by the coronavirus infection, and the government advised migrant workers to stay at home on their rest day. Many employers seized this as an opportunity to stop their helpers from taking their usual Sunday off.

But the biggest whammy came on Mar 25, when a record five musicians who played in Insomnia and the two bars, along with a waitress, were included in the day’s list of new Covid-19 infections.

“Bale dalawang araw na kaming zero,” said Flores.

She said the crowds began thinning after the first band member tested positive on Mar 23.

“Kitang-kita ng mga customer namin noong pinuntahan ng ambulansya ng mga taga-Health Department ang dalawang bar na iyan,” Flores said.

Health workers also went up to the band members’ flat in Hang Shun Mansions just above the two bars, to disinfect the place. Many of the performers, who were mostly recruited from the Philippines on short-term contracts, lived in the flat.

Flores said she understood the customers’ fear, although Cinta-J itself has not been infected. But she can’t help but worry about the economic repercussions of the contagion.

At lunchtime on Mar 27, very few people were on Jaffe Road, some of them office workers scurrying through, with lunchboxes bought from other restaurants in the area.

Both Dusk till Dawn and Centre Stage have been boarded up after the outbreak

Inside the shuttered bars, two or three people could be seen moving behind the translucent window panes of Dusk Till Dawn.

Asked if they were employees of the bar, Flores said they were health workers disinfecting the entire pub after cleansing the Centre Stage.

The same grim picture emerged over at Lan Kwai Fong, where Insomnia, identified as the epicenter of the biggest outbreak in the entertainment scene, stands forlorn, its dim, empty interior watched over by a stone sculpture of a horned head.

Its entrance, once a place to be seen in the most popular nightspot in the city, is now blocked by two decks of wooden bar stools, lined up behind a pair of green plastic chains.

 

Once the place to be in Lan Kwai Fong, Insomnia is now shuttered after disinfection

A sign in front says, “Due to the pandemic, we are closed until further notice. Keep safe and healthy.”

The sad saga of what was once one of Hong Kong’s favorite bars may not be over yet.

Hong Kong’s health officials say more than 120 people working in the bars have been quarantined. A number of their friends are also being checked in case they, too, have been infected.

But they have also been quick to say that the source of the outbreak has not been determined, so there should be no finger-pointing, or laying blame on anyone.

The musicians, the food servers and other staff, are the least to blame for the outbreak. They are, in fact, victims. They got struck while doing their jobs.

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