Philippine fashion accessories take center stage at AWE

 

DCG Usudan (in blue) and Mabalot cut the ceremonial ribbon with exhibitors

Trade shows are back as part of the new normal in Hong Kong, and Philippine products are making a strong comeback through the ongoing International Culture, Tourism and Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition at the AsiaWorld Expo.

While the other stalls in the Hall 3 of the venue were still being set up on Thursday, the Philippine booth featuring outstanding native fashion accessories was already fully decked out, in time for a VIP reception for a select few.

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On hand to lead the ceremonial ribbon-cutting was Deputy Consul General Germinia Usudan, who is herself a big supporter of native arts and fashion. With her was Trade Attache Robert Mabalot, who put the show together.

The exhibitors from the Fashion Accessory Makers of the Philippines (FAMPh) also took part, led by their president Gina Nebrida Ty, whose own eye-catching creations were on display, including her “agsam necklace,” made of a kind of fern that grows only in Surigao.

Ty's fern necklace was a finalist in the 2021 Design Excellence Awards in New York

Another must-see is what could be one of the costliest ternos ever made. The blue silk creation, adorned all over with intricately-cut mother of pearl beads and must have taken days, if not weeks, to finish, is said to cost Php150,000.

This blue terno with mother-of-pearl inlays costs a whopping P150,000

Mabalot said the exhibit gives the country an opportunity to show the Filipinos’ artistry which many locals may not be aware of.

Having hosted a similar exhibit amid the pandemic last year when a mandatory quarantine made it difficult to get people to come over, he said he was glad that everything is now back to normal.

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

This time around, participating Philippine businesses will not only be able to display and sell their products, but would also have a chance to explore new markets and forge deals with people from various places.

Ty also welcomed the chance to promote her group, which she said was formed two years ago amid the hardships wrought by the pandemic. 

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She said FAMPh, which gathers both veteran and novice designers, was formed after members realized there were already several organizations representing apparels, but not one for native accessories.

“So we thought it was high time that there was also a proper representation of Philippine accessories,” she said.

Delicate silver and gold jewelry adorned with native stones are also on show

The move has proved very fruitful in the short time the organization has been around, as it now gets support from such government agencies as the Department of Trade and Industries, as well as the Department of Science and Technology, which is collaborating with them on reviving the country’s leather industry.

The exhibit, which also features native arts and crafts from different parts of the world, will officially open on Friday and run until Sunday. The Philippine booth is located at B01 of Hall 3 of the AsiaWorld Expo, which is right in front of the entrance to the hall.

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A fashion show featuring a collection of different fashion accessories and apparels by Philippine designers will be held at the main stage of Hall 3 on July 1 from 4:30 pm to 5:00pm. Complimentary tickets are available at: https://www.hkcultureexpo.com/visitor.

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ATN cases to be handled by MWO from next month

 

Repatriation services will also be provided by MWOs from July 1

All legal and welfare cases involving overseas Filipino workers that occur starting July 1 will be handled by the Migrant Workers Offices (MWO) abroad instead of the Assistance to Nationals section of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

This was according to Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Cacdac during a media briefing on Thursday.

“At the DMW, we consider the transfer of the ATN OFW services as being faithful to DMW’s nature… with respect to the DMW being a home for OFWs [where] OFWs are safe, protected, and there is inclusivity, and a diverse or multifaceted set of services for our OFWs and their families,” said Cacdac.

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The transfer of ATN services for OFWs is part of Republic Act No. 11641, the law signed in December 2021 that created the DMW.

In line with the law, the MWOs (which used to be called Philippine Overseas Labor Office or POLO) will carry out ATN services for OFWs in their host countries. But the DFA will continue to retain an ATN fund to aid non-OFWs like permanent residents and students.

The law also provides the transfer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s attached office from Philippine embassies and consulates abroad to the MWOs.

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However, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration which has been taking care of the medical and other welfare services for OFWs, will remain an attached agency of the DMW.

Along with the streamlining of functions under the DMW, the Aksyon Fund, short for “Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan,” will be used to fund the ATN services.

Congress granted the DMW a seed budget of Php1.2 billion for Aksyon Fund 2023, and there’s still Php1.082 billion left from that fund.

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Cacdac said the fund will initially be used to hire legal retainers in nine posts - Taiwan, Brunei, Singapore, Dubai, Riyadh, Jordan, Lebanon, and Prague --- and for humanitarian aid to distressed OFWs from Sudan, Kuwait and Turkey.

It will also be spent helping pay for the medical expenses of gravely ill OFWs and pay for their repatriation.

He clarified that ATN will continue handling ongoing cases with support from the Aksyon Fund until July 1. It will also continue taking care of such cases beyond the cut-off date in overseas posts where there are no MWOs.

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

“The transition should be smooth and seamless in a sense that… there is no disruption in the delivery of services on the ground. That’s the key. And we know our colleagues at DFA have done their job in these ATN OFW services, so we want to make sure that when the baton is passed, the services will continue undisrupted,” Cacdac said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He said the ATN had been training MWO staff on the handling of legal and welfare cases for a year now, and the sessions are now on their fourth and final leg.

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According to the DMW, the following services will now all be handled by them MWO:

Legal assistance

Assistance to detained and/or convicted OFWs

Assistance in immigration concerns

Provision of legal services through a lawyer/legal counsel for all criminal and labor cases involving OFWs

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Provision of information on host country’s laws, including criminal and legal procedures

Jail visitation

Assistance during court hearings

Payment of court-imposed penalties and charges

Repatriation of distressed OFWs

Provision of one-way airfare to the Philippines

Medical repatriation, including medical escort, if required

Securing exit visas and payment of immigration penalties

Shipment of remains/cremains (cremated remains) of OFWs and their personal belongings

Report of death

Quarantine clearance/s

Coordination with next of kin

Funeral/burial assistance

Coordination with OWWA for airport assistance upon arrival and transfer to home province

Labor-related services

Employment-related complaints

Assistance to victims of illegal recruitment or human trafficking

Claims pertaining to death benefits, end-of-service benefits, insurance, money claims and other benefits arising from employee-employer relationship

Welfare assistance

Location of whereabouts and ascertaining condition of OFW

Medical referrals/assistance and hospital visitation

Non-performance of family obligations

Custody of runaway cases

Counseling

Compassionate visit of next of kin

Shelter assistance

Food and transportation assistance

Provision of hygiene/emergency supplies

Reintegration and training

Emergency/crisis response

Food assistance

Transportation assistance

Temporary shelter/accommodation

Provision of hygiene/emergency supplies

Medical assistance

Financial assistance

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Hongkongers back to buying properties in Phl

Gumboc speaking at Ayala Land's first sales meet in HK for the year

It’s open season for buying properties in the Philippines again, and a big number of those putting their bets on the country are young Hong Kong residents.

This is according to Bing Gumboc, president of Ayala Land International Sales Inc, who came to Hong Kong over the weekend to attend various events lined up to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of its subsidiary in the city.

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Speaking to a group of media people on June 7, Gumboc happily revealed that sales of the Hong Kong office had already hit 50% of its target for 2023 in the first five months of the year alone, and that the biggest buyers were local residents, whose accumulated stake has already grown six times compared to last year.

This suggests that while tens of thousands of Hongkongers have chosen to emigrate elsewhere amid the unstable political climate and the severe pandemic restrictions in the city, many chose to buy properties in the Philippines without actually settling there.  

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

And buy they do, with not a few locals reportedly snapping up entire floors in Ayala’s prime developments. Insiders say that if Philippine laws did not forbid them owning land, they would buy even whole buildings.

While no actual figures for the total investments from Hong Kong were readily available, the big rebound in sales has prompted Ayala Land to celebrate its local office’s anniversary in a big way.

Prospective buyers listen intently to Gumboc's pitch at Novotel 

Aside from hosting dinner for some 200 prospective investors at Novotel on June 8, Ayala Land also co-presented the Philippine Independence Day Ball at the Conrad on June 10, and the Filipino community celebration on Chater Road the next day.

Gumboc readily admitted that the global slump from the pandemic hit Ayala Land as hard as it did most other businesses. In fact, she said they were told to stop all sales activities in 2020 to cut back on the losses, even as the company remained open and did not fire any of its staff.

The gloom was felt more in Hong Kong up until early last year, when the city’s officials finally decided to ease up on the pandemic restrictions and ordered that a Covid-19 infection be treated just like any other ailment.

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“By January this year when they started opening (Hong Kong), bumalik na din ang sigla ng market, that’s why we are here,” said Gumboc.

Filipinos, particularly migrant workers, are also showing a renewed interest in putting their hard-earned money in an Ayala property.

In a recent two-day sales event in Dubai, most of those who packed the venue were Filipino migrant workers, said Gumboc, although they showed preference for the more affordable properties like those in the Amaia to the Avida range. 

These are priced upwards of Php4 million for those in the urban areas, and slightly less in the provinces.

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Ayala is hoping those who are here would turn up again in large numbers as they did during the first years of  the Hong Kong office being set up, once they realised the value of buying a property that they can be proud of, and bank on.

Gumboc said that the prices of their properties have gone up by around 85% since they set up in Hong Kong a decade ago, a rate of return that should convince even those on a tight budget  

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Phl Senate President in surprise visit to HK

Senator Zubiri (in blue) meets with CE Lee as Hui (right) listens in

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee met with the visiting Senate President of the Philippines, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Saturday, May 27, “to discuss matters of common interest.”

A brief story on the meeting, which was published in the Hong Kong government website, said also present was Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services, Christopher Hui.

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There was, however, no counterpart statement or report on the talks from the Philippine government or media.

The latest stories on Zubiri in Philippine media were about his statement of support for the modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces and an appeal for the local press to “beautify” the country’s image after the UNHCR called out the government for its war on drugs and the killing of journalists.

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Zubiri even challenged the press to do their reporting from China if they wanted to experience the “chilling effect” of state control over the media.

HK’s press statement said that during the meeting CE Lee highlighted the close exchanges and cooperation that Hong Kong and the Philippines have maintained in various fields such as trade, investment, and finance.

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Lee was reported to have encouraged more Philippine enterprises and talent to develop in Hong Kong, and use the city as a jump-off point for expanding into Mainland markets, particularly in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The statement said the meeting highlighted the importance of increased cooperation between the two countries.

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Further, CE Lee thanked the Philippines for supporting Hong Kong’s bid for early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a free trade agreement between the 10 Asean member states and five of its dialogue partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Getting into the RCEP  would allow Hong Kong to further enhance its position as a gateway to the Mainland and Asean markets.

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The RCEP is the world’s largest regional trade agreement, covering a population of 2.2 billion people and a combined GDP of US$26.2 trillion.

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Dahil sa dalang sibuyas sa maleta, 10 PAL crew, iniimbestigahan

Ng The SUN

 

Ang mga nasabat na produkto mula sa mga PAL crew na galing Dubai at Riyadh (BOC photos)

Sampung tauhan ng Philippine Airlines ang iniimbestigahan matapos makitaan ng halos 40 kilo ng sibuyas, lemon at berries sa kanilang maleta pagdating sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport sa Maynila nitong Biyernes, Jan. 13. 

Ang ilan sa crew ay dumating sakay ng PR655 mula sa Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at nakitaan ng 11.5 kilo ng sibuyas at anim na kilo ng lemon na nagkakahalaga ng US$100. 

Ang iba naman ay sakay ng PR659 mula Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at may dala ng 15.5 kilo ng sibuyas, 4.5 kilo ng lemon at isang kilo ng strawberries at blueberries na ang kabuuang halaga ay tinatayang US$150. 

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Kinumpiska ang kanilang mga dala ng Bureau of Customs sa NAIA bago ipinasa sa Bureau of Quarantine para sirain.

Ayon pa sa mga naunang balita, malamang na kasuhan daw ang crew ng “attempted smuggling” o tangkang pagpasok ng mga pinagbabawal na produkto sa bansa, bagay na pinabulaanan naman agad ng isang tagapagsalita ng BOC.

“Hindi naman po sila inaresto at wala naman po sa batas na dapat ikulong o i-aresto po sila (They were not arrested and there is nothing in the law that states they should be jailed or arrested),” sabi ni Arnaldo dela Torre Jr., tagapagsalita ng BOC, sa isang mensahe sa Philippine Star.

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Dagdag ni Dela Torre, ang tanging aksyon na ginawa sa kaso nila ay ang pagkumpiska sa mga dala nilang sibuyas at iba pang produkto at ang pagpasa ng mga ito sa Bureau of Quarantine.

Hindi naman daw sila maaring kasuhan ng smuggling na katulad ng naunang napabalita. Ayon sa Republic Act 10845 o Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, tanging “large scale” o malakihang smuggling lang ng mga produktong pag agrikultura ang pinaparusahan.

Nguni’t hindi lang naman sa ilalim ng batas na ito maaring parusahan ang sinumang magpapasok sa bansa ng mga halaman, gulay o prutas ng walang pahintulot sa awtoridad.

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Ayon sa customs declaration form na kailangang sagutan ng lahat ng mga pumapasok ng bansa, maaring pagmultahin ang sinumang mahuli na hindi nagdeklara ng mga dala nilang mga bagay o produkto na nasa listahan.

Mismong ang PAL ay nagsasagawa ng imbestigasyon sa insidente, ayon sa kanilang tagapagsalita na si Cielo Villaluna.

“Hindi kinukunsinti ng PAL ang anumang paglabag sa mga patakaran ng customs,” ayon kay Villaluna. “Magpapataw kami ng karampatang parusa base sa resulta ng aming imbestigasyon.”

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Dagdag ni Villaluna, nakikipagtulungan sila sa customs sa pag-iimbestiga ng kaso, at pinaalalahanan na din nila ang kanilang mga tauhan na sundan lagi ang mga patakaran ng ahensya.

Ayon naman sa isang memorandum ng BOC, ang PAL crew ay lumabag sa Plant Quarantine Law (1978) dahil sa kawalan ng patunay na ligtas ang mga halaman sa anumang sakit, Presidential Decree 1433 dahil walang kinuhang pahintulot sa BOQ, at Sec 1404 ng Customs Modernization and Traffic Act dahil sa hindi pagdeklara ng mga produkto.

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Base sa paunang imbestigasyon ng BOC at NAIA, nakita ang mga produkto sa bagahe ng crew nang inspeksyunin ang mga ito pagdating nila sa Maynila. Hindi nila dineklara ang mga dala sa ipinasa nilang customs declaration form.

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