Travellers urged: keep safe from mosquitoes

 

Hong Kong health authorities today reiterated their appeal for people, especially those travelling abroad, to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, as two new imported cases of dengue fever were reported during the Christmas holidays -- one of them arriving from the Philippines.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is monitoring mosquito-borne diseases dengue fever (DF) and chikungunya fever (CF) because temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions (including neighboring Southeast Asian countries) remain favorable for mosquito breeding, CHP Controller Dr Edwin Tsui said

Dr Tsui reminded people travelling to areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases to prevent mosquito bites by wearing loose, light-colored, long-sleeved tops and trousers and applying insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or exposed parts of the body.

DETAILS HERE

During Dec. 19-25, the CHP recorded two imported dengue cases, one each from the Philippines and Cambodia, bringing the number of imported DF cases to 59 so far this year. Last year, 161 cases of DF were recorded, 156 of them imported and five local cases.

DF is prevalent in tourist destinations such as Indonesia, India and Vietnam which have recorded over 100,000 cases so far this year; Malaysia and Thailand with over 40 000 cases; and Singapore, over 3 500 cases. The Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 3,579 locally infected cases so far this year.

While no new cases of chikungunya fever were recorded during the holidays, Hong Kong already has 81 confirmed CF cases this year, 11 of them local cases and the rest imported.

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Some local cases of CF were found to have visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area, prompting the government to close the trails until further notice.

The CHP continues to urge individuals who have recently hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they develop relevant symptoms and to call the enquiry hotline (Tel: 2125 2373), which operates from 9am to 6pm.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has been conducting fogging operations along Tsing Yi Nature Trails and surrounding areas.

The FEHD has also set up new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could cause stagnant water, and applied larvicide oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately.

The FEHD has been collaborating with the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Lands Department and the Drainage Services Department to strengthen efforts in eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails.

The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to help in mosquito control measures early, removing potential breeding places in their homes, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes.

The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems.

Pinay’s overstaying case moves after a year in jail

 

Eastern Court

A Filipina charged with breaching her condition of stay by overstaying for nearly two years will be able to enter her plea, more than a year after she was arrested and detained.

Joan Aguli, 44 years old, appeared today before Magistrate Kestrel Lam at Eastern Court on this last of four charges originally filed against her following her arrest on June 27 last year.

Magistrate Lam scheduled the next hearing for Jan. 20 next year to register her plea on the charge of breach of visa conditions, provided under  section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance. He ordered that she be returned to jail.

DETAILS HERE

The condition of stay imposed by an Immigration Assistant permitted her to remain in Hong Kong as a domestic helper until Sept. 6, 2022, but she remained in Hong Kong until her arrest on June 27, 2024, the police complaint said.

She has since applied for non-refoulement but has been turned down.

Magistrate Lam’s order was silent on the charge of possession of a dangerous drug -- 0.70 grams of a crystalline solid containing methamphetamine hydrochloride (otherwise known as shabu or ice) -- because she was fined $500 for it on Nov. 27 last year after her lawyer argued that she was using the drug to fight depression.

In addition to the drug charge, Aguli was also convicted of two counts of theft for shoplifting, for which she was sentenced to three months each, to run at the same time.

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In a separate but similar case in the same court, Emelita Arista, 56 years old, is accused of remaining in Hong Kong for almost 13 years after her visitor visa expired on April 10, 2004, until her arrest on Feb. 19, 2017.

Magistrate Lam adjourned her case to June 23 next year and allowed her bail of $1,000.

Job offers pour in for sacked Tai Po fire victim

 

Vame (right) recalls her ordeal in an interview while comforted
by Johannie Tong, a social worker from the Mission for Migrant Workers

Not a few people were touched by the story of Filipina domestic worker Vame Mariz Verador, who lost her job nine days after going through the most horrific ordeal during the Nov 26 fire in Tai Po.

After carrying her terrified two-year-old ward down 17 storeys to safety, she went back into the burning building to save the toddler’s grandmother.

Until now, Vame still tears up recalling the horror of fleeing the burning building, then rushing back in amid the fiery debris to save the elderly lady.

DETAILS HERE

But she was hurt even more when her recruitment agency informed her on Dec. 5 that her employer had decided to terminate their contract because of financial concerns.

 Luckily, the Mission for Migrant Workers was there to help. The charity organization immediately put her up at its shelter, the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, and arranged for her regular physiotherapy and counseling sessions.

But more unexpected help came. As stories of her bravery spread on the internet, a number of Hong Kong residents began calling up the Mission to offer her employment.

According to Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio, they have received at least 20 such job offers so far.

Basahin ang detalye!

“But we are holding off because of course, we need to know their background, and whether they will be a good fit for Vame,” said Antonio.

Astonishingly even Hong Kong’s Labour Department has contacted Vame to inform her that an employer wanted to hire her.

Vame and other fire survivors joined mourners at the funeral rites for Maryan

“Nagulat nga po ako,” (I was taken by surprise) Vame said about the unprecedented offer last Friday, during the wake of the lone Filipino fatality in the fire, Maryan Esteban.

But Vame said it was not the first time that somebody from Labour had reached out to her.

 “Lagi nilang tinatanong kung kumusta ako at kung may tulong daw ba akong kailangan ,” she said. (They often ask how I am doing and if there is anything I needed help with).

Though grateful for the job offers that continue to pour in, the mother of four said she does not think she is already fit to go back to work, saying her back still hurts a lot. She also needs to get more counseling to help her overcome the trauma of her near-brush with death.

But as always, her family, especially her children, remains as her biggest concern, so she is not closing the door to signing up for another contract. Just not yet.

For now, Vame is subsisting from help, mainly from the Mission and Bethune House, but also from a number of private donors who were moved by her story.

Along with 110 other FDWs employed at Wang Fuk House, Vame also stands to receive a special subsidy of $20,000 from the Hong Kong government, and a promised $2,000 in Octopus credit.

She will also have at least three months to decide on whether she should remain in Hong Kong to work, or go back home to be with her family, in line with the Immigration Department’s recent decision to relax its rules to benefit the fire victims.

 

Pinoy jailed 8 months, fined $4k for theft, drug possession

 

The theft allegedly took place at Mandarin Oriental (Google Maps photo)

A Filipino bartender pleaded guilty at the start of his trial at Eastern Court Monday for theft and drug possession, resulting in a sentence of eight months and a fine of $4,000. 

In addition, he was ordered to reimburse $6,099 to the person he stole money from.

A.J. de Guzman, 26 years old, pleaded not guilty last Oct. 30 to violating section 9 of the Theft Ordinance and sections 8(1)(a) and (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. But he changed his mind just as Deputy Magistrate Chung Wing-sze entered the courtroom.

De Guzman pleaded guilty to the theft charge filed by the Central Police, accusing him of taking one recycle bag belonging to a certain Tsun Man-yee on Jan. 24, 2025 at "The Aubrey", a restaurant in the 25th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong on Connaught Road, Central.

DETAILS HERE

The bag contained one wallet, a Hong Kong identity card, a Mainland travel permit card, a driving license, two Oyster cards with card holder, one mobile phone, one E-reader, one Hang Seng Bank ATM card, one MOX bank credit card, two The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited ATM cards, one Standard Chartered Bank credit card and $350 in cash, all owned by Tsun.

For this, Magistrate Chung sentenced him to 12 months in jail but deducted the one third discount for his guilty plea. He also ordered de Guzman to reimburse $6,099 to Tsun.

Basahin ang detalye!

The second charge, for which de Guzman was fined $4,000, arose after police officers searched his belongings later the same day, while he was in front of a shop on 45 Pottinger Street in Central.

Found in his possession were two hand-rolled cigarettes containing a total of 0.09 grams of cannabis (marijuana) in herbal form.

Funeral rites held for OFW who died in Tai Po fire

 

Fr Jay extols Maryan's sacrifices for her ward and her family

Friends and family members of Maryan Pascual Esteban, the lone Filipino casualty in the deadly fire in Tai Po, paid final respects to her at Universal Funeral Home in Hung Hom on Friday, prior to her remains being repatriated to her hometown in the Philippines.

Among those present at the ceremony were Maryan’s employers, who also lost their five-year old daughter, Hannah, in the fire.

DETAILS HERE

Maryan and Hannah were found lifeless and lying close to each other on a staircase of the building where they lived on the 24^th floor. They were reportedly awakened from a nap by a call from the girl’s parents, and told to leave the flat immediately as their building was on fire.

Maryan, who was 39,  had cared for Hannah since she was a baby.

Maryan's employers did not speak, but grief was clearly written on their faces

In his homily, Fr Jay Flandez, chaplain for Filipino Catholics in Hong Kong, extolled Maryan’s “sacrifices”, for her ward, and for the family she left behind.mb 

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“For Maryan, that’s probably her way, sacrificing herself for other people and her family,” said Fr. Jay. “Kung sarili lang niya ang inisip niya makakasama pa natin siya sa Christmas party.” (If she only thought of herself, we would still have her company during our Christmas parties).

Fr Jay asked everyone to pray for Maryan as well as her employers, as they also lost a loved one in the tragedy.

I did not know her, but know her great deeds, says Cynthia Tellez 

Cynthia Tellez, manager of the Mission for Migrant Workers, who helped organize the farewell service, said she did not know Maryan, but came to know her from the courageous act she did trying to take the young kid in her care to safety, even at the cost of her life.

Assistant Labour Attache Nemesia Arlan who represented the Migrant Workers Office at the service, assured everyone that the Philippine government would ensure that Maryan’s family, especially her 10-year-old son, would be given all the assistance that they need. 

She reminded all other OFWs present, including those who survived the fire that engulfed seven buildings and killed 160 people, that they could also go to them for help.

ALA Arlan does the second reading during the memorial mass

Maryan’s partner, Tintin, tried to deliver a eulogy, but ended up in tears. After the service, Tintin shared with The SUN that she was on the phone with Maryan in the final moments of her life, as she and Hannah tried to escape to safety.

“Kalma sya, pati si Hannah. Pero naputol ang connection namin paglabas nila ng bahay.” (She was calm, and so was Hannah. But our connection was cut as soon as they stepped out of the house. 

The time was 3:14pm, about 25 minutes since the first alarm was raised over the fire.

After that, Tintin and Hannah’s parents and friends started asking around if anyone had seen Maryan and Hannah who were then listed as missing. Both were found dead two days later.

Tintin (middle, in green shirt) says she and Maryan were set to marry before a pastor this December

Tintin said she was so heartbroken as she and Maryan had agreed to go home just before Christmas so they could tie the knot before a pastor in Manila.

Now that Maryan is gone, Tintin said she is determined to go ahead with the ceremony, though it will now be held in Isabela, with Maryan’s lifeless body beside her a sad reminder of what could have been.

Maryan's coffin is sealed for the flight home

Maryan’s remains will be flown home to Manila on Saturday, and brought to Jones, Isabela the day after.

The Consulate said her parents had requested for early repatriation as they wanted to say goodbye to Maryan for the last time before Christmas.

Pinoy who claimed US$10B in HSBC deposits ends in hospital

 

HSBC branch where offense took place  (Google Maps photo)  

An elderly Filipino who used a false instrument when he presented papers at a Queen’s Road Central branch of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., purporting to show he had US$10 billion in deposits, was sentenced today to a four-month hospital stay.

This ended an eight-month ordeal at Eastern Court for Ramon Revillosa Jr, 69, who was arrested last Feb. 10 and has been in detention since, most of which was at Siu Lam psychiatric hospital, a correctional facility.

Magistrate Minnie Wat based her decision on two psychological reports ordered last Dec. 4 by Principal Magistrate  David Cheung Chi-wai, who held off on convicting Revillosa Jr after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case.

DETAILS HERE

The charge of violating section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance arose from Revillosa presenting a bank capability letter, guarantee letter and a certificate of balance, all purporting to have a value of US$10 billion and issued by HSBC, which he “knew, or believed to be, false”.

He was said to have presented the documents so bank staff Tang Wing-sheung would accept them as genuine, "and by reason of so accepting them to do or not do some act to his own, or any other's prejudice."

Using a false instrument is punishable with up to 14 years in jail.

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No word has been heard of the persons who accompanied him when he was arrested: a Filipino woman said to be a lawyer, a Malaysian man, a Taiwanese man and a woman from the Mainland who used a travel permit to enter Hong Kong.

The Filipina was allowed bail so she could go back to the Philippines but was told to return on a specified date, but it is not clear whether charges were filed against the three others.

New Year's Eve fireworks display cancelled

 

Last New Year's Eve fireworks display was a big spectacle

The Hong Kong government has called off the traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks display over Victoria Harbour, in the wake of the deadly Tai Po Fire that killed at least 160 people.

Instead, there will be an alternative countdown event on the Chater Road pedestrian precinct in Central, which the Hong Kong Tourism Board said is aimed at conveying “positive energy.”

 “Through this event, the HKTB hopes to convey positive energy, care, and blessings of peace to both locals and visitors, and to welcome a hopeful new year together,” HKTB said in a statement.

DETAILS HERE

Details of the countdown will be announced at a later date.

The low-key countdown to mark the New Year is in stark contrast to last year’s celebration which had “Symphony of Happiness as theme and included 12 minutes of a dazzling pyrotechnic display over Victoria Harbour, as well as live performances by local and international artists.

The annual celebration was first cancelled in 2019 because of anti-government demonstrations, and for three more years afterwards due to the pandemic.

There will be none of this dazzling display to usher in the New Year

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday night, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan said that the government is anticipating a surge in mainland arrivals over the New Year holidays. 

Chan said New Year’s Day marks the start of a three-day-long holiday on mainland China.

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He made his statement after convening an interdepartmental meeting to oversee preparations for the expected surge in visitors from the mainland.

The measures include enhanced coordination of ports and transport, close liaison with tourism stakeholders, crowd management, real-time information, and smooth public services. 

Pinay HK resident jailed 36 months for money laundering

 

District Court in Tsuen Wan

A Hong Kong-born Filipina charged with money laundering after her bank account was used to funnel  $2.6 million in deposits of money from a mainland scam, was jailed for 36 months today after trial at the District Court.

Tara Rose Gonzales, 33 years old and a restaurant manager, had testified that she lost her Bank of China ATM card along with a piece of paper on which the PIN and her online password were written, and reported this to the bank on Nov. 4, 2021 after she discovered the loss.

But in a two-day period, from Nov. 10 to 11, 2021, 15 deposits were made by the scam victims who had been convinced by syndicate members posing as mainland police officers that they were under investigation and must pay sums of money online to settle their cases.

DETAILS HERE

The deposits amounted to $2,566,233.38, all of which was subsequently withdrawn.

Deputy District Judge Timothy Harry Casewell pointed out that while Gonzales got the bank to replace the ATM card with its PIN unchanged, she did not change the password for online access to the account, which was how the deposits were made by the scam victims and allowed the scammers continued access.

He rejected her defense that she reported the loss to the bank, that she had not known that the account was used for crime, that she did not permit anyone else to use the account and that she did not benefit from the crime.

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He thus found her guilty as charged: dealing with crime money “knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that property… in whole or in part directly or indirectly represented any person's proceeds of an indictable offence.”

Judge Casewell convicted her of violating section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

In sentencing, he chose a starting point of 30 months, but added another six months for aggravating circumstances.

DH accused of using expired contract to get $28k loan

Mall where offense was allegedly committed (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina was returned to jail today after she withdrew her request for a bail review in a case in West Kowloon Court where she is accused of presenting an expired employment contract to get a $28,000 loan from a financing company.

Isabilita Arellano, 33 years old and a domestic helper, was charged by Tsuen Wan Police with fraud, contrary to section 164(1)(a) of the Theft Ordinance.

DETAILS HERE

The police complaint arose from the loan application lodged by Arellano on Nov. 17 last year at PrimeCredit Limited’s office in Nan Fung Centre, on Castle Peak Road Tsuen Wan.

It accused her of ‘intent to defraud and by deceit, … induced PrimeCredit Limited to commit an act, namely approved for a cash loan, resulting in benefit to you, namely gained $28,000-HKD in cash.”

Basahin ang detalye!

Principal Magistrate Don So adjourned the case to Jan. 21.

 

OFW injured in Tai Po fire flies home, met by BBM

 

President Marcos talks to Rhodora Tonacao at Manila airport

An overseas Filipino worker who was severely injured in the Nov 26 fire in Tai Po, Hong Kong, was flown home to Manila today, with no less than President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. leading the group of officials who met her at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Rhodora Alcaraz Toñacao, 39, was accompanied on the flight home by her two sisters, along with social welfare attaché to Hong Kong Rem Marcelino and welfare officer Marilou Sumalinog of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator (OWWA).

President Marcos, on the other hand, was accompanied to the airport by OWWA administrator PY Caunan and other officials of the Department of Migrant Workers.

DETAILS HERE

Rhodora, who had started working for her employer just the day before, suffered severe smoke inhalation after being trapped in the 13^th floor flat for about six hours, along with the employer and her three-month-old daughter.

Despite this, Rhodora managed to send out tearful voice messages to her siblings and friends asking to be rescued along with the baby and her employer. This appeared to have contributed to their being rescued in time, and saved from greater harm.

OWWA Chief PY Caunan helps clear the way for Rhodora

Social media bloggers immediately hailed her as a hero for supposedly saving the baby  (erroneously described earlier as a boy), by covering her with a blanket and holding him close to her until the firemen arrived to save them.

This narrative was immediately dismissed in a social media post, allegedly by the employer, who said it was her mother who had taken steps to ensure that the baby was safe, even putting her in a wardrobe to prevent excessive smoke inhalation, and then letting the firemen know later that a baby was in there.

But sources at the Consulate said the employer had denied posting any statement on the internet when inteviewed by OWWA officers.

Basahin ang detalye!

Philippine Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr, who was among the first to visit Rhodora at the hospital, said the OFW’s recollection was still hazy at the time and she could barely talk. But she  remembered walking barefoot going down from the 13^th floor because the fireman could not carry her all the way.

Rhodora also remembered being given a wet blanket by her employer and told to cover herself and the baby while they waited for rescuers.

In turn she lent her phone to the employer so she could call her husband who was at work. 

“Both of them are real heroes,” said Congen Israel, who also gave praise to all the 30-odd Filipino domestic workers who stayed close to their employers and their wards during the tragic fire that killed 160 people.

One of them, Maryann Esteban, was among those who unfortunately died in the fire, along with the three-year-old girl she was looking after. Her remains are still in Hong Kong but are expected to be flown home shortly.

In a post announcing Rhodora’s arrival, OWWA said the President’s act of personally welcoming Rowena home was in recognition of the “pambihirang kabayanihang ipinamalas niya sa kabila ng panganib sa sariling buhay” (the remarkable heroism she showed in spite of the threat to her own life).

From the airport, Rhodora reportedly went straight to her home in Laguna, accompanied by regional officers of OWWA.

Rhodora was the lone recipient of a HK$100,000 financial aid from the Hong Kong government, which was given to those who were injured in the fire, and had to stay in the hospital for a week or longer.

She also received Php50,000 from the Aksyon Fund of the DMW, apart from a Php20,000 cash assistance from the Philippine House of Representatives.

Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s elder sister, also visited Rhodora in hospital, and reportedly gave her an undisclosed sum.

 

Pinay fined $800 for climbing over a kerbside fence

 

Fanling MTR station (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina has learned that taking unauthorized short cuts, especially on public roads, is not worth it.

M.L. Monreal, 39 years old, had to pay a fine of $800 yesterday, (Dec. 15) after she pleaded guilty at Fanling Court to climbing over a kerbside fence on to the Fanling Station Road, near the Fanling MTR station.

The short cut is prohibited as it poses great danger to pedestrians and motorists alike.

DETAILS HERE

Deputy Magistrate Polly Chuang Po-yi meted the penalty on Monreal for violation of Regulations 39(c) and 61(2), Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations made under the Road Traffic Ordinance.

Regulation 39(c) states: “No pedestrian shall—…climb over or through any kerbside fence or central reservation on to a carriageway”, while Regulation 61(2) prescribes a penalty of fine of up to level 1 ($2,000).

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The offense took place on Jan. 6 this year.

The charge was filed by the Central Traffic Prosecutions Division on Feb 26, resulting in a summons being issued to Monreal by the Fanling Court last Oct. 28.

FDHs who lose their jobs due to Tai Po fire given 3 months to find new work

 

Vame Mariz Verador lost her job days after saving her toddler-war and his grandma from the fire
(photo from the Sydney Morning Herald)

Foreign domestic workers affected by the fire in Tai Po will have at least three months to look for a replacement job in Hong Kong if their employers are no longer able to continue employing them.

This was according to a statement released by the government on Monday, which said that the Immigration Department has made special arrangements so the FDHs who are terminated due to the fire will be allowed to remain in Hong Kong as visitors for an initial period of three months.

This period is “extendable if necessary”, according to the statement. On top of this, all the relevant fees for their extension of stay will be waived.

DETAILS HERE

Under present rules, FDHs whose contracts are prematurely terminated are normally given only 14 days to remain in Hong Kong to look for new employment or attend to other matters, including a claim for compensation that has yet to be settled. After this, they must return to their places of origins. 

The relaxation of the rules comes as a relief for at least one Filipina domestic worker who suffered a double whammy recently after her contract was terminated for financial reason, even as she continues to undergo psychological counseling from trauma caused by the fire.

Vame Verador is comforted by MFMW social worker Johannie Tong
as she recalls her ordeal during a TV interview

Vame Mariz Verador made headlines in the wake of the fire, after she recounted the horror of carrying a terrified toddler down 17 storeys to safety, and then going back into the burning building to save the child’s grandmother.

According to Verador, the elderly woman had difficulty going down the stairs and she had to keep retracing her steps back to where the older woman was, while carrying the toddler.

Verador lost all her belongings in the fire. Thus, she was shocked and even dismayed when told by her employment agency that she would also lose her job, days after her harrowing experience. 

Basahin ang detalye!

Verador, 39,  is now staying at a shelter run by the Mission for Migrant Workers as she ponders her future, and continue her counseling and physical therapy sessions.

She was one of 110 FDHs employed at Wang Fuk Court who were given a special subsidy of $20,000 each by the Hong Kong government. Those who were injured received either $50,000 or $100,000 depending on how long they had to be hospitalized, while the families of each deceased FDH will get around $800,000 in total.

The government statement also said the Labour Department has been maintaining close contact with the consulates general of the Philippines and Indonesia on follow-up work for the affected helpers. This includes the issuance of replacement passports and other documents that the FDHs lost in the fire.

Both consulates have promised to expedite the issuance of the documents, at no cost to the victims.

Immigration has committed to doing likewise for the visa copies and other relevant documents that the FDHs had lost.

Free medical consultation will also be extended to all fire victims until Dec. 31, 2026, or more than a year after the tragedy.