303 OFWs in HK avail of PhP31 million in Aksyon Fund assistance

 

DMW and Consulate officials pose with Kumustahan participants (MWO photo)

A total of HK$3.9 million or PhP31 million in assistance has been distributed to 303 Overseas Filipino Workers under the Aksyon Fund from January to June 2026, the Migrant Workers Office has reported,

Aksyon (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan) Fund is a special Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) allocation providing free legal, medical, financial, and humanitarian aid—including rescue, evacuation, and repatriation—to distressed OFWs and their families.

“In most cases kapag may lumapit sa amin we will be providing referrals pero kapag available naman dito (n Hogn Kong), we will provide the assistance right away,” Labor Attaché Cesar L. Chavez Jr. said during the Kumustahan Session with Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Undersecretary Felicitas Q. Bay last Aug. 16 at the DMW-OWWA OFW Global Centre in Hong Kong. 

He added that this assistance is a one-time aid for OFWs in need.

Basahin ang detalye!

The assistance takes many forms, such as:

Legal Aid: Attorney fees, court litigation expenses, and representation for labor, immigration, or criminal cases.

Medical and Burial: Hospitalization, medicines, medical evacuation, and shipment of human remains.

Repatriation and Shelter: Emergency transport, exit visas, temporary accommodations, and food allowances.

Financial Grants: One-time cash assistance for economic displacement or bereavement (up to ₱100,000 for next of kin).

For her part, Undersecretary Bay said: “24/7 po ang ating operations sa Department of Migrant Workers at sa lahat ng Migrant Workers Offices.”

She added that the DMW also has a One Repatriation Command Center through hotline 1348 ready to cater to OFWs and their families other than the MWO Hotlines available at post.

The Kumustahan Session provided Filipinos in Hong Kong with an opportunity to be briefed on the wide range of programs and services offered by DMW, remind them of their legal rights while working abroad and inform them of upskilling programs that they can avail from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).  

“The event reinforces DMW’s commitment to ensuring that Overseas Filipino Workers remain informed, empowered, and safeguarded in their overseas journey” the MWO said in a statement.

Undersecretary Bay was joined by Consul General Romulo Victor M. Israel Jr., Vice Consul George Mariano Soriano, TESDA Executive Director Janet M. Abasolo, DMW Adjudication Bureau Director Maria Bernadine Madamba and Labor Attaché Chavez..

“Together, they addressed concerns raised by the community and reaffirmed the Philippine government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers,”MWO said. 

Marcos' SONA highlights OFW concerns, anti-corruption moves and territorial integrity

 

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. today highlighted expanded programs for overseas foreign workers, especially those affected by the Middle East crisis, where 2.5 million Filipinos live and work.

“We started with those directly affected by the conflict: helping our OFW compatriots who were caught up in the war,” he said in his fifth State of the Nation speech at the Batasang Pambansa. “Since the war broke out, we have safely brought back more than 12,000 of our compatriots. We have provided various assistance to more than 140,000 OFWs in the midst of the conflict in the Middle East, such as food, financial assistance, medical care, and shelter.”

The OFWs who returned to the country received livelihood assistance, through the AKSYON Fund, the OWWA-Kabuhayan program, PESO, or the Bayanihan for Balikbayang Manggagawa job fairs to find jobs in the Philuippines and abroad.

“In addition to them, our returning OFW teachers will be entering public schools where they are needed the most,” he added.

Basahin ang detalye!

The concern also extended to their families, who benefited along with the majority.

“We took immediate action to stop the rapid increase in commodity prices. Banks and e-wallets were encouraged to reduce standard charges for each online transaction. So now, many banks and e-wallets have lowered or removed their online transaction fees,” Marcos said.

“Banks have also given up to six months in loan repayment; and up to one year if the loan was used for agriculture,” he said. “The GSIS and SSS did the same for the debts of their members, as well as the NHMFC for those who borrowed cheap housing, and the Pag-IBIG Fund for affected OFWs.”

Marcos also said the Pag-IBIG Fund has increased increased the limit for housing loans to P10 million.

Agreements with other countries. which are also continuing to increase, have resulted in additional opportunities for employment abroad. “We have also increased the minimum wage of our OFWs who work as domestic workers,” he said.

To encourage young people to graduate from college, the Office of the President has allocated P100,000 for five students in each barangay nationwide. They are now our Presidential Scholars, he said.

Marcos is flanked onstage by House Speaker Bojie Dy and Senate President Win Gatchalian

In his speech that lasted one hour and 26 minutes, Marcos drew the most applause when he vowed to pursue corruption cases regardless of blood or political ties, called on Congress to amend laws to lower electricity charges, and declared commitment to defend the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine sea.

He announced that the Ombudsman is preparing to file multiple charges against the “former Speaker”, meaning his cousin, Rep. Martin Romualdez, who has been linked to multi-billion irregularities in the country’s flood control projects.

"Malapit na ang paghahain ng patung-patong na kaso laban sa dating Speaker. Masakit man sa akin ito, pero kailangan nating gawin ang tama (Multiple cases are about the filed against the former Speaker. Painful as it is for me, we need to do what is right), Marcos said.

He added the country must come ahead of family interests.

“Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking pamilya. Ako ay Pangulo ng Pilipinas at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo, mga kapwa ko Pilipino (I am not the President of my family. I am the President of the Philippines, and my duty is to you, my fellow Filipinos),” he added, to boisterous applause.

The President said that nearly Php25 billion worth of public fund and assets have been recovered or frozen, while more than Php800 million has already been returned to the National Treasury.

Another well-applauded part that even led the audience to give him a standing ovation was his call on Congress to immediately amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) that allows power companies to charge systems loss to customers.

 “Hindi naman kasalanan ng consumer kung bakit nagkaroon ng systems loss. Kaya hindi naman tama na kailangan sila pa ang pagbabayarin dito (It is not the consumer’s fault that there is systems loss. It is therefore unfair that they are the ones being made to pay for this),” he said.

While acknowledging that consumers are also made to pay value added tax or VAT on their electricity consumption, he did not call for this additional charge to be scrapped.

Marcos reserved the last part of his SONA to respond to recent tensions in the West Philippine Sea, including the wounding of two Philippine Navy personnel during a violent confrontation with Chinese Coast Guards neary Ayungin Shoal.

Chinese state media later put out a video over the dispute depicting Filipinos as monkeys, prompting Marcos to summon the Chinese ambassador to Malacanang to protest.

Without directly referring to China, Marcos denounced recent insults directed at Filipinos.

“Our unity and collective consciousness are challenged now greater than ever before. A common threat lies before us, directed against our dignity and self-respect as a people,” Marcos said.

“Of late, our very humanity has been called into question.”

He wrapped up his critique with one of the most memorable parts in his speech.

“Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race. We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars. We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield,” he said, drawing a drawn-out applause and cheers from the crowd.

 

 

Happy ending for OFW who lost job after Tai Po fire

 

The calm after the storm: Jonalyn can now smile again (MFMW photo)

After working for 10 years for an elderly Chinese lady, Filipino domestic worker Jonalyn received a double whammy a few months ago.

Her employer’s flat in Tai Po was among those charred by a deadly fire that killed dozens of people in November last year. Jonalyn managed to lead her 94-year-old employer to safety but the experience left her traumatized.

PINDUTIN ITO PARA SA DETALYE

Then a second blow came: her employer’s daughter told Jonalyn about two months later that her services were no longer needed.

Though nothing derogatory was said about her work, the parting of ways with the popo she had come to regard as her second mother left Jonalyn with a deep sense of loss, even guilt.

Was her decade-long service not satisfactory? Did she let the kind elderly woman down?

The thought of being separated from her 'popo'still makes Jonalyn sad

Luckily, she found her way to the Mission for Migrant Workers and its shelter, the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge.

There, her doubts were finally put to rest. With their help, she also found an employer who did not hesitate to take her in, and even allowed her to take a much-delayed trip back home so she could reunite with her daughter.

Basahin ang detalye!

In a recent interview with The SUN contributor, Jody Castaneto, Jonalyn tells the story of how the Tai Po fire turned her life upside down, and how she eventually found the strength to let go, and move on.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/w_1OW8G21ag?si=dY-oW9IJbBiEDi2T

 

New labor attaché bares plans for bigger shelter, office space

 

Labatt Chavez promises an open-door policy during his watch

The Philippine Migrant Workers Office is set to open thus week a new and bigger shelter for distressed Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

This was one of the changes disclosed by the country’s labor attaché to Hong Kong, lawyer Cesar L. Chavez, Jr, when he met with a select group of Filipino community leaders at the OFW Global Center in Admiralty on Sunday, Jan. 25.

Labatt Chavez said in an interview with The SUN afterwards that he intends to hold more meetings with stakeholders in the next few days so he can get a better grasp of the issues and concerns affecting Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

He said the new shelter in Tai Po will have 6-7 bedrooms, and can accommodate more than 30 OFWs at any given time.

This is more than three times the capacity of the existing halfway-home in Kennedy Town which has three bedrooms and can only take in a maximum of 10 residents.

Basahin ang detalye!

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac first disclosed the move to set up a bigger shelter during his visit to Hong Kong in November last year (see story here: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=OFW+shelter)

Secretary Cacdac said then that he wanted a more vibrant refuge for OFWs in distress, “not ostentatious but something that is clean, up to standard, spacious, and can house a whole array of activities and events.”

Chavez addresses Filcom leader at Sunday's 'meet and greet' (photo by Marie Rivera)

In line with this, Chavez said the MWO is hiring four “house mothers” to oversee operations at the shelters on a permanent basis, so that OFWs who run into trouble can seek refuge there “at any time of the day and night.”

Apart from the four new personnel who will be assigned to the shelter, the MWO is also asking the head office for six additional personnel who will be tasked with handling their frontline operations.

Chavez said one of his immediate concerns is to improve services to the OFWs through automation, installing queue ticket dispensers and providing bigger space for their transactions.

He said there are plans to move the current MWO to a bigger space, also at United Centre building, when its lease expires in August this year.

This should allow the MWO to conduct more trainings and other activities for OFWs, alongside those provided at the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor of the same building, which is managed by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

At his dialogue with the Filcom leaders, Chavez said many participants asked for improvement in services, in particular, to address the perennial overcrowding and long queuing time for those applying for the overseas employment certificate, especially during the peak travel season around Christmas.

The queue for OEC applications often spill out into the lift lobby, all the way to the ground floor

Asked if it was possible to get volunteers to help speed up the processing of OEC applications, he said the MWO could not share sensitive records in their system because of data accountability.

But he agreed that those who have not changed employers since they last obtained their OEC need not spend their precious time queuing at the MWO as their records do not need any updating. 

They can simply ask a friend or a volunteer to help them obtain the exit clearance they are required to present at Philippine airports online, wherever they may be.

Chavez took over as MWO head after his predecessor, Melchor Dizon,  retired and went back to the Philippines months ago. Appointed in the interim as officer-in-charge was assistant labor attache Tony Villafuerte who has since been recalled to the home office.

 

Filipino fire victims get windfall cash aid, but still reel from trauma

By Daisy CL Mandap

Hong Kong's deadliest fire in 7 decades killed at least 159 people

Filipino migrant workers who were among those who survived the tragic fire in Tai Po that killed 159 people have received a cash bonanza, mainly from the Philippine government, of at least Php70,000.

Of this, Php50,000 came from the Aksyon Fund (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan), a program by the Department of Migrant Workers that provide crucial legal, medical, financial and repatriation aid to distressed overseas Filipino workers.

The remaining Php20,000 was handed out to them last Sunday, December 6, at the OFW Global Centre by Rep. Bryan Revilla, who heads the House of Representatives’ Committee on Migrant Workers.

DETAILS HERE

Separately, the Hong Kong government has pledged to give HK$20,000 (Php151,000) financial assistance to each foreign domestic worker affected by the fire in Wang Fuk estate, apart from $2,000 (Php15,100) in Octopus card credit which they can use for transportation and emergency expenses.

Those injured will get HK$100,000 (Php755,000) if they are hospitalized for at least a week, and HK$50,000 (Php377,500) if they are confined for up to six days. Families of those who died are assured of getting a total financial assistance package of about HK$800,000 (Php6 million).

Survivors of the tragedy have been receiving material and psycho-social counselling
from NGOs like the Mission for Migrant Workers and Bethune House shelter

The affected but not injured Filipino workers who number about 30, have also been receiving a lot of donations in kind, mainly from non-government organizations like the Mission for Migrant Workers and the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge.

Last Sunday, they again received care packs from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, then later at the Mission, where they were also provided medical and psycho-social counseling by the Hong Kong Red Cross and volunteer social workers.

Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio said, “You’d be surprised at the various kinds of pain they complain about as a result of the fire. Some have stiff back, stiff legs – aches that they did not initially experience as they tried to escape the fire.”

Basahin ang detalye!

But more than the physical pain it is the trauma that the workers are having difficulty coping with, she said.

“One told me of her recurring nightmare of being trapped in the fire,” said Antonio. “This is true for most of them. You can just imagine the fear they had to endure which they are now just beginning to process.”

From the lengthy talks they have had with the victims since they set up a help desk right at Wang Fuk Court the day after the Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in 70 years broke out, Antonio said it was clear how traumatized the migrant workers were.

“Many spoke of how shocked they were on seeing their buildings ablaze since they never saw this from inside their flats. All their windows had been boarded up because of the repair work that had been going on in the estate for months.”

No fire alarms sounded despite the rapidly spreading fire, and many were alerted to the raging flames outside only by their employers who were mostly at work, and had called them on the phone to tell them to evacuate immediately.

Many are still in deep shock imagining what could have been. A number of those who were given counseling at the Mission said they managed to get onto the lifts with their elderly employers and young wards, just before they stopped running.

Mercy and Annabelle recall moments after they were told to leave their Wang Fuk flats

“Nakasakay kami ng lola sa last trip ng lift, (My popo and I were in the lift’s last trip down),” recalled Mercy Martinez, who said she did not immediately realize the big danger they were facing until they got to the ground floor.

After being led to safety, she saw fiery debris slamming onto the building they had just left, sparking the inferno that consumed the structure within only a few minutes.

She still shudders at the thought of what could have happened to them had they been unable to take the lift down from their upper-floor flat.

“Hindi ko kakayaning buhatin si popo pababa. (I would not have been able to carry popo down the stairs).

Adding to the pain was the seeming lack of sympathy or understanding of what they had to endure, from people close to them.

Mercy rued that her teenage son never once asked how she was feeling after her close brush with death, and learning of how a number of her friends had perished in the tragedy, including a sweet Indonesian migrant worker who lived in a nearby building. 

Edwina Antonio (leftmost) with volunteers at the MFMW Help Desk in Tai Po

Antonio also shared the story of another Filipina who was left in tears when the elderly woman she was looking after showed far more concern toward the turtle and cat they had left behind in their flat than she did for her.

Meanwhile, another OFW victim, Annabelle, still lives in a government-provided shelter, sharing a tiny room with her employer's three family members, including a child who is on the autism spectrum. 

She was in a way spared of some of the trauma because she was in the market when the fire struck, while her disabled ward was in school and his elderly grandmother was out on an errand. Her employer called her and told her not to go back to their flat as it was burning.

Still, the terror of that day continues to haunt her. "Hindi na siguro ako titira ulit doon kung sakali" (I don't think I'd ever want to live there again), she said with a shudder.

The emotional scars caused by the tragedy would take a long time to heal, said Antonio. For this reason, the Mission and Bethune House plan to continue providing them with all the support they need until they recover.

This Sunday, the Mission will hold its periodic Care to Caregivers program at the St John’s Cathedral grounds, while a second round of session with the Red Cross will be held on Dec. 21, exclusively for the fire victims.

DMW set to look for bigger, more ‘caring’ shelter for distressed OFWs in Hong Kong

 

Secretary Cacdac (left) led Philippine officials in welcoming HK Labor Secretary Chris Sun
(in blue suit) to the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has disclosed plans to set up a new and bigger shelter for Filipino migrant workers in distress  in Hong Kong early next year, saying the current halfway-home in Kennedy Town has outlived its usefulness.

Secretary Cacdac bared the plan during a meeting with Filipino community leaders at Shangri-la Hotel on Sunday, and again during a one-on-one interview with The SUN on Monday.

“We want to move out from the existing one and provide one that can be a vibrant and dynamic place for our OFW shelter-stayers,” said Cacdac.

DETAILS HERE

The current shelter which used to be run by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (precursor of the current Migrant Workers Office) is a 652 sq.-foot, three-bedroom shelter with 10 beds located in a building on Belcher’s Street in Kennedy Town.

Before this, the Hong Kong government allowed POLO to operate as a shelter, a rent-free, a disused post office facility in Cheung Sha Wan which was four times the size of the Kennedy Town flat.

Cacdac said the DMW intends to raise the standard of accommodation at the new shelter – “not ostentatious, but something that is clean, up to standard, spacious, and can house a whole array of activities and events” for the OFWs who are staying there.

Basahin ang detalye!

He said he found out that tenants at the shelter are made to go the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty if they needed to undergo training. This will no longer be necessary if a bigger place is found for them, he added.

Asked if he had a time frame in mind for setting up the new shelter, Cacdac said it should be done by the first quarter of next year.

He also said funding could be easily made available for this purpose, since the DMW is earning enough from contract verifications. This means that the department will not have to depend on an additional budget allocation from the national government or Congress to get this done.

Secretary Sun wrote in his blog how impressed he was with the OFW Global Centre

Cacdac also expressed satisfaction with the way things are being run at the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty which he said impressed even Hong Kong Labor Secretary Chris Sun when he paid a visit to the place last Sunday.

Despite the high cost of renting the unit which occupies the entire 18^th floor of United Centre building, Cacdac said it was money well spent, and assured that the DMW will be able to sustain the cost of maintaining it for many years.

Distressed OFW given financial aid, repatriated by MWO

 

The worker who was repatriated with help from MWO

A Filipina domestic worker who was involved in a labor claim case in Hong Kong managed to go home to the Philippines on Aug. 3, with help from the assistance to nationals unit of the Migrant Workers Office.

According to a statement released by the MWO, the Filipina’s flight was delayed slightly, but she still managed to get on board at 7:29pm, and fly home safe and sound.

PINDUTIN DITO

Apart from repatriation assistance, the worker was also given legal help, temporary shelter at the Migrant Workers Resource Centre, and financial aid. No details of her case or the outcome were given.

But earlier, the MWO said the worker was one of nine OFWs who were given financial aid on July 23 through the Department of Migrant Workers’ Aksyon Fund.

Basahin ang detalye!

Eight of the recipients were stricken with cancer and were given Php75,000 each, while the worker involved in a labor case received a total of Php57,132, in financial aid and air fare.

 

You are not alone, Congen tells OFWs in distress

Congen Israel receives a plaque from Social Justice officers led by Marites Palma (in plain black)

 If you are going through difficulties, do not feel you are alone because we have a government that cares for you.

This was what Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. said in his message at the 6^th anniversary celebration of Social Justice for Migrant Workers, held at the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty yesterday, July 13.

Congen Israel spoke after hearing the contestants in a storytelling competition speak of the many struggles they had to face to ensure they kept their jobs and continue providing for their family back home, ensuring in particular that their children finished school.

Basahin ang detalye!

He said the Philippine government strives to ensure the wellbeing of some 10 million Filipinos abroad, about a tenth of the country’s total population. He said the task has not been easy, but the government has “come a long way” since Filipinos started emigrating in the ‘70s.

Israel said that the stories shared by the contestants showed the immense pain they had to bear when they left the country and their families behind so they could give them a better life. 

“You did not let that pain undermine your determination to achieve your goal,” he said. “Nangingibabaw ang pagmamahal ninyo sa inyong pamilya.” (Your love for your family is overwhelming).

Winners in the Storytelling contests pose with their awards and Social Justice officers, 
along with Attache Rem Marcelino

Though the stories shared by the OFW-contestants were replete with heartaches, mostly brought about by harsh work conditions to serious health problems and being scammed of their hard-earned money, they all ended on an upbeat mode, with their children obtaining college degrees, many with honors.

Another speaker, The SUN editor Daisy CL Mandap, paid tribute to Social Justice for actively helping their fellow migrant workers in need, particularly when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, barely a year after the group was founded by longtime OFW Marites Palma.

“Born just before Covid, but you were fast to respond to the crisis,” said Mandap. She recalled how the group provided “ayuda” or food and other provisions for migrant workers in quarantine, and helped look for shelter for those who were thrown out of their employers’ house after they tested positive for the virus.

Mandap also recalled how the various “admins” or officers of Social Justice took on a number of tasks in a bid to help the community ride out the crisis, from rescuing MDWs sacked unceremoniously by their employers amid the pandemic, to ensuring those seriously ill and wanted to go home were looked after until they reached their destination.

She, however, reminded the group that their being “mabuting tao” (good people) should extend first to their family members. They should keep their eye on saving up and focusing on their goals so they could reunite with their families the soonest time possible.

Chosen by the three-member panel of judges as Best in Storytelling was Venus Marasigan, who also received the Most Imaginative Story Award. 

Apart from Mandap, the other judges were Shiela Cancino and Laila V. Tungcab from Pinoy Impact HK.

The other contestants were also among those who received awards in pre-selected categories: Merlyn Tayona, “Most Hearfelt,”  Mary Ann Inovejas, “Best Story of Resilience,” Mhel Larios, “Best Message of Hope,”; Yrine Monforte, “Best Being Migrant Worker,”; Jocelyn A. Manzano, “Most Inspiring Work-Life Balance”;  Naty Manalo, “The Journey to the Future.” and Jocelyn A. Manzano, “People’s Choice Award.”

Among the other guests at the event were OWWA Welfare Officer Marilou Sumalinog, Social Welfare Attache Rem Marcelino, Dr Zoe Cheng, Serena Clarke from the Cervical Screening Team, and Dr. Brenda Alegre and Edgardo Ranosa, Social Justice advisers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ex-OFW forced to go home because of brain tumor gets P75k Aksyon fund

 

Febe at the OWWA office last year, when an agency owner cursed her on the phone

A Filipina former domestic helper who was forced to go home in April last year after being terminated when diagnosed with brain tumor, was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday, June 18, when she was given Php75k from the Akap Fund of the Department of Migrant Workers.

Febe S. Anor, 53, said the money was transferred to her bank account that day, less than a month after The SUN personally brought her case to DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac, along with her medical records from Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan.

Anor expressed gratitude at the unexpected windfall, and said it would help a lot in her recovery, and in the small online business she started using the Php20,000 reintegration fund given her by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

PINDUTIN DITO

She also received an extra Php30,000 in medical assistance from OWWA, which she said she had used for medical check-ups and medicines after she returned home.

Although she is able to carry out her business selling frozen foods online, she said she is still too weak to carry heavy stuff, so she asks customers to pick up their orders from her home.

“Salamat ng marami sa tulong ninyo. Ingat po kayong lagi (Thanks for all your help. Always take care) and God bless you always,” said Febe by way of thanking all those who have helped her.

Febe was helped by her INK friends in boarding the plane that took her home  

What prompted many people to help Febe, including her church mates at Iglesia ni Kristo in Hong Kong, was her calm and kindly manner which never wavered even in the face of seemingly insurmountable hardship.

Even after she was sacked, forcing her to seek temporary shelter in a four-floor walkup with help from her church friends while hardly able to walk, she never whimpered nor said unkind words about her employer.

This, even after her employer had all but abandoned her so she had to pay all her hospital bills herself and for her food and accommodation.

Basahin ang detalye!

At that time, the employer said Febe could not go back to their house anymore as no one would be there to look after her while she was recuperating. The employer said their employment agency would take care of providing her temporary accommodation while she waited for the day set for her brain surgery.

But as if she was being tested, the agency owner turned out to be mean, and had tried to get her to fly back to the Philippines at the first opportunity, even while she was still waiting for her next hospital appointment so she could have the staples on her skull taken out.

When she refused to comply, the agency owner only gave her soup as she recovered from her surgery, leaving her with no choice to ask her friends for help again.

Worse, she was not paid her full unpaid salary, and reimbursements for her medical expenses

But the worst was yet to come. When she sought help from OWWA so she could be paid in full, the agency owner immediately called her on the phone, and started to harass her. As she had set the phone on speaker mode, everyone who was in the OWWA office at the time, including then welfare officer Dina Daquigan, heard the employer shout f---g b—ch to Febe, before hanging up.

Febe still had these staples on her skull when the agency first tried to send her home

Still unshaken, Febe sought help from Assistant Labor Attache Angelica Sunga who took prompt action, warning the agency owner that if the helper’s rightful claims were not paid, all their pending transactions with the Migrant Workers Office would be put on hold.

Not surprisingly, the agency had a change of heart and decided to add $1,600 to the amount originally offered to her. Febe did not think twice about accepting the offer, happy that her long ordeal was finally about to end.

 In all, she received only $9,600 from the agency, which was supposed to cover her unpaid salary, one month in lieu of notice, and reimbursement for her hospital, food and accommodation expenses, but she decided to just take it and go home to ease her mind and spirit.

 

 

 

Come to us if you’re burdened, says MFMW

 

Social worker holds workshop on mental wellness for clients of the MFMW shelter, Bethune House

Among the groups that have expressed immediate alarm at two suicide cases involving Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong in recent days was the Mission for Migrant Workers, a non-government organization formed 44 years ago to help migrant workers in distress.

MFMW’s founder and general manager Cynthia Tellez said migrant workers should immediately seek help if they find themselves feeling distressed and lost because of some problem.

“Kapag may pinagdaraanan ka at pakiramdam mo ay wala ka nang susulingan, sa simula pa lang, naririto po ang Mission for Migrant Workers na handang makinig at magbigay ng hakbang para sa paghanap ng solusyon,” Tellez said.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

“Mahalaga ang buhay ng bawa’t isa.”

(If you’re going through a problem and you feel like you have nowhere to run, the Mission for Migrant Workers is always here to listen and provide you with the steps that you can take in looking for a solution. Everyone’s life is important).

The MFMW has long partnered with groups like St John’s Counseling Service and Dignity Institute to provide support for migrant workers in distress. From time to time, it also organizes  mental health workshops for migrant workers together with professionals.

Through its shelter Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, the MFMW also provides a safe space for migrants who need to remain in Hong Kong while battling personal and legal challenges.

Basahin ang detalye!

Meanwhile, family members of the Filipina domestic helper who killed herself by hanging and slitting her wrists on Wednesday, Apr. 16, confirmed that the victim was under extreme financial pressure at the time.

However, they were unsure as to how she ended up borrowing from loan sharks when she was paid a monthly salary that was double the average, and was making extra money as a massage therapist.

One family member said they were all hurting because the OFW stopped communicating with all of her relatives and friends a week or two before she committed suicide.

“Nag try kami mag reach out kaso ignored kami lahat…no family arguments or fights. Ang alam naming it’s because of borrowing from a loan shark. Maybe she was threatened at di na niya kinaya.”

(We tried to reach out to her but she ignored us all. There were no family arguments or rights. All we know was that she had borrowed money from a loan shark. Maybe she was threatened and she could no longer take it).

Nine days earlier, another OFW also slashed her wrists and overdosed on medicines in an attempt to kill herself, but was luckily found by her employer on time, and was saved.

She left behind a suicide note indicating she was in financial distress. Friends later said she had borrowed a huge sum for someone who did not pay, and stopped communicating with her.

Migrant workers who are distressed may call the hotline of the Mission for Migrant Workers, 9529 2326 or the Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge, 9338 0035.

Those with suicidal thoughts or undergoing depression could call any of the following hotlines, at any time of the day:

The Samaritans at 2896 0000,  the Suicide Prevention Services at 2382 0000, The Care Health Project at 2827 2525 or CEASE Crisis Centre of Tung Wah Groups of Hospitals at 18281.

Filipino domestic workers may also call the Migrant Workers Office hotline at 6345 9324.

In addition, the HK government’s hotline 18111 can provide support for residents with mental health needs.