Starting a food business: The JC The Foodie story

By Jo Campos

Jo before food she cooked for friends

I am JC The Foodie. I started using this name on my blogs on social media and as a food writer for Food Trip with The SUN. Being a food lover myself, I would usually take pictures of the food that I ate with friends when we’d go out for lunch or dinner. When there was a dish that I particularly liked, I would try to cook my version of it at home, then post pictures on social media.

Having had quite an ample experience in cooking Western and Asian cuisine during my 31 years in Hong Kong as an OFW, I had always dreamed of setting up my own food business on my return to the Philippines. This finally happened in December 2016, when I packed all my bags and headed home, for good.  I told myself, “This is it! It’s now or never!”

Soon after coming home, I started selling home-cooked meals at our housing subdivision’s Sunday market. It was an instant hit, and I started gaining regular customers. Occasionally, I would accept food orders for delivery at nearby areas. Sometime I would help my niece, Mae, in the catering business that she, her husband and a couple of friends owned, called Miss Cuisine Catering Specialists. Sadly, this collaboration ended when the partners decided to part ways so they could pursue other businesses.

Mom-to-be Pauleen Luna with Jo and the catering staff

After this, we had a long family talk and we decided to continue the catering business, and this was how JC The Foodie Catering and Food Services was established. It is a family enterprise, with investors, cooks and service crew all rolled up into one small company. I am now a partner of the business along with my niece, Mae Maghirang Tovera who is an Enderun College Culinary Arts Graduate, and owner of “The Pink Chef by Mae”, which specializes in customized cakes.

Our first dry run/kick off event was a baptismal party for Mae’s daughter Pia at our residence. From then on, with the help of relatives and friends’ recommendations and “word of mouth”, JC The Foodie company gained more clients and contacts.

Among the big events we organized and catered were my sister’s 25th wedding anniversary and renewal of vows. We also do regular “Sparty,” or spa party, at Nail Mama on Gilmore St., in Quezon City, and a few corporate lunch buffets. Recently we were recommended to cater a baby shower for celebrities Nikka and Patrick Garcia at Rockwell Towers in Makati. It was a party for 70 with a pink ballerina motif.

JC The Foodie’s biggest challenge so far, and also served as its main launch, came when we were chosen to cater for Pauleen and Vic Sotto’s Hawaiian luau-themed baby shower at One Andrea Tower in Quezon City. It was a full-themed buffet party for 100 people, including all of the “dabarkads” or cast and crew of the longest-running noontime variety show, “Eat Bulaga.” The menu consisted of chicken cordon bleu with mayo wasabi and dijon honey dip, salisbury steak in creamy mushroom gravy, fettuccine carbonara, chop suey and fried rice. For desserts, we served coffee jelly shots, buko pandan jello and cupcakes by The Pink Chef by Mae.

We were so pleased that everyone loved the food. Joey de Leon was the first to try the carbonara and praised JC The Foodie, while his wife Aileen requested for our name card. Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo enjoyed the desserts and the chicken, while phenomenal star Maine Mendoza enjoyed both the fettucine and the chicken.

Anjo Yllana couldn’t get enough of our coffee jelly shots that he consumed about 11 in one go!

I was pleased to note that the rest of the guests had seconds at the buffet table, while Pauleen Luna Sotto showed delight with the set up and food. Vic Sotto personally thanked JC The Foodie on Eat Bulaga.

The hosts and guests like Ryan Agoncillo and wife
Judy Ann Santos loved JC's  food

This early, JC The Foodie already has a confirmed booking for a 300-person event in Marikina in December, another celebrity baby shower in January 2018 and a 200-pax 60th birthday party slated for March 2018.

To cater to the more discerning tastes of our clients, Mae and I always do kitchen tests on the food that we are going to serve, a few weeks before the event. This is to make sure that everything is done well, and to the client’s specification. We personally prepare and assemble all the equipment for the catering, including table linens and napkins, food warmers, cutleries, glasses and plates. If needed, we make several trips to Quiapo and Divisoria for the things we need and to Taytay textile market for the table cloths and napkins. We choose good stylists and outsource our chairs and tables to ensure quality and variety.

Mae and I spend hours in the kitchen preparing all the food, from purchasing the ingredients to preparation, cooking and transporting to the venues. We pick quality ingredients and use fresh herbs from my herb garden. This is to make sure that we maintain the best quality of service and food that we serve our clients.

Catering is a daunting task; it requires a lot of hard work, perseverance and innovation in food preparation. There are already a lot of catering service providers in Metro Manila alone, with quite a few already established, so for a newbie like us to stand out, we have to concentrate on being unique and on serving only high quality food.

This we try to do by turning a common recipe into a unique dish that will surprise and please the client. We also try to put our personal touch to our food, like blending herbs and spices to create something special out of the ordinary.

In this business, it also matters a lot if you have good connections, and the best way to strengthen your reach is to ensure that your clients are satisfied with your service. Clients would most likely recommend your services if they are satisfied.

Staying firmly in the race for recognition is a challenging, but at the same time, a fulfilling task. But at the end of the day, there is only one thing that should matter, which is pleasing your client.

But wait, there’s more…. Another JC The Foodie Quote:

“What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn. I love it!” – Jamie Oliver

Fate, puspusan ang paghahanda para sa liga

Ni Emz Frial

Maligaya ang mga miyembro ng Fate kahit natalo
sila ng Guangzhou sa warmup game.

Puspusan ang ensayong ginagawa ng koponang Fate para sa nalalapit nilang laban sa Hong Kong Softball Association Women’s League.

Ang Fate ay isang koponang binubuo ng mga manggagawang Pilipino dito sa Hong Kong sa larangan ng larong softball. 

Linggo-linggo ay makikita ang grupo sa palaruan ng Shek Kip Mei para mag-ensayo.  Kinakailangan nilang maging handa sa nalalapit na pagsimula ng Season 2017-2018 ng liga.

Noong nakaraang season ay pumangalawa ang Fate sa kabuuang ranggo na isinasagawa ng HKSA. Samakatwid,  ang grupo ay puwede nang umakyat sa Group A ng liga. 

Ngunit dahil sa kakulangan ng manlalaro na puwede at handang isabak laban sa magagaling na koponan ay mas pinili ng kanilang team captain na si Don Gaborno na manatili na lamang sila sa Group B.

Sinang-ayunan naman ito ng kanilang manager na si Law Wai Ho. 

Subalit ang desisyon na iyon ay may kaakibat na sakripisyo sa ilang miyembro ng Fate dahil pito lamang sa dating mga manlalaro ang puwedeng manatili sa grupo upang magpatuloy sa paglalaro. 

Ito ay alinsunod sa lamang sa mga alituntunin ng HKSA.

Naging mahirap para kay Gaborno ang ginawang desisyon dahil baka hindi ito maintindihan ng iba niyang manlalaro.

Kaya kahit labag sa kalooban ni Gaborno ay kinailangan niyang mamili  kung sino ang magpapatuloy sa paglalaro at kung sino ang pansamantalang titigil.

Hindi ito ikinatuwa ng mga napili at nagalit ang mga ito. Wala namang magagawa si Gaborno kundi hingin na sana’y maintindihan nila ang naging desisyon.

Tiniyak naman nito na naging patas ang kanyang naging basihan sa pagpili ng manlalaro na mananatili sa koponan. Napag-alaman na nagpaalam na ang ibang miyembro nito pagtakapos ng Season 4 dahil sa personal na kadahilanan.

Noong nakaraang Okt 29 ay nagkaroon ng “friendly game” ang Fate laban koponan ng Guangzhou, isa sa mga batikang grupo ng softball sa mainland China.

Kahit natalo ang Fate ay ipinakita ng mga manlalaro nito na kaya nilang makipagsabayan sa magagaling na kalaban mula sa ibang koponan.

Ipinakilala naman ng grupo ang mga bagong miyembro nito na sina Jeremiah Gabales,  Jonalyn Cupag, Bambee Abadilla,  Belenda Ganitano, Charlou Gat-eb,  Delia Elbanbueno, Juliet Fernandez, Sherlyn Gamata, Reyze Valeriano at Jessie Antoniano.

“Sa nakita ko sa laro namin laban sa Guangzhou, kaunting praktis pa, lahat ng bagong players ay willing to learn at dedicated talaga,” ika niya.

Inaasahang magsimula ang ika-limang season ng liga sa kalagitnaan ng Nobyembre.

KCC, ang co-op ng mga OFW na mula sa Benguet

Ni Cristina B. Cayat

Bilang isang manggagawa sa ibang bansa, puno tayo ng pangarap.

Bago pa lang umalis sa bansang sinilangan marami na tayong gustong makamit, at isa na rito ang pagkakaroon ng negosyo pagdating ng panahon na tayo ay bumalik na nang tuluyan sa ating mga mahal sa buhay.

Ngunit sa tagal ng panahon nating pagtratrabaho sa ibayong dagat, nasusuong din tayo sa iba’t ibang pagsubok kaya naman, minsan ang mga pangarap na ating ipinunla sa ating mga puso ay hindi agad natutupad.

Ang buwanang sahod natin dito sa Hong Kong ay halos hindi magkasya sa buong pamilya natin sa Pilipinas dahil sa napakaraming gastusin. Kaya madalas, ang inaasam na pagbabalik ay nauunsiyami.

Sila ang mga dumalo sa seminar na inorganisa ng Department of Agriculture , Cooperative Development Authority ng CAR sa pakikipag ugnayan ni Luciana Dangbis. Maliban kay Luciana, pawang mga "for good" na ang mga dumalo. Ang seminar ay upang lalong maintindihan nila ang mga alituntunin, karapatan, at mga benepisyo ng pagiging miyembro ng kooperatiba.

Pero may mga OFW pa rin na nagpursigi na makamit ang kanilang pangarap na pangkabuhayan. Kabilang na dito ang grupo ni Luciana Dangbis at ang kanyang mga kababayan sa Kabayan, Benguet, na nagtayo ng isang kooperatiba.

Hindi naging hadlang ang patuloy na paninilbihan ni Dangbis sa Hong Kong para maumpisahan ang bunga ng kanyang mga pagsisikap, ang Kintoman Credit Cooperative.

Itinayo ito noong 2014 sa kanyang masigasig na pakikipag ugnayan sa lokal na gobyerno ng Kabayan noong ang mayor dito ay si Faustino Aquisan. Sa umpisa pa lang ay nagalak na ang alkalde sa planong inihain sa kanya ni Dangbis, kaya lalong lumakas ang loob ng OFW.

Sa tulong ni Marilou Cosalan na nagtatrabaho sa Social Worker Department ng local na gobyerno ng Kabayan ay naisulong ang mga papeles ng koop nang hindi nahirapan si Dangbis. Nang makuha na niya ang kinakailangang dokumento ay agad hinikayat ni Dangbis ang kanyang mga kababayan na nasa Hong Kong at pati na iyong mga nagsipagbalik na sa Pilipinas na sumali sa kooperatiba.

Todo suporta din ang Department of Agriculture sa Benguet at sa tulong ni Cosalan ay nag-organisa sila ng mga seminar para sa mga ex- OFW na nakabalik na sa kanilang bayan at intresadong sumali sa ko-op. Sa tulong ng Cooperative Development Authority ay nailatag ng grupo ang mga alituntunin ng koop.

Ayon kay Dangbis, matagal nang hiling ng marami sa kanyang dating grupo na magkaroon ng paglalagakan ng pera na sigurado na ay nakakatulong pa sila sa kapwa nilang kababayan na nangangailangan.

Matapos ang masinsinang pag-uusap tungkol sa legal at teknikal na proseso ng pagkakaroon ng kooperatiba ay nabuo ang KCC sa Pilipinas, mula sa pagiging Kabayan Overseas Workers Association sa Hong Kong. Nahalal si Flordeliza Gadate bilang presidente, si Eliaren Abellera bilang ingat-yaman, at si Myrna Alberto bilang tagapamahala ng kooperatiba. Lahat sila ay pawang mga dating OFW. Sina Abellera at Alberto ang nakatalagang empleyado ng KCC sa ngayon.

Ayon kay Dangbis, masaya siyang nakapagtalaga ng dalawang dating OFW para maging empleyado ng koop.

Ang punong tanggapan ng KCC ay nasa Pacso Kabayan, Benguet at mayroon silang sangay sa KM5 La Trinidad, Benguet.

Ang unang 20 “cooperators” na sumali ay naglagak ng tig-limang libong pisong “share capital” at limandaang piso (Php500) na membership fee.

Sa kasalukuyan ay mayroon nang 56 na miyembro ang kooperatiba at Php500,000.00 ang asset ng koop. Naghahati-hati sa “net surplus” o tubo ang 56 na miyembro at 43 na cooperators. Noong unang taon ay kumita ang KCC ng Php110,000 at pinaghati-hatian ito ng mga cooperators.

Ang isang cooperator ay kailangang magkaroon ng Php5000 na capital share at Php500 na membership fee upang makasali sa hatian ng net surplus.

Ayon kay Dangbis, ang pagpapalago at pangangalaga ng koop ay hindi madali. Mabusisi ang kada apat na buwan na pagtitipon pagkatapos ng pagpupulong ng board of directors, pero napaka importante daw na laging may talastasan dahil pera ng mga kababayan na nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong ang nasa kooperatiba.

Mabuti na lang at dahil sa paggabay ng kanilang mga mentor mula sa local na gobyerno ng Kabayan at ni Cosalan ng DA, unti-unti nang umuusad ang kooperatiba.

Mula sa dating Kabayan Overseas Workers Association (KOWA) na pinangunahan ni Linda Nalibsan ng dalawang taon ay isinulong ni Dangbis ang pagtatatag ng isang kooperatiba, na ngayon ay kilala na bilang KCC.

Pagkatapos lang ng dalawang taon ay accredited na ng Overseas Workers Welfare Administration CAR ang KCC.

Ayon kay Dangbis, mas mainam na mayroon na silang pinaglalagyan ng pera nila na malapit lamang sa kanilang lugar, at higit sa lahat ay kumikita kahit maliit na halaga lang. Mayroon ding medical benefit sa pinakamalapit na kaanak ng bawat miyembro.

Nagbibigay din ang KCC ng tulong sa kanilang kumunidad, gaya ng pagbibigay ng lutuan sa isang day care center, timbangan sa lokal na klinika, at donasyon sa mga simbahan.

Mas natututukan na ni Dangbis ang pag-agapay sa kanyang mga kababayan nang matagumpay niyang napagtapos sa kolehiyo ang kanyang tatlong anak. Ang panganay na si Janine ay nagtapos bilang cum laude sa St Louis University sa Baguio kung saan siya ay scholar, at kasalukuyang nagtatrabaho sa research department ng National University Hospital sa Singapore. Ang pangalawa na si Rachel ay nutrionist na sa Premier Medical Center sa Cabanatuan City samantalang ang bunsong si James Ryan ay katatapos lamang ng sa kursong forestry. Parehong nagtapos ang dalawang nakakabata sa Benguet State University.

Laking pasasalamat ni Luciana dahil napakatibay ang pundasyon ng kanilang pamilya bagamat maaga silang naulila ng kanyang asawa. Aniya, iniwan siya ng kanyang asawa ng mga responsableng anak.

Dating guro ang kanyang asawang si James, ngunit noong nangibang-bansa si Dangbis simula noong 1999 sa Taiwan at 2001 naman dito sa Hong Kong ay iniwan na ng asawa ang pagtuturo para maalagaan ang kanilang mga anak na noon ay mga bata pa. Taong 2005 nang ito ay pumanaw.

Noong 2016 ay nagkaroon si Dangbis ng pagkakataon na makasama ang tatlong anak ng mga apat na buwan nang siya ay maoperahan dahil sa myoma. Sa kanyang pag-aayos sa kanilang bahay ay nakita niya ang isang karton kung saan nakalagay lahat ang mga resibo para sa mga pinapadala niyang pera na inipon pala ng kanyang mga anak mula noong sila ay mga bata pa. Hindi daw napigilan ni Dangbis ang mapaiyak dahil nakita niya kung gaano ka responsable ang kanyang mga anak, at kung paano nila pinahahalagahan ang kanyang mga pagsisikap para sa kanila.

Sa ngayon ay wala nang iba pang pinagkakaabalahan si Dangbis kundi ang umagapay sa kanyang mga kababayan, lalo na yung mga bagong dating pa lang sa Hong Kong. Gusto din niya na magtatag ng dagdag-pagsasanay para sa kanyang kababayan na gustong magtayo ng mga simpleng negosyo gaya ng paghahabi, paggawa ng banga, at paggawa ng pasta mula sa mga gulay na tumutubo sa Benguet.

Lagi din siyang nakikipag-ugnayan sa OWWA at iba pang sangay ng gobyerno para masiguro ang patuloy na paglago ng sinimulan niyang kooperatiba.

House or condo

By Francisco J. Colayco
(Part II)

In the previous issue, Mr. MF wrote to say he does not know whether he should buy a house and lot or a condo to reside in.  It is a financial decision that he has to make.  What is important is that the property brings money INTO his pocket through a decrease in expenses or increase in income (if he decides to rent it out) or through the increase of the value of the property if he decides to sell in the future.

Here are some thoughts you can consider when you want to live in a condo versus living in a house and lot:

While a condo does not have its own land, it is part of the condominium association that owns the land on which the building is located.  You have a Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT) instead of a Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) when you own land.  Of course, it is most important that your condo is well-located and built by a reputable company.  Condos in choice areas are expensive because the land value is very expensive. The price of good condos also go up in value. In many central locations, land is already too expensive for individuals to own.  Thus, there is sharing in the value of the land through a condominium.

Look at your lifestyle in the condo.  There might be expenses or savings there that you can analyze.  Usually, life is simpler if you have a small place and condos are usually small.  But then, house and lots can also be small.  Therefore, you must imagine the kind of life you will live in each and compute how much you will spend.

You need to understand who are the owners of the other units.  Are they the kind of people that you want to live “side-by-side” with? Depending on their good manners  and values, they will help in giving a good image to your condo and bring up its value. 

In the case of the location of your “house/lot”, your neighbors are also very important but often a house/lot has a little more space between neighbors.

You need to understand the Condominium Association By-laws because you will have to abide by those. 

A condo can grow in value as well if it is a good condo.  A house/lot may or may not grow in value depending on the location and maintenance of the house and the surrounding road infrastructure.  Check out the growth of the value of the property where you want a house/lot.  Check the condos of the property developer you are considering. That should give you an idea of the possible increase in the value.

Put all of these factors together in comparing a condo with a house/lot in actual numbers and put minus or plus in those numbers.  Put them in a separate column for the condo and for the house/lot.  Be honest with the numbers that you come up with.

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Please check out www.colaycofinancialeducation.com for more information on what I do now.

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Francisco J. Colayco is an entrepreneur, a venture developer and financial advisor.  He is the Author of Seven Bestsellers in the Pera Palaguin Series, the latest of which is now available in bookstores:  “Wealth Reached. Money Worked. Pera Mo, Pinalago Mo!” Find his works and catch him on TV and radio.  Check out: www.colaycofinancialeducation.com, www.franciscocolayco.com, www.kskcoop.com, FaceBook and Instagram. 

OFW with ovarian cancer abandoned by employer in hospital

By Daisy CL Mandap

A Filipina domestic worker who got kicked by her 4-year-old ward in the legs just two months into her job, then left on her own at Tuen Mun hospital by her employer, has found out she has a bigger problem to worry about.

Doctors who checked on Julie M., 40, just told her she has ovarian cancer. What’s worse, she may have to be operated on for the severe bruising on her legs caused by her ward’s unintentional but fierce kick.

Told about Julie’s situation on Oct 23, a week after she was left fending for herself at the hospital, Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre immediately put the Filipina’s employer on the watch list. That meant the employer, Benny Lam, wouldn’t be able to hire another Filipino worker again, unless he can convince the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to lift the ban.

Labatt dela Torre is also set to visit Julie himself, to try and dissuade her from going home.

Julie M is confined at Tuen Mun hospital where she was taken by her employer after being kicked by her ward, and abandoned. 

Several people who have visited Julie, including a welfare officer, have relayed the information that Julie has become despondent since being told of her illness, and wants to go back home to Cebu. Her family has apparently concurred with the decision.

In a brief telephone conversation with The SUN, Julie said that a week after she was accidentally kicked by her young ward, her whole leg swelled up.

Initially, her employer reportedly hesitated in taking her to the hospital, but relented eventually and took her to a clinic on Oct. 15.  After examining her, the doctor reportedly conferred with the employer, who then told her to go to Tuen Mun hospital.

Julie told The SUN her employer never visited or inquired into her condition afterwards. She was stuck there for a week with no one visiting her and with not much on her until a friend decided to contact The SUN for help on her behalf.

Labatt dela Torre is keen to convince Julie to hang on so she could continue receiving treatment. As she should still be on sick leave her employer cannot terminate her contract, which means she would still have her Hong Kong ID that allows her to be treated in a public hospital.

She may also use the time to file sick leave and other benefits from her employer.

And as she has worked in Hong Kong for just over two months, she is still covered by the 2-year mandatory insurance for all OFWs departing the Philippines for the first time.

 Among the benefits is the “compassionate visit” clause which provides that the worker could ask the insurer to pay for the airfare of a relative who will visit or tend to her at her sickbed.

The mandatory insurance also pays for a “subsistence allowance” for an OFW who files a case to asset her rights, and compensation in case of death or permanent incapacity.

For now, several OFWs are taking turns in visiting Julie in hopes of cheering her up, including a few Ilonggas in Tuen Mun and members of an Evangelical group who were all alerted to Julie’s condition by The SUN and Bombo Radyo contributor Merly T. Bunda.

Ex-HK OFWs seek Phl labor officials’ help in pursuing illegal recruiter

OFW victims meet with Philippines officials led by Labor Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia.

By Daisy CL Mandap

Three former overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong met with top labor officials in Manila on Oct 25 to formally ask for help in pursuing elusive recruiter Ester Ylagan.

During the meeting at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration office, the OFWs bared before officials led by Labor Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia how Ylagan lured them into paying thousands of dollars for fictitious jobs in Britain and Canada.

Ylagan, whose Emry’s Service Staff Employment Agency used to supply the biggest number of Filipino domestic workers into Hong Kong, is accused of up to 500 Filipinos in Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines, of making as much as $5 million from the scam.

Each applicant who signed up for a job in Canada paid $10,000 while those who wanted to work in the U.K. paid $15,000 each.

According to anti human trafficking and illegal recruitment advocate Susan Ople who accompanied the complainants, the meeting went well, with POEA taking down the victims’ complaints.

“They (POEA officials) are inviting other complainants,” Ople said in an online message shortly after the meeting. “They promised to build a strong case vs Ester.”

POEA is also investigating no less than 10 other cases against Ylagan filed directly with them by victims from as far north as Ilocos Norte, to Davao City in the south. The Philippines-based complainants were paid for by their Hong Kong relatives, enticed by the prospect that they could all be together in their dream destination.

Ylagan and her self-owned company, Mike’s Secretarial Service, face more than 300 money claims at the Small Claims Tribunal and several labor cases at Eastern Court, but has not been seen in Hong Kong since July last year, when her illicit operation unraveled.

Before she disappeared, she filed a complaint with Hong Kong Police, in which she claimed to have been duped of $4.2 million by an unnamed associate.

Recruiter Ester Ylagan is believed to
have returned to the Philippines.

Because of this claim, the police have ignored claims of fraud by her disgruntled applicants.

Immigration checks reportedly showed Ylagan being back in the Philippines, where she is said to live in an upmarket residential block in BGC, Taguig City, purchased for Php8 million cash.

She reportedly bought another more luxurious unit in another area, but has defaulted on her payments after news about her alleged scam broke.

Many of the complainants are still holding on to the hope that they could get back the money they paid Ylagan, but the bottomline for most is that she be arrested and jailed for her misdeed.

“She might have a luxurious life on earth but she can never escape God’s judgment in the after life. Yan na lang ang sinasabi ko sa sarili ko para mabawasan ang sama ng loob ko,” posted Michelle in an online group chat.

She not only wants to get her money back, but also a long jail term for  Ylagan.

Leaders urge unity, thank OFWs on Vizcaya Day

 By Vir B. Lumicao

Nueva Vizcaya’s sons and daughters working in Hong Kong replicated on Oct 22 their province’s colorful celebration of ethnic solidarity with pageantry and calls for unity by local government leaders who came over for the festival.

The whole-day “Nueva Vizcaya Day Ammungan Festival 2017 Hong Kong” was organized by the United Nueva Vizcayanos, an alliance of OFW associations from about two dozen ethnic groups in the 15 towns that make up the province.

Governor Carlos Padilla, who led a delegation of provincial and town officials at the festival, expressed his gratitude to the contributions the estimated 3,000 Vizcayanos working in Hong Kong have made to the province through their remittances.

 Vice Gov. Epifanio Lambert Galima (in grey barong), led the guests in the afternoon portion of the "Nueva Vizcaya Ammungan Festival 2017" on Chater Road on Oct 22. With him are (from left) Quezon xx xx Binwag, his wife Mayor Dolores Binwag, Mrs. Perla Galima, and Lourdes D. Lowings, chairwoman of United Nueva Vizcayanos HK.

He told about 500 people who gathered on Chater Road for the festivities that the Nueva Vizcaya OFWs in the SAR and other parts of the globe are the main drivers of the province’s economic progress.

He said everyone would benefit from that progress by safeguarding and strengthening ethnic unity to promote economic growth.

Vice Governor Epifanio Lambert Galima acknowledged the valuable contributions of OFWs in the SAR to the provincial economy as he stressed the need for them to unite. 

“Your province owes you a lot of gratitude because of the money that you send home. Look at the progress in the countryside due to your contributions. It is very heartwarming to see businesses flourishing and big houses rising because of you OFWs,” he said.

Padilla, Galima and Board Member Roland Carub led the provincial and municipal officials who graced this year’s gathering.

A Mangyan dance is performed by the Luzon Alliance troupe in the tribal dance competition.

In an interview with The SUN, Galima said OFWs account for a significant part of the money that flows into the province.

“Children go through to college because of money the OFW parents send home. If the parents are not here, their children won’t be able to go to school,” he said.

In return, the provincial government has lined up livelihood assistance as well as vocational and technical programs that returning OFWs can avail themselves of to help them reintegrate into the economy, Galima said.

Among these programs is financial aid to start up small businesses, such as rice trading business for small operators in upland villages that do not produce rice, he said.

“We provide them capital to buy rice wholesale, which they retail in their localities so that the villagers will have rice to eat. The people welcome the business, as it saves them the trouble of going to faraway town centers to buy rice,” the vice governor said.

The United Nueva Vizcayanos HK also provides livelihood training to OFWs from the province, its chairwoman Lourdes Dacanay Lowings told The SUN. These include handicrafts, such as making flowers and beads, macramé bags and other products.

The Ammungan, the Gaddang word for “gathering,” is the organization’s Hong Kong version of the grand festival in the province that brings together people from the various ethnic groups in Nueva Vizcaya, the gateway to the Cagayan Valley.

Cultural presentations included folk dances staged by OFWs from various tribes and regions, an ethnic tribal dance contest, a costume competition and a singing contest.

The celebration began with a parade led by contestants in the Search for Saniata ti Nueva Vizcaya 2017 dressed in costumes made of corn husks, rice straws, tiger grass and other natural materials.

The festivities ended with the proclamation of winners in the twin beauty pageants, Saniata ti Nueva Vizcaya and the Search for Sassy Look International 2017.

Nueva Vizcaya was formerly a part of Isabela, but was spun off into a separate province by Spanish Governor-General Luis Lardizabal on May 24, 1839. On April 10, 1841,  Queen Isabella II issued a royal decree approving Lardizabal’s order.

The province had a 452,000 population in 2015, the fastest-growing in the region with an average annual growth rate of 1.36% in 2010-2015 period.

Sariling kilos

Ni Ate Kulit

Kung nagbabasa ka ng The SUN, sigurado kami na mas maraming pangyayari ang hindi namin naisusulat kesa doon sa aming naiuulat. Kalimitan, ito ay dahil hindi sila pang-balita, o kaya ay pinipigilan lang namin ang pagbubuhat ng sariling bangko.

Isa na rito ang isang mala-bayanihang pagkilos ng mga OFW sa Hong Kong na nasaksihan namin kamakailan.

Nagsimula ito nang makatanggap ng message mula sa isang mambabasa ang Facebook page ng The SUN na himingi ng tulong para sa kaibigan nitong dinala ng amo sa Tuen Mun Hospital at hindi na binalikan.

Ugali na ng editor naming si ate Daisy Mandap na i-refer ang mga kasong ganito sa mga kinauukulan. Pero sa pag-check niya kung ano na ang nangyari kinabukasan, wala siyang nakuhang sagot. Na hindi kataka taka dahil malayo ang Tuen Mun sa Central.

Kasya tinawagan niya si Merle Terne Bunda, isang Ilongga na kilala sa kawang-gawa, upang tanungin kung may kalilala siyang nakatira sa Tuen Mun. Nag-post tungkol dito si Merle sa Facebook, kung saan mayroon siyang mahigit 4,000 na  “friends”. Agad namang nag-volunteer si Jeje Padilla Vergara. Maya-maya pa ay nagre-report na ito: Nagpapaabot daw ang pasyente ng pasasalamat, dahil may pasalubong pa siyang natanggap, gaya ng sitsirya at mga gamit. Nag-pilit si Ate Daisy na ibalik ang nagastos ni Jeje, pero ang sagot nito: Ayos lang, basta maka-selfie niya si Ate Daisy.

Ilan pa ang dumalaw din.

Para sa isang naospital, mabigat ang pakiramdam na ikaw ay nag-iisa, lalo pa’t ikaw ay dalawang buwan pa lang sa Hong Kong na gaya ng pasyenteng nabanggit. Ang pagdalaw ng kapwa Pilipina ay malaking ginhawa mula sa takot, lungkot at pangungulila.

Maliit na bagay ito para sa marami, pero kung ganito ang mangyayari sa bawa’t may pangangailangan, hindi na ito basta-basta. Ang tulungan sa araw-araw ng mga Pilipino sa Hong Kong at sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo ay nagbubuklod sa atin bilang isang lahi.

Darami pa ang ganitong pagtutulungang kung ang bawa’t isa sa atin ay magiging Merle at Jeje at Ate Daisy para sa nagangailangan hindi lang ng tulong, kundi aruga ng isang kababayan saan man sila naroroon.

Yes to divorce in the Philippines

By Daisy Catherine L. Mandap

(This was the paper I submitted during a public hearing conducted by the Philippine House of Representatives on 1 October 2017 at the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong)

I am for divorce. As a lawyer and a journalist I have heard many a sad tale of women, most of them overseas Filipino workers, of being stuck in a marriage they no longer wanted or one that had long ceased to give them comfort and joy.

Statistics released by UN Women in 2013 showed a majority of OFWs are married (57.8%) and of these, 4.4%  are separated/divorced/annulled. But the figure is higher for women OFWs – 7.4% as compared with 1.5% for males. However, these figures do not indicate how many have separated from their spouses after going abroad. (http://asiapacific. unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2016/10/filipino-women-in-international-migration)

For indeed, it is commonly accepted that many married couples split after going abroad.

The physical separation is often the culprit, but in other cases, it is because the woman  —who is long abused, cheated on, or simply unhappy—manages to gather courage and move on.

But while they may be separated in fact, they remain tied to their husbands because of the marriage bond that effectively holds them hostage. As many of them are breadwinners, they often end up having to work hard to keep their children fed, clothed and schooled, while their good-for-nothing husbands spend their time drinking, gambling or even womanizing. 

Worse, our laws dictate that unless there is legal separation or annulment, her wayward husband still gets to inherit the most from her should she die. Even an act as simple as buying a house from her hard-earned earnings would require the consent of the husband, no matter how unworthy. But that is our law.

Applying for an annulment or nullity of marriage came as an option about three decades ago, but it is not an easy way out. The total cost is now at least P450,000 says one prominent lawyer (http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/616462/how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-an-annulment-in-the-philippines/story/), because one has to pay for psychiatrists apart from the lawyer, and other fees. This amount could cost OFWs their life’s savings, or put them in debt bondage, instead of going towards paying for their family’s needs.

Still, many of our OFWs would go through the process in a heartbeat, but there is another difficulty they have to hurdle, which is having to spend their rare and precious holidays (often, only once during a two-year contract) just to go back home to attend court hearings or confer with their lawyer.

So what kind of a divorce law would do justice to our OFWs and to every Filipino, rich and poor alike?

We need a divorce law which is 1) easier to obtain, and 2) not costly, for as long as the applicant meets the prescribed grounds.

Just to compare, in Hong Kong, even our OFWs are allowed to obtain a divorce. The laws here merely require that at least one of the parties has a connection to Hong Kong, and being residents give them that connection. The more beautiful part is, the government even grants them legal aid – with the lawyer of their choice – to obtain a divorce decree.

Sadly, that decree is valid only within Hong Kong and other places that recognize its  laws. It is not recognized in the Philippines because we don’t allow divorce.

The grounds for obtaining a divorce in Hong Kong also make it easier for them to get out of a marriage they no longer want. One year of separation in fact is enough if the other party gives consent; two years without the consent. If there is abuse or any other compelling reason for granting a divorce, even the one-year rule is disregarded. There is no ascertainment of fault – there is no guilty or innocent spouse - for a divorce based on actual separation, which makes the process faster. The separation is proof enough that the marriage bond is irretrievably broken.

My cursory reading of the divorce bills show that many are still trying to hold on to the long-held belief deeply instilled in our mostly Catholic minds that marriage is sacred and is something that no man should put asunder. With respect, I think this is not right. While I agree that divorce should not be available on a mere whim of either or both spouses, our law that allows it should not be so stringent that we effectively make it out of the reach of a few, mainly the poor.

What we need is an acceptance that there are marriages that cannot be saved – not because one of the spouses is abusive, is a drug addict, a philanderer – etc. These are definitely grounds that should make the divorce easier. But we should also provide for a period of separation when it can be shown that there is no more hope in the marriage; that love does go away for whatever reason. 

Rep. Emmie de Jesus’ call for a minimum period  of five years’ separation is a good start, but I think even three years is enough for one to know for sure that the marriage is over. There is no reason why the suffering – of the spouses, and even their children if they have any - should drag on.

Only the matter of custody over the children, or intestate succession between the parties, should be determined if there is an aggrieved spouse. Otherwise, our existing laws on these matters should be applied.

The Peak’s secret garden

A Chinese lion guards the pavilion. 

By Vir B. Lumicao

Nestled on a notch atop Victoria Peak in Hong Kong is a jewel of the former Crown Colony that mesmerizes visitors and relives the halcyon days of this bustling, vertically expanding yet sylvan city.

The notch where the green gem, Victoria Peak Garden, sits is part of the crater of an extinct volcano that was first named Mount Austin, for the former Colonial Secretary John Gardiner Austin and later named after the British monarch, Queen Victoria.

The 552-meter-high tree- and brush-covered granite mountain was and through the years became the most expensive real estate belt that is home to most of Hong Kong’s rich and famous.

Perhaps this explains why Victoria Peak Garden has remained an inconspicuous, almost secret community park since the completion of its $146.5 million redevelopment in 2007.

The Victoria Peak that most people know, whether they are Hongkongers or tourists, is a concrete landing where the Peak Tram ends and where stand two multi-level edifices featuring a viewdeck, souvenir shops and eateries. It is also where Harlech Road, Mt Austin Road and Lugard Road converge just below the Peak Tower.

Most visitors who take the Peak Tram or the public double-decker buses to The Peak get the impression that their experience is complete once they have circled Victoria Peak via the 3.5-kilomoter flat and paved Morning Trail.

The Morning Trail, with a pit stop at a small garden at the junction of Hatton Road and Harlech Road, may suffice for individuals or groups who want a leisurely nature walk around Victoria Peak or a short calisthenics session.

For people looking for a bigger park where kids can have fun and adults can sit on the lawn admiring the flowers or take a nap under the trees, Mount Austin Playground is just a 200-meter uphill walk from the Peak Tram.

But the park can get too crowded on Sundays and public holidays when families, tourists and groups of migrant workers stroll and loll on the lawns.

This situation led us on a recent day off to the upper parts of The Peak for a discreet spot to rest. We went further up Mount Austin Road towards the communication towers and discovered the quiet and alluring beauty of Victoria Peak Garden.

A white-and-red concrete pavilion that can take about 50 people under its roof stands on the site of the former Mountain Lodge, an alternate residence of colonial governors of Hong Kong until it was demolished in 1946.

The pavilion, guarded by a granite sculpture of a Chinese lion, was built on a concrete podium that provides a commanding view of points that lie southwest of The Peak, such as Pokfulam, Kennedy and the islands of Lamma and Lantau.

The southeast side of the pavilion overlooks the main garden, which has a gate that opens to a flat, well-manicured sprawling lawn. The centerpiece is a lone hexagonal gazebo from which radiate four flower gardens whose plant beds form four diametrically arranged fleurs-de-lis.   

We learned from frequent visitors that the park is a favorite site for pictorials of newly wed couples, especially those with a retinue of guests tagging along. On the day we were there, we chanced upon two pairs of newly-weds posing for souvenir pictures or walking about the main garden. 

The sunken garden.

A short walk east of the main garden lies a quieter, tree-hedged sunken garden with three Victorian gazebos strategically positioned on the edges of a wide green lawn. Among the few people who were killing time or picnicking on shady patches under the trees were small groups of expatriate families or OFWs.

Near the sunken garden is another pocket of green lawn bounded by vegetation where people take their pets for a walk or for play.

Victoria Peak Garden is ringed by a network of cobblestone paths obviously designed for joggers, pet walkers, exercise buffs, hikers and other people who need a quiet place to enjoy the outdoors. For the tired, there are wooden benches along the paths.

One path from the pavilion leads to a circular dead-end where one can view the top of Mount High West or look farther west to Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and Lantau or south to Pokfulam. 

From Victoria Peak Garden, a visitor can walk back to the Peak Tower via Mount Austin Road or take the Harlech Road Fitness trail that descends to the Morning Trail at the Hatton Road junction, which winds all the way down to Pokfulam Road.