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Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts

Diskriminasyon na lalong nararamdaman ngayong may Covid 19

Posted on 08 March 2020 No comments


Hindi na bago ang ngayo’y nangyayaring diskiminasyon laban sa mga dayuhang manggagawa, na kung tawagin ng mga taga Hong Kong ay kunyang.

Sila ngayon ay iniiwasan at, kung maari, pinagbabawalang lumabas ng bahay tuwing day off nila upang hindi mag-uwi ng coronavirus. Pero bakit sa araw-araw, sila naman ay pinalalabas upang mama-lengke?

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Malawakan ang suporta ng mga taga-rito sa hiling ng gobyerno na huwag nang lumabas ang mga DH sa kanilang day off. Pero para sa mga DH, ito ay malaking dagok sa kanila dahil ang kahulugan nito ay legal na silang mapapagtrabaho sa kanilang araw ng pahinga.

Makikita rin na may pagtatangi sa kaitaasan ng pamahalaan, dahil ayaw nilang baguhin ang kahilingan —gaya ng pagbabawal sa mga amo na gamitin ito upang ilegal na pagtrabahuin ang kanilang DH. Ang dahilan nila ay ito ay para din naman sa kabutihan ng mga DH mismo.

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Kabutihan bang maituturing kung, dahil bawal kang lumabas, hindi ka na rin makpagpapadala ng pera sa iyong pamilya? Hindi ka na makakapasyal kasama ang mga kaibigan? Hindi ka na makakabili ng mga kailangan mo sa bahay?

Sa sobrang takot sa sakit, maraming mga employer ang naging OA sa pagbabantay-sarado sa kanilang DH. Dapat, kapag galing sa labas, anila, maligo agad at ang mga damit ay idiretso sa labahan. Mayroon pa nga na nakahanda na ang alcohol at disinfectant upang i-spray sa kanila kapag umuwi. Pero madamot naman sa face mask.


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Saan batay ang mga gawaing ito? Siyempre hindi sa syensya. Ayon sa mga eksperto, kailangan mo lang na magsuot ng face mask, madalas na maghugas ng kamay, at panatilihing isang metro ang layo mula sa kausap.

At hindi naman lingid sa lahat na dalawang Pinay lang, sa populasyon na 210,000, ang nagkasakit, at nahawa sila sa kani-kanilang mga amo.

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Kahit noon pa man, nakakapansin na tayo sa liit ng pagtingin ng mga taga-rito sa mga taong nagsisilbi sa kanila.

Isang halimbawa ang isang kainan sa Central na, kung ordinaryong araw, ang kubyertos na ipinagagamit sa mga kumakain ay metal. Kung Linggo, kung kailan ang karamihan ng parokyano ay Pilipino, plastic ang gamit.
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Scrap the travel ban

Posted on No comments

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

It has been nearly a month since the Philippine government slapped an ill-conceived and oppressive travel ban to and from Hong Kong. Although it has been partially lifted to allow stranded OFWs and HK residents to return to their homes and jobs, the ban continues to make life miserable for many, especially our migrant workers.

A case in point is the 14-day requirement for all Filipinos to stay in the Philippines for self-quarantine. Without adequate health personnel and facilities to enforce an honest-to-goodness check on every Filipino who has arrived since Feb. 2 when the ban was imposed, this self-quarantine has meant absolutely nothing. And yet it remains, and continues to worry many OFWs planning on taking a home leave soon.

Compounding the problem is the lack of clear guidelines from the government, which leaves the public to rely solely on the direct testimonies of those who have gone home from the time the ban was imposed. But as is often the case in such situations, the story could vary from person to person, and all because enforcers are not themselves sure of what is expected of them.

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Our Consulate, which should be explaining the government’s actions, has been left without much to base their statements on, either. Thus, it has refrained from explaining how the so-called self-quarantine, Philippine-style, works.

Like everybody else, the country’s top representatives in Hong Kong know that the quarantine should last for 14 days. But how this period is supposed to be determined, or whether any exemptions could be given in emergency cases, is still anybody’s guess.

Mainly from direct testimonies, one learns that new arrivals are able to leave their houses from day one, and mingle as they wish. Most don’t find the need to keep a daily temperature check as was told them on arrival at the airport because nobody checks on them.

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But this is how it should be, considering that Hong Kong’s rate of infection has remained steady and comparatively low, and the government has maintained a very transparent and efficient system of managing the contagion.

Still, the quarantine requirement is there, ready to be used by zealots like Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia who has forcibly detained arriving passengers from the banned areas, but only if they’re not local residents. Those from Cebu were allowed to quarantine at home. Now, what could possibly justify such a crazy and highly irregular move?

Because of such paranoia, one OFW mother who lived in nearby Bohol was not able to rush to the bedside of her dengue-stricken daughter, the only reason why she decided to go home. With her on the plane from HK were two fellow OFWs who were also prevented from going home, and attending the funeral of a family member.


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The partial lifting of the ban sparked the hope of many OFWs that they could now pursue plans of going home, mostly to attend their children’s graduation. But the overwhelming concern now is that they are allowed by their employers only a few days’ leave, which means they cannot complete the 14-day requirement for the mock quarantine.

It makes one feel bad to tell them that they must remain in the Philippines for two weeks, otherwise, they can’t leave. Worse is having to deal with the question of whether they can be granted exemption because all they want is a quick exit to attend a family member’s funeral.

The answer is inevitably a no. Not while the oppressive ban remains in place.

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Another cause for concern is the dearth of flights from Manila to Hong Kong, which has driven up the price of a return air fare, further adding to the distress of stranded passengers. Our two local airlines have been routinely blamed for this, as they have stuck to their announcement of resuming flights only on Mar 28 at the earliest.

It turns out, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific can’t resume flights because their all-Filipino crew will be decimated after just one day of flying because of the quarantine, and them not being in the list of Filipinos allowed to fly out. No amount of explanation or appeal to the government appears to have worked, to the detriment not just of the airlines, but also their passengers.

But the worst thing to have emerged from this haphazardly crafted travel ban is the requirement that OFWs flying to Hong Kong must sign a declaration or waiver indicating that they chose to leave while knowing the risks involved in flying to Covid-infested HK. Non-OFWs are spared the humiliation, but why?

Why make hardworking Filipinos who make up the backbone of our economy execute this utterly useless and demeaning declaration? As Filipinos, aren’t we all entitled to protection - however little it may mean under this dispensation- from our government?

To add salt to the wound, the bright boys who crafted this useless piece of paper made it a notarial document, so wolves began preying on frazzled OFWs again, making them pay for the form and its notarization - when it’s supposed to be free, and could be accomplished right at the airport before they leave.

Now comes another indication that Hongkongers have been given the short end of the stick in the government’s frantic but belated effort to cobble up a containment policy after the death in Manila on Feb 2 of a Chinese man from Wuhan.

With South Korea reeling from a rapidly accelerating rate of cases – more than a 1,000 now after less than a week – the Philippine government has decided to impose travel restrictions. Filipino tourists are no longer allowed to fly to the virus-plagued country, but residents and OFWs remain free to come and go as they want.

Flying in, the ban was imposed only on those coming from South Korea’s worst infested region, as if there is no way for them to just simply move to another place, and fly from there to the Philippines.

Most unfair of all to Hong Kong travelers is that there is no quarantine being imposed on anyone arriving from the country now seen as the new epicenter of the contagion.

If our government cannot apply our laws uniformly, it should stop hanging on to the vestiges of a ban that now looks more like it was put in place so as not to isolate China, which has become a virtual no-man’s land since the new global epidemic was traced to one of its key cities.

Hong Kong does not deserve to be isolated and its Filipino residents used as pawns in this political game. The oppressive ban must be chucked out in full. Now.
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Fake News

Posted on 16 December 2019 No comments

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

We live in difficult, if not dangerous times in Hong Kong.

The anti-government protests that started nearly six months ago in the wake of an attempt by the government to pass an extradition bill have shown no sign of a let-up.

Mercifully, the escalation of violence that ultimately led to more than 5,000 people being arrested abated long enough for a watershed election to be held.

But for how long will this uneasy calm last?

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If we’re being optimistic we’d say that the administration should see the vote of no-confidence by the electorate in the Nov 24 election as a sign they should relent a bit and listen more to the protesters’ grievances.

But if we allow ourselves to wallow in the same state of hopelessness we were in when the protests escalated a few weeks ago we won’t see an end to the mayhem unless one side makes a major concession.

As we stay on the edge of our seats waiting for things to unfold, or hopefully end, we should also make sure we don’t fall prey to the misinformation swirling around us.

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There’s enough uncertainty facing us all here, and we shouldn’t compound it by raising a false alarm, spreading unverified information, or worse, deliberately feeding our community with lies.

Most vulnerable to misinformation are members of our migrant community, who by their sheer number, are able to share news to a wider audience, and fast.

Forced to stay put in their employers’ homes on their only rest day in the week because of the protests, they get to spend even more time checking their mobile phones and passing on information.

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The trouble is, some of them don’t bother with fact-checking even if the information can be checked readily by accessing mainstream media or other more reliable sources like the Consulate’s Facebook page.

Thus, the story about a supposed mass evacuation of Filipinos from Hong Kong easily caught on, and spread fast. Never mind if this was only raised as a possibility by the Philippine Labor Secretary during radio interviews in Manila.

The story so alarmed the community that Consul General Raly Tejada took no time setting the record straight. “I would like to put this issue to rest,” he said in his first meeting with Filcom leaders.

Speculations did die down considerably, but there remain many holdouts. Reacting recently to our story on the spike in the number of Filipino domestic workers arriving in Hong Kong despite the chaos, a netizen chastised us with, “Hindi ba ninyo na alam na may ban na si Bello dyan?” (Didn't you know that Bello has already imposed a ban on the deployment of workers to HK?)

There are many others spread by people with lots of time on their hands, and who specifically target our OFWs, knowing how fast unverified stories could travel among them.

Who could forget the story about migrant workers supposedly being offered $5,000 to take part in rallies? If it didn’t alarm so many people in the community it would have been laughable, especially since this was the time when two million people took to the streets to join the anti-extradition call.

Who would bother enticing fake protesters with money when there were millions who genuinely believed in the cause and had no qualms showing it?

Another rumor that spread fast was the supposed offer of a reward by the police to any domestic worker who would snitch on their employers who join the protests. This one caught on because former Chief Executive CY Leung re-posted the leaflets supposedly advertising the police offer.

But CY or not, this blatant disinformation, like all the rest, could be easily discerned. For one thing, the leaflets supposedly targeting migrant workers were in Cantonese. For another, they listed down unknown numbers for the police when calling 999 would have been far simpler and faster.

What we should emphasize here is that indeed, relying on social media for information is the only way forward. It is faster, more accessible, and offers a wide variety of news sources to choose from.

But using social media comes with a lot of risk, and its advantages could also turn to disadvantages. Thus we must always treat stories that we get off it with caution and discernment. How reliable is the source, how credible is the story itself?

Until we get into the habit of checking and double checking our information we must hold off passing it around. That is the only way we could help ease some of the problems besetting us during these difficult times.


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Di man kasali ay damay tayo

Posted on 25 November 2019 No comments

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Ito ay hindi pangkaraniwang panahon sa Hong Kong. Sa nakaraang anim na buwan ay naranasan nating naririto ang isang mapanganib na yugto ng kasaysayan nitong lungsod.

Dahil sa mga pangyayari sa larangang pampulitika ay biglang nabago ang takbo ng buhay natin, at pati ang ating mga pangarap ay kahit paano naaapektuhan ng mga pangyayari.

Noong panahon ng tinatawag na Umbrella Revolution ay hindi tayo gaanong nabagabag dahil hindi iyon kasindahas at kasintagal ng kasalukuyang pakikibaba para mapanatili ang demokrasya rito kapag ganap nang pamamahalaan ng China ang lugar na ito.

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Hindi gaanong marahas ang kilos protestang iyon dahil sa pagtitimpi ng bawat panig, lalo na ng puwersa ng gobyerno na talagang lamang sa sandatang payong ng mga aktibista.

Noong panahong iyon ay tila mahaba pa ang pasensiya ng mga alagad ng batas sa mga protesta ng masa na nanatiling mapayapa kung hindi rin lang dadahasin ng kapulisan.

Kung kaya noon ay hindi gaanong nababahala ang mga naninirahan sa Hong Kong, maging mga lokal na mamamayan o mga dayuhang tulad natin.

Hindi pa mababangis ang mga pulis noon kaya maraming dayuhan, kabilang na ang mga kababayan natin, ang sumama sa protesta at naghayag din ng kanilang mga sama ng loob.

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Nagkaroon man ng dagok ang pag-aalsa, na nabansagan ding Occupy Hong Kong, mabilis na nakabawi ang pook na ito at naibalik sa normal ang buhay ng mga mamamayan. Tayong mga dumayo rito upang maghanap-buhay ay di gaanong nabahala.

Sa ating pagbabalik-tanaw, maganda ang ibinunga ng kilusang protestang iyon dahil ipinakita niya sa mga namumuno sa Hong Kong at sa buong mundo na kung kailangang magkaisa at manindigan para sa kanilang karapatan ay tumatalima ang mga mamamayan.

Bumubuhos sa mga lansangan ang milyun-milyong tao upang ibulalas ang kanilang mga hinaing at saloobin, lalo na ang mga pangamba nila sa kanilang magiging kinabukasan.

Ngunit may mga elemento ng lipunang hindi natuwa sa mga pangyayari at sa bandang katapusan ng pag-aalsang iyon ay gumamit sila ng mga maton upang marahas na sawatain ang mga nagpuprotesta.

Marahil nakita ng ilang mga nasa puwesto na mabisang paraan sa pagsawata ng protesta ang ipaubaya sa mga butangero ang pagpaparusa sa mga ayaw sumunod sa batas.

Nang muling bumangon ang mga taga-Hong Kong noong Hunyo upang labanan ang napipintong pagsasabatas ng Extradition Bill ay napaghandaaan na ng mga alagad ng batas ang mga nagmamartsa.

Habang nagmamatigas ang pamahalaan sa panawagang ibasura ang Extradition Bill ay ginagamitan naman ng pulisya ng higit na dahas ang mga kontra sa panukala.

Muling gumamit ng mga maton ang mga nasa poder at nag-angkat pa sila ng mga taga-China upang mansuhin ang mga aktibista. Tumaas ang antas ng karahasang gamit ng mga pulis at natural na magtanggol sa sarili ang mga aktibista.

Mariing dagok sa kabuhayan ng Hong Kong ang kaguluhan ng nakalipas na anim na buwan, at maging tayong mga ayaw sumali sa mga nangyayari ay nakakaramdam ng epekto ng walang katapusang tunggalian.

Ang isang ekonomiyang tulad ng Hong Kong na umaasa sa perang ipapasok ng mga serbisyo sa pananalapi at turismo ay nagdaranas ng matinding epekto ng pag-iwas ng mga negosyo at mga turista sa lungsod na ito.

Hindi magtatagal ay may maririnig na tayong mga kababayang nawawalan ng trabaho dahil hindi na kayang bayaran ng mga negosyong kumuha sa kanila. Makakabalita rin tayo ng mga OFW na pauuwiin na dahil ang mga mismong amo ay wala nang trabaho.

Sa araw-araw na magpapatuloy at umiigting ang labanan ay lumalapit tayo sa bangin, sa ayaw natin at sa gusto. At ang katotohanang ito ay dapat nating mapaghandaan.

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