Pinoy Games fest set this Sunday

 

Event will be held at the Oxford Road Playground in Kowloon Tong

Philippine Alliance Hong Kong in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General, will hold its first Pinoylympics this Sunday, Jan. 11 at Oxford Road Playground in Kowloon Tsai.

The friendly competition that is open to all Pinoys in Hong Kong will feature traditional Filipino games like kadang-kadang, sipa, piko, luksong lubid, patintero, tumbang preso and sungka, plus other favorite recreational sports like chess, basketball, volleyball and cheerdance.

There will also be a competition among the team’s muses dressed in Inabel attire.

DETAILS HERE

Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr will be the guest of honor at the event, which will be opened with a torch lighting by PhilAlliance chairman Dante Berido.

The event will open with a call for assembly at 8:30am but the games will officially start at 10:30am. The games will resume after lunch at 1pm, and continue until 3pm.

PhilAlliance says the event aims to promote fitness, team spirit and a healthy competition among participants.

Basahin ang detalye!

Those who have signed up to compete are asked to go directly to Oxford Playground by taking the MTR to Kowloon Tong. Take exit D, then get onto the 25A, 25B or 25M mini bus and alight at the De La Salle Primary School stop to get to the playground.

For more information please call the following numbers on WhatsApp: Marie Rivera at 53049835 or Gie at +63 995232348.

Filipina jailed 5 months for infant abuse

 

The Filipinas was ordered jailed by an Eastern Court magistrate

A Filipino domestic helper identified in court documents only as A.J.B., was sentenced to five months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of ill-treatment of a child in Eastern Court on Friday.

The 41-year-old helper admitted to pulling the limbs of her 11-month-old ward, then pushing her onto the bed, causing the child’s head to hit the mattress. The incidents were recorded on home surveillance video.

In mitigation, A.J.B., who had been employed for less than three months by her employer who lives in Happy Valley, said she had difficulty adjusting to her work environment.

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Through her counsel, the helper also said she was remorseful, and that a medical assessment showed the baby suffered no severe injuries.

Nevertheless, Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai condemned the helper’s actions, noting the child’s age made her particularly vulnerable.

He also said the incidents were not isolated, as the CCTV footage showed the defendant repeatedly pulling the baby’s limbs and striking her back. This, he said, indicated a serious violation of trust that warranted an immediate custodial sentence.

The abuse was uncovered on Nov 25 last year after the child’s grandmother saw an unusual shaking in the baby, who also vomited. The grandmother alerted the infant’s mother, who immediately checked the home’s CCTV and saw what had happened.

The police were called and A.J.B. was arrested.

In sentencing, the magistrate used a starting point of seven and a half months or prison, then reduced it to five months on account of the defendant’s guilty plea.

The court was previously told that the baby was born in December 2024, and that the helper was hired to work in the household in August 2025.

Pinay cleared of illegal work

 

Filipina was arrested here (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina domestic helper who fought an Immigration Department charge that she breached her condition of stay by working in a flower shop, emerged victorious today after she was found not guilty at Shatin Court.

Susan Francisco, 47 years old, heaved a sigh of relief after Magistrate Raymond Wong made the ruling to conclude her two-day trial.

She promptly retrieved her $20,000 bail from the court cashier.

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Francisco was accused of violating section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance after she was arrested on Aug. 21 last year.

Immigration accused her of performing odd jobs on the second floor of the Eastern Flower Center on Cameron Road in Tsim Sha Tsui.

It alleged that she contravened “a condition of stay in force in respect of you imposed by an Immigration Assistant on 4 August 2025” which required her to “only take such employment as approved by the Director of Immigration, namely, to work as a domestic helper....”

However, Magistrate Wong said the prosecution failed to prove Francisco’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Wearing of seat belts on public transport mandatory from Jan 25

Passengers must use seat belts provided in all public transport

The government today reminded the public that starting on Jan 25, all seated passengers on public transport and commercial vehicles must wear seatbelts if they are installed.

All vehicle owners, drivers or passengers found to have violated this requirement will be liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to three months. 

Drivers will be liable to a maximum fine of $2,000 if a passenger aged under 15 is found seated in the rear seat of a goods vehicle, or the passenger’s seat of a special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

Basahin ang detalye!

At the same time, all drivers must not to place more than two mobile telephones, tablets or computers in front of them, while driving. In any case, the diagonal length of each device should not exceed 19 centimeters. Offenders shall be subjected to a maximum fine of $2,000.

The requirements are part of the government’s renewed effort to enhance road, passenger and driving safety.

According to studies cited by the government, wearing seat belts will reduce the risk of death and serious injury of drivers and passengers in head-on collisions by about 40 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

To ensure compliance, all passengers’ seats in public and private buses, rear passenger seats in private light buses and goods vehicles and all seats of special purpose vehicles are required to have seat belts installed when first registered on or after Jan. 25.

Drivers and passengers occupying the seats of these vehicles, whether newly registered or not, where seat belts are fitted, are required to wear them.

Around 60% of all existing buses have been retrofitted with seat belts

The government said that in franchised buses, all seats in newly procured buses have been equipped with seat belts. Around 3,500 existing double-deck buses have also been retrofitted with seat belts, representing about 60% of the entire fleet in Hong Kong.

For details of the new requirements on seat belts, please log on to www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/sb and on placing MTDs during driving, to www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/mtd or the Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk). Alternatively, they may call the hotline, 2804 2600.

 

 

 

Cold snap in HK to last until Friday

 

More cold days are forecast ahead for HK (File photo)

The temperature in Hong Kong dipped to 10.9 degrees this morning, the lowest so far this winter. The cold spell is expected to last until Friday, after which the weather will gradually become milder.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the mornings will be cold until Friday, when temperatures will drop to between 10 and 11 degrees in the urban areas, and a few degrees lower in the New Territories.

The rest of the day will be pleasant, with temperatures rising to around 17 degrees.

Basahin ang detalye!

The Observatory said the big temperature difference between day and night will be felt throughout the region, and is caused by a dry winter monsoon affecting Guangdong over the next few days.

The strong monsoon and cold weather combined is causing the red fire danger warning to be raised, meaning the risk of fire is extremely high.

The cold spell earlier prompted the Observatory to issue the cold weather warning for the first time this year.

It warned of more cold days ahead, with temperatures dropping to between 12 degrees or below between nine and 17 days this winter and spring.

This is significant because there had only been seven cold-weather days last year, meaning the number of cold days ahead could be higher than usual.

 

 

 

 

 

20 people arrested in anti-illegal work raids targeting FDHs

 

Some of those arrested are herded onto an Immigration van

A four-day operation targeting foreign domestic helpers working illegally resulted in 20 people being arrested, though only one turned out to be a current helper.

Of those arrested in the raids carried out from January 3 to 6, 12 were suspected of working illegally while the other eight were locals who employed them.

The suspected illegal workers comprised three men and nine women, aged 24 to 60, and were either Filipinos or Indonesians.

Basahin ang detalye!

Apart from the currently employed FDH, two were former FDHs who had overstayed their visas, three held recognizance documents that prevent them from taking any job, one was a visitor, and five were overstaying visitors.

The eight suspected employers on the other hand, comprised seven men and one woman aged 30 to 68, and included persons who managed the companies or restaurants involved.

According to Immigration investigators, the suspected illegal workers were found working in restaurants, a guesthouse and a food plant, doing such odd jobs as dishwashing, cleaning, or handling food for distribution.

Some of the items seized in the first anti-illegal work operation in 2026

Special mention was made of five Indonesians aged 24 to 52, who were found working illegally in a food factory in Kwai Chung, where they were each paid a mere $200 a day.

The plant was said to have functioned as a food supply chain for a restaurant specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine, and was staffed entirely by low-paid illegal workers to cut down on costs.

Immigration said its investigation is continuing, and further arrests may be made.

It also reiterated that illegal work is a serious offence in Hong Kong for which a jail term is inevitably imposed.

Employers of illegal workers face the heftiest sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. All employers are obliged by law to determine as far as practicable whether a job applicant is qualified to work in Hong Kong.

Under sentencing guidelines issued by the High Court, an immediate custodial sentence is inevitable for anyone found to have employed illegal workers.

Those who violated their visa conditions by taking up unauthorized work can be sentenced for up to two years in prison and fined $50,000. The maximum prison sentence goes up to three years if the offender is an illegal immigrant or an overstayer.

 

Easter Monday made statutory holiday from this year

 

HK will now have 15 statutory holidays

Starting this year, Easter Monday (or the day after Easter Sunday) will become one of the statutory holidays in Hong Kong, to make a total of 15 days. 

A statutory holiday in Hong Kong is a legally protected day off for all employees (including foreign domestic helpers) under the Employment Ordinance, which ensures that they get to take a break without loss of pay.

They are differentiated from the 17 public holidays or bank holidays in a year, which are also paid holidays but are not specifically part of employment rights. By 2030, all the public holidays will become statutory holidays in accordance with a provision in the Employment Ordinance passed in 2021.

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This year, the 15 statutory holidays include apart from Easter Monday, the three days of Lunar New Year, Labour Day and Christmas.

The 15 statutory holidays for 2026 are:

1.	The first day of January	1 January
2.	Lunar New Year's Day	17 February
3.	The second day of Lunar New Year	18 February
4.	The third day of Lunar New Year	19 February
5.	Ching Ming Festival	5 April
6.	Easter Monday*	6 April
7.	Labour Day	1 May
8.	The Birthday of the Buddha	24 May
9.	Tuen Ng Festival	19 June
10.	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day	1 July
11.	The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival	26 September
12.	National Day	1 October
13.	Chung Yeung Festival	18 October
14.	Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)	22 December or 25 December
15.	The first weekday after Christmas Day	26 December

Please note:

All employees are entitled to the statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months is entitled to the holiday pay which is equivalent to the average daily wages earned by the employee in the 12-month period preceding the holiday.

Reference example:

An employee is granted rest days on Sundays. As the Chung Yeung Festival (18 October) falls on Sunday, the employer should grant a holiday on the next day (i.e. 19 October), but this day should not be a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day.

DH urges public fight against cervical cancer

Graphic from FB page of Healthy Pilipinas

Hong Kong's Department of Health (DH) has launched this year’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with a call for women, including female OFWs, to undergo cervical screening.

“Infection with HPV (human papillomavirus) or early stages of cervical cancer may not have any noticeable symptoms,” the DH said. “Therefore, women aged 25 to 64 who have had sexual experience should undergo regular cervical screenings.”

 “The Government will further expand cervical screening services to encourage more women to undergo screening and safeguard their health," said Dr Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the DH.

DETAILS HERE

January has been designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO) as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness and motivate actions against cervical cancer, with the goal of eliminating this public health concern within the next century.

In Hong Kong, cervical cancer was the seventh most common female cancer in 2023 and the ninth leading cause of cancer deaths among females.

As most cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV, women are recommended to receive HPV vaccination before having sexual relations, undergo regular cervical screenings and practise safe sex (such as using condoms and avoiding multiple sexual partners) to prevent HPV infection. In addition, smoking should be avoided as it can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

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The Cervical Screening Program has been ongoing since 2004 while HPV vaccination has been included under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunization Programme (HKCIP) since 2019, with a high vaccination rate of about 90 per cent in recent years.

The DH also launched a one-off HPV Vaccination Catch-up Program in December 2024, with over 48 000 doses administered so far.

Cervical screening services are available at Maternal and Child Health Centres (https://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/centre_det/maternal/maternal.html) of the DH, Women Wellness Satellites (https://www.wws.org.hk/page/contact-us), as well as through non-governmental organizations and private healthcare providers.

The DH also regularly sends reminders to eligible women via the Cervical Screening Information System and the eHealth mobile app to schedule their screenings, it added.

Ocean Park’s ‘Wild Twister’ stalls again

 

'Wild Twister' also stopped abruptly six months ago

Ocean Park’ high-speed ride “Wild Twister” stalled this Saturday afternoon, leaving 15 people aboard suspended in mid-air for about 19 minutes.

It was the second time in six months that the popular ride with its giant rotating steel arm and spinning seats had malfunctioned, leaving some of the riders visibly worried while they waited to be rescued.

Last August 10, Wild Twister also abruptly stopped following a signal failure, leaving 17 people aboard trapped for an hour and 45 minutes and had to be rescued by firemen.

DETAILS HERE

A spokesman for the park said a signal failure that occurred shortly before 3pm today also caused the safety system to kick in, and stopped the ride. 

Park staff immediately went into emergency mode and reset the system to lower the ride’s cars back to the ground.

All passengers had safely gotten off  at 3:16 pm, and no injuries were reported.

Basahin ang detalye!

Witnesses said some passengers looked a bit shaken when left hanging in mid-air but were otherwise calm as staff hurried to bring them down to safety.

Ocean Park immediately suspended operations of Wild Twister until further notice while a thorough inspection and testing is carried out.

Park management assured that public safety is its top priority so the ride will not resume until experts confirm it is safe to operate it again.

Filipina found dead after dispute with professor-husband

 

Avignon in Tuen Mun, where the woman's body was found (Google maps)

Hong Kong Police have confirmed reports that a 30-year-old Filipino woman was found dead inside a room in the Tuen Mun flat she shared with her French husband, said to work as an associate professor at City University.

The 48-year-old husband reportedly called the police at 4:13pm on Dec 31 to say he found his wife unconscious inside a barricaded room in their flat at Avignon in So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun.

Paramedics who responded to the call declared the woman dead at the scene. No arrests were made in connection with the case, which has been temporarily classified as “dead body found” pending an autopsy.

DETAILS HERE

But the husband was subsequently arrested for drug possession after police officers reportedly found heroin during a search of the flat.

According to earlier reports, the husband had told the police he and wife had argued over sleeping times, so he went to sleep in the living room, leaving his wife inside the room.

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Their domestic helper who rarely stayed at their home, reportedly left at 1pm but returned when the man asked for her help in forcing the room door open. 

By 4pm, the man and the helper had tried to enter the room but it was blocked from inside, prompting the professor to call the police.

Various reports said the man teaches Southeast Asian politics at City U.

 

New hospital fees, penalty tickets rise from today

 

Treatment at emergency rooms will now cost more than double the previous fee

From today, Jan. 1, patients who seek treatment at accident and emergency wards of public hospitals will be charged HK$400 from the previous HK$180, except in cases classified as critical or emergency.

This is part of a major reform of public health care service charges which takes effect on the first day of the New Year.

As part of the changes, fees for medicines dispensed at specialist and family medicine outpatient clinics will also be adjusted, and the prescriptions limited to a maximum of four weeks’ supply per visit.

DETAILS HERE

Authorities are also introducing a "co-payment model" for certain specialised services such as complicated pathology tests and non-urgent imaging scans, which will be charged at between $50 and $500.

However, basic check-ups with high demand will remain free of charge.

To mitigate the financial impact on some residents, an annual cap of HK$10,000 on certain public medical fees will be introduced, regardless of the patient’s financial capability.

Existing fee-waiving mechanisms for needy patients will also continue. The Hospital Authority says applications for fee waivers can be filed ahead of time.

Basahin ang detalye!

In anticipation of a rash of questions and concerns over the new fee structure, the HA said more than 1,000 staff will be deployed starting Thursday to assist patients at public hospitals. Those who need their help should look for workers wearing orange armbands.

The said hospital staff called patient service ambassadors are tasked with helping patients apply for fee waivers, reservations and bill payments, and other related concerns.

Meanwhile, higher penalties for traffic violations also took place starting today.

Fines for 19 specified offences such as unauthorized parking, speeding, crossing white lines and using a handheld phone while driving will increase from between HK$320 and HK$1,000 to HK$480 and HK$1,500.

The Transport Department said the deterrent effect of the previous fines has diminished because of inflation.

Also set to increase is the fixed penalty for smoking offences. The previous fee of HK$1,500 will be doubled to HK$3,000 as a further deterrent to smokers.

The higher fine will now also apply for those who smoke while queuing for public transport or at the entrances and exits of public places.

In relation to this, non-smoking areas will be extended to within three meters of the doorways of hospitals, government clinics, schools, residential care homes and childcare centers.

Pinay remanded over 2 drug trafficking charges

 

Causeway Bay neighborhood where Filipina was arrested (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina who uses a recognizance form as an identity document, indicating she is seeking asylum in Hong Kong, was returned to jail today as her two-count drug trafficking case was adjourned at Eastern Court.

Joanne Miniano, 43 years old and unemployed, has been detained since she was arrested last Aug.19 at Phoenix Apartments  on Lee Garden Road, Causeway Bay.

DETAILS HERE

Magistrate Kestrel Lam scheduled the next hearing for Feb. 24.

The first charge of trafficking in a dangerous drug, contrary to sections 4(1)(a) and (3) of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, arose from Miniano allegedly selling a cannabis oil cartridge at the eighth floor staircase of Phoenix Apartments.

Basahin ang detalye!

In the second  drug trafficking case, Miniano was alleged to have for sale 138 Etomidate cartridges cannabis oil cartridge, and 14 packets of cannabis gummies inside a flat on the eighth floor of  Phoenix Apartments.